4 ms·

I think that comments here are really negative towards capitalism and generally saving for passive income. I would just like to say that even if it's difficult

by lurym 9y ago

I think that comments here are really negative towards capitalism and generally saving for passive income. I would just like to say that even if it's difficult to achieve 1000$ passive income it's always good to generate any passive income at all. Even if it's 5$ it's good once you calculate how much it will give you in your whole life (if you are young of course). Saving is like a snowball that accumulates money. I am nowhere close to FIRE or 1000$ passive income but I like to think that I have savings that allow me not to work for at least X years (mine number is between 3-4 years now). It gives me some 'fuck you' approach towards my job that helps a lot with the stress and improves my assertiveness.

jimmies 9y ago
>Even if it's 5$ it's good once you calculate how much it will give you in your whole life (if you are young of course). Please be extremely careful when you tell young people that. I am 30 now. I am used to be a person who worked aggressively towards FIRE philosophy in the last 3 years. I have saved a whooping 30% of my income over 3 years with my meager grad student salary. I think I had seen both the positive and negative sides of the FIRE philosophy. Positives: - It doesn't matter how much my income is, as long as I'm bothered to do the calculation and be wise when I spend money, I'd be well off. - It reminds me of being creative with my pleasures - many/most good things in life doesn't cost money. - Life is much cheaper when I have spare money. I don't have to sweat for the bank fucking me over when I receive a paycheck a week late. Or I have a flat tire. Or I have a tooth acting up. Or I want to invest in that new thing called buttcoin years ago. Now negatives: - There is an incredibly thin line between being frugal and being cheap. If saving money causes me inconveniences, strangers stare at me for trying to save a couple of bucks doing funny stuff, would it be worth it? - The perception that I need to retire early someday because all jobs are boring. I think that's wrong. If I do the right job, I will want to do it after I retire. If I do the wrong job, three years and it burns me out (which it does). I can always switch jobs and take a cut in my paycheck. The thing I can't do is to suffer from a shitty job with a good salary and hope that one day I will save enough 'fuck you' money to quit. At the point I put in that 'fuck you' note, I will realize that I am a bitter loser who hates everything all my life. - The $5 adds up philosophy. A counterexample for that is Steven Dubner's philosophy: If it's < $X dollars and I want it, I will get it and not think about it. My income, in general, will only ever go up. Saving $5 here and there for that overpriced bottle of water or that sandwich at the airport, having to fight with my inner self for 10 minutes deciding that is a waste of time and energy. - Everyone I love and I myself won't stay young forever. When I am young, money buys me a lot of good shit when I can still enjoy it. Plus, people like surprises, things I would go above and beyond their expectation, money included. Although my girlfriend appeared to be very frugal, and I myself might saw no appeal in the latest iPhone X, but my girlfriend would have appreciated it if I had bought it for her. She also would have deserved and appreciated that fancy meal on the weekend because she has been cooking for me a couple of meals during the week when we were both busy. What's the point of having money when I only have it for myself with no one to share? I am glad cases I was more generous than I would, and I regret cases where I could have been more generous to the people I love. Overall, I am less aggressive now. I keep the FIRE philosophy in mind, but I don't work aggressively towards it. The present is to enjoy, not to suffer as to hope for the future that might never come.

by lurym 9y ago

jimmies 9y ago

>Even if it's 5$ it's good once you calculate how much it will give you in your whole life (if you are young of course). Please be extremely careful when you tell young people that. I am 30 now. I am used to be a person who worked aggressively towards FIRE philosophy in the last 3 years. I have saved a whooping 30% of my income over 3 years with my meager grad student salary. I think I had seen both the positive and negative sides of the FIRE philosophy. Positives: - It doesn't matter how much my income is, as long as I'm bothered to do the calculation and be wise when I spend money, I'd be well off. - It reminds me of being creative with my pleasures - many/most good things in life doesn't cost money. - Life is much cheaper when I have spare money. I don't have to sweat for the bank fucking me over when I receive a paycheck a week late. Or I have a flat tire. Or I have a tooth acting up. Or I want to invest in that new thing called buttcoin years ago. Now negatives: - There is an incredibly thin line between being frugal and being cheap. If saving money causes me inconveniences, strangers stare at me for trying to save a couple of bucks doing funny stuff, would it be worth it? - The perception that I need to retire early someday because all jobs are boring. I think that's wrong. If I do the right job, I will want to do it after I retire. If I do the wrong job, three years and it burns me out (which it does). I can always switch jobs and take a cut in my paycheck. The thing I can't do is to suffer from a shitty job with a good salary and hope that one day I will save enough 'fuck you' money to quit. At the point I put in that 'fuck you' note, I will realize that I am a bitter loser who hates everything all my life. - The $5 adds up philosophy. A counterexample for that is Steven Dubner's philosophy: If it's < $X dollars and I want it, I will get it and not think about it. My income, in general, will only ever go up. Saving $5 here and there for that overpriced bottle of water or that sandwich at the airport, having to fight with my inner self for 10 minutes deciding that is a waste of time and energy. - Everyone I love and I myself won't stay young forever. When I am young, money buys me a lot of good shit when I can still enjoy it. Plus, people like surprises, things I would go above and beyond their expectation, money included. Although my girlfriend appeared to be very frugal, and I myself might saw no appeal in the latest iPhone X, but my girlfriend would have appreciated it if I had bought it for her. She also would have deserved and appreciated that fancy meal on the weekend because she has been cooking for me a couple of meals during the week when we were both busy. What's the point of having money when I only have it for myself with no one to share? I am glad cases I was more generous than I would, and I regret cases where I could have been more generous to the people I love. Overall, I am less aggressive now. I keep the FIRE philosophy in mind, but I don't work aggressively towards it. The present is to enjoy, not to suffer as to hope for the future that might never come.