Post college life rant

Dont buy a fancy car yet, save that for your midlife crisis. Maybe spare that money and travel a little bit, or you know, take time off with your girlfriend, see your friends.

I'm not even in my 20s yet but dude..don't buy a 80+ thousand dollar car just because you can... Just because you're young and doing well for yourself doesn't mean you have to buy flashy things just to show it off. Doing what you're doing now will prove to be well worth it down the road I think.

Ya I am pretty stoked that a year after school I can support myself working 30 hours a week and ski and bike whenever I want

OG_lockhate taking days off cause I feel like I'm losing money.

Do you have PTO days? Also buying the porshe would be the real way to lose money and make supporting yourself much more stressful.

why did you buy a house lol

proZachwhy did you buy a house lol

yeah that wasn't the play


and you're experiencing this thing called being an adult. transitioning from college where you are drunk the whole time and never doing any work to working 60 hour weeks sucks, but you'll get used to it

Peter.yeah that wasn't the play


and you're experiencing this thing called being an adult. transitioning from college where you are drunk the whole time and never doing any work to working 60 hour weeks sucks, but you'll get used to it

Why would you want to get used to that? it seems he's unhappy and I can't blame him. There are other options other than owning all this material bullshit. No one cares if you have a Porsche, a nice house or Ms America as your wife. You only have those things because you think people actually respect you more for the crap you can afford, but in realty their only purpose is to stroke your own ego. Life is about the experiences, not the stuff you can accumulate. Are you going to be telling your grand kids about the Porsche you had when you were 25, or the month long backpacking trip you took through Southeast Asia and all the cool shit you saw?

Buttt live how ever you want man! To each their own.

I'm going to assume you don't have cash in hand for this car.

You lament your loss of freedom, so you compensate by shackling yourself with material crutches, which in turn cost you more freedom due to the extra work necessary to pay for them, increasing your craving for freedom, and so on. It's a vicious cycle.

I think it's stupid to incur debt for a non-business depreciable asset, especially since it seems like you really don't want it in the first place. You're putting a band aid over a bullet wound. It's hubris. And I'm not just talking about the car.

Man the fuck up and get real. Unless you are being sarcastic above because I don't think anyone can be real with what you said.

I graduated 21/2 yrs ago with a great degree. Haven't been able to move up from a tech position so I've been limited to jobs that are 7 months long tops. Currently making $12/hr (they don't pay overtime either) which is less than fast food workers are making. And I've been long distance the whole time with a gal I've been dating for 4 years. I have seen her for one weekend since last March.

My concerns are A) no job in winter B) Can't afford a newer car that's actually safe and reliable c) Jobs in my field are so hard to find and literally 100s of people apply and D) Grad school, same as jobs but more competitive. Btw I've probably applied to over 300 jobs since graduating and talked to an equal number of people.

SO yah be grateful for what you do have: A lot of money, that if you are smart, you can save. By the time you're 25 you will probably have more money saved than 99% of other recent graduates. Then if you are super burnt out take a year off and use a fraction of those savings to travel or volunteer very frugally.

Versus me: no savings. But very grateful for all the cool experiences I've had and places I've got to travel to.

/end

DBack1321Life is about the experiences, not the stuff you can accumulate. Are you going to be telling your grand kids about the Porsche you had when you were 25, or the month long backpacking trip you took through Southeast Asia and all the cool shit you saw?

Buttt live how ever you want man! To each their own.

I backpacked and volunteered throughout South America for 6 months, for $6,000, and even managed to buy a car down there for road tripping.

If OP can afford said Porche, OP could literally fund 5 years of travel around the world.

OG_lockGraduated a few months ago am now working 55+ hours a week. Get to see my girlfriend about once a week... Schedules clash due to my work and her being in grad school. I just bought a house. I guess this is where the rant comes in. I have become consumed with planning for the future. I hate taking days off cause I feel like I'm losing money. Have lost all desire to travel or go out with friends. I simply work and will only see friends if they're joining me to play golf. I have been trying to talk myself out of buying a Porsche just to get a sense of youth or excitement. Literally realities and stresses of supporting myself have consumed me and I feel like maybe I should be less responsible like some of my high school and college peers and be enjoying these mid twenties and not thinking much about life down the road. Anyone else in this spot in life? Ps typed this on mobile so it may be shitty

Dude, are we twins? lol. The only exception is I have been at it a bit longer than you. I graduate in May '13, and closed on my house at the end of that month. I work 50 hours a week, and bought a BMW. I have two dogs and my life is ran by a consolidated calender by my girlfriend of 6 years and I's life. I can tell you this, that you will get used to it, and it does get easier. I know that it seems like all you do is work, and that's life right. Most my friends from school got jobs that are much less demanding(teachers/farmers/etc.), but they also make less than I do, and are nowhere near the track I am on. It is important to remember that you are working towards an end goal. When you are 30, which is still prime time for men, you will be so set up, your friends will be looking at you pretty impressed/jealous.

