Debt Free

[GrobbeeTrull2.0]

Originally Posted by Phoenix

I personally think he should use it to go find off someone off craig's list and fuck him in the ass while his wife watches. Just think, he could be fulfilling his wife's fantasy and his own at the same time!

Wrong wife. Get with it, you're slipping.

Because he's trolling and is unable to make a serious post.

You mad? That someone as "simple" as I was able to do what you never thought I could? Yep, you mad.

[Phoenix]

o

[Lyrical]

Its great if you've been able to get out of debt and save $300 a month (which isn't much, but you have to start somewhere). Its not great to come to the Finance boards, ask for advice, and then start trolling.

[Elerion]

Originally Posted by GrobbeeTrull2.0

You mad? That someone as "simple" as I was able to do what you never thought I could? Yep, you mad.

There's plenty of people on this board to whom $300 is barely an afterthought. Ask for advice all you want, but trying to be hot shit with $300 a month doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense.

Your question was answered on page 1 by Soriak. Save up an emergency fund before doing anything else. Place it in a zero risk account/instrument that allows immediate, but not unlimited, withdrawals. When that fund reaches a desired size (Enough to pay a semi-large medical bill and buy a new dishwasher/TV if it breaks, for instance), do whatever you want.

[Eomer]

Originally Posted by GrobbeeTrull2.0

Not interested in wealth. Won't make me happy. Any other ideas?

Congrats on getting rid of your debt. Good for you for digging yourself out of what seemed like a pretty big hole.

Having said that, the attitude you have above is just fucking dumb. Lyenae isn't suggesting your start some get rich quick scheme and become a millionaire by day trading. He's recommending that you invest your money wisely now that you've managed some financial stability and discipline, to prepare for the future, whatever that may be (kids, vacations, relocation, retirement, whatever). Like it or not, there is no modern society on earth where money is not a requirement for doing any of those things.

That's great you have picked your ideology and are sticking with it, but at some point some realism has to creep in. Money sitting in a bank account doesn't make me happy either. But the shit I can do with it sure does.

So as others have said, identify your short, mid and long term goals in terms of where your life is headed or going to be, and work backwards from there to determine what kind of funds you'll need along the way, and come up with a plan from there.

If your plan consists of marrying your current woman (or did you already? Can't remember), having a child (she's pregnant right now right?), and moving to China I'd strongly suggest coming up with something a wee bit more comprehensive.

As Soriak pointed out, saving up 3-6 months expenses in a "do not fucking touch" account is the first place to start.

Originally Posted by Grobbee

Either here, when it passes and we come back, or abroad where they are already smart and give it to us.

Last I checked, if you're referring to China, their health care system isn't exactly universal. I don't know the exact details, but rest assured as a foreigner you'll be paying full freight in all likelihood for your healthcare. I have no idea how health insurance works in Canada or Europe for newly arrived, non-naturalized citizens.

Originally Posted by Grobbee

What? I'm confused. Care to elaborate? I worked hard and became debt free, and now I'm wondering what comes next in this Capitalist utopia that we call the American Dream.

For all it's faults, that's the best part of the American Dream: it's totally up to you to decide and/or fuck it up. Choose wisely!

Originally Posted by Grobbee

The intent behind this thread was twofold: to show a few key people that I can, indeed, contribute and be responsible and to also find out if people really know "what comes next" in life. I havent heard an answer I like yet, or anything that piques my interest, so we'll see what's up I guess.

Again, it's up to you man. What do YOU want to do? If you're happy living where you are, doing what you're doing, then keep plugging away, set up that contingency account, and then start chipping away at a mortgage for a house or condo. If not, give some thought to what it is you'd like to do, and come up with a plan of accomplishing it. If you have to go back to school, well then obviously you'll need a plan for how to pay for it and make it work with your responsibilities as a soon to be father (I think?).

So once again, congrats on getting your shit together, it must feel good. I look forward to hearing how Zeste is doing as well. Your OP and following posts though make it appear that you're not really asking for advice, but merely parading in front of the crowd saying how great you are that you made up for your past mistakes. That's nice and all, but don't expect many to be impressed when your mistakes were no one's but your own.

I'm personally really looking forward to not having mortgage payments in a couple months. It'll have been 6.5 years since I bought my first place with about 25% down, and I went from about 40K in equity to nearly 600K by virtue of good timing in the local real estate market (moved in to a more expensive place immediately before it took off), discipline to continually jack up my payments 15% every year as well as pre-pay as much as I could (again, up to 15% a year without penalty), and some help initial help from the parents on the downpayment.

It's going to be nice knowing that I own my place outright, even if the bank still has a caveat on my title. I'm going to keep the equity plan open so I can use it as a home equity line of credit, should I ever need to (can't see why, but who knows?). After my last payment, my monthly expenses will go from pretty much all of my net salary income to less than a quarter, and instead of slowly draining my savings between yearly bonuses, I'll actually be putting money away.

