What do y'all do for a living?

[Alfisti]

One last bit of advice, they're all crazy so just go with the one with the best tits.

[Moe2Moto]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

One last bit of advice, they're all crazy so just go with the one with the best tits.

[Moe2Moto]

Anyone else have anything to contribute?

[jaffles]

I once coloured in houses for builder who went to school with people who became doctors, dentists, lawyers, anaesthetist etc. They had lots of money and often thought paying too much was barely enough for quality. The builder got all the work, did all the human PR, I just did the quality and handed him the bill. Never argued or questioned, easy peasy.

At 45 I turned into transport as the body was fatiguing. Just the one truck, and taking with me a staff member I had employed for 15 years. He does 6hrs a day, I do 3 to 4, and I clear about 6K a week. Not not big by many standards but its big for me. Where I deliver to, the owner of that building is making 30K a month off just one of his many industrial sheds. So the mind boggles.

Got a mate who sells potatoes at the city markets, he races, owns several Porsche's and wants for nothing. He tells me the real money is in carrots.

Got a tree lopper mate who is similar to me, perhaps a bit better. Just him and another and use machinery to do all the heavy lifting.

And another mate who daughter sells women's underwear on line. Bra cost 89c but retails for $80. Thong 28c and retails for $40. Her dad owns multiple industrial sheds also, but started a s a carpenter, moved into shop fitting and now does event stalls.

Recon get a traditional job in the bag first then you can drift. None of it happens over night and it takes a few takeoffs before your start flying generally. Good luck but remember too much can be too consuming also in the money sense. One life, live it.

[Ira]

Own a Title Insurance Agency in Utah.

[Moe2Moto]

Originally Posted by Ira

Own a Title Insurance Agency in Utah.

How is that working for ya?

[STi from DSM]

I'm a Quality Manager for a laser machine manufacturer.
It is always kind of a loaded question. I started my career in 2011. My first car I bought by myself was a 2006 Subaru WRX STi. I bought it for $26,000 and it had 9800 miles on it. (In 2011)
I have been a few things in my career, Manufacturing Engineer, Process Engineer, and Quality Engineer. But I have been a Quality Manager now for the past 13 years.

When you first start out you really work with what you can. I bought my first new car at Subaru in 2013. (2013 Subaru WRX) It was $25k.

As you get further in your career you can afford more and naturally things get better quality.

I went with 4 Subaru's before I started with Audi and BMW. Been switching between Audi and BMW since 2018. I had a brief layover in an Integra Type S which didn't last long.

Never be ashamed with what you can afford because there will always be someone else with something better, nicer, and that makes more money than you do.

[Moe2Moto]

Originally Posted by STi from DSM

I'm a Quality Manager for a laser machine manufacturer.
It is always kind of a loaded question. I started my career in 2011. My first car I bought by myself was a 2006 Subaru WRX STi. I bought it for $26,000 and it had 9800 miles on it. (In 2011)
I have been a few things in my career, Manufacturing Engineer, Process Engineer, and Quality Engineer. But I have been a Quality Manager now for the past 13 years.

When you first start out you really work with what you can. I bought my first new car at Subaru in 2013. (2013 Subaru WRX) It was $25k.

As you get further in your career you can afford more and naturally things get better quality.

I went with 4 Subaru's before I started with Audi and BMW. Been switching between Audi and BMW since 2018. I had a brief layover in an Integra Type S which didn't last long.

Never be ashamed with what you can afford because there will always be someone else with something better, nicer, and that makes more money than you do.

[Phillies8008]

Originally Posted by STi from DSM

Never be ashamed with what you can afford because there will always be someone else with something better, nicer, and that makes more money than you do.

Absolutely, positively this. Keeping up with the Jones' is an absolutely un-winnable game and will get you in to trouble in the long run. There's always a bigger fish.

[FrankL]

Originally Posted by Moe2Moto

Hey guys, I apologize if this is an inappropriate question, but I’m 23 years old, still in college and I still question myself on the profession I want to choose. Just like y’all I have a BMW, but when I look around a bunch of forums, I see people with expensive cars and can’t help to wonder what profession they have to afford it.

