How do you do it?

[ripperd]

Somehow this thread got off track after my post about going to school for 9 years, and the post above shows a complete lack of understanding about doctoral work, and hard work. Nine years is how long it took to get a PhD and become a research scientist and professor (MS degree then PhD). No latte, no coffee houses, no jackets with leather patches on the elbows. Rather, during my PhD I spent 18 hrs a day at school and in the lab, 7 days a week. Communicated with my new wife by post-it notes on the bathroom mirror. ...

The poster you are replying to is generalizing yes. So obviously you don't fit the portrayal he was showing.

I have seen both sides of it. I have seen friends of friends who get a degree in something with few jobs outside acedemia. Then they realize this. Then they pick another major and go back to school again. 4 more years later, they are more educated but still in a similar position, only poorer. On the other hand, I watched a good friend helped put his wife through dental school. That was very much worth it, I think she makes good money and enjoys what she does.

 

[Wanna Ride]

The poster you are replying to is generalizing yes. So obviously you don't fit the portrayal he was showing.

The poster is me. And I'm not generalizing

He clearly stated,

Yes, I have a good job at a college, but the local public school teachers make the same as me.

Also, like I said earlier... to each his own. But it's beyond me why someone would go to school for nine years to earn what they could, with just four or six years of school. I don't need a house with six bathrooms up on a big hill, but I damn sure don't want my money (or lack of it) to run my life. You can have near-zero debt AND nice things. I personally, didn't get much formal education, but I do believe everyone is better off if they have at least some.

 

[Ray916MN]

Your last paragraph is in total agreement with everything I said. You shoveled **** by sleeping on the office floor, you did what was needed to ensure the advancement of you and your family. There was no task at your job that was beneath you.

You are not a forty hour failure. If your family lived in squalor, but you did the seventy hours, you succeeded. You put them before yourself, put your future self above your current self and did the deed.

Someone who takes a job they love, and either does not progress steadily in it or works the minimum possible hours to maintain that job, while depriving his family, is not going to do what the OP asked about.

Mediocre is never part of the success plan. You did not do Mediocre to satisfy your love of a Mediocre job. You did seventy hours. You sacrificed. It was harsh. This is about harshness.
Granted many have done harsh things that did not seem harsh to them, just as your labor did not seem harsh to you. It's because they had no choice, or they made the choice to exploit the situation in their favor. Many of them are so steeled to harshness that they thrive on it. And hopefully they get to fulfill the part of life that the OP asks of.

The hours you did means you fulfilled the promise to your family. You're a striving reaching person that fulfilled obligation.
Funny thing, fulfilling obligation unquestionably is your duty. Duty isn't questioned or shirked, it's just done. And you not realizing you did it is the key to this whole thing.

Let me see if this is a more succinct way of bringing forward what I see as the different points we are making.

Some people believe you work to live, others believe in living to work. Working to live is the idea that you need to earn money to live, living to work is the idea that your job is rewarding and in itself an important part of your life satisfaction.

Someone who works to live looks at working in a strictly financial sense. They work to have money to live. Implicitly they will always choose money over job satisfaction. They solely see work as a means to an end. I have a friend who graduated college and became a garbage man in Baltimore. Didn't know what he wanted to do, but needed money and apparently garbage men in Baltimore earn good wages. Interestingly enough this is sociologically considered to be the European attitude towards work. They work to live, so shutting down an entire country for 2 to 3 weeks of holiday in the summer makes sense to them.

Someone who lives to work, never wants work to shutdown. They see work as a rewarding part of life beyond the financial gain. It is an end in itself. Of course, you've probably guessed that sociologically this describes the U.S. My garbage man friend, quit his job and with the money he had saved went to law school and 3 years after graduating finally makes as much as he made collecting garbage. I think in the end he will be much more successful than he would have been if he was still a garbage man, but given the cost of law school and the lost income, it might not work out that way. Without a doubt, he is much happier.

 

[gregtwojeeps]

Wow. You guys really aren't afraid of work. I have a good job and so does my wife, but right now and into the foreseeable future I can't afford to do hardly anything, hopefully in a year or two that will change, but right now I can't. Oh well I guess it gives me more time to figure out exactly what I need in this project.
Thanks,
Jon

Keep it in perspective. Remember that it is not always about what one earns, it is what they save. You are starting out in life with a wife to consider. don't let men toys like garages and cars side track your life goals. Work hard, earn as much as you can, invest well, assure that you and your wife's financial future is solid... THEN, years from now, you can comfortably start the toy project's .

