Author Topic: Had one of those "aha" moments  (Read 6038 times)

NV Teacher

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Had one of those "aha" moments
« on: October 14, 2016, 04:32:32 PM »
I've been eating lunch in the staff lounge for several months now and mostly just listen to the conversations.  Many times those conversations center on money woes and struggles.  I've offered a few comments here and there or suggested that they check out MMM.  Nothing too drastic, no hair on fire face-punches.  Today the thought occurred to me.  I live like I'm poor but I'm not.  They live like they're rich but they're not.  I'll take my life everyday of the week because I can see retirement getting closer and closer all the time and it's a sweet sight.

tonysemail

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Re: Had one of those "aha" moments
« Reply #1 on: October 14, 2016, 05:27:07 PM »
sometimes i have those moments when I feel like pinching myself.
it seems too good to be true.
we're very fortunate to have a roadmap to early retirement.

MrsPete

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Re: Had one of those "aha" moments
« Reply #2 on: October 15, 2016, 12:18:13 PM »
I've been eating lunch in the staff lounge for several months now and mostly just listen to the conversations.  Many times those conversations center on money woes and struggles.  I've offered a few comments here and there or suggested that they check out MMM.  Nothing too drastic, no hair on fire face-punches.  Today the thought occurred to me.  I live like I'm poor but I'm not.  They live like they're rich but they're not.  I'll take my life everyday of the week because I can see retirement getting closer and closer all the time and it's a sweet sight.
Yep, had that same epiphany. 

Lski'stash

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Re: Had one of those "aha" moments
« Reply #3 on: October 15, 2016, 12:48:58 PM »
Yes, this happens to me too, although only with a couple of staff members. I've also gotten a couple weird stairs when I talk about why we got a fixer upper instead of building. Lot's of, "What r you doing with your money?!?!" stares. 😀

momcpa

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Re: Had one of those "aha" moments
« Reply #4 on: October 15, 2016, 01:21:28 PM »
I love those last couple sentences.   Actually printing them off to hang at work and at home.  "I live like I'm poor etc...........and it's a sweet sight".   Thanks for the quote....hope you don't mind that I am adding it to my cache of reminders/inspirations !!!!!!!!!

Shockers

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Re: Had one of those "aha" moments
« Reply #5 on: October 15, 2016, 05:02:04 PM »
I think the saying goes something like this - live today like no other so that you can live tomorrow like no other.   Good for you!

beastykato

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Re: Had one of those "aha" moments
« Reply #6 on: October 15, 2016, 05:05:39 PM »
Ah, but tomorrow never comes. =P

TheStachery

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Re: Had one of those "aha" moments
« Reply #7 on: October 17, 2016, 10:59:03 AM »
What really gets to me sometimes, is that people actually think we are poor, or bad at money or something.  We live in a 25 year old house and the neighborhood next to us is new and fancy. (golf carts and all) our kids public school is in the fancy neighborhood and I really feel that when people ask where i live, they don't hear "fancy neighborhood" and move along like we are below them.  I sometimes get a chuckle out of it, but other times i want to scream FU I have way more money than your broke asses.  I don't give two shits about your new BMW, and your house that you overpaid for just to tool around in golf carts.

Sorry for the rant.

cdttmm

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Re: Had one of those "aha" moments
« Reply #8 on: October 17, 2016, 04:12:21 PM »
I'll admit, I'm one of those perpetually upbeat people at work who when you ask "How are you?" I respond (in earnest), "I'm living the dream!" Most people think it's awesome and I get a lot of positive feedback. Every now and then people express annoyance with my response ("Oh, must be nice." or "Not me!"), but I generally just ignore them and go about my day. But this one guy is really bothered by it. So much so that he has said to me, "One day I wish you'd stop with your positive attitude about everything and just respond honestly." I was so baffled by this borderline hostile remark. This guy has way more money than I probably ever will (he talks about his money situation pretty openly with the people that he considers his friends at work -- how I managed to make that list I'll never know), but he can't seem figure out that he could just retire and go off and do whatever would make him happy. He's sort of pieced together that I could be FIREd (I prefer the SWAMI lifestyle), but he can't seem to wrap his head around the fact that he could be doing the same thing. If he ever decides to actually engage me in conversation like a normal human being maybe I'll let him in on my secrets, but until then, I'm just gonna let him be cranky.

