Alternative Investments as opposed to work

Anything to do with the traditional world of get a degree, get a job as well as its alternatives
tradfgh
Posts: 23
Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2016 6:12 pm

Alternative Investments as opposed to work

Post by tradfgh »

I'm almost 28, and have been unemployed for almost two years now. I have about 530k saved up with about 93% in Stock/ETFs.

I still live with my father, but I want to move out, and maybe one or two states away (some where with a higher capitalization rate than the bay area).

I have a 1 year old DUI, and no useful skills (2 year AA, 4 year drop out), I have interviewed a quite a few places, but the fight to become a government (pensioned + 4 day work week) worker has left me.

I don't want to be computer tech, IT guy, accountant/bookkeeper, salesperson, medical tech, nurse, teacher, engineer, plumber, or electrician.

The only way I can think of making money is owning stocks, renting out real estate, or buying a vacuum truck and pumping people's septic tanks, or getting a job at McDonalds/7-11 and buying a franchise.

What are some alternative ways to make decent money that can often beat the SP500, or some job/business/skill that sounds fun or lucrative?

Basically I need a time sink that can earn me some money, and something to tell my family/friends that I am doing, so they don't think I am just playing computer games and getting high 100% of the time.

It does not have to be glamorous like McDonald's or septic tank pumping, but it has to be something I can do with minimal skills, but it has to be something potentially lucrative.

ThisDinosaur
Posts: 997
Joined: Fri Jul 17, 2015 9:31 am

Re: Alternative Investments as opposed to work

Post by ThisDinosaur »

I have more questions than answers.
First, how did you come into 530K at age 27 with no useful skills?
Why do you live with your father when you have a stash like that?
Have you owned franchises/businesses/real estate before? Any reason to think you'd be better suited for that than an hourly-pay job?
What level of expenses would you be working with?

Beating the SP500 is easy. Just own lots of other class-diversified investments that don't overlap with those 500 US companies, and wait.

tradfgh
Posts: 23
Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2016 6:12 pm

Re: Alternative Investments as opposed to work

Post by tradfgh »

My father got pissed off at my sister going to an overpriced University so he gave me about 2/3 of what he spent on her tution, and my grandmother gave me about $17,000, and I saved about 50%-75% when I was working as an IT government worker, and computer tech for a "non-profit" government contractor.

I bought a couple of lucky stocks.

Rents in my city for a section 8, 1 bedroom, 1 bath apartment start at $1550 a month, so living in a nice country house for free is a easy obvious choice.

I have never owned a franchise, business or real estate before, but I have to start some where... I am super cheap and fairly finance savvy, so I think I might not be horrible at running a business.

Well septic tank pumping seems like by far the most obvious/lucrative entry level cost for money making potential, but professional landlord in a cheaper part of the country like 1-2 hours outside of Seattle seems like a decent possibility, septic tank pumpers are needed everywhere...

Basically for septic pumping, all you need is a vacuum truck which are about $60,000 for an old beater to 130,000 for brand new great truck, or $175,000 for a financed 5 year lease.

Then you need somewhere to park it, which would be free where I live now... or would force me to buy/rent a place where I could park a commercial vehicle.

Insurance costs about 6000 a year for the required million dollar liability policy I think, then there is building a cheap website, detailing, and other costs.

Here a pump costs $450-$600 depending on how you market yourself, and how desperate you or the customer is for work to be done, but the City takes about $200-$250 of that in fees, and then there is gas, maintenance, and $160 a day, if you choose to hire an illegal to work with you...

If you get 15 calls a week averaging at $500 a call, you will do great, if you average 10 calls a week, I will fail.

Stahlmann
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Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2016 6:05 pm

Re: Alternative Investments as opposed to work

Post by Stahlmann »

Invest in bonds. Move to different country with cheaper standard of living. Do there something to be engaged and have excuses for parents.

Dragline
Posts: 4436
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2011 1:50 am

Re: Alternative Investments as opposed to work

Post by Dragline »

You are in a position to buy and manage real estate if you are so inclined.

But do you have any hobbies? You are also in a position to invest the money, work on something that doesn't pay anything for several years, but you like doing and might turn into something.

Or maybe you just want to do some Vagabonding for a year or so -- go read that book (R. Potts) if you haven't.

Eureka
Posts: 340
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2016 11:03 am

Re: Alternative Investments as opposed to work

Post by Eureka »

Forget about what your family thinks about you just playing computer games and getting high 100% of the time. If your goal of getting an occupation just is to satisfy them, you primarily need to free yourself of other people's expectations and start living your own life on your own conditions.

tradfgh
Posts: 23
Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2016 6:12 pm

Re: Alternative Investments as opposed to work

Post by tradfgh »

I don't want an occupation.

I want a reliable small business that makes me "rent + beer + healthcare + IRA + gas money", with less than $250,000 initial upfront investment cost, without having to work more than 40 hours a week.

James_0011
Posts: 392
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2016 12:00 am

Re: Alternative Investments as opposed to work

Post by James_0011 »

I don't get it, if you have 530K saved and you invest it in index funds, 4% is $21,200. Can't you just move somewhere cheaper and live on the interest?

To answer your original question, I would suggest maybe driving for uber a few days a week or something like that. Forex trading might be something to look into as well.

OTCW
Posts: 437
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2011 12:55 am

Re: Alternative Investments as opposed to work

Post by OTCW »

You can start a lawn care/landscaping business for a lot less than what you estimated for the septic business.

