I don't want a new car!

[lovcom]

Originally Posted By: blackman777
Originally Posted By: lovcom
Originally Posted By: blackman777
You make a good point but..... I already work 5 days a week. Am I expected to work Saturdays & Sundays too, just to learn the new tech? (Most companies will say "yes" but I like to use weekends for family time.....)
Yes, you are expected to keep up with your job. You can do that AND spend tons of quality time with your family. Keeping up means you love your family and want to insure your future earnings and marketability.

So "yes" you expect me and other engineers/techs to work Saturdays/Sundays too. So typical of today's corporate mindset (where they treat workers as slaves to the company 6 days a week). Pretty soon you're 70 years old and you've not really lived life, because you were working 90% of the time.




It sounds like you just want an excuse to be lazy. I never mentioned saturday and sundays. I never mentioned taking time away from the famuily. A man can often work all day, and squeeze in some study time after the kids are in bed most weekdays. With the education benefits and certifications, an engineer can make 33% or more $$ and retire a decade or two earlier. His family will love him for it and he'll have no regrets for adding skills to his resume.

 

[blackman777]

I don't recall my kids ever saying, "Dad I want you to make a lot of money." More often it is, "Can you come play with me?" Retiring a decade early doesn't benefit my kids..... they will have already grown-up and moved out (and playtime is over). It is wiser to spend time with the kids when you are still in your 20s and 30s, while they are still kids.

Also I go to bed the same time the kids do (in order to get up at 5am each morning), so NO I cannot study "after they go to bed". Simply not an option unless I sacrifice sleep (which is bad for health).

In response to the video:

If I were rich, and money no object, I would still continue doing my current job. I like what I'm doing but not the ridiculously tight time schedules (which force me to give-up Saturdays or Sundays).

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: grampi
Originally Posted By: surfstar
Work is way overrated.

I'll take my cheap cars and apt over someone driving a new BMW, owing $400k+ on a mortgage and working 60+ hours a week. That's not living.


You got that right...I plan on retiring as soon as I am eligible...I want to enjoy what time I have left on this planet...I don't want to work until I drop dead...that happened to my Dad...


x3 on this one, retired at 55 and haven't missed working one day since... Play with the grand kiddies now...

 

[lovcom]

Originally Posted By: blackman777
I don't recall my kids ever saying, "Dad I want you to make a lot of money." More often it is, "Can you come play with me?" Retiring a decade early doesn't benefit my kids..... they will have already grown-up and moved out (and playtime is over). It is wiser to spend time with the kids when you are still in your 20s and 30s, while they are still kids.

Also I go to bed the same time the kids do (in order to get up at 5am each morning), so NO I cannot study "after they go to bed". Simply not an option unless I sacrifice sleep (which is bad for health).

In response to the video:

If I were rich, and money no object, I would still continue doing my current job. I like what I'm doing but not the ridiculously tight time schedules (which force me to give-up Saturdays or Sundays).


YOU DON'T HAVE TO NEGLECT THE KIDS TO INSURE HIGH INCOME AND MARKETABILITY THROUGH ON GOING EDUCATION, CERTIFICATIONS.

Do you get it now?

It's not about making oodles of money.

It's about OPTIONS. Options for your kids and for the family.

Options are not often free.

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: blackman777
... It is wiser to spend time with the kids when you are still in your 20s and 30s, while they are still kids.

Also I go to bed the same time the kids do (in order to get up at 5am each morning), so NO I cannot study "after they go to bed". Simply not an option unless I sacrifice sleep (which is bad for health).


Totally agree. Spend the most time with your kids while they are young and need parent's influence the most. Health and overall wellbeing is another very valid point.
My grandparents grew up during WW2 and never reached a wealthy status. They told us many stories of the dances they attended to during the war and after and how young people used to have fun, despite all the stuff that was going on around them.
It is hard for us to grasp, but the rat race many choose to participate in, will give them no happiness.

 

[blackman777]

Education isn't an option when you're working 7am to 7pm every day. Sometimes Sunday too. I literally have no free time unless I give-up Saturdays to attend classes (or read tech journals), and I'm not prepared to do that.

 

[hattaresguy]

Originally Posted By: surfstar
Work is way overrated.

I'll take my cheap cars and apt over someone driving a new BMW, owing $400k+ on a mortgage and working 60+ hours a week. That's not living.


Your right it is, but their is no reason you can't have all the nice things the world has to offer and not be a slave to a job.