Food for thought. My wife and I just moved and downsized to a smaller home as we are oldies. It took us 18 months of looking at homes for sale to find one to suit us on one level. ...

It was AMAZING how many properties we looked at that had a dream garage/metal barn in the back yard/field. But when we looked inside the house, it had never been updated, old kids toys still on the floor... basically remnants of a sad home. The houses looked like the owners just packed up and left. Usually indicative of financial problems or a divorce. But they had a VERY nice man toy house built. good luck and jmo.

 

[bobbycos]

2 jobs

1st pays the needs

2nd pays the wants

 

[drmarkr]

First job at 13, assembling bikes at a Honda shop (1972). Worked hard thru high school, and for two years afterwards. Decided to go to college and be a doctor. Busted my fuggin *** in college and got into medical school one year early (three years instead of four). Busted *** in medical school and residency, several years of which were easily 100+ hour weeks, months on end. Got out and continued busting my ***, and making many multiples of that job in the Honda shop.

57 now and no longer busting my *** working. I still work, but spend more time busting fanny in the shop! I damn sure did what many on here are doing...lived BELOW my means. I've bought one new vehicle in my entire life, and regretted it ever since...waste of good money. I could buy pretty much any vehicle I wanted at this juncture, and wouldn't put a significant dent in my net worth....but I drive an '01 Silverado and an '02 Wrangler. Wife drives an '11 Mazda CX9, also bought used. I shop for deals on everything, but it's just my nature.

"People who spend money like they have it, usually don't. People who spend money like they don't, usually do." ~Dr Mark

 

[thatryan]

Tons of great advice in this thread. Makes me think I am the only one that messed up ha. I did nothing right with money growing up, even now at 35 have a ton of credit card debt. I have a horrible mindset, thinking it is impossible to get out of debt so why even bother..

 

[Kevin54]

Keep it in perspective. Remember that it is not always about what one earns, it is what they save. You are starting out in life with a wife to consider. don't let men toys like garages and cars side track your life goals. Work hard, earn as much as you can, invest well, assure that you and your wife's financial future is solid... THEN, years from now, you can comfortably start the toy project's .

Food for thought. My wife and I just moved and downsized to a smaller home as we are oldies. It took us 18 months of looking at homes for sale to find one to suit us on one level. ...

It was AMAZING how many properties we looked at that had a dream garage/metal barn in the back yard/field. But when we looked inside the house, it had never been updated, old kids toys still on the floor... basically remnants of a sad home. The houses looked like the owners just packed up and left. Usually indicative of financial problems or a divorce. But they had a VERY nice man toy house built. good luck and jmo.

^^^^THIS^^^^

I worked out in gravel driveways when it was colder then **** out, and I thought it was great when we rented a place with a carport, but it still had a gravel base. It took me a long time to get where we are at, and a lot of working overtime, and not thinking about toys. The house and family ALWAYS comes first. After that is situated, then you can think about the toys and garage. Always take care of the family and the house. that is where your best returns come from if you ever have to move. That is your equity. But if you have a $100,000 garage, and a $50,000 house, you will lose money every time.

 

[Kevin54]

Tons of great advice in this thread. Makes me think I am the only one that messed up ha. I did nothing right with money growing up, even now at 35 have a ton of credit card debt. I have a horrible mindset, thinking it is impossible to get out of debt so why even bother..

Never ever think that way. Find ways to pay off that debt, talk to them to see if you can get the interest reduced, and cut the ******* credit cards into pieces. Get them paid off, but don't turn your back on them like many has and go the bankruptcy route. You made the bill, so own up to it and pay it. It keeps your credit up. You can work through it, and no.....you are not the only one that got in credit card debt. I was there also. I either worked more overtime, or I took on a second job to get it paid. It was tough, there is no doubt about it, but in a year, or two years, you can do it and have it all paid off. ****....some of my best jobs were working in places that most people turn their backs on because they think it doesn't pay. Two of the best places I work was a full serve gas station, and a pizza shack on weekend nights. It was a blast. I made money and liked what I was doing.