Riggerjack
Posts: 3182
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:09 am

Re: Alternative Investments as opposed to work

Post by Riggerjack »

I'll give you one of my backups.

Marriage mill. Online ordination, plus a pretty site. I was thinking a gazebo on the river's floodplains. The land is cheap, the building options are limited. bring in composting toilets. Then put your ads up. My strategy was to compete with justice of the peace type weddings. $350 gets you the site for an hour, and my services. In, out and on with life. No bridezillas allowed. Work when the weather is nice, and don't when it isn't.

In WA, there is no justice of the peace. Civil weddings are done by judges, in courtrooms last used to send a kid to foster care, after or before court. Services are... Minimal. I could do better for the same price.

Go be an actual ERE minister!

Riggerjack
Posts: 3182
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:09 am

Re: Alternative Investments as opposed to work

Post by Riggerjack »

You have both capital, and time. So far, you seem to have looked into how to use the capital to give your time value, and that isn't a bad place to start.

I would now recommend you find an old phone book, and just page through, looking, and imagining what all those people and companies do. Find one that seems like you would like, and dig into the details.

I say phone book rather than Google, simply because you don't know what you are looking for. The yellow pages are full of people doing what you want to do. You just don't know which one it is, yet.

We live in a world full of opportunity, you are young, with capital and no commitments. It doesn't get much easier.

vexed87
Posts: 1521
Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2015 8:02 am
Location: Yorkshire, UK

Re: Alternative Investments as opposed to work

Post by vexed87 »

If you want to make beer money, brewing good beer might be an option. :lol:

@Riggerjack, search the yellow pages advice is perhaps one of THE best suggestions I've seen on this forum.

Riggerjack
Posts: 3182
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:09 am

Re: Alternative Investments as opposed to work

Post by Riggerjack »

Thanks. I didn't do that myself. But I have nephews coming of age, and I'm spending more time thinking of advice to give them.

How do you decide what you want to do? Most just choose from the options chosen by people they know. That is how I got into cable work.

If you want something different, it is best to find a general guide to options to make sure you don't eliminate options unconsidered. The yellow pages is a general guide to all the ways people have made businesses. Most are not going to appeal, but that's the point.

tradfgh
Posts: 23
Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2016 6:12 pm

Re: Alternative Investments as opposed to work

Post by tradfgh »

"To answer your original question, I would suggest maybe driving for uber a few days a week or something like that. Forex trading might be something to look into as well."

A DUI prevents me from getting hired in about 95% of trade jobs including Uber, honestly if I raped someone, I would not have such a bad employability problem.

Forex is gambling in nature, and is against my beliefs/morals.

The only reason I can sometimes get work as a septic truck laborer is due to the low prestige nature of the job.

Landscaping is 100% Mexican where I currently am, my neighbor spends over 1000 a week easily on landscaping, but I can guarantee no one who lawns capes for her was born in USA, while septic trucks are Class B/A so your'e required to hire someone with citizenship or the legal right to work.

Marriage mills sound kind of interesting, similar to Party Supply store, which I have just noticed is a MASSIVE small business field.

Riggerjack
Posts: 3182
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:09 am

Re: Alternative Investments as opposed to work

Post by Riggerjack »

Party supplies is a high turnover business, like restaurants.

I would avoid anything to do with driving, there will be a flood of displaced drivers soon. Septic work involves driving, finding, and digging before the pumping starts, so it will be a long time before that is automated. Pick a county that has monitored septic systems.here in island county Wa, the health Dept sends notices to homeowners every 3 years, and fines if they don't pump. So the county tracks your customers, and who is due. A little more paper, but a larger customer base that can't avoid service.

Riggerjack
Posts: 3182
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:09 am

Re: Alternative Investments as opposed to work

Post by Riggerjack »

BTW, if you think a DUI is bad, talk to someone on a sex offender list. That follows you for life, regardless of offense.

Soon, the DUI is in the past. Keep it there. It sucks for a reason.

Riggerjack
Posts: 3182
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:09 am

Re: Alternative Investments as opposed to work

Post by Riggerjack »

Look for something that takes time, money, and isn't scalable.

A marriage mill is right in those cross hairs. You have to have a free schedule, you need a bit of capital, and no matter how well it works, you can't just open a string of them.

Avoid franchises. They invite competition, and your competition is likely to have more capital. Avoid competing against professionals, retirees, and hobbyists. The first brings more expertise, and the others don't need the money.

chenda
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Location: Nether Wallop

Re: Alternative Investments as opposed to work

Post by chenda »

Buy a house and rent out rooms.

George the original one
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Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 3:28 am
Location: Wettest corner of Orygun

Re: Alternative Investments as opposed to work

Post by George the original one »

Riggerjack wrote:
Tue May 09, 2017 2:57 pm
Pick a county that has monitored septic systems.here in island county Wa, the health Dept sends notices to homeowners every 3 years, and fines if they don't pump. So the county tracks your customers, and who is due. A little more paper, but a larger customer base that can't avoid service.
Go one better and run for county commissioner so that you can implement this rule in a county which doesn't have it!

FBeyer
Posts: 1069
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2015 3:25 am

Re: Alternative Investments as opposed to work

Post by FBeyer »

Riggerjack wrote:
Tue May 09, 2017 3:07 pm
Look for something that takes time, money, and isn't scalable
Repointing brickwork?

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