My advice is don't go buy a nice car. It's cool, but what is cooler is not paying a car payment. A car payment is the equivalent of a sick weekend trip once a month. Also, don't get a pet. I love my dogs but they have seriously inconvenienced my ability to take off at a moments notice.

And this is why you need to love what you do. 45 hour work weeks go by very slowly if you aren't liking what you're doing

Very relevant thread to me, I'll contribute.

Graduated May '14 with a Recreation & Tourism Degree and have been guiding ever since; rafting in the summer, snowmobiling in the winter. I guess you could say that I am technically using my degree, but who cares. I travel, camp, ski, backpack, fish a ton. I can support myself, but am definitely shooting to increase my income in the coming year or two. The shoulder seasons can be very frustrating when you are super broke, but hell, at least I have time off.

This next year, I am looking to take guiding to the next level and start guiding multi-day raft trips and other adventures. I love showing people how amazing the outdoors are. I literally blow peoples minds almost every day that I guide and many people tell me that they would have opted out of the more traditional life (salary, house, family, pets, etc) and done what I'm doing if they could do it over again, so thats encouraging. The cool part about guiding is that you can use it to travel, learn new skills, and meet new people. For example, meeting respected brain surgeon on your snowmobile tour on top of the continental divide who is asking about what the best dispensary in town is..

I would say that since college, there have been some really high highs, but also some pretty low lows, if that makes sense. I hope to stabilize a bit and be more financially consistent on an annual basis, while gaining experience in the outdoor travel/recreation industry. I'd like to have my own adventure travel business started by around 30.

All in all, Im happy with my decisions so far, and look forward to continued guide/travel life for the next few years. At that point, I think I'll be settled enough to put my head down and start a business.

My question to other recent grads: If you could go back to the day of your graduation, assuming no gf or other strings attached, would you do what you are doing? Something else?

You can't bitch about your choices! If you don't like them do something else, jesus fucking christ. People always say "I'd kill to do that" or "I'd love to move there" or "I hate my job".

Well fucking do it, or move there or quit! Simple!

If you buy a porche now it just means you need to work another 6 months of your life. Would you rather a porche, or 6 extra months of life? I'd take that 6 months and go speedflying in the alps for a season, but that's just me.

skiingonskisVery relevant thread to me, I'll contribute.

Graduated May '14 with a Recreation & Tourism Degree and have been guiding ever since; rafting in the summer, snowmobiling in the winter. I guess you could say that I am technically using my degree, but who cares. I travel, camp, ski, backpack, fish a ton. I can support myself, but am definitely shooting to increase my income in the coming year or two. The shoulder seasons can be very frustrating when you are super broke, but hell, at least I have time off.

This next year, I am looking to take guiding to the next level and start guiding multi-day raft trips and other adventures. I love showing people how amazing the outdoors are. I literally blow peoples minds almost every day that I guide and many people tell me that they would have opted out of the more traditional life (salary, house, family, pets, etc) and done what I'm doing if they could do it over again, so thats encouraging. The cool part about guiding is that you can use it to travel, learn new skills, and meet new people. For example, meeting respected brain surgeon on your snowmobile tour on top of the continental divide who is asking about what the best dispensary in town is..

I would say that since college, there have been some really high highs, but also some pretty low lows, if that makes sense. I hope to stabilize a bit and be more financially consistent on an annual basis, while gaining experience in the outdoor travel/recreation industry. I'd like to have my own adventure travel business started by around 30.

All in all, Im happy with my decisions so far, and look forward to continued guide/travel life for the next few years. At that point, I think I'll be settled enough to put my head down and start a business.

My question to other recent grads: If you could go back to the day of your graduation, assuming no gf or other strings attached, would you do what you are doing? Something else?