Once you condition yourself into working overtime, or a second job, then it come easy. It eventually becomes habit, and as everyone knows....habits are hard to break. I had a hell of a time going from 60-70 hours a week down to 40 just because it felt so odd.

And if you party on the weekend.....knock it off and make it a special occasion maybe once a month. Be the stand up guy. It's tough, but all it takes is some conditioning.

 

[boomer12831]

We all have our stories about mowing lawns, shoveling snow, paper routes, working a second job pumping gas at night. The key is working for what you have and not getting into debt for impulse buying. I had an old boss that always praised my hard work even though he was not able to afford to pay me much. Looking back, the praise was incentive to me to work even harder.
He would say:
1. You can be born lucky
2. You can be born rich
3. You can work your *** off

 

[bushmechanic]

The universe itself longs for maximum entropy. The end of an observed universe; that vast concept, applies to even a discussion as small as this.

All things tend toward equilibrium; including the pain and pleasure of life.

Your job as a sentient being is to believe you can control the time and place of that state within the confines of your personal existence.

The various decisions you make, regardless of their origin, will lead you one way or another; to riches or poverty, or any place between. In any event, you will neither cheer nor cry to greater extent than any man alive.

If you believe you choose to work hard and accomplish much, the fruits of that labor will be tempered by the labor itself. If you believe you choose to remain idle and accomplish little, the failure will be tempered by the lack of effort.

This is true for all mankind, even for those who would take their greatest pleasure before death from but a single piece of candy.

 

[mattygee]

There's an old saying.. 'A man is happiest pursuing a hobby he can't quite afford'.. I bring it up here because I've seen garages on here and elsewhere that are nicer than any house I'll ever live in, but I sometimes wonder about the relative happiness of some of these individuals... I think regardless of your income it is possible to acquire too many things, and at some point, your possessions begin to own you.

 

[atfulldraw]

Luck. just sheer, dumb luck.

But the best thing I ever did is take one gold digger off my payroll.....

I also work seven days a week, pay cash for what we buy, and we live where the cost of living is low.

We focus on what is important to us, set goals, and just make it happen.

There's a great new country song out now by aaron watson,

"I got a pretty wife, a ranch, a band, a bus, a boat......I'd say I'm doing alright"

 

[MushCreek]

It's kind of like losing weight. The only thing that works is, 'Eat less, exercise more'. In this case, it's 'Spend less, earn more'.

When I look back at my work and financial past, it kind of amazes me when I consider where I am now. We had one child, who we put through a private Christian school all the way through high school. We fully paid for all 4 years of college, and part of graduate school. We have a new super-efficient house on 7 acres, with a big barn, all fully paid for. Yet through all of this, I went through a business failure and subsequent bankruptcy. We used to have a lot of credit card debt, too. Now we have no bills at all except food, utilities, and insurances.

We did this by working hard and being very frugal. We both work; with overtime. We haven't had a car payment or credit card payment in 20 years. We bought half the house that the bank approved us for. We don't get newspapers or have CATV, or smart phones. We're careful shopping for food, and always use all of it, never throwing out good food. We don't smoke, drink little, never eat fast food or junk food, and eat at a restaurant about 3 times a year. Our thermostat is 80 in the summer; 62 in the winter. As for the new house- I built the whole thing myself. Talk about sweat equity! I do almost all of the work on our cars, too.

I'm a tool maker (which used to be a good paying trade) and my wife works at the hospital, but not a nurse. We used to make good money, but our salaries have been stagnant for at least 20 years, so our income has essentially dwindled due to inflation. The most money I ever made in one year was in 1986! I feel for young people, because despite the claims that unemployment is down, the quality of many of these jobs isn't very good.

One thing that I think helps is living in an affordable area. When I see what houses cost in CA, or what people pay in taxes in the northeast, I realize I couldn't afford to live in those places. Here in the rural south, your buck goes a lot further.

 

[justanengineer]

www.daveramsey.com

We used this approach, which is simply common sense, hard work and responsibility. We started out 5 years ago $270,000 in debt. Now less than $20,000. Hard work, but worth it.

