ComradeKitty
Confused about dryer sheets
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2014
- Messages
- 1
Getting started at age 18 (some advice)
So I just graduated high school and I've been thinking a lot about what I want to do with my life. For the longest time my answer to what career do you want to do is, well, nothing. No careers interest me. What does interest me is making music and writing books and spending time outdoors and going where ever I want to when I want to. But I want to do these things on my own time and without the pressures of making a profit. My goal since I can remember is to have freedom. To not be a slave to society and the predetermined lifestyle that is "good" for me.
So, with that in mind, I have become determined to retire in my 30's and live a life of financial independence. I have already begun the frugal part of this lifestyle. I recently moved out of my parents house and live with roommates in a small house. My total monthly budget is currently $1000.
The next step is income. I currently work a $9.10 an hour retail job. Obviously this won't do, so I've been trying to think of what I want to do next. There are several options. I could get an associates degree and become a dental hygienist or a medical imaging tech. This would allow me to get a salaried income the quickest (by age 20) and are the highest paying associates (avg. income around $70,000). However, I think I have ruled this option out, as the starting salaries are closer to $35,000-$45,000 and that just doesn't cut it for me. The other option is to get a bachelors degree in something high-paying. It must be high-paying because the loans I need to get the degree must be paid back in the first year of employment. One degree would be petroleum engineering. I could make nearly six figures right out of school. However, this profession does not remotely interest me. Something more attractive would be computer science, which is high paying (starting salaries $60K to $75K) and more interesting to me, plus it gives me freelance opportunities down the road should I ever need some extra money. My goal is to save $50K a year for ten years and reach $500K at least before age 35, but preferably by age 32.
Do you have any advice as far as income, degrees, college, and jobs go?
Also, I've always wanted the freedom to move around freely and go to other countries without the need of a job or a work visa. This lifestyle would allow me this freedom. However, the idea of owning a house is attractive to me as well. I would love to buy a house in cash and be the sole owner for as long as I wanted to. But do these two desires clash? Is it possible to do?
Thanks for your help and advice.
So I just graduated high school and I've been thinking a lot about what I want to do with my life. For the longest time my answer to what career do you want to do is, well, nothing. No careers interest me. What does interest me is making music and writing books and spending time outdoors and going where ever I want to when I want to. But I want to do these things on my own time and without the pressures of making a profit. My goal since I can remember is to have freedom. To not be a slave to society and the predetermined lifestyle that is "good" for me.
So, with that in mind, I have become determined to retire in my 30's and live a life of financial independence. I have already begun the frugal part of this lifestyle. I recently moved out of my parents house and live with roommates in a small house. My total monthly budget is currently $1000.
The next step is income. I currently work a $9.10 an hour retail job. Obviously this won't do, so I've been trying to think of what I want to do next. There are several options. I could get an associates degree and become a dental hygienist or a medical imaging tech. This would allow me to get a salaried income the quickest (by age 20) and are the highest paying associates (avg. income around $70,000). However, I think I have ruled this option out, as the starting salaries are closer to $35,000-$45,000 and that just doesn't cut it for me. The other option is to get a bachelors degree in something high-paying. It must be high-paying because the loans I need to get the degree must be paid back in the first year of employment. One degree would be petroleum engineering. I could make nearly six figures right out of school. However, this profession does not remotely interest me. Something more attractive would be computer science, which is high paying (starting salaries $60K to $75K) and more interesting to me, plus it gives me freelance opportunities down the road should I ever need some extra money. My goal is to save $50K a year for ten years and reach $500K at least before age 35, but preferably by age 32.
Do you have any advice as far as income, degrees, college, and jobs go?
Also, I've always wanted the freedom to move around freely and go to other countries without the need of a job or a work visa. This lifestyle would allow me this freedom. However, the idea of owning a house is attractive to me as well. I would love to buy a house in cash and be the sole owner for as long as I wanted to. But do these two desires clash? Is it possible to do?
Thanks for your help and advice.
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