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> What else was I supposed to look forward to, except mindless consumption? Wasn’t that the whole point of making that much money? Wasn’t that what drove people

> What else was I supposed to look forward to, except mindless consumption? Wasn’t that the whole point of making that much money? Wasn’t that what drove people to work so hard in the first place? If you think money is only for mindless consumption, I wonder if you have experienced life with real responsibilities (mortgage, family, kids) and little money. Because while money doesn't get you everything, it can get you a lot of important things - most important ones being freedom and time. And if you have ability to ride on this current tech boom, one should ride it to the fullest and save as much as you can (unless one is too rich already or is too young to appreciate life's constraints).

awucs 8y ago
It is really really hard to buy time and freedom after the fact. I have seen many people try and eventually they tend to end up getting a slightly more expensive house instead. It is just that once you are on some track it is really hard to change, because most of the time you are giving up substance for money and they are both compounding. Or to put in tech terms, if you aren't doing what you see yourself doing in the future you are always building up some sort of debt.
- ksdale 8y ago
  I was just writing a blog post about this, that people basically just find new ways to consume all the money they earn so that they're always on the edge. And a lot of people who make $40k scoff at the idea that they would still be scraping by at $140k, but lots of people go from making $40k in their 20's to $140k in their 40's and basically nobody retires comfortably in their 50's because $140k a year provided them with so much extra money. Rather, 50-somethings work just as much or more, they just tend to have much more expensive houses, cars, and hobbies than 20 year olds, and they still put just 4% of their income toward retirement, if they're careful.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]

awucs 8y ago

It is really really hard to buy time and freedom after the fact. I have seen many people try and eventually they tend to end up getting a slightly more expensive house instead. It is just that once you are on some track it is really hard to change, because most of the time you are giving up substance for money and they are both compounding. Or to put in tech terms, if you aren't doing what you see yourself doing in the future you are always building up some sort of debt.

ksdale 8y ago
I was just writing a blog post about this, that people basically just find new ways to consume all the money they earn so that they're always on the edge. And a lot of people who make $40k scoff at the idea that they would still be scraping by at $140k, but lots of people go from making $40k in their 20's to $140k in their 40's and basically nobody retires comfortably in their 50's because $140k a year provided them with so much extra money. Rather, 50-somethings work just as much or more, they just tend to have much more expensive houses, cars, and hobbies than 20 year olds, and they still put just 4% of their income toward retirement, if they're careful.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]