I want YOUR story

[Financialfreedomguy]

I think everyone, no matter how old or young should be interested in hearing from all types of others in regard to their personal finances. Although in reality, this rarely happens.. Most people are taught that it's rude to talk about money, even though we all use it, everyday. I believe it's something that should be spoken about and it would benefit everybody. It's perhaps the most important subject we should be learning in Schools, yet no-one knows much about it.

Try it for yourself. Excuse me (insert name here) Dad, How do you get rich? I think we all know the answer there.

I'd like to know your story, with age and figures. If you don't feel comfortable with this maybe just insert LVR'S? Or just don't reply

Heres mine: http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...nce-63059.html

[kumquat]

You could try reading the "Hi I am" or searching. But OK, I'll respond.

[Financialfreedomguy]

Thanks mate, but I don't see any figures there. You could be living on baked beans and tenting it in Malaysia?

I read some of them but not quite what I was after. There are plenty of others here that haven't told of their place in the bigger picture as yet. Lets coax em out! After all, it helps them too. I like to see these types of things as 'personal diaries' where you just blurt all of your thoughts out, then look at them with a sceptic eye. Sometimes you do thinbgs you didn't even realise, sometimes you're not meeting your goals, or even further ahead than you might have thought. Sometimes it's the first time you've ever done this and it gives you a very clear picture. If you don't have a plan, how do you know when you get there..?

[Bestwifeever]

Pass.

[Gumby]

It all started back in the early 1970s. I made a dollar and didn't spend all of it. I made another dollar and didn't spend all of that one either. Repeat that a few million times and here I am today.

[Financialfreedomguy]

Wow Gumby so you retired by saving after tax dollars!? How long did that take? And how do you live today?

[kumquat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Financialfreedomguy Thanks mate, but I don't see any figures there. You could be living on baked beans and tenting it in Malaysia?

I could be, but I'm not. Or I could be thinking of making a takeover bid for APPL and BRK. As to NW, which one of the <8 digits do you consider the most significant, and why?

What we have shouldn't matter to you. How we got it might but would it help you? Then again, if possible, I'd become FI the old fashioned way, I'd inherit it. Try that first.

[militaryman]

From the responses so far I guess there is a reason it is labeled "personal" finances

Also -- Those who are comfortable sharing probably have already disclosed that which with they do feel comfortable with ---

see search function

[MichaelB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gumby It all started back in the early 1970s. I made a dollar and didn't spend all of it. I made another dollar and didn't spend all of that one either. Repeat that a few million times and here I am today.

You had it easy. We didn't have dollars back then. And we had to walk to school. Uphill. Both ways.

[rescueme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bestwifeever Pass.

+1 (NOYB )...

Heck, the only "story" that counts is the one you create, on your own. What anybody else does is of no significance, and there are many stories all over the net of how folks achieved (if they did), their "number"...

We were not all born with the same background, family values, personal challenges, or opportunities. I know for a fact that my/DW's situation is part of the 1%'s on this board - not due to assets (well, maybe) but also our personal situation (support for an adult "child" after we're both gone).

Whereas we're planning for two generations (not only our own) what we did and how we did it would apply to a very small part of the ER crowd.

Everybody is different...

Oh, BTW - your original posting had a few good "nuggets" of how you think: "I also ran it across an Aussie property forum where everyone is a negative A-hole", along with the comment of "My Father is welathy and owns outright lots of property from hard work, but we don;t factor in any of this later in life, although we do know it's there, we don't think about it." Sorry, but if you take the time to mention it, you are probably thinking about how it will play into your future plans.

Don't mind me; I'm just one of those folks who questions posts such as yours, at such an early age.

[frayne]

My story, I was born on the bayou.

I predict this thread will not end well !

[Nemo2]

"It all started at a 5,000 Watt radio station in Fresno....."

("Oh, no, that wasn't me...it was Ted Baxter..")

[braumeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB You had it easy. We didn't have dollars back then. And we had to walk to school. Uphill. Both ways.

You had school? We had to write our own textbooks with a stick in the sand ...

Four Yorkshiremen

[67walkon]

When I was young, I had to walk uphill both ways to and from school, on the slippery snow in the blazing sun. I only had the back of a shovel and a piece of coal to write with, but I never gave up. Seriously, some people inherited money. Some people made great investments. Some people LBYM'd. Most had a combination. I never, ever had credit card balances or paid credit card interest except maybe once or twice when I just forgot to make a payment on time. I never bought a house with a minimum down payment and always paid a little extra every month on the mortgage. I haven't had a car payment in more than 20 years. We have 2 houses, and no mortgages. We built the vacation home with inherited money on land we owned free and clear, because it seemed to us like a better investment than putting the money in the market. We've spent our vacations for a number of years working on and finishing the vacation home, but we like doing that kind of stuff. We give away more than 10% of our income to faith based organizations. We enjoy doing things that are free or almost free. We like hanging out together doing free or almost free things.

Thats how we did it. My wife has been retired for a while and I'm checking out early next year. We won't be "rich" and, based on the cars we drive, the toys we have or don't have and the expensive vacations we don't take, many of our "peers" probably think we probably aren't doing quite as well as them. Personally, I am much happier living more modestly with no debt than I would be living larger, and working a lot longer, with lots of debt and stress.

So thats how we did it. You can plug whatever numbers you want into the story. The numbers don't matter, because they are all relative to your personal situation. What matters is what you do with whatever numbers you earn, inherit or find under the mattress.

[MichaelB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braumeister You had school? We had to write our own textbooks with a stick in the sand ...

You had sticks and sand? We had to make our own.

The original sketch (in case you hadn't seen it), pre-Python with two thatn went on to Python fame and one of my favorite comic actors, Marty Feldman.

AT LAST THE 1948 SHOW - Brooke-Taylor, Chapman, Cleese, Feldman - Four Yorkshiremen - YouTube

[unclemick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB You had sticks and sand? We had to make our own. The original sketch (in case you hadn't seen it), pre-Python with two thatn went on to Python fame and one of my favorite comic actors, Marty Feldman. AT LAST THE 1948 SHOW - Brooke-Taylor, Chapman, Cleese, Feldman - Four Yorkshiremen - YouTube

I love this one -whichever and whenever thread it pops up on.

heh heh heh -

[brewer12345]

FFG, MYOFB.

It isn't complicated: save some of what you make, invest it wisely, and don't give in to lifestyle creep. All else is the details.

[freebird5825]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB You had it easy. We didn't have dollars back then. And we had to walk to school. Uphill. Both ways.

What happened to the "blinding snowstorm being chased by a wolf pack" part ?
Ah, how soon we forget.

[ls99]

I could have been born with a silver spoon..... unfortunately I did not choose my parents well.

So I w*rked, spent a lot less than what I was paid. Retired at exactly 59.5 years of age.

The rest is history.

[M Paquette]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls99 I could have been born with a silver spoon..... unfortunately I did not choose my parents well.

Always a problem. I plan to do better next time...

I'm sure it's just a matter of putting a little effort into researching the situation beforehand.