JMHO but be very careful taking advcie from the wolf that lives in the hen house. While I agree with many things he says about debt, I completely disagree with most of what he says about investing or otherwise. I certainly agree with you that his best advice is simply common sense, but I dont believe folks should have to pay for that when there are much better free sources. I listened to a few seasons of his radio show for awhile when I was desperate for noise at work and subsequently borrowed several of his books and material from the seminar a coworker attended to see if the paid material got any better. It didnt, most of its fluff, outright lies, and makes folks believe theyre doing significantly better than they are.

 

[gungatim]

OP: I think you are already on the right track simply by asking those who have been successful how they did it. lots of good advice on this thread, so I won't repeat what many have said, but will add, don't expect everything at once. learn patience. I started wrenching in a shed for money. first "garage" was a single stall detached cinderblock that leaked so much water when it rained or snow melted everything had to be on 6" risers...I didn't get my "real" detached garage-mahal until I was 38, and it took another 6 years slowly adding tools and machinery (and wiring, and a ceiling...) to get it to where it is today...

last bit of advice: read lots of biography's on succesful people. you can learn a lot that way...

 

[arrowhead]

jbailly, no life stories or life lessons here. I, like you, wanted a garage for a long time and thought it would never happen so I'll tell you how I did it. I built a simple 20x30 with a slab, full power, lights, insulation, heat and even A/C for around $15K. The only thing that was hired out was the slab for $4K. I shopped around for the building shell and got quotes. But the trick there was to give them a complete materials list to quote. (If you just go to a bunch of different lumber stores and ask for "a price on a 2-1/2 car garage then you will get a hodge podge of prices and the low ones no doubt left out stuff). I found Lowes had the best price. If I remember correctly since it was over $4k, they sent the list to corporate for a discount (and that was significant).

My quote for the complete shell (exterior wall, sheathing, siding, roofing, doors) was around $6K. My son and I build it all ourselves and had one of his buddies help out a couple of days with the bigger tasks like setting the trusses, roofing and siding.

When the shell was done, I did the rest myself like insulation, osb for the walls and ceiling, all the electrical and lighting, heat and A/C and epoxy floor. All that was about another $5K. It wasn't that difficult, it was just work and just about everything you need to know to build it is on GJ.

Just make sure you preplan some and get with your town first. Don't want any problems down the line. This step also helped shape what I was going to build. If I built over 600 sf, I would have had to do a lot of extra stuff that would have run the price up, so I stayed under that threshold.

Yea, it's kinda bare bones, no windows, no extra high ceilings, no fancy mancave and it's not a garagemahall. But it's serves it's purpose and I wish I had done it a long time ago.

Good luck.

 

[bry@n]

I make a good salary and so does my wife. We have a balance of wants and needs. We both have hobbies. Generally, it's OT, side jobs and found money that pays for the hobbies. I never turn down a chance to make $$. When I have to turn it down, I try and reschedule or at least turn the business to somebody else and get a finders fee.

I find its harder to be happy with what I have. Sometimes I find myself wanting and I get myself in check. I pay the CC's off in full every month. I wanted to build a building (still do) but it's not in the cards right now. So I will do a little something with my two car till it works out.

 

[jbailly]

Wow! This thread exploded! I'm surprised. Thanks to all for your words of wisdom. Yes I understand the wants vs. the needs, that is why 2 years ago I sold my Harley that I was still paying on, one less bill I didn't need. I have gotten better about budgeting things, not that I was ever bad, heck I bought the Cutlass in '99, but didn't paint it until 2010. So I know how to budget and save and wait. I guess I may be slightly trying to keep up with the Jones' as it were, but not that bad. Yes we have a mortgage for a house that right now is empty we are trying to rent/sell, but until either happens it makes our belts real tight. Yes I have a vehicle payment, but only one for us both. We got lucky and work at the same place and car pool. Like I said I can wait another 2-5 years if I have to, but I guess I always thought at 36 I would be a little better off financially. Oh well like I said just more time to plan and think.
Thanks again guys,
Jon

 

[Dancing Bear]

Holy cow...

Threads like this one are why I joined this site. I'm 24 myself, so it's an eye-opener for me to read some of this advice. I'm still in school working on my B.S, and I only work part time. I read about guys buying houses in their late 20's to early 30's, and I feel so far behind the curve I won't even be finished with my bachelor's degree until I'm 27.

