6 ms·
If you're in software, it's easy. You just have to learn how to control your spending and save the rest. Get comfortable living at about $30K per year
by sloopy543 7y ago
If you're in software, it's easy. You just have to learn how to control your spending and save the rest. Get comfortable living at about $30K per year
- MS90 7y agoI do work in software, and I do save my money. However, unless I'm suddenly given a massive raise it's going to take 5 or more years until I have what I consider "FU money" saved up. I wouldn't really consider saving up money over years and years as "just getting it"
- sloopy543 7y agoSemantics. It obviously takes time to build independence, but you can do it. It is in your power. Nobody really has to tolerate micromanagement unless they're just starting out
- MS90 7y agoYeah, I'm with you on that. My original comment was really tongue in cheek, and I agree with most of what you said in your original post. I'm the same way, I refuse to put work email or slack on my phone and once I clock out for the day I am done. I work from 7-4 M-F and do almost zero thinking about work outside those hours. I've been at my company for five years now and I keep getting promoted so my email habits are obviously irrelevant to my employment status. If I were to get fired for "not responding fast enough" or something like that, then I wouldn't want to work at that place anyway. I'm a programmer and I get paid to program, so that's what I do. It's worked out pretty well so far :)
- sloopy543 7y agoYep. It's all about VALUE. If you are there when it matters and you help your customers achieve the OUTCOME they care about, they will happily forget those few moments when you were late to a meeting or didn't answer an email or Slack message right away. Life is not grade school. You don't get points for just showing up. You actually have to do meaningful work that produces a valuable result for someone. People will happily tolerate the slightly disheveled dude who shows up with the critical component of their gold mine. They fire the smug well-spoken guy who keeps making excuses.
- PenguinCoder 7y agoWow. A whole 5 years to get "FU Money" saved up. That's a blessing, and can strongly be considered "just getting it". Short of an inheritance, or winning the lottery, normally salaried or hourly workers will never have "FU money"; let alone in 5 short years.
- MS90 7y agoI've already been saving for 5. And by "FU" money I was considering an amount that would allow me to say "fuck you" to a boss and survive until I found a new job without worrying too much. Like, $100,000 or less. Probably closer to $70k, after ten years of saving.
- novok 7y agoYou my friend, need to go get a better paying job. Get out of Europe/Canada/Asia and get a software job in the USA.
- MS90 7y agoI do have a software job in the USA. However, with the exploding prices of everything in Austin, it's getting harder and harder to hang onto any cash. I get consistent raises year over year but don't feel that I have any more money.
- novok 7y agoEven better! I would suggest studying for interviews with something like interview cake & leetcode and getting a job at a FANG. Try moving to seattle or if rain doesn't work for you, the bay area. With an income of $300k+ you could probably save that $100k amount in a few years. Don't move until you have job, that way you get a relocation benefit and that $3000/month rent won't seem that crazy to you. Even working at a startup will pay you better than what I'm estimating you make in austin.
- MS90 7y ago
- 0xffff2 7y agoI pay $30k per year in rent for a modest 1 bedroom apartment. :(
- annoyingnoob 7y agoOk, sure. You obviously don't have a family.