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Don't Waste the Good Days

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Re: Don't Waste the Good Days

#221

Post by Invictus0 »

ryandrake wrote: post #41

I feel like there is wisdom in "Make hay while the sun shines." When you're young and unencumbered by responsibility and family, when your cognitive abilities are at their peak, when your energy is endless, when your body is strong and healthy, when your knees work, and your fingers can type without arthritis: that's the optimal time to work and earn. Min-max that salary and stay healthy. Due to compounding interest,…

I wish I could downvote this twice. Don't postpone your life indefinitely in the name of efficiency: plenty of people trying for FIRE die or become injured or diseased before retirement. Live your life. Tomorrow is not guaranteed.

Re: Don't Waste the Good Days

#222

Post by mgh2 »

2143 wrote: post #195
tayo42 wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

every post here in this post is triggering an existential crisis for me. oh what to do...

And I'm in a 3rd world country making 3rd world salary. Sure I'd like to get myself into big tech (not necessarily in America). But... I don't even know where to start.

This advice seem to be for the typical tech affluent HN crowd, so don't take it personally.

Re: Don't Waste the Good Days

#223

Post by [deleted] »

serjester wrote: post #91
ryandrake wrote: post #41

I feel like there is wisdom in "Make hay while the sun shines." When you're young and unencumbered by responsibility and family, when your cognitive abilities are at their peak, when your energy is endless, when your body is strong and healthy, when your knees work, and your fingers can type without arthritis: that's the optimal time to work and earn. Min-max that salary and stay healthy. Due to compounding interest,…

Here’s an interesting thought experiment for you - if you could trade 20 years of your life for 10 billion dollars, would you? Just step in a room and walk out a billionaire. I have yet to meet someone that would accept the offer. So if you do the math, they value their time at a shockingly high rate. I’d argue, trading the best years of your life for an early retirement is the same proposal. Steve Jobs would have gi…

[deleted]

Re: Don't Waste the Good Days

#224

Post by Alex3917 »

acqbu wrote: post #215
01100011 wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's tough... at 47 I'm old enough to have felt the decades past turn into a scant handful of memories. When you're older, the past matters less. The now matters more. Not being able to pay for good health care matters. Not being able to eat what you want or take vacations matters. When you're old, you realize "Oh yeah, life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone" and you have the now to worry about. But I…

What's the best time to have kids? 35?

35 is considered "advanced maternal age", where there is more risk to both the mother and baby. Given that it takes ~2 years to make a baby, ideally you should start having kids no later than 35 - 2n, where n is the number of kids you plan to have.

Re: Don't Waste the Good Days

#225

Post by miskid »

staticassertion wrote: post #165
nightowl_games wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'd have played fewer video games, traveled less, and relaxed on the beach less. This seems totally opposite of what old people say on their death bed. You sound so obsessed with money here. My guess is your probably very wealthy relative to the average peer and your too naive to realize it. You have to keep telling yourself this philosophy to justify not wind surfing in Bali. You think your gonna wind surf when yo…

Lots of people I know in a generation or two above me regret not saving when they were younger. Now they're nervous about being 70 and having to retire soon but not feeling stable, or feeling that they may financially burden their children. Compounding interest on money means, as previously mentioned, money you earn at 20 will be 10x as valuable compared to money earned towards a typical retirement age. With tech hav…

> Do experiences compound? Will I enjoy an experience more at 25 than 45? Maybe, and there's always some balance, of course. No one should work themselves to death.

It doesn't really have to compound. If you travel a few weeks every other year in your 20s or 30s it adds up to a lot more experiences than if you hadn't. When you get up to 40 it makes a meaningful difference.

Before the pandemic you could take a flight almost anywhere for less than $1000. Not using that opportunity ends up defining people, or at least their situation, whether they like it or not.

And don't get me wrong. I understand that it isn't always so simple. Still if I had to choose I would choose the version of myself that is willing and capable of traveling.

Could you go traveling when you are 40? Sure, but it isn't necessarily the same thing.