I came out at the tail end of the recession, worked 80+hours/week of part time jobs for 10 months then got an engineering gig. I busted my ass, got my license and 3 years later was able to literally pick anywhere in America to move... With a promotion. Now I live in a nice place in Seattle, have a solid 4runner, 2 MTB bikes, a bunch of skis, work 40-45 hrs/week, and bike and ski as much as conditions allow. II also partied in SF for a few years, didn't save much but def got the party scene out of my system so that I'm very content with the mellower lifestyle I have now.

If ya don't like your situation. Bust your ass for a year or two and change it. Hard work will get you most anywhere.

TheBigAppleYou can't bitch about your choices! If you don't like them do something else, jesus fucking christ. People always say "I'd kill to do that" or "I'd love to move there" or "I hate my job".

Well fucking do it, or move there or quit! Simple!

God damn this is so spot on. I don't know if people mean it though. It sounds good to them , but actually following through with it is something else. People want the easy and comfortable way.

Mad respect for all of you guys busting your ass. Your time will come but patience is a virtue. Before you know it you'll be an old rich white man with a collection of nice cars and a ski chalet in whistler.

Lrn2 Finance

ginMad respect for all of you guys busting your ass. Your time will come but patience is a virtue. Before you know it you'll be an old rich white man with a collection of nice cars and a ski chalet in whistler.

Without the health or motivation to be rad!

ianrich511A car payment.

Buy experiences, not possessions. Graduated, moved to Long Island-- new job gave me financial security but i'm not trying to keep up with people

TheBigAppleWithout the health or motivation to be rad!

implied

OG_lockgrad school.

take the hint.

Sounds like you have to figure out if you're one of those people who wants to work to live, or live to work. It's a cliche, but those are the mentalities you can have in life: either get a job you love for the sake of itself, or get a job because you love the life it can provide for you outside of work. Or I guess you can go in between and get a job you kind of like for a life you kind of like outside of work, but seems like you're fortunate enough to not have to make that choice, if you really are already buying a house and considering buying a Porsche.

Starting out at an intense, high-paying job always sucks, always takes a number of years working your way up the ladder a bit to where it's not so intense, but the pay off is definitely worth it for most people who go that route.

You just have to figure out if you're willing to make sacrifices now so that you can live a better life when you're older, more settled down, with a wife, kids, etc.

Id save your cash dude. Maybe one day you won't have a girlfriend, decide to quit your job and go do something else. You'll want that for travel and what not

Guess I've been out of college for about 5 years but I just got a house about a year ago. I however don't share your struggles. My job sometimes sucks but I'm lucky to have it (I work in oil and gas). Getting married soon and children will happen shortly before or after, so that's scary but whatever

I'd tell you to grow up, but seems like you're mostly there. Just build up your financial security in case someday you snap or something, you have a buffer and don't lose your house/cars when you go mental one day and decide you can't take it anymore and quit your job-tell boss so eat a bag of dicks...

So..in summary, don't buy the Porsche. It will add so much stress onto everything also. and IMO, once you start buying one brand, you can't go back. I know so many people who get into a brand of cars like BMW/Audi and absolutely hate their life because what the cost and constant headache of shit breaking does to their morale, but at the same time they could never downgrade. It would really suck to get into that cycle at a young age, let it wait for your midlife crisis like someone else said and maybe at that time you will know the true meaning of the crisis.

Then again, idk what car you're exactly talking about. For what it's worth, I think Porsche is kinda hands down the best value for the money when you're talking german sports cars. I bet you'd have less problems than BMW or Audi

fuck, sorry I just turned this into a car discussion...

ginMad respect for all of you guys busting your ass. Your time will come but patience is a virtue. Before you know it you'll be an old rich white man with a collection of nice cars and a ski chalet in whistler.

If this is sarcasm its lame.

Hard workers are the backbone of society.

tittyboiHaven't been able to move up from a tech position so I've been limited to jobs that are 7 months long tops. Currently making $12/hr (they don't pay overtime either) which is less than fast food workers are making.

my God--they are still doing this? When I worked for Microsoft in 2007 they paid me $12.00 /hr...then $14.00 for intel in 2008. I make quite a bit more now, thank God, or I wouldn't be able to live. I can't believe there are still tech jobs out there paying $12 an hour.

just buy a dsm and make 600whp for less than 10k. youre welcome.

