FI forums for Simple People

[teetee]

One thing I would work on is never underestimate the power of simplicity.

I think 100% on all investment in the total stock index fund, automatic contributions to both taxable and tax advantaged retirement accounts, and no debt will free up ones mind and just let the time and the compound interest to do their jobs, is the best strategy and you can't go any simpler than that.

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by All Is Lost No I am still here. No worries on the thread drift. It's all good. Late last night my wife and I read every post from yesterday. We even jotted down some advice and "tips" (no pun intended). It was very encouraging to read how others have overcome substantial obstacles to get to where they are today. We plan to read today posts this evening as well. Being an older guy I am not as good as I use to be in conveying my thanks. Please know that I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my question and the very beneficial advice you have provided us.

Well with all the goofy talk about underwear, Goodwill and the never ending problem of how much to tip, you see that we are all simple people...so I guess we were what you were looking for all along.


Come on in the water is fine...

[skyking1]

That's how millionaires next door and not-quite millionaires next door roll

[RetiredHappy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobbieB I tip 20% on take outs, just like before covid when I could sit down.

+1

[skyking1]

I also tip with cash most of the time. I figure less meddling is more.

[Yoheadden]

Quote:

Originally Posted by finnski1 I second that recommendation. It was the first real book on FI that I read and enjoyed it very much. I don't think the principles will ever be outdated.

+1
I still keep a copy, just as a reminder of the principles and flip through it occasionally.

Quote:

Originally Posted by finnski1 I don't calculate my tip on the full total. I always calculate the tip pretax. So $100 bill $10 tax. My tip $20, not $22. If it is a small bill like breakfast I tend to be even more generous than the 20% but still based on the pretax number. I don't see paying a tip on the tax either.

+1

[racy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by street Gumby, just amazing how far we all have come. Life could have gone south pretty easy for any of us.

Amen, brother! Luckily didn't get anyone pregnant back in my youth. Mom always warned me before I left for a date that I had a "loaded pistol" in my pocket

[harllee]

OP--I hope you will stay on this Forum. But if you want to also look at a Forum where there are folks with smaller net worths you might check out Mr. Money Mustache Forum. Some interesting discussions there.

[Stashu]

Money is human happiness in the abstract: he, then, who is no longer capable of enjoying human happiness in the concrete devotes himself utterly to money. - Arthur Schopenhauer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMmTkKz60W8

[Sunset]

Quote:

Originally Posted by racy Amen, brother! Luckily didn't get anyone pregnant back in my youth. Mom always warned me before I left for a date that I had a "loaded pistol" in my pocket

Sad.... My Mom said I was carrying a loaded Rifle

[Amethyst]

To say nothing of what your dates' parents warned them about!

My dad always warned me that he had been a terrible young man, and that all of them were just as bad. He was not, fortunately, completely correct

Quote:

Originally Posted by racy Amen, brother! Luckily didn't get anyone pregnant back in my youth. Mom always warned me before I left for a date that I had a "loaded pistol" in my pocket

[racy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunset Sad.... My Mom said I was carrying a loaded Rifle

touche!

[RobbieB]

When I started dating in high school, Pops advised me;

"Son that thing between your legs can get you into more trouble than you can believe"

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobbieB When I started dating in high school, Pops advised me; "Son that thing between your legs can get you into more trouble than you can believe"

I heard, "It's a downspout boy, not a compass"

[ArmchairMillionaire23]

Quote:

Originally Posted by All Is Lost Does anyone know of any online forums where the majority of the members are people like myself who are Low Class or Lower Middle Class who would like to try and obtain FI? In my Google search, I have only found forums like this one and others that are geared more for Rich people. Thanks for your help.

My wife is a teacher and between the two of us we only gross around $75,000 per year. I love this site and have learned so much. Like others have said, you can learn a lot from people who have been successful in something you are attempting to do. (Early Retirement)

While some people on this site earn $100K, $200K or more a year there are others like you and I who hang out in the 12% tax bracket and are happy to be there.

Enjoy the journey to Early Retirement, however many steps it takes you.

[brett]

You can learn a lot on this forum no matter what your financial situation might currently be.

Words I learnt at an early age from from my grandfather (a very canny Scot):

"Take care of the nickels and the dollars will take care of themselves".

60 years later I still appreciate the meaning in that.

[Bamaman]

I prefer not to use the word Class, and a better word to use might be Income. My family was solid Middle Income, but we were people of high integrity and considered High Class. Class is not necessarily an income thing.

When I started my adult life, I had no idea that I'd ever amass substantial assets. But I built my investments by living a frugal life (mostly), living in an ultra low cost of living city, investing the max in 401K's and IRA's. I paid close attention to my equities and played the market medium aggressive.

So start young, save until it hurts and pay close attention to your business. I took my lunch daily for years, and that one small saving can mount up over 30 years. I'm proof that someone can take care of their future retirement needs. And I quit work at 58.

[Souschef]

We are classic MND people. We live in a +55 mobile home park in an 1800 sq ft manufactured home. We keep a low profile, and nobody has any idea what our NW is.

We have upgraded the inside over a number of years, however. In 2017 we upgraded our cars from a 1998 and 2003 to a 2017 new car and a 2016 used car. This was the first car on which my wife did not have car payments.
Our SS and small pensions basically covers our expenses.

[Amethyst]

Correct. Class is how you move through the world, and how you treat others while you're doing it. Any other definition is really caste, not class.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bamaman I prefer not to use the word Class, and a better word to use might be Income. My family was solid Middle Income, but we were people of high integrity and considered High Class. Class is not necessarily an income thing. .