5 ms·

That sounds good, but I worked hard enough to get a job in my field that pays me enough to live comfortably and have a good college savings plan for my daughter

That sounds good, but I worked hard enough to get a job in my field that pays me enough to live comfortably and have a good college savings plan for my daughter. What advice for those of us who did not have outstanding early success, good savings and obviously immense talent?

thaumaturgy 17y ago
Hah! Uh ... I'm not at all qualified to ever give out advice to anyone else, especially someone I'm not very familiar with. So I have none! Part of the misfortune with making money early on is that I never learned how to manage it, or save it, so I had no savings within a few months of leaving Florida. Having savings would have made a lot of the struggle much easier, but I don't think I would have learned as much, either. I honestly would not say I have "immense talent"; that makes me kinda uncomfortable, actually. I'd say I have average talent, and immense determination, if anything.
- GFischer 16y ago
  Ah, but I'd take immense determination and (supposedly :) ) average talent over immense talent and low determination any time of day. I had a classmate at high school and then at university that was the brightest student I ever saw at math. He could prove theorems in his sleep, and often did a different proof than the one taught "just for fun" (and giving teachers headaches). Sadly his parents were quite rich and also a troubled family, so he went into recreational drugs, partying and D&D. Last time I saw him, he still hadn't finished university and had accomplished nothing with his life (well, he'd had a lot of girlfriends and partying AND D&D, so maybe he hadn't "wasted" time from his point of view)
exit 17y ago
why would you bring life into this world without having absolutely everything in order?
- dunstad 16y ago
  Can someone provide a rationale for the downvotes? While I feel there's a decent one, I'm unable to articulate it.
  - eitally 16y ago
    Because until you have children, you may think you have all your affairs in order, but once that baby comes, everything is out the window. The down votes are almost certainly from parents.
    - jacquesm 16y ago
      I definitely suspect so, or from children that were born in less than ideal conditions and that did great.
- jacquesm 16y ago
  That reminds me of the opening scene of 'idiocracy'. I didn't downvote you, but I think that there is something missing here. Nobody that has ever brought a child in to the world had absolutely everything in order. And even if they thought they did they would have soon found out that it was not the case. Then there is the period (pun not intended) between conception and delivery, in which a lot can change. Waiting for the 'perfect time' is the best way to guarantee that you will never have children, there never is a perfect time, there will always be one more thing to fix. Instead, if you want children, go for it while you are young, adaptable and have tons of energy. Worry about fixing problems if and when they appear. Try to do the best you possibly can and if you fail at something try to do it gracefully. That is not a call to go and procreate if you for instance are not able to feed your kids or take care of them, but let's not overdo it on the having everything in order, that's a complete illusion. My parents had 'everything in order' when they got me and my sister, fast forward 6 years and they had a very messy divorce, there are countless examples like that. And there are plenty of counterexamples too, of people that had a pretty tough life, decided to have children and simply did an amazing job of creating a place for them in the world.

thaumaturgy 17y ago

Hah! Uh ... I'm not at all qualified to ever give out advice to anyone else, especially someone I'm not very familiar with. So I have none! Part of the misfortune with making money early on is that I never learned how to manage it, or save it, so I had no savings within a few months of leaving Florida. Having savings would have made a lot of the struggle much easier, but I don't think I would have learned as much, either. I honestly would not say I have "immense talent"; that makes me kinda uncomfortable, actually. I'd say I have average talent, and immense determination, if anything.

GFischer 16y ago
Ah, but I'd take immense determination and (supposedly :) ) average talent over immense talent and low determination any time of day. I had a classmate at high school and then at university that was the brightest student I ever saw at math. He could prove theorems in his sleep, and often did a different proof than the one taught "just for fun" (and giving teachers headaches). Sadly his parents were quite rich and also a troubled family, so he went into recreational drugs, partying and D&D. Last time I saw him, he still hadn't finished university and had accomplished nothing with his life (well, he'd had a lot of girlfriends and partying AND D&D, so maybe he hadn't "wasted" time from his point of view)

exit 17y ago

why would you bring life into this world without having absolutely everything in order?

dunstad 16y ago
Can someone provide a rationale for the downvotes? While I feel there's a decent one, I'm unable to articulate it.
- eitally 16y ago
  Because until you have children, you may think you have all your affairs in order, but once that baby comes, everything is out the window. The down votes are almost certainly from parents.
  - jacquesm 16y ago
    I definitely suspect so, or from children that were born in less than ideal conditions and that did great.
jacquesm 16y ago
That reminds me of the opening scene of 'idiocracy'. I didn't downvote you, but I think that there is something missing here. Nobody that has ever brought a child in to the world had absolutely everything in order. And even if they thought they did they would have soon found out that it was not the case. Then there is the period (pun not intended) between conception and delivery, in which a lot can change. Waiting for the 'perfect time' is the best way to guarantee that you will never have children, there never is a perfect time, there will always be one more thing to fix. Instead, if you want children, go for it while you are young, adaptable and have tons of energy. Worry about fixing problems if and when they appear. Try to do the best you possibly can and if you fail at something try to do it gracefully. That is not a call to go and procreate if you for instance are not able to feed your kids or take care of them, but let's not overdo it on the having everything in order, that's a complete illusion. My parents had 'everything in order' when they got me and my sister, fast forward 6 years and they had a very messy divorce, there are countless examples like that. And there are plenty of counterexamples too, of people that had a pretty tough life, decided to have children and simply did an amazing job of creating a place for them in the world.