Is this guy crazy or what

[aja8888]

I feel so left out.

I don't have a PhD and got my BS when I was 31 years old. That good old military duty got in the way. I did get my MBA when I was 39 though (going at night).

I wish that poster on Reddeit luck though as he is going to need it.

Congratulations on all of you who worked very hard to get your PhD. I hope it was worth it!

 

[FUEGO]

You would think that with all that edu-mu-cation you would have learned that you earned a Juris DOCTOR degree...not a doctorate.

You must be a lawyer.

It's a doctorate or a doctoral degree or a doctor's degree. Of the juris variety. And technically I didn't "earn" it, I was "admitted to the degree" according to the diploma (now collecting dust in my bedroom closet).

 

[cyber888]

I don't think everything written on the Internet needs to be taken seriously. At any rate, if he lives below his income, he could do it. If his real estate investment is in San Francisco, it could appreciate fast. But he could have just exaggerated some facts. Who knows.



Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

 

[kcowan]

I agree, very risky. I sometimes think I have a risky approach in my own FIRE situation and I believe I am in the top 5%...

I wonder sometimes what goes though someone's head that thinks $2K a month is enough to live on forever. Even if it has a COLA, it's a small enough amount you have to think about every dollar spent and not spent.

I would rather have enough cushion to be able to spend another $20 if I have to.

I have an American friend who lives in Mexico and has been retired from RE since 2008. He lives on $250K with a tight budget and a tight wife. Owns his townhouse. Travels to Europe once a year.

The Reddit poster seems to have nailed the frugality part of FIRE, but he also seems to have "shiny ball" syndrome where he'll chase the latest fad be it financial, health-related or whatever. I suspect we will later hear that this young man postponed ER after an ill-fated investment in electric cars, a can't-miss meditation studio or maybe copper!

Or he might marry a spendthrift...

I don't think everything written on the Internet needs to be taken seriously.

So how many words does this topic warrant (aside from how smart we all were in school. )

 

[adrift]

I was married previously, even during that time we rented out rooms in our house, it's just the way I like to live.

I wonder what could have gone wrong with this relationship.

 

[GravitySucks]

I wouldn't say it was bragging. I hated high school and was going to take over my fathers business sheet rocking. Thank god that went bankrupt during that years recession.

It took me till 24 to get my Associates, 31 for Bachelors, and 35 for MBA.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

You must be a lawyer.

BITE YOUR TONGUE!

 

[UpAnchor]

I feel so left out.



I don't have a PhD and got my BS when I was 31 years old. That good old military duty got in the way. I did get my MBA when I was 39 though (going at night).

You feel left out? Heck, I didn't even finish college! I do regret that from time to time. Yet had I done so, I'm not sure I'd have chosen to live my life any differently. I've had an interesting career, worked with many great people, and been sufficiently compensated. (Not to mention having been fortunate in timing and knowing the right people.) So my occasional "regret" is only that I left something uncompleted.

That said, I'm sure relieved that our kids all completed their undergraduate degrees! Though I don't anticipate any future doctorates unless we're talking about our grandkids.

 

[aja8888]

You feel left out? Heck, I didn't even finish college! I do regret that from time to time. Yet had I done so, I'm not sure I'd have chosen to live my life any differently. I've had an interesting career, worked with many great people, and been sufficiently compensated. (Not to mention having been fortunate in timing and knowing the right people.) So my occasional "regret" is only that I left something uncompleted.

That said, I'm sure relieved that our kids all completed their undergraduate degrees! Though I don't anticipate any future doctorates unless we're talking about our grandkids.

I was only speaking to the PhD crowd.

I hear ya. I am the only one in my family (except for my daughter) that went to college, and I paid my own way. That include my parents, two sisters, and their children. (although some of my sister's grandchildren may be currently in college). My current wife and her three children from her previous marriage did not go to college. Growing up in economically depressed areas of the U.S. was part of that result. The other was being born to the wrong parents.

But all is good and I wouldn't have changed a thing along the way.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I was only speaking to the PhD crowd.