Re: Don't Waste the Good Days

#226

Post by kettleballroll »

ipiz0618 wrote: post #163
serjester wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here’s an interesting thought experiment for you - if you could trade 20 years of your life for 10 billion dollars, would you? Just step in a room and walk out a billionaire. I have yet to meet someone that would accept the offer. So if you do the math, they value their time at a shockingly high rate. I’d argue, trading the best years of your life for an early retirement is the same proposal. Steve Jobs would have gi…

When I have that 10 billion, I might want to extend my life just to enjoy it more, like all the rich people do. But right now? I don’t even need to think twice to accept that offer lol. My time isn’t that precious when 50% of it is spent working for food and shelter, and trying to stay fit so that I don’t stop being capable of working.

I think you're severely underestimating what 20 years mean for your body. I'm a very fit 37 year old, and I very much notice the continued wear and tear. Recovery takes a lot longer, and the body just isn't as limber as it used to be. Partying for days on end, or some extreme sports, and maybe even some intellectual persuits are just WAAAAAY harder then they were 20 or 15 years ago. I can still do them all, but someone who thinks it's a good idea to trade in their 20s for more free time in their 40s is in for a rough surprise.

Re: Don't Waste the Good Days

#227

Post by imtringued »

ryandrake wrote: post #41

I feel like there is wisdom in "Make hay while the sun shines." When you're young and unencumbered by responsibility and family, when your cognitive abilities are at their peak, when your energy is endless, when your body is strong and healthy, when your knees work, and your fingers can type without arthritis: that's the optimal time to work and earn. Min-max that salary and stay healthy. Due to compounding interest,…

Compounding interest is an abberration and wastes the good days.

Re: Don't Waste the Good Days

#228

Post by thatjoeoverthr »

chii wrote: post #83
tayo42 wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

every post here in this post is triggering an existential crisis for me. oh what to do...

It pays to understand oneself. Why do people want _every_ fig on the tree? It's because of greed, and desire. If yo can imagine yourself be satisfied with obtaining just one of those figs, instead of only being satisfied from having it all, you'd have a much better time alive. It's the same root philosophy as finishing one project to completion, rather than start many but never finishing it to the end.

People want lots of different figs because they’re good, and it’s hard to choose.

Re: Don't Waste the Good Days

#229

Post by imtringued »

staticassertion wrote: post #165
nightowl_games wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'd have played fewer video games, traveled less, and relaxed on the beach less. This seems totally opposite of what old people say on their death bed. You sound so obsessed with money here. My guess is your probably very wealthy relative to the average peer and your too naive to realize it. You have to keep telling yourself this philosophy to justify not wind surfing in Bali. You think your gonna wind surf when yo…

Lots of people I know in a generation or two above me regret not saving when they were younger. Now they're nervous about being 70 and having to retire soon but not feeling stable, or feeling that they may financially burden their children. Compounding interest on money means, as previously mentioned, money you earn at 20 will be 10x as valuable compared to money earned towards a typical retirement age. With tech hav…

Has it ever occured to you that you are getting paid off the work off your friends and family and by giving their money back they are simply back to square one?

Re: Don't Waste the Good Days

#230

Post by imtringued »

shostack wrote: post #156
nightowl_games wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'd have played fewer video games, traveled less, and relaxed on the beach less. This seems totally opposite of what old people say on their death bed. You sound so obsessed with money here. My guess is your probably very wealthy relative to the average peer and your too naive to realize it. You have to keep telling yourself this philosophy to justify not wind surfing in Bali. You think your gonna wind surf when yo…

It is important to realize in America at least, retirement seems a bit further out of reach to younger generations. So this may be really important advice for those entering what may well be the peak of an unprecedented bull market that padded the accounts of those retiring or retired, but that may not have done anything for someone young under or unemployed. So maximizing income seems like pretty good advice right n…

Those retirees are fully dependent on young people working for them, if they were to refuse then the retirees might notice their selfishness.
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