If you are lucky and won’t succumb to cancer before your pension that is.
I have been lucky. I had the opportunity to engage in periods of retirement in my 30s and 40s. The idea that this was possible radically changed my decision making about spending money. I’m very grateful.
If you have any excess money at all, then buy only what you value, not what you can afford.
Go out and do things then. That’s why I started traveling more. I go on scuba adventures and eat lots of good food. You gotta work hard to play hard.
EDIT: To clarify, I work hard to play hard. As in, I worked my way up the corporate ladder and now have staff that I manage. I still have to write code and am in meetings all day. I did not get the job from family connections and found it through going out and networking with people. I still have 90k in student loans from my MBA, but make too much money to get any handouts, which is honestly kind of annoying since I’ve been paying them off for years at the government’s predatory rates. Refinanced only recently when interest rates tanked during the pandemic. I am what you would call a Geriatric Millennial or a Xennial as I was born in the early 80’s. I don’t come from exceptional wealth, but had a good upbringing. I think people need to stop complaining victimhood, as I’m forced to do with the loans stupidity and own their situation. Sure, it sounds like a Boomer thing to say, but what choice do we have. There is plenty of room to hustle and get ahead. Yeah, I get to do cool activities and travel, but I’m also choosing not to have kids. It’s definitely a game of figuring out what your values are. The system is never going to be perfect, so you might as well figure out how to make it work for you instead of being little bitches.
Your response suggests that you consider yourself a role model, someone who has all the answers and an ideal life. It makes me wonder how things would be if everyone were like you.
Throughout history, we’ve seen problems arise from people who believe they are always right and have everything figured out. It’s interesting to encounter someone in their late 30s or early 40s who holds such strong convictions.
When I read your words and see the topics you respond to, it’s clear that there’s a contrast between your apparent lifestyle of travel and luxury and the underlying feelings of dissatisfaction, anger, and insecurity. It’s surprising that you don’t seem to realize how noticeable this contrast is to others.
You have a mentality of “if I can do it, anyone can,” which can be seen as positive and uplifting. However, it can also be viewed as privileged, narrow-minded, and even arrogant.
I do not normally act on the temptation to be critical in this way, but I have to say that I wouldn’t want to be one of the staff members you “manage.”
This is definitely the most tone deaf, privileged comment I’ve read on this site so far.
Have you tried just not being poor?