I hear ya. I am the only one in my family (except for my daughter) that went to college, and I paid my own way. That include my parents, two sisters, and their children. (although some of my sister's grandchildren may be currently in college). My current wife and her three children from her previous marriage did not go to college. Growing up in economically depressed areas of the U.S. was part of that result. The other was being born to the wrong parents.

But all is good and I wouldn't have changed a thing along the way.

This brings up a book I am reading by JD Vance. Basically, it's about his upbringing in the backwoods of Appalachia and how economically depressed it is. He "escaped" and went to served some time as an enlisted Marine and ultimately going to Yale Law School. I am about 1/2 way through and it's a pretty good read.

https://www.amazon.com/Hillbilly-Elegy-Memoir-Family-Culture/dp/0062300547

 

[aja8888]

This brings up a book I am reading by JD Vance. Basically, it's about his upbringing in the backwoods of Appalachia and how economically depressed it is. He "escaped" and went to served some time as an enlisted Marine and ultimately going to Yale Law School. I am about 1/2 way through and it's a pretty good read.

https://www.amazon.com/Hillbilly-Elegy-Memoir-Family-Culture/dp/0062300547

Thanks, just scanned through the introduction. Reminds me of a time gone by, although some people are still living it today.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I didn't read all the comments but I don't think the guy is crazy. I actually think some posters here with more mainstream investments have much riskier plans. Software engineers are in high demand and make a lot - for plan B he is young enough he would just have to find contract work for a few months of the year to cover his living expenses as long as he keeps living like a college student with low expenses and shared housing. Robert Shiller has said the golden age of investing may be over, and recommends his students keep living like college students.

From what I have read in interviews, Vicki Robin from The Money or Your Life book lives in communal housing and enjoys it. At least some posters here have said college was the best years of their lives. Is living like a college student really so bad? Our kids and their friends seemed pretty happy living like college students, in fact happier than many of our working friends with high stress jobs, big mortgages on houses in the suburbs, long commutes and families to support. One of our kids makes a decent income these days and is actually moving to a larger space with an additional roommate. The roommates are all good friends and enjoy living together.

 

[aja8888]

From what I have read in interviews, Vicki Robin from The Money or Your Life book lives in communal housing and enjoys it. At least some posters here have said college was the best years of their lives. Is living like a college student really so bad? Our kids and their friends seemed pretty happy living like college students, in fact happier than many of our working friends with high stress jobs, mortgages and long commutes. One of our kids makes a decent income these days and is actually moving to a larger space with an additional roommate. The roommates are all good friends and enjoy living together.

It's all "party time" until the babies and bills start rearing their heads.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

It's all "party time" until the babies and bills start rearing their heads.

I don't know what that means. They all have decent incomes in STEM jobs or will graduate soon in a similar major. Bills aren't an issue and I think it is common these days for young adults in white collar jobs to marry and have families later in life. Or not marry or have kids at all. We have many child free and single members here.

 

[UpAnchor]

From what I have read in interviews, Vicki Robin from The Money or Your Life book lives in communal housing and enjoys it. At least some posters here have said college was the best years of their lives. Is living like a college student really so bad? Our kids and their friends seemed pretty happy living like college students, in fact happier than many of our working friends with high stress jobs, big mortgages on houses in the suburbs, long commutes and families to support. One of our kids makes a decent income these days and is actually moving to a larger space with an additional roommate. The roommates are all good friends and enjoy living together.

It's all "party time" until the babies and bills start rearing their heads.

We had the advantage of a certain naïveté back then. Not sure it would be so much fun second time 'round.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

We had the advantage of a certain naïveté back then. Not sure it would be so much fun second time 'round.

Maybe it would. Maybe low overhead and social connections are better than material purchases like a big house in the suburbs with a big mortgage:

"When it comes to happiness, teaching our kids to value and foster proximity and connection is a much better bet than a house with a long gravel driveway."

Happiness is being socially connected | Greater Good

I'm probably not the roommate type myself other than my immediate family, and I didn't read every post by the Reddit FI guy other than link earlier in this thread, but I do think from what I did read he has some good ideas.

