Fox's Journey: And Onto the Sunlight!

Where are you and where are you going?
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Jean
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Re: Fox's Journey: And Onto the Sunlight!

Post by Jean »

Quiting cold turkey if you still have a computer is unlikely to work. Like prognastat said, you need to replace them with something that better fits your goals.
I was playing much less video games when I was meeting with friends to climb several times a week. I don't play or miss playing wenn traveling. But If I'm home with nothing to do, I can uninstall everything, and 1 hour latter, I'm waiting for my game to finish downloading.
Even a good book does the trick. It just needs to be more interesting.

Stahlmann
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Re: Fox's Journey: And Onto the Sunlight!

Post by Stahlmann »

I was responsible for paying rent, utlities, keeping the place fixed, etc. But fuck man, even just a room around Miami would cost me 7-10 K/yr, or around 20% of my salary.
it's like you disdain materialism (or/and don't like people who follow this path)... but don't contribute to family budget and put all money in small amounts into global index funds without having to consider exchange risk and paying additional taxes (3 last things are not possible for like 95% of humanity)?

this is a bit tricky issue.

let's assume that my post is about letting you grow, don't treat this as an attack.

TopHatFox
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Re: Fox's Journey: And Onto the Sunlight!

Post by TopHatFox »

@Stahlman, what do you mean?

I disdain materialsm, but I'd still like a roof over my head, transportation, healthcare, and healthy food. If I invest my money, yes in global index funds, i don't really pay income taxes, just FICA & Medicare (which I won't see the benefits of). If I live at home, I can save more.

Stahlmann
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Re: Fox's Journey: And Onto the Sunlight!

Post by Stahlmann »

I was more curious what's your edgame wrt to closest family members and their health in future. I know there's no simple answer to this (especially in country with privatized health care).

Are they loaded? Are you going to help them later (because you don't contribute now)? You don't care?

No need to answer to this.

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Jean
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Re: Fox's Journey: And Onto the Sunlight!

Post by Jean »

Just an idea so that people stop poking you.
What about, opening an investment acount for you parents, where you would invest the amount that you deem would be a reasonable rent for your room.

TopHatFox
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Re: Fox's Journey: And Onto the Sunlight!

Post by TopHatFox »

@Jean, nah, that wouldn't solve anything. I still wouldn't have total privacy, I'd still be living with the parents, and then I'd lose the benefit of faster accumulation. If I pay for the room, I'm moving to an apartment with some similar-age roommates. In Miami, it's honestly normal for post-grads to stay with the parents' sans rent, even unto 30 yo. Not that I'll do that, but that's the Hispanic narrative down here.

As far as what my parents will do? I've laid the ground work for them to rent the two upstairs rooms, and likely the one I'm in now as well (although they don't want to rent this one period, even if I wasn't in it). They can work a few more years and then collect SS on top of that rent. If they want to travel, they can rent the whole house out and get a van or something. I'll have moved out west with ~100K and no braces in around a year. Tbh, I have enough shit to figure out on my own to stack the parents' issues on top of that, which is in part why I'm thinking of moving. Same with brother's issues.

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Jean
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Re: Fox's Journey: And Onto the Sunlight!

Post by Jean »

Seems fair, it's just that the issue pops quite often so i had this idea.

TopHatFox
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Re: Fox's Journey: And Onto the Sunlight!

Post by TopHatFox »

I guess I'm just convinced life gets really good at around the 250K mark. Why? Because that's when the pressures off for a seemingly endless amount of time! Think about it: once you reach that 250K mark, you have around 5-10K to work with per year, which is plenty to van-life or live in a room in most places around the world, especially for someone that's expense/lifestyle conscious.

Before that, work isn't really optional. Like, yeah, you could quit and deplete part of your resources to take a break, buuuuuut then you've depleted your resources, which you'll have to replenish by...working more. The lifestyle isn't self-sustaining.

I don't know guys, I look at my brother who's worked for 4 years and lost most of his hair (likely from stress), and yet, he hasn't paid off his debt's from school yet and is nearing 30, thinking of marrying someone who also has debt, and even having a kid or whatever. That's part of the reason I'm OK living with the parent's - if I don't fuck it up by quitting, I could end up with a couple hundred grant in a few years, which could double with how thrifty I am. I think I should just be grateful I have the opportunities I do, and try to take it one day at a time. Continue here until the year and masters is up, take the GRE, and then move out west to do the PhD in psych while working. My biggest struggle is just staying put and working, but I'm...working on it. :lol:

Hahahaha, it's like all I want to do is live in the moment, but living in the moment has so many opportunity costs. And don't try to tell me that cube life is fun and enjoyable in and of itself. We do it because we want freedom. Don't believe me? How many of you would show if you were already FI. You can make it better, but it can never be as good as freedom or lifestyle entrepreneurship 8-)

prognastat
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Re: Fox's Journey: And Onto the Sunlight!