I find selling your time for money to be a horribly inefficient way to earn a living.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
Originally Posted By: surfstar
Work is way overrated.

I'll take my cheap cars and apt over someone driving a new BMW, owing $400k+ on a mortgage and working 60+ hours a week. That's not living.


Your right it is, but their is no reason you can't have all the nice things the world has to offer and not be a slave to a job.

I find selling your time for money to be a horribly inefficient way to earn a living.


OK, I'll bite...what are these magical ways of having all the nice things the world has to offer without being a slave to your job? I think we'd all like to get in on this...

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: grampi
Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
Originally Posted By: surfstar
Work is way overrated.

I'll take my cheap cars and apt over someone driving a new BMW, owing $400k+ on a mortgage and working 60+ hours a week. That's not living.


Your right it is, but their is no reason you can't have all the nice things the world has to offer and not be a slave to a job.

I find selling your time for money to be a horribly inefficient way to earn a living.


OK, I'll bite...what are these magical ways of having all the nice things the world has to offer without being a slave to your job? I think we'd all like to get in on this...

Rental property, if I had a do over I might have planned to make owning a couple duplexs or houses to rent easier. Its not income for no work, but its not 40 hours a week either!
Also living well under your means, depends on your job but self funded leave is a good way to do what you want for an extended period of time. My wife has had 2 years off out of 12 so far and I took 9 months parental leave last year.
We don't make mega bucks either, we just save alot and it gives you options.

 

[jrustles]

Originally Posted By: grampi

OK, I'll bite...what are these magical ways of having all the nice things the world has to offer without being a slave to your job? I think we'd all like to get in on this...


Consider this: only 'recently' have some humans become the only beings on this whole planet that feel they must 'pay' to live here. the question is, who are they paying and why do they believe that they need to?

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: jrustles
Originally Posted By: grampi

OK, I'll bite...what are these magical ways of having all the nice things the world has to offer without being a slave to your job? I think we'd all like to get in on this...


Consider this: only 'recently' have some humans become the only beings on this whole planet that feel they must 'pay' to live here. the question is, who are they paying and why do they believe that they need to?


I don't feel that way, it's just the way it is. Please tell me how we are supposed to acquire what we need without paying for it...

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: grampi
Originally Posted By: jrustles
Originally Posted By: grampi

OK, I'll bite...what are these magical ways of having all the nice things the world has to offer without being a slave to your job? I think we'd all like to get in on this...


Consider this: only 'recently' have some humans become the only beings on this whole planet that feel they must 'pay' to live here. the question is, who are they paying and why do they believe that they need to?


I don't feel that way, it's just the way it is. Please tell me how we are supposed to acquire what we need without paying for it...

I think in theory one could live on crown land here in Canada for free. Not build a permanent structure, but camp and hunt and collect food. Basically live like the first nations people did. I've never heard of anyone doing it, but there's lots of places where few people would go.

 

[blackman777]

The other animals on this planet settle land disputes through warfare (kill each other). I think I prefer bartering money for an apartment or piece of land. It's a peaceful solution.

 

[jrustles]

Originally Posted By: blackman777
The other animals on this planet settle land disputes through warfare (kill each other). I think I prefer bartering money for an apartment or piece of land. It's a peaceful solution.


Implying that we don't still do that anyway, but on a significantly larger scale Implying we're not taxed to fund these endeavors to personal detriment (recession, depression, inflation and other affects of war).

Bartering and credit/honour systems are great- only to be expected of mankind.
Unfortunately, what we havenow is anything but.

The DEBT BASED ECONOMY we have now is neither something we agreed to, understand or have the will to change. It's not a "screw up" or "mismanagement" this economic situation we're in, it's a strategy. You can either whine a bit and roll over, or you can find out what reserve banking is, what a FIAT currency system is and how this debt can, by definition, never be paid back.


Originally Posted By: IndyIan

I think in theory one could live on crown land here in Canada for free. Not build a permanent structure, but camp and hunt and collect food. Basically live like the first nations people did. I've never heard of anyone doing it, but there's lots of places where few people would go.


That would be interesting if true. Of course, being "crown" land implies some other entity has taken it upon themselves to claim ownership.

I remember reading of a time when people used to produce their own food. Now people can't even prepare their own food. We can't do very much now, and the 'system' of specialization HAS US BY THE BOLLOCKS! We freak out if our electricity goes out, imagine if our food goes out.

 

[diver1972]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
Two paid-off cars with reasonable mileage sitting outside that both get decent fuel economy. Why would I want a new car? Beats me...