There is some good news: This time next year, I'll be wrapping up a certificate program in healthcare informatics, which will allow me to land a much better job than my current one.

I wasn't born lucky, or rich, it was not an easy life at first. I grew up in a dangerous neighborhood until my mother's father died in 1996. We then moved as a family, my parents and brother, to a beautiful home in Iowa. My father managed a limosine service, and my mother worked in manufacturing. Unfortunately, they lived beyond their means, and the home was foreclosed. We moved to Florida in April of 2001. My father was in poor health as a non-compliant diabetic, who racked up $1 million in medical expenses over the course of 3 years. Luckily my mother had excellent health insurance, but it didnt cover everything. The move to FL cost her a $50k per year job, and put her into waitressing at a local village inn. I was too young to legally work, so I did whatever odd jobs I could to make some extra cash.

At one time, I spent hours in the florida sun helping an elderly neighbor by pulling weeds and taking out trash, scrubbing floors, etc. I was paid $20, and I had squandered my life "savings" at the time, which was $7. I gave it to my mother to buy groceries. My father had other plans, he bought a carton of marlboro reds, soft pack IIRC.


My father died in 2006, right around the time my mother was diagnosed with osteo and rheumatoid arthritis. I could move out on my own if I wanted with my current income, but I want to stay and help her. She's worked tirelessly to keep us afloat as a family for 30 years. I've watched the rough times take their toll on her; her hair is gray and thin, her movements gradually slowing, especially in her hands. I was not highly privelaged as a child, but I was never homeless and I got to eat. There were always presents under the tree.

All this talk about saving money, but she wants to go to Rome before she loses the use of her hands. I'll work three jobs if I have to, I'll be goddamned if I don't make it happen for her. I owe it to her.

I'll admit that I'm fighting back tears as I write this. It's not working well, and I'm not ashamed.

 

[Dave in Mass]

Wow! This thread exploded! I'm surprised. Thanks to all for your words of wisdom. Yes I understand the wants vs. the needs, that is why 2 years ago I sold my Harley that I was still paying on, one less bill I didn't need. I have gotten better about budgeting things, not that I was ever bad, heck I bought the Cutlass in '99, but didn't paint it until 2010. So I know how to budget and save and wait. I guess I may be slightly trying to keep up with the Jones' as it were, but not that bad. Yes we have a mortgage for a house that right now is empty we are trying to rent/sell, but until either happens it makes our belts real tight. Yes I have a vehicle payment, but only one for us both. We got lucky and work at the same place and car pool. Like I said I can wait another 2-5 years if I have to, but I guess I always thought at 36 I would be a little better off financially. Oh well like I said just more time to plan and think.
Thanks again guys,
Jon

There is still time and it may not even come in the next 2-5 years. But you gotta keep working towards it. We stayed in our "starter" home for 22 years.

When I was around 45, things started to get "comfortable" enough to look for a slightly larger home with both a basement and a 2 car garage (My requirements while my wife looked at houses since our first house had neither) and found one in a nice quiet town 6 miles from our starter home.

At 49, we were comfortable enough to put a big addition on the garage.

So, now at 53, we have a decent sized house (seems bigger as we are now empty-nesters) and a finished basement (Done by my wife and me) and a five car garage to store 4 car/trucks and 2 or 3 motorcycles (Son just bought a house and will be taking his out of my garage soon).

I probably will need to work until I am close to 65 for maximum returns on health insurance / small pension / SS / and 401K but I am really happy with my spread. I have become a putterer on weekends and have no major expansion plans before retirement so the patience paid off and getting these comforts "later" in life still leaves me plenty of time to enjoy it.

 

[jives]

Phd guy says Paris is out of reach for his kids.
I guess the second/third job to meet an obligation is not the answer...except to you, and me and almost everyone else here.

Not sure why I guy working his **** off for years to earn a PhD gets so trashed. Wow. Frankly, I don't really care about what others think, including "everyone." We all have our priorities, and Paris is not one of them. Maximizing my time with the kids and wife is. When Paris becomes an obligation I have failed. Again, my perspective and clearly others see it differently.