BogsSounds like you have to figure out if you're one of those people who wants to work to live, or live to work. It's a cliche, but those are the mentalities you can have in life: either get a job you love for the sake of itself, or get a job because you love the life it can provide for you outside of work. Or I guess you can go in between and get a job you kind of like for a life you kind of like outside of work, but seems like you're fortunate enough to not have to make that choice, if you really are already buying a house and considering buying a Porsche.

Starting out at an intense, high-paying job always sucks, always takes a number of years working your way up the ladder a bit to where it's not so intense, but the pay off is definitely worth it for most people who go that route.

You just have to figure out if you're willing to make sacrifices now so that you can live a better life when you're older, more settled down, with a wife, kids, etc.

Hahahahahaha the stress only increases as you rise, you just get a little better at handleing it... or you dont rise lol. It certainly doesnt get easier though.

CoreyTrevorGuess I've been out of college for about 5 years but I just got a house about a year ago. I however don't share your struggles. My job sometimes sucks but I'm lucky to have it (I work in oil and gas). Getting married soon and children will happen shortly before or after, so that's scary but whatever

I'd tell you to grow up, but seems like you're mostly there. Just build up your financial security in case someday you snap or something, you have a buffer and don't lose your house/cars when you go mental one day and decide you can't take it anymore and quit your job-tell boss so eat a bag of dicks...

So..in summary, don't buy the Porsche. It will add so much stress onto everything also. and IMO, once you start buying one brand, you can't go back. I know so many people who get into a brand of cars like BMW/Audi and absolutely hate their life because what the cost and constant headache of shit breaking does to their morale, but at the same time they could never downgrade. It would really suck to get into that cycle at a young age, let it wait for your midlife crisis like someone else said and maybe at that time you will know the true meaning of the crisis.

Then again, idk what car you're exactly talking about. For what it's worth, I think Porsche is kinda hands down the best value for the money when you're talking german sports cars. I bet you'd have less problems than BMW or Audi

fuck, sorry I just turned this into a car discussion...

you can get 3-4 year old porches for like $20k. pretty darn cheap for that new and that nice of a car... likely for a reason haha.

until you can afford the real thing, why try and front and lose lots of money in the process?

californiagrownHahahahahaha the stress only increases as you rise

whoa, whoa, whoa...that's subjective. The poster could be talking about retirement. If he isn't, he could be referring to the fact that although in many jobs you assume more accountability and responsibility as you go up the ladder, in some positions you may also work more reasonable hours, do less busy work, and have more vacation/family time. Again...obviously depends on your field of work.

Sno.whoa, whoa, whoa...that's subjective. The poster could be talking about retirement. If he isn't, he could be referring to the fact that although in many jobs you assume more accountability and responsibility as you go up the ladder, in some positions you may also work more reasonable hours, do less busy work, and have more vacation/family time. Again...obviously depends on your field of work.

haha not in any field ive ever seen. As you go up the ladder you may not work as many hours in the office, but you are always on call, or at meetings, or networking etc. Apparently folks havnt been around the corporate world much. family time... LOL. not a chance unless you are one of those folks who is cool with 4 hours of sleep per night.

californiagrownhaha not in any field ive ever seen. As you go up the ladder you may not work as many hours in the office, but you are always on call, or at meetings, or networking etc. Apparently folks havnt been around the corporate world much. family time... LOL. not a chance unless you are one of those folks who is cool with 4 hours of sleep per night.

my director had 27 weeks of vacation this year with her family. But please, do tell, what exactly is your experience? What is your field of work? What other fields of work do you have experience with?

Only get to see her once a week?

Give it a few years, that'll make the perfect marriage

Sno.my director had 27 weeks of vacation this year with her family. But please, do tell, what exactly is your experience? What is your field of work? What other fields of work do you have experience with?

I am in engineering. i do have direct experience with sales(all types), marketing, finance and education... all at the executive level. And i hope you believe me when i say that your director is absolutely the exception, and likely has one helluva lot more going on than you realize.

californiagrownI am in engineering. i do have direct experience with sales(all types), marketing, finance and education... all at the executive level. And i hope you believe me when i say that your director is absolutely the exception, and likely has one helluva lot more going on than you realize.

I have seen posts from others calling you a condescending asshole other threads, but I just ignored it because you didn't seem so bad...but you kind of are a total dick.

Of course I know that 27 weeks of vacation is the exception and not the rule...but I wasn't the one posting as though my statement was the rule without exceptions--that was you.

Stop being such a know it all--you don't.

