47% of Americans would have trouble finding $400 for an emergency

[god]

Most of my life I have been one that lives month-to-month. I usually never went completely broke. I could usually go out for dinner even on the tail end of a pay cycle, but I was never one to religiously maintain any emergency funds.

As of late, I make a descent enough paycheck that I can please my social needs and fund my living and some entertainment activities and still have some money left over at the end of the month. For that reason, I have actually been able to maintain and grow a small hoard of cash.

Any man that can maintain a descent amount of cash in saving off of the income equal to an E-3 or E-4 pay in the military has my respect. Shrewd frugal discipline is a strength that I admire and envy.

 

[General Stalin]

I'll be the first to admit I'm not good at putting away money. I happen to make enough where my lifestyle doesn't exhaust me, but I certainly find ways to beat down the cushion I build up. I never continually accumulate money, and that is my own short coming.

I'll have a decent chunk saved up every few months then I'll make a big purchase, or something will come along that takes a big bite. I could save more and be more more frugal than I am, and maybe I'd like to - but in the end it's going to be money that's saved to be spent, just on something bigger.

I have friends who make a helluva lot less than me who have a helluva lot more to show for it. I have a couple of friends with $20k - $30k saved up. They can afford a lot and still take out loans so they can build their credit, they just make double payments to save on the interest.

In light of a few things that have come up recent in my life, and reading over this thread, I would like to start factoring "saving" into my budget. A percentage of income that I will always put away regardless. Pretend it's money I don't actually have - it just goes straight into savings. I've done this in the past and there's no reason I can't to it again, just need to adjust my lifestyle a little and the adjustments would honestly make little noticeable difference.

That's one of the big things the check-to-check people don't realize. Once they get in the habit of saving, the small shallow pleasures they give up start to become unnoticeable and make little to know difference in your overall life and happiness.

 

[DeusLuxMeaEst]

Not a surprise. Most people are broke and their lifestyle is a complete facade.

I've always seen having savings as having freedom. The more money you can stockpile and invest wisely, the more free you are.

I learned the value of having a 'fuck you' fund at a young age. Just a simple observation of the world and how everybody was a consumerist slave. I've seen grown men cry as they were about to lose their jobs because they were living pay check to pay check. I never wanted to be like that.

The flip side of living minimalist is nobody has any idea. I'm not flashy. My car is old. I dress normal. I'm not making it rain in the club. I live simply. No girls going to go for me based on the 'flashy' factor. On the outside it looks like I probably don't have much at all. The only clue is my lack of fear, staying power, and the ability to walk. And it's this state of mind that lets you take more risks and accomplish more because you're pretty stress free.

 

[samsamsam]

If we want to get serious about money and boosting savings, and not discussing things we have no control over, then I think...

(TRIGGER WARNING) (TRIGGER WARNING) (TRIGGER WARNING) (TRIGGER WARNING) (TRIGGER WARNING) (TRIGGER WARNING) (TRIGGER WARNING) (TRIGGER WARNING) (TRIGGER WARNING) (TRIGGER WARNING) (TRIGGER WARNING) (TRIGGER WARNING) (TRIGGER WARNING) (TRIGGER WARNING)

It comes down to emotional control.

At any point in time, we are constantly evaluating emotional reward. Will this coffee make me happier than the 5 dollars it costs, will buying this pig of a woman a drink make me happier than it will cost? ETC.

Immediate reward plays a huge role in the analysis of this emotional reward (economists call it Utility).

It is very hard for some people to imagine what $5 feels like or is worth 10 years down the road.


(SHAMING LANGUAGE AHEAD)
(SHAMING LANGUAGE AHEAD)
(SHAMING LANGUAGE AHEAD)











So if you want to get handle on your finances, you have to get a handle on yourself.

And for many, including myself, it is no fucking fun to do the internal work. To address the issues in our past that still in some way control our lives. Got rejected by girl and it hurt like fuck? It may still affect you. Look at all the posts that are all about emotional injury, it comes off like this girl was a bitch or my parents were terrible. But really, you got hurt. Your ego doesn't want you to deal with it.

You do stupid shit to numb the constant behind the scenes pain in your life. We all do it.

We can talk about the simple stuff, make more spend less.

But if you have no emotional control, it would be hard to do.

