johnsmcjohn
ad hominem
Joined: Jun 02, 2011
Posts: 1213
Location: Las Vegas
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 Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 1:26 am Post subject: |
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| This is a very interesting question. I feel that below a certain threshold that money is all that matters. After all, ever try to enjoy life on welfare or on the streets? Not happening. But once you reach a level whereby you need not worry about your bills and you are able to afford a standard of living that makes you happy, additional money does not contribute to additional happiness. I would say the relationship between money and quality of life has an asymptotic peak, but where that peak is located varies person to person. |
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redrobin62
Phoenix
Joined: Apr 03, 2012
Age: 50
Posts: 3828
Location: Seattle, WA
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| Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 6:54 pm Post subject: |
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| You seem to be doing quite well - for an aspie. I don't think in terms of a long term relationship at all. (It'd be nice but I'm being realistic). Also, imagine me working in construction and listening to all these macho fools cat-calling out to women, talking about how they did this and did that last night, talking about the game last night, etc, etc. That environment would be intolerable to me. $100K/year? Hah! I wouldn't last a week. |
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Looneytunes
Snowy Owl
Joined: Feb 22, 2012
Posts: 162
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| Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 12:25 am Post subject: Re: what is more important: money or quality of life? |
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| Space wrote: | I'm 28, and am currently working at the only good job I've ever had. I work in the construction trades, and make around $100K a year gross, with the possibility of more money in the future when I finish my trade ticket. The job pays well, and is more or less tolerable, the worst part is the quality of life. You work long hours (including weekends at times), have to travel, and can be away from home for long periods of time (or may have to move all together to go where the work is for mining and oilfields). Also it is hard on your body, and it is said that most tradesmen die earlier than the average population (late 60's-early 70's) because of all the harmful exposures on the job.
A few years ago I thought this was the best I could do, but now I find myself wishing I could have a better quality of life sometimes. I have a BA, but would be willing to go back to school to train more if I had to to get a desk job (hopefully one that pays well).
I am single with no children, so it doesn't really matter to anyone what I do, but it would be nice to get married one day and they say 80% of construction tradesmen are divorced (I don't want to imagine what the statistics of ones with AS are...). If I got out of the trades and had a desk job it might increase my chances of having a successful long term relationship.
Thoughts? |
Hey Bud,
You think way too much...
You aren't going to make $100K a year in a office environment - or else you would already be there.
Schools are not designed to turn out instant successes, all they do is teach you the basic's to get your foot in the door.
What a second language does for you I don't know - but for some reason most colleges wants everyone to be bilingual.
I LMFAO when it comes to people who thinks that the grass is always greener on the other side.
If you put away $25K a year for 20 years, you can quit your job and do what ever you want to do.
Start your own business or just travel until you come across something that suits you.
Social Security is nothing more then a Ponzi scheme and the people who thinks that it is going to take care of them in their old age is going to be sadly mistaken when it is not there - after they paid into it their entire lives. |
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auntblabby
Chief Assistant to the Assistant Chief
Joined: Feb 13, 2010
Posts: 18156
Location: the island of loveable toy humans
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| Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 1:26 am Post subject: |
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to the OP:
all this old-timer can say, is that if i were young like you, healthy and fit, and netting $100k per annum, i'd live on $20k of it then invest the rest in income-producing equities such as REITs, lower-grade bond funds, dividend-paying stocks such as AT&T and Merck, and such. the goal would be to get a bunch of investments that earn me money just for owning 'em in the first place. some folk would invest in physical things like properties/land, but not all properties appreciate in value, they often require maintenance, and bad things could happen such as fires/floods/etc which requires costly insurance. equities at least can't burn down, and the economy would have to seriously tank [like total collapse] before you'd be totally outta luck with equities. anyways, i would try to keep this up for 10 years, at which point i'd have saved enough dough [like maybe roughly $800K minus compounded interest/dividend reinvestment] which would be enough for me to retire in some style, without leaving the relative safe harbor of conservative "cash flow" investments. ah, it takes money to make money. 
once you have the money in the bag, then you can do anything you want, within reason. you could go back to school and learn to do something you truly enjoy, that would be edifying for you. you could travel. you could become a philanthropist [good deed doer]. you could invest in things that make this world a better place instead of sitting on the sidelines broke and wishing you could make a difference. all kinds of stuff would be open to you once you put this plan into action. it is much better to be still young but independently wealthy, than old and rich or even old and megarich. don't waste your youth and your limited time, make $$$$$$ ASAP which you still can, while you're still young enough to enjoy it. you can truly buy into the middle-class meme of delayed gratification, but delayed only by a decade. |
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Homer_Bob
Bazinga!