Sno.I have seen posts from others calling you a condescending asshole other threads, but I just ignored it because you didn't seem so bad...but you kind of are a total dick.

Of course I know that 27 weeks of vacation is the exception and not the rule...but I wasn't the one posting as though my statement was the rule without exceptions--that was you.

Stop being such a know it all--you don't.

Let me get this straight: you disagree with me in a condescending tone based on your lone experience with a boss who you freely admit is the exception? and you call me a condescending dick for offering my thoughts on the subject based on a wide breadth of knowledge? LOL.

you must be having a bad night. I hope the morning treats you better.

golf... Porsches...

sounds ruff bra

californiagrownHahahahahaha the stress only increases as you rise, you just get a little better at handleing it... or you dont rise lol. It certainly doesnt get easier though.

Guess we've had different experiences

OG_lockGraduated a few months ago am now working 55+ hours a week. Get to see my girlfriend about once a week... Schedules clash due to my work and her being in grad school. I just bought a house. I guess this is where the rant comes in. I have become consumed with planning for the future. I hate taking days off cause I feel like I'm losing money. Have lost all desire to travel or go out with friends. I simply work and will only see friends if they're joining me to play golf. I have been trying to talk myself out of buying a Porsche just to get a sense of youth or excitement. Literally realities and stresses of supporting myself have consumed me and I feel like maybe I should be less responsible like some of my high school and college peers and be enjoying these mid twenties and not thinking much about life down the road. Anyone else in this spot in life? Ps typed this on mobile so it may be shitty

Buy a Tesla P85D instead

BogsGuess we've had different experiences

care to elaborate?

californiagrownLet me get this straight: you disagree with me in a condescending tone based on your lone experience with a boss who you freely admit is the exception? and you call me a condescending dick for offering my thoughts on the subject based on a wide breadth of knowledge? LOL.

you must be having a bad night. I hope the morning treats you better.

Nope.

I have quite a bit of experience, I just don't feel the need to go toe to toe with you.

You laughed at the guy who said that there is something to look forward to in moving up the ladder. I simply stated that in some fields of work, moving up the ladder provides more vacation, less busy work, and fewer hours. Then you laughed at me. Everyone knows that in many lines of work moving up the ladder comes with more stress, more deadlines, more hours-- you don't need to laugh at people who point out that there are exceptions. That guys post was one of the better ones in the thread. Just stop acting like you know more than everyone, and need to teach everyone life lessons.

My boss was merely an example but I certainly didn't say that was the extent of my experience.

Sno.Nope.

I have quite a bit of experience, I just don't feel the need to go toe to toe with you.

You laughed at the guy who said that there is something to look forward to in moving up the ladder. I simply stated that in some fields of work, moving up the ladder provides more vacation, less busy work, and fewer hours. Then you laughed at me. Everyone knows that in many lines of work moving up the ladder comes with more stress, more deadlines, more hours-- you don't need to laugh at people who point out that there are exceptions. That guys post was one of the better ones in the thread. Just stop acting like you know more than everyone, and need to teach everyone life lessons.

My boss was merely an example but I certainly didn't say that was the extent of my experience.

so instead of choosing one of the many examples that would be more representative of your point, you chose the most exceptional example? why?

And would you like to provide examples so others can learn from your experience, or do you just want to talk down?

OG_lockGraduated a few months ago am now working 55+ hours a week. Get to see my girlfriend about once a week... Schedules clash due to my work and her being in grad school. I just bought a house. I guess this is where the rant comes in. I have become consumed with planning for the future. I hate taking days off cause I feel like I'm losing money. Have lost all desire to travel or go out with friends. I simply work and will only see friends if they're joining me to play golf. I have been trying to talk myself out of buying a Porsche just to get a sense of youth or excitement. Literally realities and stresses of supporting myself have consumed me and I feel like maybe I should be less responsible like some of my high school and college peers and be enjoying these mid twenties and not thinking much about life down the road. Anyone else in this spot in life? Ps typed this on mobile so it may be shitty

Do yourself a favor and take some time for yourself. Just have a contingency plan and don't worry so much about the future but don't waste money on fancy things you don't need. Just try and enjoy being young while you can

californiagrownso instead of choosing one of the many examples that would be more representative of your point, you chose the most exceptional example? why?

And would you like to provide examples so others can learn from your experience, or do you just want to talk down?

I wasn't talking down-- you were. I haven't laughed at anyone.

