Author Topic: What would you do differently?  (Read 11087 times)

VladTheImpaler

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Re: What would you do differently?
« Reply #50 on: June 29, 2016, 08:57:10 PM »
I wish I had found out about MMM sooner.
I started seriously reading this blog in 2015 even though I had casually browsed it a couple years earlier.

I wish I would have never got into online sports betting.
I've won some, but my total net is negative.





prognastat

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Re: What would you do differently?
« Reply #51 on: June 30, 2016, 07:46:00 AM »
I wish I had found out about FIRE/MMM when I first started working a job where they had a viable 401k plan and gotten serious about it right away. If I had I would probably be about 4 years ahead in my path towards FIRE. It could definitely be worse though. Even when I discovered the concept of FIRE I was not in any debt, had been putting some money in to match my employer's 401k match so I was already ahead of the average person.

Uturn

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Re: What would you do differently?
« Reply #52 on: June 30, 2016, 08:32:46 AM »
In 1999 I met with a financial advisor.  I was 29 and told him that I wanted to retire at 45 making my then salary of $65k/yr, so he showed me the math.  I was so excited that it was possible, I ran home and shared it with my future ex wife.  She and my parents convinced me that it was a pipe dream and that I would be denying me and my family a nice life.  I went on to finance many new cars, too big of a house, two divorces, and a 3% savings rate.  At 35, I swore off debt and had everything except the house paid off, but was still blowing tons of cash.  I found the MMM site at 45 and have since rediscovered the math that I should have never abandoned all those years ago. 

dougules

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Re: What would you do differently?
« Reply #53 on: June 30, 2016, 11:28:21 AM »
Not get married to someone who was fiscally irresponsible and then spend 10 years trying to fix them.

This makes me a little sad, but I understand.  My SIL is in the process of separating from her spouse because of repeated financial irresponsibility and lying about it.  It's a tough situation.  The separation is going to be bad for their little son, but I think it would be worse for him if both his parents go down in flames financially.