[eluded]

I am definitely on the low-end of this poll. My parents and Government subsidies allow me to maintain my #BMWLifestyle.

[paliknight]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

When I was younger I just wanted to make more money, no matter how much more I made it never felt like more because I spent just that much more with each pay increase. It was like a vicious cycle. I made more, but was still miserable so I would spend $$ and that would make me happier for a little while but it never lasted. I sure as shit can't say I was any happier when I was making 6 figures than when I was making $10/hour in college. In fact it's probably the opposite.

I have realized at the ripe old age of 34 I hate working. Ok maybe only sorta kinda. I hate getting up at 8am to go sit in traffic to go sit in a building to do "work" rinse and repeat until I'm too old to wipe my own ass and then I can go enjoy life. I spend my life working and then try to cram living somewhere in between.

So after the last place I was working at went under I saw it as an opportunity to finally end the cycle. Instead of looking for another job I've been focused on my own businesses trying to get those to generate as much passive income as possible. I took a big pay hit for the first few months but now just a little over a year in I can pay all the bills and still have some left over and I have never been happier. I love being able to work when I feel like working. If I want to work at night and just enjoy a gorgeous day I can. If it's raining and nasty and I have nothing better to do than bang out some work then that's what I do.

I flew out to CA at the end of last year and spent a few weeks with my friend working from there. Then in Feb traveled to Europe for the first time and spent 2 weeks in Spain again working from there. These are things I could of never done while working a full time job as usually I was lucky to have 2 weeks vacation for the whole year. I'm now focused on living my life and getting some work done in between instead of vice versa.

Time > Money

You can always recoup money, but time on the other hand...

The trillionares here need to start donating some cars to the rest of us

[PoorLurker]

Originally Posted by jmg

$75k/yr won't get you far in my city. Hell, $75k/yr is what some people pay in taxes if they aren't incorporated.

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

So move.

It just comes down to what your priorities are.

Some people would rather be poor in paradise than rich in [insert other cities here]

[M3 Number 86]

Min wage.

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by PoorLurker

Some people would rather be poor in paradise than rich in [insert other cities here]

Apparently. However I guess it depends on your definition of paradise, because one persons paradise is an others hell.

[PoorLurker]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

Apparently. However I guess it depends on your definition of paradise, because one persons paradise is an others hell.

So very true!

[Benedict1957]

Troll choice aside the results look fairly normally distributed around a median of 90k-120k which is about what id expect for a luxury car brand.

[DJKapeesh]

Originally Posted by ASAP

I think this is highly questionable because it doesn't take into account where you live. I live in downtown Miami and that average is far below median income... and when average rent is 2K, that number really becomes meaningless. I personally think at double that value (on average) ~$150K is where things start to get easier... notable exceptions would be SFO or perhaps NYC but those are very serious outliers... IMHO if you can't do well on 150K a year outside of SFO / NYC... you really need to reconsider what you are doing with your money.

I live in Miami, I do very well with this. I don't know what you consider living?

I also don't buy frivolous things or go into debt

[Kolyan2k]

............

[StatenEye]

Originally Posted by Kolyan2k

............

Not sure I'm I'm quoting the above but my grandmother that just passed, God rest her soul, passed in 6mm in cash and a 2mm house which was purchased cash in Bermuda for 50k in 1970. She worked a lowly job as did my grandfather and saved every dime she could. She capitalized on inflated interest rates on Portuguese sovreign debt in the 70s, 80s and 90s. This is how I felt about her but in reality she was chasing the safety of financial independence. Ultimately she passed 2 months ago when she was forced to retire.

Moral is you save to not worry. A worry free life is a happy life. She had more then a cushion and her bills came in under $300 dollars per month living in Bermuda.

[Kolyan2k]

Originally Posted by StatenEye

Not sure I'm I'm quoting the above but my grandmother that just passed, God rest her soul, passed in 6mm in cash and a 2mm house which was purchased cash in Bermuda for 50k in 1970. She worked a lowly job as did my grandfather and saved every dime she could. She capitalized on inflated interest rates on Portuguese sovreign debt in the 70s, 80s and 90s. This is how I felt about her but in reality she was chasing the safety of financial independence. Ultimately she passed 2 months ago when she was forced to retire.

Moral is you save to not worry. A worry free life is a happy life. She had more then a cushion and her bills came in under $300 dollars per month living in Bermuda.

But do you really need money at all in life? Especially when you get old.....I have a friend who has just enough to pay his bills. He does want he likes for work, wife does what she likes, just recently son was born and they try to spend as much time with him as possible etc. Don't have any real estate, dont care about cars, don't care about money..... family and health is #1 and both you can't buy with money.

My dad retired with debt, lives better then me.....my mom retired with some cash and only ended up worrying how not to loose it (hasn't really spent anything)

[StatenEye]

Originally Posted by Kolyan2k

But do you really need money at all in life? Especially when you get old.....I have a friend who has just enough to pay his bills. He does want he likes for work, wife does what she likes, just recently son was born and they try to spend as much time with him as possible etc. Don't have any real estate, dont care about cars, don't care about money..... family and health is #1 and both you can't buy with money.