 

[HoosierMark]

Dancing Bear, so you got a late start on your financial future. No big deal. The good news is you understand the value of money, interest, time, wants and needs. Good for you. I understand your desire with your mom. My MIL raised six kids in 50/60s on her own. Now she lives alone in a nice old large house that she dreamed about for the kids. It will take dynamite to blast her out and at 81, none of the kids will try. She is finally getting what she wanted but doesn't need. Who cares, it is her money and she sure put in the time to deserve it. My mom has been dead 20 years now, if she were alive and wanted to go on a trip, I would happily give up what I have just to see her smile once more. You have your head screwed on straight.

 

[Pack Rat]

Marry money.

 

[Dancing Bear]

Thank you for your kind words Hoosier, I'm gonna do the best I can.

 

[crab]

Yous got to be weally weally wich. I started with nothing and I still have most of it. I can tell you how to make a small fortune trucking, start with a large one.

 

[BTMSUP]

Tell us of your second job that supplements the four year college pay you have that required nine years.
Because without a second job, due to this being a thread of what you did to get FAR AND AWAY AHEAD so as to have greater things and promise than seem unavailable to someone of your employment or educational background, your story isn't fitting in the slightest.



You do not extraordinarily provide for your family.

I believe the point that some are trying to make is that money is not the only way to provide for your family.

@Duckface why is it so important to you that Mr PhD sees it your way? I would imagine if we asked his kids about their happiness they would be just fine.

My old man passed away a couple years ago. We had money when I was growing up because he worked his *** off all the time. I don't remember a single thing he spent it on. What I remember is the once in a while that he was actually home and got to help me with my homework. I remember him working on my broke *** cars. I would have given any amount of money back to get more time with him. He didn't make it to 58. He didn't get to enjoy what he worked for. I will not be that way. I have enough money put away so that my wife and kids will be taken care of and outside of that my money is mine to spend. Why should I save for a tomorrow I may not see?

 

[Modern Jess]

Tell us of your second job that supplements the four year college pay you have that required nine years.
Because without a second job, due to this being a thread of what you did to get FAR AND AWAY AHEAD so as to have greater things and promise than seem unavailable to someone of your employment or educational background, your story isn't fitting in the slightest.



You do not extraordinarily provide for your family.

I am going to go out on a limb and suggest that your hostility toward jives's life is out of step with the general tone of Garage Journal. Everyone has a different path through life, each with their pluses and minuses. Let it be.

 

[Modern Jess]

Everyone has a different path. The thread does not.
It's not seeing it my way. It's answering the OP question.

I think you can do so with quite a bit less hostility.

 

[BTMSUP]

'I was just wondering how some of you guys do what you do. I mean I don't know how you afford these huge Garage Mahals plus awesome houses and great cars and might be building 2 or 3 cars at once as well.'

Everyone has a different path. The thread does not.
It's not seeing it my way. It's answering the OP question.

Right and he answered. He spoke about what he did. Right or wrong that is he "did it"

I didn't see where the OP wanted your opinion on everyone else's story.

 

[Modern Jess]

I didn't see where the OP wanted your opinion on everyone else's story.

This.

 

[jives]

Tell us of your second job that supplements the four year college pay you have that required nine years.
Because without a second job, due to this being a thread of what you did to get FAR AND AWAY AHEAD so as to have greater things and promise than seem unavailable to someone of your employment or educational background, your story isn't fitting in the slightest.

You do not extraordinarily provide for your family.

The OPs post was how to afford a garage. As most posters here noted, it is a combination of persistence, patience, and financial wisdom. My story showed that using these basic principles, even after starting the game late with an average paying job, one can raise a large family and provide for their needs, buy a home, and yes, even build a garage. How is that not fitting to the story?

So, you think that earning a PhD to become a scientist a waste of time. Great. Why post it here?

 

[kf4zht]

Work hard both at work and off.

People constantly are amazed at the amount of stuff I have accumulated, especially tools and guns. But almost every single one I can point to and go "I bought that drill press for $25, took it apart, cleaned and painted, replaced the bearings and found pulleys in a scrap yard" or found that at a garage sale for $5 or that was on clearance for 50% off. I also don't have the pile of used video game consoles, computers, etc. I stopped playing video games over a decade ago and even though I am in IT there is hardly a new PC in the house that wasn't a work expense. Even our main TV was free+a $25 board off ebay to fix it.