Here are your examples:

There are many positions in the public sector where the higher you get, the more vacation you have, the lesser hours you work, and the less busy work you do. Your accountability is high--so if your team fucks up--its on you--but generally the higher you get the more freedom you have financial and otherwise.

If you own your own business it can go either way. Here's an example of one direction...My brother owns his own real estate firm. When he started it was just him and his partners--so he was working 80 hours a week--staging homes himself, putting on open houses himself, doing all paperwork, marketing, etc. himself. Now he has many people working for him. He no longer works on the weekends because he has brokers to put on the open houses, do the staging, and sell the properties for him. He doesn't do paperwork, because now he has admin staff to do that. At first every dime he had went back into the company but now he has a surplus and financial freedom. I have seen his stress level plummet as his company becomes more sustainable and secure.

My neighbor is an executive for AT&T. When he started he worked very long hours and had no time for his family. Now he is a regional director and works from home everyday. His wife also works for the company and she works from home. I see them out in their yard doing yardwork and drinking cocktails most days in the summer. Their work-life balance provides them a ton of freedom. They have a 2 million dollar home and from the conversations I've had with them they love their jobs.

My parents have several friends who made so much money climbing the ladder with PNW tech companies while they were young that they were able to retire early. I know three of them that were able to retire at 40.

My father-in-law worked his way up in private construction. When he started he worked very long hours and worked on jobs that were sometimes far away from his home. His commutes were often 4-5 hours long. He did hard manual labor and when a deadline wasn't met, he worked through the night. He worked his way up and is the superintendent for the company now. He is the boss. He chooses what projects he works on, he avoids projects with long commutes and delegates those to others. He is invited to company retreats and has a lot of vacation time. His stress level is lower and he has much more control over his schedule, his projects, and his workload.

If you work hard and build a solid resume, you open doors for yourself with a lot of companies that give you perks that make life easier. For example--if you work for the Bill & Melinda gates foundation, you have unlimited vacation. That's right--they have no maximum vacation. You also have a full year of maternity/paternity. They also have other great benefits and high pay.

I have worked in the private sector for major corporations, for the public sector (federal and state), and have worked directly for entrepreneurs. I have seen many lines of work throughout my own career as well as witnessed others around me. have busted ass and done well for myself and the higher I move, the more respect I get, the more autonomy I get, the more money I get, the fewer hours I work, and the less stress I have. If I keep at it, it wont be too long before I have financial freedom, and I plan on retiring early (around 52).

In a lot of places when you start you get shit on. You get disrespected. You have no autonomy or freedom over your schedule, your workload, and therefore your stress level. If you work hard, and move higher you gain more respect, independence, freedom, and money.

Fistsofhamgolf... Porsches...

sounds ruff bra

yeah I feel like you got your shit on lock op and just needed to brag, shit I wish I made enough since I graduated college to think about buying a Porsche anytime soon

Sno.I wasn't talking down-- you were. I haven't laughed at anyone.

Here are your examples:

There are many positions in the public sector where the higher you get, the more vacation you have, the lesser hours you work, and the less busy work you do. Your accountability is high--so if your team fucks up--its on you--but generally the higher you get the more freedom you have financial and otherwise.

If you own your own business it can go either way. Here's an example of one direction...My brother owns his own real estate firm. When he started it was just him and his partners--so he was working 80 hours a week--staging homes himself, putting on open houses himself, doing all paperwork, marketing, etc. himself. Now he has many people working for him. He no longer works on the weekends because he has brokers to put on the open houses, do the staging, and sell the properties for him. He doesn't do paperwork, because now he has admin staff to do that. At first every dime he had went back into the company but now he has a surplus and financial freedom. I have seen his stress level plummet as his company becomes more sustainable and secure.

My neighbor is an executive for AT&T. When he started he worked very long hours and had no time for his family. Now he is a regional director and works from home everyday. His wife also works for the company and she works from home. I see them out in their yard doing yardwork and drinking cocktails most days in the summer. Their work-life balance provides them a ton of freedom. They have a 2 million dollar home and from the conversations I've had with them they love their jobs.

My parents have several friends who made so much money climbing the ladder with PNW tech companies while they were young that they were able to retire early. I know three of them that were able to retire at 40.