Joined: Jan 06, 2009
Age: 24
Posts: 1287
Location: New England
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| Posted: Sat May 05, 2012 9:30 pm Post subject: |
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For that much money, you most likely aren't going to have a life because those jobs don't pay that much for nothing. If you'd want a job where you don't have to kill yourself, you'd probably make half as much. Even 50K is pretty good compared to the average person who can barely make 30K.
_________________
I have to feel sorry for myself. I’m the only one who cares. Just like I’m the only one who’ll have sex with me.
Excuse me. I’m going to go wander the streets alone. Invisible, unwanted and unloved, a pathetic shadow in a city with no heart. -Raj |
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Metal_Man
Phoenix
Joined: Feb 04, 2007
Age: 45
Posts: 921
Location: The Gates of Babylon
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| Posted: Sun May 06, 2012 1:34 am Post subject: |
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At your age and income the best thing you can do is save and invest your money. In 20 years you can walk away and do whatever you want. I was very careful with my money and it paid off. When the economy collapsed and my engineering job was sent to China I had to do something else. My job now onlys pays 1/3 of what I used to make but i have no debts and can do anything I want whenever I want. My income now is primarily to supprt my son and add to what I already have saved for retirement. Nobody who make $100,000 a year has a cushy job. When you are in your mid 40's like me you will be very glad you busted your ass and saved your money.
_________________
Can't get it right, no matter what I do, guess I'll just be me and keep F!@#$%G up for you!
It goes on and on and on, it's Heaven and Hell! Ronnie James Dio - He was simply the greatest R.I.P. |
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anewman
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Joined: May 11, 2011
Posts: 70
Location: UK
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| Posted: Sun May 06, 2012 1:55 pm Post subject: |
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Agree with last poster. If I was earning $100k I'd be trying to make the money work for me in the long term. Could be for example buying property and renting it out - very popular in the UK.
I guess one thing I hate about having no money is it means I can't get out and do things, and it leaves me socially isolated - which means I don't get to practice the skills I naturally find difficult. I've never had the opportunity to say "let me pay for the bill" at a restaurant or anything, because I've never had the means - and that makes me feel rather unhappy.
I feel a failure for never having managed to get a job. But I do wonder if it will be all it's cracked up to be if I ever get there, how long I might last, and whether I really would be happier. |
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howzat
Phoenix
Joined: Aug 24, 2007
Age: 26
Posts: 1742
Location: Hornsey North London
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| Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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| I would say quality of life is far more important. |
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auntblabby
Chief Assistant to the Assistant Chief
Joined: Feb 13, 2010
Posts: 18156
Location: the island of loveable toy humans
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| Posted: Thu May 10, 2012 3:23 am Post subject: |
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| unfortunately, if one is to have the rudiments of a decent quality of life [a non-leaky roof over one's head and some protection from the elements/vagaries of life, that requires a fair amount of moolah to accomplish. |
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acentupleflat
Raven
Joined: Aug 10, 2010
Age: 19
Posts: 119
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| Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 8:28 am Post subject: |
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| I try not to think of the two as separate, I instead think of them as a force which may or may not work together. You put more focus on 'money', then happiness should lower and vice versa. More focus on money to fuel your plan like you say shouldn't hurt, I'm doing the same pretty much |
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Colinn
Majestic Phoenix
Joined: Apr 08, 2012
Posts: 2191
Location: Scotland
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| Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 8:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Money provides you with security, not happiness. I'm currently at a crossroads in my life were I have no idea what I want to do. Whatever my choice is it won't be dictated by what option pays the most. If I were to be doing something I didn't consider a grind while making just enough money to get by I would be pretty happy. |
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Stauffenberg
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Joined: Aug 08, 2012
Posts: 57
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| Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 10:25 am Post subject: |
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| auntblabby wrote: | to the OP:
all this old-timer can say, is that if i were young like you, healthy and fit, and netting $100k per annum, i'd live on $20k of it then invest the rest in income-producing equities such as REITs, lower-grade bond funds, dividend-paying stocks such as AT&T and Merck, and such. the goal would be to get a bunch of investments that earn me money just for owning 'em in the first place. some folk would invest in physical things like properties/land, but not all properties appreciate in value, they often require maintenance, and bad things could happen such as fires/floods/etc which requires costly insurance. equities at least can't burn down, and the economy would have to seriously tank [like total collapse] before you'd be totally outta luck with equities. anyways, i would try to keep this up for 10 years, at which point i'd have saved enough dough [like maybe roughly $800K minus compounded interest/dividend reinvestment] which would be enough for me to retire in some style, without leaving the relative safe harbor of conservative "cash flow" investments. ah, it takes money to make money.