So if y’all wouldn’t mind trying to push me onto the same path as y’all or giving me some sort of advice on helping me with trying to get into my profession that would be great.

I’ll start, I’m 23, I’m in college majoring in Chemistry in hopes of being a dentist. Currently unemployed and in school.

Dentistry is kind of competitive. Oral surgeons and endodontists seem to do well.

Fancy cars and shiny stuff is not the most important thing in life. Learn how to save money and budget. I knew and know too many people who spend and spend.

One is a in-law relative that has multiple fancy Porsches or a BMW. Always changing and has usually 3 cars. Then he complains about possibly losing his great job as he is in his mid 40s. Guy should be trying to save those big paychecks. Having savings allows you to sleep better at night versus having a fancy car.

[flybigjet]

Originally Posted by FrankL

Having savings allows you to sleep better at night versus having a fancy car.

Disagree.

Having savings makes me worry *more*.

The Minister does our finances (put those four Master's degrees to work!), and she says we'll be "fine" for retirement in five years.

But, I worry. Other than the M2C and her 981, we don't have a lot of large expenses (other than vacations and her being a foodie). We live in a modest (~1900 sq. ft) 30-year old house, my Daily is a 21-year old Honda, I get freaky if she leaves the lights on or runs the shower too long, and we don't have kids (unless the cats count).

But still.... I worry. Will our retirement finances be enough? Will inflation eat them up? Will we be able to afford the things we want to do?

I like to think of myself as "reasonably" frugal-- but even with a bit of coin in the bank.... I worry about the future.

R.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by flybigjet

Disagree.

...

The Minister does our finances (put those four Master's degrees to work!), and she says we'll be "fine" for retirement in five years.

....

I'll worry for you and pray that "The Minister" is on the up and up.

Don't close your eyes. Insist on seeing where you stand today. When it comes to money, don't trust anyone.

[flybigjet]

Originally Posted by dcstep

I'll worry for you and pray that "The Minister" is on the up and up.

Don't close your eyes. Insist on seeing where you stand today. When it comes to money, don't trust anyone.

We've been married 16 years and are happily married, so no worries there.

She shows me the numbers every couple of months- but honestly, it's just not something that I care about much (the numbers part, not the retirement).

I'm a worrier, and she isn't. Even though we *should* be comfortable in retirement, I can't help but go "What if"-- even if we've restrained our spending and don't have any urchins to put through college, weddings, bail out of prison, etc.

Which is probably why I'm driving a 20+ year old Honda Element instead of a new Porsche Macan S!

R.

[Phillies8008]

Originally Posted by flybigjet

We've been married 16 years and are happily married, so no worries there.

She shows me the numbers every couple of months- but honestly, it's just not something that I care about much (the numbers part, not the retirement).

I'm a worrier, and she isn't. Even though we *should* be comfortable in retirement, I can't help but go "What if"-- even if we've restrained our spending and don't have any urchins to put through college, weddings, bail out of prison, etc.

Which is probably why I'm driving a 20+ year old Honda Element instead of a new Porsche Macan S!

R.

I thought you were talking about an actual minister that's not related to you, not your wife. Makes a lot more sense now!

[allwheelsdriven]

I have this weird gig where I support senior tech execs running their powerpoint decks at worldwide, high vis events. I've been at it for 25 years now. Its taken me to 20 countries and I did it for 70 days last year. The rest of the time I spend in the backcountry taking photos and or living in our main home on a remote island in Alaska. No kids, no debt, far from family = bliss.

[FrankL]

Originally Posted by gatorfast

For sure, and my point was not intended to be mutually exclusive of saving vs spending.

If you are familiar with the book I referenced it is more contextualized in terms of doing things when you will receive the most enjoyment vs when you have the most money. Understanding that say a ski trip at 40 years old when you are in good physical health may be different than at 65 when your body may not be in the same shape. If you delay the ski trip and save for 25 years, sure you can probably then afford to take 3 ski strips instead of just 1. But at 65 if your knees and back hurt, your kids are now adults with kids of their own, and perhaps some friends you would go with are no longer living will the trip be the same? Would the investment in this trip at 40 in good health, with young kids who still live with you, and with good friends who are alive and healthy be worth sacrificing 3x the amount of trips in 25 years with unknown future enjoyment?