Originally Posted By: blackman777
The other animals on this planet settle land disputes through warfare (kill each other)...
Actually, many humans have and continue to do this as well.

Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
I find selling your time for money to be a horribly inefficient way to earn a living.

Originally Posted By: grampi
You got that right...I plan on retiring as soon as I am eligible...I want to enjoy what time I have left on this planet...I don't want to work until I drop dead...that happened to my Dad...

I'm trying a different tactic: work as little as necessary while relatively young, in better health, and have more energy to have fun with the kids and then work more when I'm relatively old, in poorer health, and have less energy to expend. I've seen quite a few folks with the money and time to do more or less what they want, but not the health to do so.

Originally Posted By: grampi
That's because the auto industry only cares about their bottom line...
Isn't this also true of many companies in many industries?

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
...Another goofy item is the idea that mfgrs should make something cheaper and smaller with fewer features. They would if enough folks would buy it. They'd sell their Mom to make a buck!...

Originally Posted By: glock19
...Frankly, I would consider it a failure if we're still making driving cars with internal combustion engines in 20 years.

Originally Posted By: rslifkin
That's also why I won't buy a used car from a dealer, only from an individual. You can learn a lot about how a car was used, treated, etc. by talking to the owner.

 

[spackard]

From the book The Choice, by Russell Roberts: "self-sufficiency is the road to poverty." Self-sufficiency in everyday language is a good thing--standing on your own two feet and not relying on others. In the context of economics and trade, realize quickly that standing on your own two feet if you mean it literally, you are going to be desperately poor and probably will not supply.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: antiqueshell
The look on the faces of those folks at the dealerships is priceless when you tell them goodbye and keep walking out the door.


It is only matched by the look on their faces when you tell them you are NOT one of the 'usual' masses who would only buy a car loaded 'to the gills' with every useless/complicated/weighty bell and whistle available.

Good luck with that! 3 years ago, I tried to buy a base model Versa. Back when they were $9999 and had NO A/C, Power windows, radio. It was the *perfect* car for a 22 year old starting out that needed a new, reliable car. I wouldn't have to pay for any of the fluff.

Unfortunately, I was laughed out of two Nissan dealerships. The only one I could fund was a used one with 7K miles and a sticker of $12K (for a $9999 new car).

One sales guy lost interest when I said I was only interested in the base model.

Another one said they don't order the base model, but for $100 a month, I could lease a top end Versa.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: jrustles


Originally Posted By: IndyIan

I think in theory one could live on crown land here in Canada for free. Not build a permanent structure, but camp and hunt and collect food. Basically live like the first nations people did. I've never heard of anyone doing it, but there's lots of places where few people would go.


That would be interesting if true. Of course, being "crown" land implies some other entity has taken it upon themselves to claim ownership.

I remember reading of a time when people used to produce their own food. Now people can't even prepare their own food. We can't do very much now, and the 'system' of specialization HAS US BY THE BOLLOCKS! We freak out if our electricity goes out, imagine if our food goes out.

The "crown" refers to the Queen of England, but she lets us common folk use her land with a few restrictions.
I'm with you with specialization forcing people into our monatary system, also l think the urbanization of the population takes away the ability to opt out.
We produce most our own meat, eggs, and milk and some vegetables and a few buckets of fruit a year. It does make you realize how effective mechanization and specialization is a pumping out a mid level quality food commodities. If you buy on sales, its probably cheaper to just buy meat at the grocery store and that's fine, but its not quite the same nutritional quality that you get with pastured animals. Plus I guess in the US you guys may have all sorts of hormones in some meat and milk. You really have to like raising animals and gardening and consider it a pleasurable activity, as doing it just to save money doesn't quite pencil out if consider your time.
If you look at europeans, they do appreciate food more and its origin, partially I think that even in the 20th century, almost all countries have experienced moderate to severe food shortages, hence most countries do protect their small farms over there. Here we are forcing most farmers to go big, and selling prime farm land to the chinese...

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan
Plus I guess in the US you guys may have all sorts of hormones in some meat and milk.


Not to mention the BOAT LOADS of totally resistant strain bacteria producing antibiotics pumped into our livestock daily.

 

[blackman777]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
Good luck with that! 3 years ago, I tried to buy a base model Versa. Back when they were $9999..... Unfortunately, I was laughed out of two Nissan dealerships. The only one I could fund was a used one with 7K miles and a sticker of $12K (for a $9999 new car).

You can search Nissan's website for the base model, and it will lead you to the dealer that has it.