Perhaps you have seen the sign over the entrance to Auschwitz Concentration Camp ------ 'Work Makes You Free' is the English translation. Since I was a child of about 8, I pursued income. (cash) That was freedom to me. I thought it was wonderful to have an opportunity to make as much money as I could, so I landed a newspaper delivery route and it became the largest in town. (7 miles long)
We are finishing up the last 10 months of Doc's legal commitment to Austria to practice Medicine. I have not needed to work for the last 10 years, however I still do. We Both make outrageous salaries.fully 1/3 of our net after living expenses goes to charities, primarily Food Banks. The rest goes to our investments. I have not had any debt for the last 25 years. Doc the last 22. We do have a pleasant lifestyle, albeit frugal for us.
We have both achieved Financial Independence (years ago) - though we have not retired early. Retiring would be too boring in our opinion. Moving to Portugal in 11 months to raise our kids and pursue our passions will not be.
I noticed I was down to one box of oatmeal so I bought another box. Next time I went to town I remembered I was low on oatmeal and forgot that I bought a box, so I bought another box. I went to put them away and discovered two boxes. I was never short at all. Each box is nine pounds. And that is how I wound up with 45 pounds of oatmeal in my pantry.
Hello Franc533 I have worked all my life and still not 'loaded' I do plan on retiring in a few years and will be comfortable. Even in retirement I will still work in some fashion probably restoring cars and bikes...couldn't imagine just sitting around, loaded or not
Hello bhwilson NICE!!!!..get that going. You would be king here on a sunday afternoon at Alices. There are hundreds of bikes there, but nothing like that. All new sport bikes, my bike is usually the oldest there, and its an 83...I also have an old KZ650 that i have restored, but isnt quite done yet...and an older Royal Enfield bullet that is also in pieces, that will be a retirement project.. Good luck with that Ducati...
I am retired, so I have already done my time. I don't want to be loaded, I live quite comfortably right now. I'd say that I live for free now, however all our finances are from all of the years that we worked. So, yeah, I will take not work and live freely as we have been. No welfare. Our crappy welfare system needs a major overhaul
This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at January 20, 2019 5:39 AM MST
The word rich is often understood relative to one's own position - not viewed objectively.
Loaded means rich, that is, one owns a lot more than one needs/ having a great deal of money or assets/ existing in plentiful quantities/ living in abundance. One can afford to indulge in luxuries on every whim. One lives an extravagant lifestyle without any problems with debt.
According to a GOBAnkingRates survey: Americans defined rich as earning anywhere from $100,000 to more than $10 million per year. The most popular response, chosen by 26 percent of respondents, was at least $1 million. An additional 13 percent of respondents said $5 million or more while 12 percent said $10 million or more.
To get rich you have to be an excellent business person, which takes time and experience to learn, or inherit a family fortune and the means to maintain it, or win the lotto and pay for good financial advice on how not to fritter it away.
Most people do not get rich by working because most jobs pay only just enough to live on - the basics with very few extras.
I will admit that, for people who are below the poverty line, anyone who lives in a house with electricity and running water and eats three meals a day seems rich.
Welfare paychecks are insufficient to live on for more than a few weeks - you cannot afford a normal rent or a car and will soon end up homeless. You are also not really free on welfare. You must either study to acquire more employable skills, or do voluntary community service, or provide documentary proof that you are full-time searching and applying for jobs.
This post was edited by inky at January 20, 2019 11:47 AM MST
You get rich by saving and investing _ I started as a pup in the Corps. Am I as well off as Gates and Bezos - not a chance. Are we comfortable - Hell yes. We are also frugal
No such thing as living "free" - someone has to pay the bills. My home is not free but my husband and I paid for it and it costs us to keep it up. Have worked all my life and have not done badly. Work frees me by giving me the dollars to do things I want and own things I want. That is how I have always looked at it as an adult.
I want to work and be able to do whatever I want to do. And be able to help others as well. I am able to do this most of the time. Living free would get boring quickly.