DA

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Re: Had one of those "aha" moments
« Reply #9 on: October 17, 2016, 04:47:27 PM »
This weekend I was out with some colleagues.  The topic of personal finance came up.  I was advising a young person to build up an emergency fund in a savings account or similar vehicle.  Another colleague, who makes about $300k a year, challenged me and said "well, you can just borrow from your 401(k) if you need to."  He felt that maxing out his 401(k) meant he was saving a lot and that it would cover pretty much any contingency.  I kind of figured that maxing out the 401(k) was a given for people earning high salaries (I work at a large law firm)--I was telling her what to do after maxing the 401(k). 

mozar

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Re: Had one of those "aha" moments
« Reply #10 on: October 17, 2016, 06:00:40 PM »
Oof. My aunt-in-law and uncle almost passed out when I told my cousin I max my 401k. They would surely pass out if they knew the total amount I save in a year!
Anyways, I have several moments a day when I remember I don't have to do this work thing after a certain date.

kayvent

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Re: Had one of those "aha" moments
« Reply #11 on: October 17, 2016, 06:19:59 PM »
Wait, you didn't know that life is now lived through Facebook post, Instagram pics and Twitter chatter?  I mean, if you look at any of those, everyone in this country is rich, happy and "living the life" 😃😃😃

It's all an illusion. It will all come crumbling down in the future.

Chatter is for something else ;)

Mattzlaff

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Re: Had one of those "aha" moments
« Reply #12 on: October 17, 2016, 06:29:18 PM »
I have been in talks with multiple groups the past couple weeks about financials. Everything from gym memberships to investments.

My colleagues think I'm cheap for cancelling my 200$ cable package last year. I didn't watch TV for more than 3Hrs/week.

My girlfriends dad thinks I'm crazy for buying ETFs instead of doing research on individual stocks of companies and hedging bets on that.

My girlfriend will not take any of my investment advice because she prefers talking to her family about it(see above). The some of her family members going deeper in debt to buy bigger houses.

My other co workers are buying 60-80k dollar vehicles and I plead with them saying they do not need such expensive trucks or SUVs.

I feel like I'm alone in my area as far as financials.

Slee_stack

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Re: Had one of those "aha" moments
« Reply #13 on: October 18, 2016, 10:17:46 AM »
This weekend I was out with some colleagues.  The topic of personal finance came up.  I was advising a young person to build up an emergency fund in a savings account or similar vehicle.  Another colleague, who makes about $300k a year, challenged me and said "well, you can just borrow from your 401(k) if you need to."  He felt that maxing out his 401(k) meant he was saving a lot and that it would cover pretty much any contingency.  I kind of figured that maxing out the 401(k) was a given for people earning high salaries (I work at a large law firm)--I was telling her what to do after maxing the 401(k).
Yikes.  What an amazingly paltry savings rate for a 300k income!  6%!!  Where is all that money going?!?

arebelspy

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Re: Had one of those "aha" moments
« Reply #14 on: October 23, 2016, 03:56:36 AM »
I've been eating lunch in the staff lounge for several months now and mostly just listen to the conversations.  Many times those conversations center on money woes and struggles.  I've offered a few comments here and there or suggested that they check out MMM.  Nothing too drastic, no hair on fire face-punches.  Today the thought occurred to me.  I live like I'm poor but I'm not.  They live like they're rich but they're not.  I'll take my life everyday of the week because I can see retirement getting closer and closer all the time and it's a sweet sight.

I've been there.  :)

Definitely a satisfying realization.  That's why when people say living like we do (or did) was a "sacrifice" or "deprivation," I just had to laugh.  Our life is (and was) great, and I wouldn't trade it for anything!
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
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