My father-in-law worked his way up in private construction. When he started he worked very long hours and worked on jobs that were sometimes far away from his home. His commutes were often 4-5 hours long. He did hard manual labor and when a deadline wasn't met, he worked through the night. He worked his way up and is the superintendent for the company now. He is the boss. He chooses what projects he works on, he avoids projects with long commutes and delegates those to others. He is invited to company retreats and has a lot of vacation time. His stress level is lower and he has much more control over his schedule, his projects, and his workload.

If you work hard and build a solid resume, you open doors for yourself with a lot of companies that give you perks that make life easier. For example--if you work for the Bill & Melinda gates foundation, you have unlimited vacation. That's right--they have no maximum vacation. You also have a full year of maternity/paternity. They also have other great benefits and high pay.

I have worked in the private sector for major corporations, for the public sector (federal and state), and have worked directly for entrepreneurs. I have seen many lines of work throughout my own career as well as witnessed others around me. have busted ass and done well for myself and the higher I move, the more respect I get, the more autonomy I get, the more money I get, the fewer hours I work, and the less stress I have. If I keep at it, it wont be too long before I have financial freedom, and I plan on retiring early (around 52).

In a lot of places when you start you get shit on. You get disrespected. You have no autonomy or freedom over your schedule, your workload, and therefore your stress level. If you work hard, and move higher you gain more respect, independence, freedom, and money.

Totally agree with the public sector, its a big trade off that may or may not be worth it- you work less and have less stress but you also make significantly less money. Its something i will be looking at doing in a few years.

All your other examples are either the elite exceptions- you are talking about people in their 50's at the upper executive level. Or you talk about people starting their own company which of course becomes easier after you have it up and running and successful. those are exceptions.

Sure it is possible to work less and have less stress as you move up, but that is not the normal experience. The normal experience is to bust ass when new but have little responsibility, then as your managerial and product responsibility becomes greater, you do less grunt work but do much more money and people management that comes with a lot more responsibility and required oversight of your team... and up and up. In other words, when young you have a set amount work, and dont have to work when you leave the office. The higher you rise, the less defined your workload becomes and the more availability to work you must have.

spliff.Lifeyeah I feel like you got your shit on lock op and just needed to brag, shit I wish I made enough since I graduated college to think about buying a Porsche anytime soon

a few yearr old porsche isnt all that expensive. Its just a horrendous financial decision haha

californiagrownTotally agree with the public sector, its a big trade off that may or may not be worth it- you work less and have less stress but you also make significantly less money. Its something i will be looking at doing in a few years.

All your other examples are either the elite exceptions- you are talking about people in their 50's at the upper executive level. Or you talk about people starting their own company which of course becomes easier after you have it up and running and successful. those are exceptions.

Sure it is possible to work less and have less stress as you move up, but that is not the normal experience. The normal experience is to bust ass when new but have little responsibility, then as your managerial and product responsibility becomes greater, you do less grunt work but do much more money and people management that comes with a lot more responsibility and required oversight of your team... and up and up. In other words, when young you have a set amount work, and dont have to work when you leave the office. The higher you rise, the less defined your workload becomes and the more availability to work you must have.

In short, you can work less and stress less the higher you go but that is the exception. the vast majority will work more and stress more the higher they rise.

californiagrownyou are talking about people in their 50's at the upper executive level.

Yeah--that's what is at the top of the ladder.

This is what Boggs said ..."You just have to figure out if you're willing to make sacrifices now so that you can live a better life when you're older, more settled down, with a wife, kids, etc"-- did you take this as him talking about being in your 30s?

And as far as the rest of your post, at this point you're just agreeing with me. I already agreed that the higher you move the more responsibility and accountability you have--that is literally what I wrote the first time. I was agreeing with Boggs, however, in that with that often comes with perks that allow for you to "have a better life when you're older..."

I don't think that what I wrote is the exception to the rule. Generally as you move higher in any company you have more money (obvious), more vacation (most companies give you more vacation as you move up), less busy work (obvious)...the one debatable point is fewer hours...which highly depends on the line of work.

You really think that every point I made was the exception to the rule? That every company I've worked for (I've worked for 13), that every person that is close to me (my parents, my brother, myself, my husband, my parents-in-law, my neighbors, my parents friends), are all just exceptions to the rule even though I mentioned many very different lines of work?

It sounds more to me like you're strictly referring to private corporations in a metropolis because that is what you have experience with?

What is your engineering job and for what company?

californiagrownIts something i will be looking at doing in a few years.

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specifically? What do you want to do for the public sector and for which agency/city?