I know a fit guy in his early 70s, very good golfer and skier. I would not ski now as a bit older. You break something, it is harder to recover.

Sadly, today skiing has become a rich person sport. I always wanted to maybe have a second home in a ski town. The prices in Colorado ski towns is astronomical. Maybe something near Pagosa Springs is affordable. The trip from FL to Co is 3.5 hours on a jet.

The lines and the cost in the USA ski areas. From video I have seen, one of the best places not packed with people in northern Italy.

[flybigjet]

Originally Posted by Phillies8008

I thought you were talking about an actual minister that's not related to you, not your wife. Makes a lot more sense now!

I refer to her as "The Minister of War & Finance".

R.

[Phillies8008]

Originally Posted by flybigjet

I refer to her as "The Minister of War & Finance".

R.

Ha! Mine is The Central Planning Committee.

[as530]

Remember that there are two ways to get rich. One is to earn more, the other is to spend less. Many rich folk in their 40s or 50s have earnt well AND managed to limit spending.

Remember when choosing a life partner that alignment on spending priorities is one of the critical axes on which a husband/wife must align. If one spouse wants to spend big on cars and hifis and the other on dresses and furniture, you'll end up a broke couple pretty quickly.

I'm 45 and my cars to date have been Honda Jazz --> Honda Civic --> Ford Mondeo --> BMW G61. But even with my first premium badged car, I bought the most basic engine (520i) and bought used, so got a reasonable price.

Anybody can 'not spend' because they don't have enough. It takes discipline to have lots and still not spend. That discipline is key.

I'm a doctor and have earnt well for 10 years. I could easily have bought a M5 touring for 3x the cost of what I paid - but my main requirements were comfort and noise isolation (hence I found a used example with Adaptive Suspension), not looks or crazy pace.

[R N M]

Originally Posted by flybigjet

We've been married 16 years and are happily married, so no worries there.

She shows me the numbers every couple of months- but honestly, it's just not something that I care about much (the numbers part, not the retirement).

I'm a worrier, and she isn't. Even though we *should* be comfortable in retirement, I can't help but go "What if"-- even if we've restrained our spending and don't have any urchins to put through college, weddings, bail out of prison, etc.

Which is probably why I'm driving a 20+ year old Honda Element instead of a new Porsche Macan S!

R.

I would get a Macan S and enjoy your life while you’re healthy and have the means especially since you don’t have kids. Ask any old person with $$$ and they will tell you same thing.

If I didn’t have kids I would probably be retired by now lol
Instead i’m about to pay $5k for my daughter’s braces 😬

[R N M]

Originally Posted by as530

Remember that there are two ways to get rich. One is to earn more, the other is to spend less. Many rich folk in their 40s or 50s have earnt well AND managed to limit spending.

Remember when choosing a life partner that alignment on spending priorities is one of the critical axes on which a husband/wife must align. If one spouse wants to spend big on cars and hifis and the other on dresses and furniture, you'll end up a broke couple pretty quickly.

I'm 45 and my cars to date have been Honda Jazz --> Honda Civic --> Ford Mondeo --> BMW G61. But even with my first premium badged car, I bought the most basic engine (520i) and bought used, so got a reasonable price.

Anybody can 'not spend' because they don't have enough. It takes discipline to have lots and still not spend. That discipline is key.

I'm a doctor and have earnt well for 10 years. I could easily have bought a M5 touring for 3x the cost of what I paid - but my main requirements were comfort and noise isolation (hence I found a used example with Adaptive Suspension), not looks or crazy pace.

Ok but what is the point of that.
You will always have regrets later on.

I don’t spend crazy except on cars and try to maximize savings/ reduce unnecessary costs. But you also have to live for today as once you get to your 40s or 50s, this will probably the best you will feel. I don’t want to wait and drive a GT3RS when i’m 60+. It’s hard to get out of those bucket seats for me now 😀

[kudos]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Not flaming, but after reading a lot of your posts... let me get this straight, you are an expatriated Aussie living in Canada, and bitching about how the US (and its 50 States) sucks?

One thing Canadians are really good at is little brother syndrome and complaining about the US. Probably learned it after becoming a Canadian.