once you have the money in the bag, then you can do anything you want, within reason. you could go back to school and learn to do something you truly enjoy, that would be edifying for you. you could travel. you could become a philanthropist [good deed doer]. you could invest in things that make this world a better place instead of sitting on the sidelines broke and wishing you could make a difference. all kinds of stuff would be open to you once you put this plan into action. it is much better to be still young but independently wealthy, than old and rich or even old and megarich. don't waste your youth and your limited time, make $$$$$$ ASAP which you still can, while you're still young enough to enjoy it. you can truly buy into the middle-class meme of delayed gratification, but delayed only by a decade. |
Excellent advice, blabby. I wonder if the OP has made a choice yet. 
_________________
“The search for meaning is an illusion of logic and a requirement of the middleclass for predictable breeding space.”
- Christopher S. Hyatt
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Duncan
Snowy Owl
Joined: Jun 25, 2012
Posts: 144
Location: Colchester, Essex, UK
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| Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 5:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Once you get your trade ticket, could you reduce your time commitment in exchange for less pay ? I imagine that you could live on less pay and with a better quality of life you'll enjoy it more. |
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auntblabby
Chief Assistant to the Assistant Chief
Joined: Feb 13, 2010
Posts: 18156
Location: the island of loveable toy humans
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| Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 10:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Stauffenberg wrote: | | auntblabby wrote: | to the OP:
all this old-timer can say, is that if i were young like you, healthy and fit, and netting $100k per annum, i'd live on $20k of it then invest the rest in income-producing equities such as REITs, lower-grade bond funds, dividend-paying stocks such as AT&T and Merck, and such. the goal would be to get a bunch of investments that earn me money just for owning 'em in the first place. some folk would invest in physical things like properties/land, but not all properties appreciate in value, they often require maintenance, and bad things could happen such as fires/floods/etc which requires costly insurance. equities at least can't burn down, and the economy would have to seriously tank [like total collapse] before you'd be totally outta luck with equities. anyways, i would try to keep this up for 10 years, at which point i'd have saved enough dough [like maybe roughly $800K minus compounded interest/dividend reinvestment] which would be enough for me to retire in some style, without leaving the relative safe harbor of conservative "cash flow" investments. ah, it takes money to make money.
once you have the money in the bag, then you can do anything you want, within reason. you could go back to school and learn to do something you truly enjoy, that would be edifying for you. you could travel. you could become a philanthropist [good deed doer]. you could invest in things that make this world a better place instead of sitting on the sidelines broke and wishing you could make a difference. all kinds of stuff would be open to you once you put this plan into action. it is much better to be still young but independently wealthy, than old and rich or even old and megarich. don't waste your youth and your limited time, make $$$$$$ ASAP which you still can, while you're still young enough to enjoy it. you can truly buy into the middle-class meme of delayed gratification, but delayed only by a decade. |
Excellent advice, blabby. I wonder if the OP has made a choice yet. |
i sure wish i were in his kind of shoes now. |
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Rakshasa72
Phoenix
Joined: Sep 10, 2009
Age: 39
Posts: 592
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| Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 9:46 am Post subject: |
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| Duncan wrote: | | Once you get your trade ticket, could you reduce your time commitment in exchange for less pay ? I imagine that you could live on less pay and with a better quality of life you'll enjoy it more. |
The construction industry has a pretty big culture of pressuring workers into excessive time commitments. Although in theory what you propose is possible. It doesn't always work out that easily. It works on both extremes. In some cases you can be swamped for work. Working 7 day 12 hour shifts. On the other end you can end up working eradict partial days only getting a few hours a week or, no work at all. The industry pretty much demands that your available at it's pleasure. Wich often times makes it hard to find that QoL of your own. However, your advice to wait for the trade ticket is sound. I'd also be looking around for a "specialty" that I liked in the trade. Tradesmen with higher skill sets can often leverage this into better working conditions. This might mean you might have to put in some more time into continuing education but, it may be worth it. |
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