My dad retired with debt, lives better then me.....my mom retired with some cash and only ended up worrying how not to loose it (hasn't really spent anything)

I was just saying. She was happier than I am and I make a lot of money but my bills are nearly 10k per month. If I lose my job that life won't last forever, and I do worry about that.I wish I could like saving more than spending.

[PoorLurker]

The ultimate goal is to die (natural causes) broke. If one dies before old age, then that's different.

Family and health being number one priority is always a good thing, however, when bills start to pile up and there's no more money, mental health is affected which often affects the family dynamics.

I read an article about a librarian who saved his whole life. He had X millions when he died so he gifted the school that he worked at a million dollars. The school ended up building a giant state of the art screen for sporting events with the money.

Personally, I see this situation not as he is helping a place out but see it as him working X years to buy that school a large TV.

Like the comic above - run to collect money only to die with a lot. Then again, different people have different expectations in life. Some people accumulate money like a game. Some people accumulate money to buy things. So many different philosophies.

***Edit: If any of you have $6mm in the bank and are thinking of leaving it to an Alma Mater, think of PoorLurker. I will use it more wisely than that.

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by StatenEye

I was just saying. She was happier than I am and I make a lot of money but my bills are nearly 10k per month. If I lose my job that life won't last forever, and I do worry about that.I wish I could like saving more than spending.

If you dont like saving thats fine, just stop spending and you would automatically be saving.

It's probably a bunch of crap you wont even remember what you spent it on in a few years.

Appreciate what you have before time makes you appreciate what you had.

[BayE30]

Originally Posted by BMW F22

Wow. Sounds like SF. IIRC, If you make less than $150k, you're considered poor if lived in San Francisco. Funny isn't it?

and if you make half that like me, then you are living in your m3.

[Kolyan2k]

Granted that I am not rich and probably shouldn't even be driving my BMW I always keep asking myself if money is actually what I need. And if this hunt for better life with big house and luxury cars makes any sense. Maybe thats just me talking because of my inability to achieve those things.....I dont know....

I also keep asking myself which life is really better in reality? Someone whos living of government benefits and spends all free time with family and kids or say a friend of mine who makes ton of money lives in multi-million house and yet only sees kids on weekends?

So far my financial goal was to minimize my monthly bills, I have not yet been able to make shit lots of money unfortunately (I am 37).....My current bills are about $0 per month not counting gas, food, and other similar expenses. I also dont have retirement aside from few small rentals (ashamed of this)

[PoorLurker]

Originally Posted by Kolyan2k

Granted that I am not rich and probably shouldn't even be driving my BMW I always keep asking myself if money is actually what I need. And if this hunt for better life with big house and luxury cars makes any sense. Maybe thats just me talking because of my inability to achieve those things.....I dont know....

Good questions to ask.

Find what makes you the happiest. At what point do you stop pedaling and think, "I've made it. I will slow down and enjoy the scenery."

It's like when I ride my bike. When I am chasing times to complete a segment or climb, I keep pressing and the ride passes me by. At home, I get to look at the numbers, but I missed all of the amazing views.

As I get older, I am starting to realize that the numbers mean less to me than I originally thought. Just as long as I have enough for my current level of bike, I am good.

(metaphorical post)

[Kolyan2k]

Originally Posted by PoorLurker

Good questions to ask.

Find what makes you the happiest. At what point do you stop pedaling and think, "I've made it. I will slow down and enjoy the scenery."

It's like when I ride my bike. When I am chasing times to complete a segment or climb, I keep pressing and the ride passes me by. At home, I get to look at the numbers, but I missed all of the amazing views.

As I get older, I am starting to realize that the numbers mean less to me than I originally thought. Just as long as I have enough for my current level of bike, I am good.

(metaphorical post)

Well we've been getting programmed to make money, spend, and hunt for luxury life. I think this is especially true in USA, the consumer nation. Back in 80s things weren't like that and everyone seemed happy, including myself in my childhood. Ice cream made me happy, today kids want iphones and ipads....

I feel programmed too....fast cars and endless vacations would make me happy but i cant afford that, so have to change my views of happiness. Hopefully my next step is kid(s) and we go from there, maybe i'll stop spending on useless things and focus more on family.

[1MOREMOD]

I'm getting 6 dollars for my airbag recall so I got that going for me

[AirForceOne]

I'm a millionaire...million Philippine pesos. Being half Filipino, and wife is full, retiring in the PI doesn't sound like a bad idea sometimes! Screw working until you die.

[Axius]

Originally Posted by 1MOREMOD

I'm getting 6 dollars for my airbag recall so I got that going for me

I just got a notice in the mail that I can file for my settlement, how do you go about it?

[1MOREMOD]

Have no clue. Was hoping someone here would tell me