Post by prognastat »

Well I actually just passed that mark. It all depends on what you want out of life. Although it is nice to think I could probably quit and live in a bedroom for the rest of my life, currently my spending is about equivalent to a 4% SWR of my portfolio, but it's only about halfway to where I would want to be to be able to support a family so I still have a decent way to go though so can't really completely relax even if technically at this point it is nice to know that I've built up enough to where even if I were to work minimum wage and save nothing extra I could probably still be FI in about 10 more years.

TopHatFox
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Re: Fox's Journey: And Onto the Sunlight!

Post by TopHatFox »

Listened to some of Aaron Clarey’s stuff. I find his videos are so calming. Like, yup, all jobs suck, try to find the one you can do and hate the least, then do whatever they tell you to do and check out at the door. Yup, millennial women tend to value their careers above relationships. Yup, the most important thing in life is other people still, so you still have to try. Yeah, you were lied to if you thought life would be better, so just make the best of it and that’s all you can do.

theanimal
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Re: Fox's Journey: And Onto the Sunlight!

Post by theanimal »

Embrace uncertainty, my man. It is your friend, not something to avoid. You can do what you envision without the trappings of a full time (office) job. I'm doing it. I made ~$45k last year and didn't work for 4 months. I'll make more this year and have the flexibility to do what I want most of the time. Don't handicap yourself into thinking there's only one path. It's painful to read what seem like irrational justifications to alternative suggestions. There are other ways!

TopHatFox
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Re: Fox's Journey: And Onto the Sunlight!

Post by TopHatFox »

@theanimal, yeah, I hear that. Another thought I’ve been having is, fuck it, I really only do have one damn life to live. And what if, after 10 years in the trenches of cubicle life, the US government decides to confiscate 403Bs and IRAs to pay off its outstanding debt? The past 10 years will have been for nought. A giant PITA of depression for nooooooothing. I think I’d much rather do whatever it is I can look back on and feel okay about as I’m doing it. Life’s too short to piss it away saving while being okay to miserable.

I think the issue is I just that I have no idea what the alternatives really are, besides entrepreneurship, which seems nebulous to me, and just being a hiking bum, which seems like a fun way to get to the poverty house...eventually.

Feeling pretty stuck, but I would reaaaaally like some way to still meet my modest financial goals, while actually not wishing my life away?

TopHatFox
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Re: Fox's Journey: And Onto the Sunlight!

Post by TopHatFox »

Okay, so what do I not like: the cube, the routine, that my life feels like it’s on repeat every single day. I hate that, and if I can eliminate that, that’d be great. So what if...say, for the hell of it, I finish off that MPA and save for a year more, and then go and do something else. So, for example, just hike for a year, maybe make hiking guides to sell on a website. Start there. I dunno. Thoughts?

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Viktor K
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Re: Fox's Journey: And Onto the Sunlight!

Post by Viktor K »

Couple things you've said have rang a bit of a bell with me recently. Wondering your thoughts and would like to give mine.

I'm in China now so hours are only 10-12/week for me. One of the biggest changes I've made in the last year and wish I would have done it earlier is just stuffing my free time. I play football (soccer, lots of Europeans here so I say football now) every chance I get. Sometimes there aren't enough players at the field for a pick-up game, so those days are a bit of a let down. I still play computer games off and on, deleting a game or two when I play it too much. I run a D&D game which takes care of Mondays since it's school -> game prep -> play game. I eat out a lot because it's cheap here and that takes up free time as well.

Reason saying because having so much free time and filling it with so many things, means that a bum night playing video games means nothing to me and feels justified. Besides eating out with friends/girlfriend, none of above cost money and fit well with ERE outside of not building work skills. I started coding and found it addictive. It's like the same feeling as winning a strategy game for me or making a good play when the code works. But it was tough at first and I had to dive full-on with it - not sure if coding is something you're interested in.

Anyways, maybe that'll inspire you or something to commit more time towards some other hobbies. Or explore different work fields.

However, you work more than me, so your thoughts appreciated. I'm aiming to work the 9-5 when I get back to the US this summer. I enjoy coding so I hope the work won't be as bad. However, the last time I worked as much as you do was when I was working in a call center. Soul-crushing. And that was back when I started dating my girlfriend and I would cancel on our plans after work sometimes because I just felt so run down after the day. Is 9-5 soul crushing, and too much to enjoy/commit energy to something in the evening? Or is your 9-5 soul crushing, and too much to enjoy/commit energy to something in the evening? Hope it's the latter, since I don't envy your ranting.

Reading your journal consistently, though, I think you rant here and maybe not so rant-y in real life. But a sucky job sucks. Since 40 hours is a big part of the week. Maybe a holiday abroad (there are also part-time opportunities in the US) would be a good choice for you. I still easily save $15k with 3 months off (my current job pays vacation too, so that's $20k/year), and only work mornings ~10-12 hours/week. Without this time abroad, I don't think I'd ever have found time to really explore hobbies and build up my work-skills.

Tldr; Try more hobbies/free-time stuff if you have time/energy. If not, consider career change (as in apply, not just consider) to something more casual. Just because it isn't a 9-5 doesn't mean it's a net loss in savings in the year. Good luck dude.

classical_Liberal
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Re: Fox's Journey: And Onto the Sunlight!

