Consolidating and saving the Benjamins.

Dave Taylor said:
I want to be at a different location every day, breathing fresh outside air and use my body during the day. I do not want to operate jack hammers all day but having been a working foreman I enjoy that. I enjoy working with people to build things, share my skills and knowledge as well as learn from others.
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Sounds like @pooriggy gig...give him a ring!
 
terrabike01 said:
Go to trade school. Work hard from 20 to 50 and start your own Roth IRA at 20. Throw every spare penny you have in that for 30 years and retire at 50. Plumbers, electricians and other techs are making mad bank right now and are always in demand.

A college degree doesn't get you much these days but brain washed in some cases. But some jobs require one. All depends what job road you want to go down.
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The amount of people in trades at 20 that are financially sound enough to retire at 50 are not nearly as high as you think. It's a nice platitude, but the trades aren't the magic bullet society is pushing these days.

I'll take my 9-5 sitting in a 70° office not crawling under houses or mucking through literal shit or electrocuting myself if it means taking on some college debt.
 
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terrabike01 said:
Go to trade school. Work hard from 20 to 50 and start your own Roth IRA at 20. Throw every spare penny you have in that for 30 years and retire at 50. Plumbers, electricians and other techs are making mad bank right now and are always in demand.
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mechanically minded and self motivated people do very well in the trades.
bonus if you can engage a spouse for the office part - tough team to beat.
Pros aren't just handed a license tho

sure, not everyone should go to college - many people would benefit from some basic money management skills,
customer experience training, and intro to management. should be taught in hs ??

Dave Taylor said:
What I think has really f’d society over however are mi d altering drugs like Zoloft and Xanax. So many are fugged.
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better to self medicate with mary jane and blow.
 
Dave Taylor said:
What is the good life? My father in law has made $200k+ for the last 15 years but never paid off his $240k house in Flemington. Instead he owed $340k when he sold this month. He's borrowed money from me but at the same time he gets a vacation spot every year whether it is ocean city,NJ or a Marriott resort. What's better? He could own another place if he just paid off his primary home. I am grateful for them but the decisions don't seem great.
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He owed 340k in a 240k house?
 
Sometimes debt is cheaper. And if you borrow and leave your investments in place, no taxes. So maybe that’s what he was doing with the house? Then paid it all off on a sale? Who knows…
 
cassinonorth said:
The amount of people in trades at 20 that are financially sound enough to retire at 50 are not nearly as high as you think. It's a nice platitude, but the trades aren't the magic bullet society is pushing these days.

I'll take my 9-5 sitting in a 70° office not crawling under houses or mucking through literal shit or electrocuting myself if it means taking on some college debt.
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That's the difference I guess growing up in a blue collar household. Do you really think that wearing workbooks to work means you roll around in spite? What do you think a crane operator or backhoe operator does? Now a the Machines have ac and radios too. I know more people with bad backs and carpet tunnel from sitting at work all day and typing on a keyboard. Not for everyone else, I get it, but trade jobs, especially union are great. My annuity is over $500k in 12 years just from company Contributions.
 
rick81721 said:
The part I didn't get was "He's borrowed money from me". First, who would lend money to an uncle - should be the other way around. Second, sounds like someone with a serious gambling problem.
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Father in law not uncle. Not a gambler, more of a bucket list guy. He never went a year without an a inclusive ocean city, NJ family vacation plus many others via timeshares/points etc. Had to buy a Porsche as soon as he retired too...cause status I guess.
 
Dave Taylor said:
That's the difference I guess growing up in a blue collar household. Do you really think that wearing workbooks to work means you roll around in spite? What do you think a crane operator or backhoe operator does? Now a the Machines have ac and radios too. I know more people with bad backs and carpet tunnel from sitting at work all day and typing on a keyboard. Not for everyone else, I get it, but trade jobs, especially union are great. My annuity is over $500k in 12 years just from company Contributions.
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Considering neither of my immigrant parents went to college, lol. Dad worked as a machinist for 20 years and now works as a boiler operator. Is that blue collar enough?

They wouldn't even entertain the thought of me or my sisters not going to college. It wasn't even a discussion.

I have no ill will towards people that go the trades route. It's great. College isn't for everyone. Trades also aren't the magic pill for everyone either. My dad had shoulder surgery last year, back surgery 10 years ago and his body is generally wrecked.
 
Dave Taylor said:
That's the difference I guess growing up in a blue collar household. Do you really think that wearing workbooks to work means you roll around in spite? What do you think a crane operator or backhoe operator does? Now a the Machines have ac and radios too. I know more people with bad backs and carpet tunnel from sitting at work all day and typing on a keyboard. Not for everyone else, I get it, but trade jobs, especially union are great. My annuity is over $500k in 12 years just from company Contributions.
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never use "yourself" as a measure of what other people can or can not do.
This holds true for everyone.

How did you acquire these skill? It probably wasn't because you arrived late at work 3 days a week,
and always called out on Tuesday after a long weekend.
it is you, not the job, which put that money in your account. You are being rewarded.

Do you think about improving the process of what you are doing? I'm betting yes.
The bulk of people just think about doing, getting it done w/min effort, not F'ng it up, and getting out.
You know these people - they are a warm body, give em the easy stuff. And since the union
pays on tenure, they make the same as the higher performer. Bumping them off shifts that
could use a bit more production cause seniority. (i'm not anti-union, i just find some practices counter-productive)
World needs doers, so it isn't a bad thing. Takes a good manager to get the most out of the team,
 
cassinonorth said:
Considering neither of my immigrant parents went to college, lol. Dad worked as a machinist for 20 years and now works as a boiler operator. Is that blue collar enough?

They wouldn't even entertain the thought of me or my sisters not going to college. It wasn't even a discussion.

I have no ill will towards people that go the trades route. It's great. College isn't for everyone. Trades also aren't the magic pill for everyone either. My dad had shoulder surgery last year, back surgery 10 years ago and his body is generally wrecked.
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It is what you make of it right? If you don’t where PPE you may lost a finger, eye or life. Hold a jackhammer wrong and get carpel tunnel. Use the wrong keyboard position and get carpel tunnel. I am not perfect but I try to wear all PPE including respirators and face shield. I give welding lessons at home, do art work and fabricate from home too…because I enjoy it, not because I have to. I don’t regret not going to college one but. I do regret taking grade school and high school so immaturely. I made it through HS on whatever smarts I was born with, not effort…there was none. That resulted in a very low gpa. I look back and wish I had learned more and had better guidance. The first thing I am teaching my kids is the importance of building wealth from a young age, not being addicted to it.
 
Since I built my Transit the only money I've spent on vacations is gas and groceries (generalizing but mostly true).
 
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