When do you know you've made it?

When you have absolutely zero debt, your mortgage is paid off, have union pension coming up, 401k later on down the road and you have MULTIPLE skills that are always in high demand.

And when you can make 4 grand in a single afternoon doing a side job and that these will pretty much always be available many times during the Summer, every Summer of every year, as well as a million other little things you can do that can rake you hundreds of dollars for an hour's worth of work.

When you are practically untouchable because of your union
 
I'm 40 and don't have a home. $0 on 401K. Poor life choices, ya know.

But I have kids and stay at home, er, rented apt wife, so I have to come up with something.

As of now I'm making 150K base and bonuses, but it's just not enough.

So for me this is it moment is going to happen when I get 250K base and 1M on bank account and paid off house. Not even sure if it's possible in this life
What kind of drug habit do you have where 150k isnt enough to live comfortably?
 
I don't think there's ever clarity.

You'll never know unless you're that up yourself where you THINK you know.
 
When you're satisfied with your life. I mean, always strive to learn and be a better person, but sometimes more money isn't the answer.
 
I'm 40 and don't have a home. $0 on 401K. Poor life choices, ya know.

But I have kids and stay at home, er, rented apt wife, so I have to come up with something.

As of now I'm making 150K base and bonuses, but it's just not enough.

So for me this is it moment is going to happen when I get 250K base and 1M on bank account and paid off house. Not even sure if it's possible in this life
Listen to Dave Ramsey podcast. Read rich dad, poor dad.
 
I wouldn't take a job in which I had to "work much harder" for 16k more a year.

So not worth it.

For an extra 30k a year yes but not for a measly 16k
 
Easier said than done but it's not how much you make or how much respect you get, it's if you're content with your life.

Nah brah, it's totally about how much money you make. Da movies and da web told me so.
 
Live off passive income or have a proper net value of around 10 million USD. Before that you are a peasant.
 
I say go for the new job and keep aspiring to learn. You've mentioned your job before and it seems to bum you out. I'm in my forties, too, and have seen a few guys at different jobs do the "i'm content right where i am" and kind of cruise after that and not learn new things and eventually it came back to bite them in the ass as they were either eventually let go when technology passed them by and they couldn't catch up or they were demoted. That's one thing that really stuck with me. You seem like a solid dude, so go for the new opportunity and get ahead like you want to.
 
Being 23 my goals are:

-get a good paying job with great benefits
-make a lot of money with my gf
-dont have kids
-travel
-live off passive income
 
"Made it" is pretty subjective. I'm at a point now where I don't really think about money much so I know that I've climbed a few steps. We did a wrap around deck for $6,000.00 recently and paid with cash while still having an emergency fund. With that said, we still have a mortgage and other bills that don't stop so the money has to keep coming in. Around Xmas, we had more money going out then coming in which is unusual for us.
 
I don't think there's ever clarity.

You'll never know unless you're that up yourself where you THINK you know.

I think this clarity is what Buddhist monks try to answer in their path to enlightenment, even if their "it" has a very different definition.
 
Apparently all of the middle to upper middle class turds in the suburban area I work in feel they made it because they drive a BMW, Mercedes or Lexus and own a cookie cutter home. If keeping up with the Joneses makes them happy more power to them. I just hate the ones around here that have a chip on their shoulder because of it.

The real wealthy people drive Aston Martins or Bentleys and live in million dollar condos downtown or in some mansion on the North Shore. But there are so many that go into debt because they try to fake it till they make it.

Makes me thankful I live in the city.
 
Apparently all of the middle to upper middle class turds in the suburban area I work in feel they made it because they drive a BMW, Mercedes or Lexus and own a cookie cutter home. If keeping up with the Joneses makes them happy more power to them. I just hate the ones around here that have a chip on their shoulder because of it.

The real wealthy people drive Aston Martins or Bentleys and live in million dollar condos downtown or in some mansion on the North Shore. But there are so many that go into debt because they try to fake it till they make it.

Makes me thankful I live in the city.
I live near a neighborhood that has some pretty shitty mediocre homes yet people pull out of there in BMW's $50k mercedes, etc.

I dont get the point of driving a car like that if you can barely afford it, whats the point?
 
You've made it when your concern is no longer about material comfort of yourself.
Having nice things is great and all.. but you can't take any of that shit with you when you die.
 
You made it when you've saved up whatever you consider to be "fuck you money".
 
I live near a neighborhood that has some pretty shitty mediocre homes yet people pull out of there in BMW's $50k mercedes, etc.

I dont get the point of driving a car like that if you can barely afford it, whats the point?
Decades ago, it probably meant you had a little money if you drove one of those cars. But nowadays they are dime a dozen. If you bought one because you think you're special... you're not. You're just like everyone else. Very rarely do I come across an enthusiast that appreciates the build of their luxury car. Most people like it cause it's "expensive" and has cool badges on it. No different than buying designer clothes.

It just goes to show banks will give anyone money these days. Anyone with a full time job can get approved for a lease on a 3-series BMW for $300 a month.
 
Decades ago, it probably meant you had a little money if you drove one of those cars. But nowadays they are dime a dozen. If you bought one because you think you're special... you're not. You're just like everyone else. Very rarely do I come across an enthusiast that appreciates the build of their luxury car. Most people like it cause it's "expensive" and has cool badges on it. No different than buying designer clothes.

It just goes to show banks will give anyone money these days. Anyone with a full time job can get approved for a lease on a 3-series BMW for $300 a month.
Not a fan of BMW's tbh. Even the 60k-80k ones i dont like.

But your right, damn near anyone can get a basic bmw, audi, or mercedes. I see them everywhere and the majority of the drivers aren't even uppper middle class
 
Having nice things is great and all.. but you can't take any of that shit with you when you die.

Exactly, so one's concern shouldn't be focused on what materials are possessed, but on what the person is made of, and what the person has accomplished. I am a big believer in that happiness doesn't come from material wealth, so long as you have enough for basic everyday living. When you can focus on the pursue a higher level of existence, that's when you've made it IMO.
 
Back
Top