Post by classical_Liberal »

TopHatFox wrote:
Mon Mar 25, 2019 11:02 pm
I hate that, and if I can eliminate that, that’d be great. So what if...say, for the hell of it, I finish off that MPA and save for a year more, and then go and do something else. So, for example, just hike for a year, maybe make hiking guides to sell on a website. Start there. I dunno. Thoughts?
Dude, I said this like 3 pages ago! You're getting a free degree, so finish it. Save up money at the job while you're doing it...BUT start planning for you're first sabbatical. Set a date, start making plans, start taking action on those plans, maybe figure out a small income stream to reduce cash burn. You'll start to get excited as hell and the drudgery won't matter much anymore. The next year will go by fast as a result. It's not going to hurt your career or PhD prospects... if you decide that's still the best option after finishing up with some time doing other things.

Kriegsspiel
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Re: Fox's Journey: And Onto the Sunlight!

Post by Kriegsspiel »

It's hard to keep track of all the advice that sprouts in THF's threads, but in case nobodies mentioned it, seasonal work might be something for you to look into. A casual perusal of coolworks.com shows tons of outdoorsy jobs you could hold down between having fun. Some seasonal work pays all your living expenses while your working. For instance, if you get a job with PAE, the contractor that administers America's Antarctica bases, they provide 6 months worth of living expenses, plus wages. Work 6 months in Antarctica, spend 6 months in an AirBNB in Bali or Prague or whatever.

TopHatFox
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Re: Fox's Journey: And Onto the Sunlight!

Post by TopHatFox »

classical_Liberal wrote:
Tue Mar 26, 2019 1:28 am
Dude, I said this like 3 pages ago! You're getting a free degree, so finish it. Save up money at the job while you're doing it...BUT start planning for you're first sabbatical. Set a date, start making plans, start taking action on those plans, maybe figure out a small income stream to reduce cash burn. You'll start to get excited as hell and the drudgery won't matter much anymore. The next year will go by fast as a result. It's not going to hurt your career or PhD prospects... if you decide that's still the best option after finishing up with some time doing other things.
Yeah, but...I only internalized it on this page. :P

Alright, so here's what I'm thinking. In order for me to feel fulfilled and happy, I want these things:

1. To have more money coming in every year than leaving; like I'd be great if I reach 30 with 250K and interesting experiences
2. To see novel places and have novel experiences; for every day to feel different and not like my life is on repeat
3. To have a loving partner and some close friends
4. To feel fit and have access to healthful food

These are the things I don't need or want:

1. I DO NOT want to live my life to a resume. The whole work 3 years here to get X promotion here is anathema to my being
2. I DON'T want kids, like ever. Holy shit, raising a kid that needs to do K-Masters to even have an OK job, let alone two kids.
3. I don't want pets, like any pet. Cat, dog, rabbit, fox, turtle, whatever. No pets.
4. I don't want to fund my girlfriend or future girlfriends, it's hard enough hunkering down just to save for me.
5. I don't want to fund my parents' healthcare or retirement as they age. They chose to have me and brother and a too-big house.
6. I don't want to fund my brothers' anything, or even really be involved. He has his own life to live.
7. I don't want to compare myself to people in Silicon Valley or super wealthy entrepreneurs. I don't really care.

---------------------------------

With that in mind, all I can think is THANK FUCKING GOODNESS I got that jaw surgery out of the way, because that would be a serious impediment to the kind of life I want to build over the next few years. With that out of the way, I'm thinking that the most reasonable path going forward is to do some sort of van-living combined with some sort of seasonal work or remote work. Why? Because living in the same place is booooooring, even with all the free time in the world. I'd imagine my expenses would be something like 5-10K/yr, so if I can make an income of 20-30K/yr doing seasonal or remote work, then I can save around 20k/yr and get to the ~200K number by 30, and 400K number by 35. all while doing shit I'd already want to do.
Last edited by TopHatFox on Tue Mar 26, 2019 8:42 am, edited 1 time in total.

2Birds1Stone
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Re: Fox's Journey: And Onto the Sunlight!

Post by 2Birds1Stone »

The last sentence sums it up quite well =D

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Ego
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Re: Fox's Journey: And Onto the Sunlight!

Post by Ego »

Some have mentioned it already so I'll repeat the takeaway from that now famous Dutch study on adventure related happiness where the satisfaction peaked during the planning phase. Perhaps an intensily planned trial run during your next vacation will help to focus your present attention on future-you satisfaction.

TopHatFox
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Re: Fox's Journey: And Onto the Sunlight!

Post by TopHatFox »

Agreed that finishing up the MPA will be worth it though. Any Masters opens up a lot of doors, and a (free) MPA especially for working in state parks. Remote jobs are also competitive, so any masters is good for a leg up. It'll also help me pass the 100K mark before launching into some hiatus. I do feel better not necessarily chasing after the 500K-1M goal. Like, great if I get there, but who gives a shit if I don't. I just want to enjoy my life, maybe have some fun instead of working all the time.
Last edited by TopHatFox on Tue Mar 26, 2019 10:35 am, edited 1 time in total.

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