 

[haha]

i lived in communal housing till I was about 25, and it was fun. Some of the guys had women living with them, and one was married. I think she resented not having more complete control over her husband.

I also had at least 2 friends (not in my housing group group) who lived communally after marriage who came home and found their wives getting a little more communal then they had counted on.

There is a fairly popular polyamory community in Seattle. Supposedly it often works but it is hard for me to to think that the old green-head jealousy wouldn't crash the party pretty often.

Ha

 

[daylatedollarshort]

i lived in communal housing till I was about 25, and it was fun. Some of the guys had women living with them, and one was married. I think she resented not having more complete control over her husband.

I also had at least 2 friends (not in my housing group group) who lived communally after marriage who came home and found their wives getting a little more communal then they had counted on.

There is a fairly popular polyamory community in Seattle. Supposedly it often works but it is hard for me to to think that the old green-head jealousy wouldn't crash the party pretty often.

Ha

I am not sure if you were referring to my post or not, but if so I wasn't referring to polyamory at all. Just the idea maybe having roommates to share the bills or even pay the mortgage might be a really good fit for some people like the Reddit poster.

Living like a college kid is even getting trendy in some areas:

WeLive - Dorms for Adults
http://www.wired.com/2016/04/inside-welive-weworks-dorm-style-take-urban-housing/

 

[haha]

I am not sure if you were referring to my post or not, but if so I wasn't referring to polyamory at all. Just the idea maybe having roommates to share the bills or even pay the mortgage might be a really good fit for some people like the Reddit poster.

Living like a college kid is even getting trendy in some areas:

WeLive - Dorms for Adults
Inside WeLive, WeWork’s Dorm-Style Take on Urban Housing | WIRED

I was replying to your post, but I did not think you were referring to polyamory. It is a fairly radical solution to modern difficulties, and one which I think will likely become more common over time. But not for an old dog like me.

If a bunch of younger people are living together, some of them will start sleeping together too. Don't need polyamory for that. Don't even need doors that will close. I think I have never seen a group home where some people were not sharing beds. So what, they sometimes even share food and beer.

Ha

 

[Markola]

Having tried to live faithfully by the "one house and one spouse" dictum of building financial security, not to mention sanity, I can't get my head around polyamory in an adult dorm setting. Call me old fashioned, I guess.

 

[eastnortheast]

I wonder sometimes what goes though someone's head that thinks $2K a month is enough to live on forever. Even if it has a COLA, it's a small enough amount you have to think about every dollar spent and not spent.

I would rather have enough cushion to be able to spend another $20 if I have to.

This.

My parent have some dear friends, and though I dont know it for a fact, I suspect that the vast majority of their retirement income comes from SS (and I dont think it is that large). My folks know better than to invite them for a "spur of the moment" dinner and/or drinks out, as the friends have to watch things that closely.

There is nothing wrong with living frugally. In fact, it is a good trait. However, like Senator said, it is nice to have that cushion so you can go for that spur of the moment dinner, drinks, weekend getaway, concert, etc etc etc without having to worry if you will have enough to eat at the end of the month.

 

[redduck]

Well, since we're off to educational bragging: finished high-school at 16, had my masters at 20 and PhD at 25

Never would have guessed it!!!

 

[marko]

I stopped reading at "...we live in the basement..."

Sure, anyone can RE if they're willing to live in their car and eat at the homeless shelter. If that were my option, I'd rather work

Loser.

 

[FUEGO]

I stopped reading at "...we live in the basement..."

Sure, anyone can RE if they're willing to live in their car and eat at the homeless shelter. If that were my option, I'd rather work

Loser.

This is the most bizarre comment I've seen in a while. You just quoted him as saying he lives in a basement. It's not a car. He's not homeless. He doesn't dine at the homeless shelter.

I imagine he eats just fine on $1500-1800 per month, especially given the presumably low housing costs he enjoys living in a basement.

 

[Chris7]

The cricket powder was an interesting note. I read an article sometime back in National Geographic that there are those that feel insects will be the next frontier for food products. I think in the US at least, it would take a long time for people to want to give it a try. :O)