Now if I could just find a way to quickly bank 3-5 million, I could pursue my dream life of doing sweet fuck all.

[Grooverider]

Shit $3-5m USD to live your dream? That's not out of the question.

I figure about 10-15m sterling will get me my dream. A fairly large house/apartment in Nice, France. My 1969 Ferrari Dino GT and interest payments to live off..

[Eomer]

I just threw the number out there. Obviously I'd have to really sit down and think things through and decide what the hell I'd do with myself for the next 70 years or so. Provided you own your primary residence, all of your spending more or less would be on your lifestyle, and with 5 million in the bank you could reasonably expect 200k a year after taxes in investment return without whittling down your principal. I could live, I think, a pretty decent lifestyle on that just fine.

I really don't have much interest or motivation to own a huge house in some tropical paradise or otherwise live like a king. Hey, I'd love to have 100 million in the bank and fly everywhere in private jets, but that's more of a fantasy than a dream I guess.

[AladainAF]

Last I checked, if you're referring to China, their health care system isn't exactly universal. I don't know the exact details, but rest assured as a foreigner you'll be paying full freight in all likelihood for your healthcare. I have no idea how health insurance works in Canada or Europe for newly arrived, non-naturalized citizens.

You are correct, hence my comment about China. The healthcare is CHEAPER in China, but you're going to have to pay for all of it, and depending on what happens it can easily exceed what regular insurance would run here. They are working toward universal coverage but with 1.3 billion people they are falling short.

With the tone Grobbee is taking to the many peoples honest suggestions on what he can do makes me think hes just trying to make a political statement in the wrong forum.

[findar]

save up to buy a missle silo. fuck the haters, go underground!

[Dumar]

if you're not a consumerist, then it's harder to get happy. most people like their shiny little toys like condos and cars. the shiny toys get them women, so they like them even more. the american dream isn't what you want; that's actually just an excuse to make it sound better than it is. the american dream is buying these things; it's buying shiny toys to get girls to eventually shit out kids. that's it in a nutshell. didn't you watch revolutionary road kids?

some people deviate from this path and blow it all on travel, vacation; basically, spend money to gain unique experience. these people tell themselves they're different than the retards buying bmw's, but they're really not. because at the end of the day, they're still spending it on themselves; it's just a vacation to peru instead of that bmw.

if you really want to be a better person, someone who really does crap on the system and is better than it, then you should give it away. take your bank account to africa and pass out the account number.

if you do that, you truly are better than the system. truly.

[Aegdaien]

Originally Posted by Dumar

if you're not a consumerist, then it's harder to get happy. most people like their shiny little toys like condos and cars. the shiny toys get them women, so they like them even more. the american dream isn't what you want; that's actually just an excuse to make it sound better than it is. the american dream is buying these things; it's buying shiny toys to get girls to eventually shit out kids. that's it in a nutshell. didn't you watch revolutionary road kids?

some people deviate from this path and blow it all on travel, vacation; basically, spend money to gain unique experience. these people tell themselves they're different than the retards buying bmw's, but they're really not. because at the end of the day, they're still spending it on themselves; it's just a vacation to peru instead of that bmw.

if you really want to be a better person, someone who really does crap on the system and is better than it, then you should give it away. take your bank account to africa and pass out the account number.

if you do that, you truly are better than the system. truly.

God I hate you so fucking much. Die in a fire. In Africa.

[Dumar]

huh, why?

[Dumar]

double post

[Hatorade]

Originally Posted by Aegdaien

God I hate you so fucking much. Die in a fire. In Africa from AIDS

Fixed and yes best to ignore and pretend he doesn't post. So how goes the savings account Grob?

[Eomer]

Originally Posted by Dumar

if you're not a consumerist, then it's harder to get happy. most people like their shiny little toys like condos and cars. the shiny toys get them women, so they like them even more. the american dream isn't what you want; that's actually just an excuse to make it sound better than it is. the american dream is buying these things; it's buying shiny toys to get girls to eventually shit out kids. that's it in a nutshell. didn't you watch revolutionary road kids?

some people deviate from this path and blow it all on travel, vacation; basically, spend money to gain unique experience. these people tell themselves they're different than the retards buying bmw's, but they're really not. because at the end of the day, they're still spending it on themselves; it's just a vacation to peru instead of that bmw.

if you really want to be a better person, someone who really does crap on the system and is better than it, then you should give it away. take your bank account to africa and pass out the account number.

if you do that, you truly are better than the system. truly.

It's got nothing to do with being better than anything or different from anyone, and everything to do with enjoying life. If Grob wants to work in soup kitchens and help the poor, he's welcome to do that. If he wants to build a cabin in the woods and live out his days at peace with nature, he can do that, provided he doesn't letter bomb anyone. If he wants to sign on with an NGO and go be an aid worker, that's his choice.

I'd love to hear what it is that you do that gives you so much smugness and moral superiority.