I never stop moving, drives my wife crazy. I am either searching for the best deal on what I want, rebuilding something, learning a new cheaper way to do something or doing something the manual way since it is cheaper. Sometimes I will buy just to clean and sell (less and less since CL seems to be going downhill)

There is an ADD issue that ends up costing me, I tend to bounce between hobbies but I also consider knowledge to be wealth. Plus I never ever finance a hobby. No layaway, no easy payments, no CC. Pay for it in full or find another way to do it.

Also watch your daily/weekly/month stuff. Eg lunches, you can go out for lunch everyday. Around here that costs about $8. Or I can make a lunch for $3 that includes a real deli meat sandwich. That's $5 a day, $25 a week, $100 a month, $1200 a year. Bam, there is a welder, used mill, ATV, etc.

Eating at home and bringing lunches is a double whammy, it's healthier too. Healthy=cheaper. Lower (and less) medical bills, less food costs, able to do more diy, cheaper clothes, etc.

There are tons of ways to save money. I highly suggest using a money manager like mint. After you see where your money is going you get real motivated to change habits

 

[RunninOnEmpty]

For the guys posting stories about their families and stuff, I was touched by several of what you had to say. I decided that since it was off-topic for this thread, I would make a thread for us. If any of you feel like it, please post your stores in my thread Carrying on the legacy.

 

[catch2otwo]

I dont understand why PHD guy is getting trashed either. There is more to being successful than money...

 

[Kevin54]

I dont understand why PHD guy is getting trashed either. There is more to being successful than money...

That's a very true statement. Have you ever noticed that some of the happiest people are also some of the poorest people. They are more about family than they are about possessions.

But if a person wants to get ahead of the game, it boils down to one common denominator........work.

No matter what job you have, work hard and be the best at what you do, and someone will notice. Whether it is sitting behind a desk, to shoveling **** out of a hog pen. Do your best, and strive to do it better than anyone else, and strive to do a better job today than you did yesterday. It will eventually pay off. If one just wants to live for today, and play around and have fun, or just **** around at your job to get by......what you have now is about as far as it's going to go. All for the fact that there will be many others out there with 10 times the ambition and will be willing to work for less.

 

[Wanna Ride]

There is more to being successful than money...

Yes, but as the OP inquired, it takes money to build a big garage and fill it with projects and toys.

He never inquired about how to sit around and roast marshmallows with the kids...

 

[egnorant]

Spend your time making money to pay someone else or spend your time doing it yourself!

Then make sure you spend wisely.

I trend toward the end where I get sweaty and dirty.

And it does not happen in a day or a week! Most of us have spent years of planning, saving, working and buying to get a working garage. I worked for years with a 10 gallon compressor, jack stands and floor jack, 2 carry around toolboxes and a Sweet Gum tree.

Bruce

 

[drmarkr]

Yes, but as the OP inquired, it takes money to build a big garage and fill it with projects and toys.

He never inquired about how to sit around and roast marshmallows with the kids...

Exactly. And exactly what ducksface was getting at........

 

[Troutsqueezer]

In my case, the wife and I made a decision early on, that I would pay attention to earning the money and she would pay attention as how best to invest it. I went through my career focusing only on how to get ahead and wasn't distracted by financial issues. We both were good at what we did and now that we are retired we live without money worries and buy just about anything we want. The funny thing is, we lived so frugally all those years, we came to realize that life is not about material things as much as it is about enjoying the little things in life so most of the money stays in the bank.

Edit: I will embellish on this a bit.
When I was in my early twenties, I realized that I would be happiest living out away from traffic and noise and crime. While my buddies were buying their first house, I put money into ten acres near Folsom Lake in CA. (Yes, near the prison). At the time, land was cheap, relatively speaking. I went into debt and for the next 8 years suffered through the negative cash flow that having land payments will do for you. When I hit thirty we put a house on the property, a modest house. Now, we are surrounded by multi-million dollar homes and when we go to sell, which will be never, the land will be worth more than the house which, in our minds, it is anyway but not in terms of money. For me, I don't need a big house but I do need lots of room for my toys.