Can someone genuinely explain why I need a degree, a career, and a six figure salary to be happy?
No, you fucking can't. I just came to this realization. The only reason people think they have money issues is because they're morons who waste.
But I don't need a smartphone with a carrier. Just a flip phone with a basic TracFone plan.
I don't need a new car. I need a 2008 vehicle that's model line has an excellent reputation for running dependably.
I don't need cable, or Netflix, or Hulu. I don't need Spotify or Apple Music. I have free streaming sites, SoulSeek, and two modest DVD and record collections.
I don't spend money on drugs or cigarettes. Just a few beers every weekend.
I don't have a gym membership. I do a 15 minute exercise routine every morning.
I don't need my own place right now. I have two roommates and we all respect each other's privacy and share the rent / utilities.
I don't need life insurance or a fancy funeral. Chuck me in a fuckin ditch, my memory will be survived by those who knew me.
I don't need fancy clothes. Everything I own was bought at Goodwill and it looks fine.
I don't need a big TV or expensive computer. I still own the same GameCube, PS2, and games I got when I was 10 in case I ever do want to play vidya with friends.
All my entertainment is derived from media which I can possess for cheap / free or from creative outlets like writing or music which are either a one time payment after responsibly saving up (for new instruments or instrument accessories) or are completely free (writing).
Can someone genuinely explain why I need a degree, a career, and a six figure salary to be happy?
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I make $11 an hour, $11, full time in retail at a local store I love. I've been living this way for months now and I'm happier than I ever was as a NEET, a high school student, or a college student.
Why can no one else accept this? My family and some of my friends still in college are convinced I'm unhappy and miserable but the truth is I have grown more content by living this way. It frustrates me that they just can't accept and be happy that, for the first time in my life, I'm happy. Not because of anti-depressants or therapy, but because I told them all to fuck off and I made my own decision.
You do need some money to be happy, but it's drastically diminishing returns. After that, as MMM says, money can *only* be used to reduce "life suckage".
Here's a good article for you
mrmoneymustache.com
it's more comfortable to cry in a Mercedes than in a Prius
Thank you for sharing this. It's essentially how I've been thinking.
I think I'll show it to my family and friends who disagree with how I've chosen to live at the moment. Maybe it'll help.
Personally I believe that if you like the work that you do and can sustain yourself with it then by all means go and do it. Good on you for telling them to fuck off as well, good to see some people still have a spine.
Even though I earn far more than you do, I support most of your premises. I would just you and what would become of you if you had an emergency setback, though. Let's say some sort of circumstance led you to be out of work for, I don't know, 3 months. Your lifestyles sound like they wouldn't be conducive to a decent amount of savings at the end of the month.
>I support most of your premises
I should've also said I live by most of them. Difference being that thanks to 1. not being wasteful and 2. earning more, I'll have equity and peace of mind down the line as well as a fat safety net.
There you go, props to you guys for finding happiness outside of material goods.
Read up on cynicism chances are you already did but w/e I used to be stuck up while growing up thinking to myself how can people that went for a certain degree be happy they wont have jobs and whatnot. Nowadays I imagine a philosophy major living a similar lifestyle to yours but being happy as fuck thanks to the insight and knowledge he got reading philosophy.
Honestly thats making it in my book user, dont let anyone bring you done and dont leave us
What are you going to do next time you get a cavity op?
Cant he pay in installments?
pretty much this. sounds dainty at all but op's happy go lucky ideas circle the drain when unexpected money is needed.
he can pay in installments for many things - the point is, when you're financially complacent working some shitty job, even though i can grant it can keep you happy barring unexpected circumstances... when one finally pops up, OP won't have the margin nor wiggle room to deal with it. all things considered a cavity is a relatively small example that could throw him off. there are varieties of emergencies.
"man, he makes plans. universe, it laughs."
My dentist only accepts 2 payments at most.
A deep cleaning session is like 50$.
A root canal + crown is 350$
A full implant can cost as much as 1000$.
Let's say one of your teeth starts hurting tonight OP. What will you do?
Or what will he do when one of his teeth starts hurting while he's laid off of a job for months? Can't control the degree to which shit hits the fan, which is why one needs a safety net.
I think a reasonable emergency fund is part of OPs plan. But, he's mostly talking about playing "financial defense" not necessarily living on the edge of disaster
>I think a reasonable emergency fund is part of OPs plan
Why? He said he doesn't need a career for happiness. If you aren't geared toward a career, you're not building the foundations for job stability. Without job stability, how can you calibrate your finances against a wide array of pitfalls and emergencies?
Not having a career doesn't imply you can't build up an emergency fund. Look at Mr. Earl.
But, I'll let OP speak for himself.
It doesn't mean one can't build up an emergency fund, but it could mean one is prone to needing more emergency funds since a lack of job stability can cause financial instability.
Seems OP wanted validation and then went silent after getting his hopes and dreams destroyed, yikes.
Could be. But, the stories from MMM and ERE have shown that you can live on quite a low budget and still live pretty good.
I'm a big fan of frugality and do wish I could cut back on my lifestyle a lot more. So I'm always trying to be encouraging of it for others.
God damn, these are perfect example of women I like... That being said, I only work 2 days a week, live with a friend to keep cost of living down, use a $40 Thinkpad, an iPhone 6 and I have everything I need in life. I even managed to save quite a bit of money despite only working part time because I live such a low rent life. Are there things I want? Of course, but at the end of the day I have to remember that if I don't need it I shouldn't waste money on it. My goal in life is for what I want and what I need to be the same thing as consistently as possible.
You're right OP, for the most part.
People are what is called materialistic.