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> Why do you think that? All the numbers work out. Even in your hypothetical scenario, investing 100k for 7 years, especially in the last 7 years, would easily

> Why do you think that? All the numbers work out. Even in your hypothetical scenario, investing 100k for 7 years, especially in the last 7 years, would easily bring you 1M total investments. My point was that to show that the only way to get this to work out was to make everything work out perfectly, from getting the authors highest quoted day rate of $1000/day on every single day of every single contract from the start. You’d also have to live an aggressively non-wealthy lifestyle without any room for things like travel, hobbies, or luxuries. So yes, technically it can work out if the stars align, you can always get those high-paying contracts without fail, and you’re willing to live an aggressively frugal lifestyle taken to an extreme.

ixacto 5y ago
Get done with college at 22, work 7 years and retire at the age of 29. This is not impossible. Just most people don't want to do it, but it's totally available.
- PaulDavisThe1st 5y ago
  You will be lucky to earn US$1000/day fresh out of college.
- prirun 5y ago
  And "don't have kids". Children are a huge time & money suck. Not saying they don't have their rewards too, because they do, but they are also a huge cost.
ghaff 5y ago
Furthermore, I don't see any allowance for the time needed to get those contracts, take care of business stuff, etc. To say nothing of downtime when a perfectly-timed new contract just doesn't come along. Maybe it's possible in the current climate but it's not the norm.
bambax 5y ago
What are those expensive hobbies and luxuries? My hobbies cost about zero (making music, doing the occasional woodworking, reading, walking). Travel can be expensive but it can also be quite cheap and is very dispensable. Luxuries outside of travel (expensive hotels), I don't even know what they are. I'm sure it's not hard to spend as much money as you want on many different things; but you make it sound as if it was necessary. It really isn't.
- ghaff 5y ago
  There are many moderately expensive hobbies that are pretty mainstream: downhill skiing, scuba diving, even "cheap" activities like hiking that involve travel to many places where you can do those activities. And many others buy equipment for their hobbies that they don't strictly need but they get pleasure from. Eating at decent restaurants on a regular basis adds up as do theater tickets. Even just having work done on a house rather than doing most of it yourself. Very little of this is strictly necessary but many people do spend money on this sort of thing without conspicuous consumption being involved. Mostly paying only for what you have to pay for is pretty much the definition of a very frugal lifestyle.
  - silicon2401 5y ago
    Not saying this as a personal attack but your comment comes off as incredibly out of touch. Downhill skiing and scuba diving may be somewhat mainstream compared to something like lounging on a private island, but they're not that common. Most Americans probably go their whole lives without ever skiing or scuba diving. And to posit these as regular, everyday activities is also unrealistic. Scuba diving or skiing are things that require travel and buying or renting gear, if not paying for training as well. That's not a 'hobby' for most people, it's equivalent to a big luxury like going on vacation.
    - ghaff 5y ago
      Those were just 2 things I do/did at various times that popped into my head (and they're probably not the best examples). Or pick hunting, fishing, golf, tennis, or even driving somewhere regularly on weekends to camp or hike. None of these are necessities but quite a few people do them semi-regularly and while some of these activities can be cheaper than others, they have costs--and, to the point I was perhaps poorly making, they're activities that a lot of people would hate to give up in the interest of frugality. Of course, many things can also be done on a relative shoestring so long as they don't involve long distance travel/hotels. On the other hand, a lot of people like spending money on their hobbies, even if not strictly required.
stagger87 5y ago
I see what you are saying. Yes, lots of assumptions and luck to get to this position to be able to do this for 7 years. Totally agreed.

ixacto 5y ago

Get done with college at 22, work 7 years and retire at the age of 29. This is not impossible. Just most people don't want to do it, but it's totally available.

PaulDavisThe1st 5y ago
You will be lucky to earn US$1000/day fresh out of college.
prirun 5y ago
And "don't have kids". Children are a huge time & money suck. Not saying they don't have their rewards too, because they do, but they are also a huge cost.

ghaff 5y ago

Furthermore, I don't see any allowance for the time needed to get those contracts, take care of business stuff, etc. To say nothing of downtime when a perfectly-timed new contract just doesn't come along. Maybe it's possible in the current climate but it's not the norm.

bambax 5y ago

What are those expensive hobbies and luxuries? My hobbies cost about zero (making music, doing the occasional woodworking, reading, walking). Travel can be expensive but it can also be quite cheap and is very dispensable. Luxuries outside of travel (expensive hotels), I don't even know what they are. I'm sure it's not hard to spend as much money as you want on many different things; but you make it sound as if it was necessary. It really isn't.

ghaff 5y ago
There are many moderately expensive hobbies that are pretty mainstream: downhill skiing, scuba diving, even "cheap" activities like hiking that involve travel to many places where you can do those activities. And many others buy equipment for their hobbies that they don't strictly need but they get pleasure from. Eating at decent restaurants on a regular basis adds up as do theater tickets. Even just having work done on a house rather than doing most of it yourself. Very little of this is strictly necessary but many people do spend money on this sort of thing without conspicuous consumption being involved. Mostly paying only for what you have to pay for is pretty much the definition of a very frugal lifestyle.
- silicon2401 5y ago
  Not saying this as a personal attack but your comment comes off as incredibly out of touch. Downhill skiing and scuba diving may be somewhat mainstream compared to something like lounging on a private island, but they're not that common. Most Americans probably go their whole lives without ever skiing or scuba diving. And to posit these as regular, everyday activities is also unrealistic. Scuba diving or skiing are things that require travel and buying or renting gear, if not paying for training as well. That's not a 'hobby' for most people, it's equivalent to a big luxury like going on vacation.
  - ghaff 5y ago
    Those were just 2 things I do/did at various times that popped into my head (and they're probably not the best examples). Or pick hunting, fishing, golf, tennis, or even driving somewhere regularly on weekends to camp or hike. None of these are necessities but quite a few people do them semi-regularly and while some of these activities can be cheaper than others, they have costs--and, to the point I was perhaps poorly making, they're activities that a lot of people would hate to give up in the interest of frugality. Of course, many things can also be done on a relative shoestring so long as they don't involve long distance travel/hotels. On the other hand, a lot of people like spending money on their hobbies, even if not strictly required.

stagger87 5y ago

I see what you are saying. Yes, lots of assumptions and luck to get to this position to be able to do this for 7 years. Totally agreed.