Stanford conducted a study called the marshmallow test. Basically, a kid got offered a marshmallow. If he could wait to eat, he would get another one. After 40 years, they studied the kids again. The one consistent driver that separated those who were successful and not were those who could delay gratification. Or in other words, they had emotional control.

http://jamesclear.com/delayed-gratification

Feel free to say I am being a dick. But I tried to give those who are sensitive enough warning. And I am sorry for those who have tough childhoods or have struggled, I am not lacking in compassion. But holding onto that pain, robs you of energy to be productive. I have been there. But what do you want? A better life? Or live in the past?

 

[AneroidOcean]

If we want to get serious about money and boosting savings, and not discussing things we have no control over, then I think
<SNIP>

Real talk. Emotional control can be difficult, but it is key to game, social skills, financial success, etc...

When you control yourself, the possibilities are quite endless.

 

[samsamsam]

...

 

[Veloce]

Shaming language? Hahahaha.

I seem to remember Roosh once saying:

"If you see a beautiful girl you're attracted to, and you don't immediately start moving toward her, there's something wrong with you."

If you call that shaming language then you're right, and if you're too thin-skinned for that then maybe this isn't the right place for you.

Because all of us fuck up all the time, every day. We fuck up approaches, we fuck up on missing gym sessions, we fuck up on missed opportunities. And we're here to give each other advice and guidance to minimize those fuckups.

As I said before, if you can't put together $400 for an emergency, then there's something wrong with you. Now get over it and start telling us why, and maybe, just maybe, someone can help.

Do you need someone to hold your hand?

 

[Soundbyte]

I personally can not get $400 together because I foolishly paid for my out-of-state tuition before my grant was approved. Kept having problems with it and could not fix it before the next school year.

I have been doing some online side jobs (for a few dollars every so often, though some people who are good at it can make a lot more in an hour), until I get another steady place.

If anyone works in a job where they do nothing and don't know what to do with the time, and they are ok with making some chump change, you can pm me for the details. I can't talk about it, making money there is based on the saturation of people online at prime time.

(Again if you are okay with making few bucks at most when starting out. this probably NOT for the more wealthy. Would be a waste of time.)

 

[Soundbyte]

Delete. Quoted myself for some reason.

 

[Veloce]

If anyone ever really wanted to pull themselves up they could do a lot worse than restaurant work. I don't mean working in the kitchen, I mean being a server.

The servers where I work now make around $60k per year. The busboys make 35-40k. Given the low cost of living here you can do pretty damn well for yourself given that neither of these jobs require a degree or any formal education. Just show up, pass a drug test, and don't have a criminal background.

We have employees in their 20s that own their own houses here, with no formal education. I mean some real dipshits that aren't even that good at their job, living a very comfortable life.

Also you can get a union job at the hotels working in a casino for $60-80k. It can be tough to break into because a lot of these jobs are so cushy that people never leave. It really helps to know someone, but the jobs are there. I overheard a card dealer the other day saying she made $500 the day before. If you're in a high limit room the tips can be crazy. Most of these dealers are dipshit immigrants with barely half a brain in their skull, the lamest gaggle of automatons you can imagine, and they're pulling some very decent cash.

It's not glorified work. You're dealing cards and dealing with some serious scum of the Earth. Vegas casinos can be some of the most soul-sucking places when you have to deal with it on a daily basis. But just saying, for those looking to make some cash and without any degree or barely any training (or getting paid for on-the-job training) it's not a bad option. I've got a salad cook making $13/hr that just got pre-approved for a mortgage.

 

[samsamsam]

If you call that shaming language then you're right, and if you're too thin-skinned for that then maybe this isn't the right place for you.

[snip]

Do you need someone to hold your hand?

I think more and more mainstream guys are finding the forum.

First, let me say that is a good thing. The more guys that handle themselves better helps society. Without this forum, I would not have been exposed to certain topics that helped me. Some may say it is too late, but every guy who knows better slows down the nonsense just a little bit more.

But, with mainstream comes mainstream behavior. I won't go into that, it is pretty obvious to most of us.

With Roosh's success and the contributions of the men I admire, there will just be more mainstream energy flowing into this forum. Just part of the deal.

Think of it like immigration. Unlike the countries of Europe who let their immigrants abuse them and take advantage. Here the forum seems to be the you will integrate into this brotherhood or you can exist peacefully and not integrate (lurkers etc) but you will not try to weaken core beliefs.

 

[Apollo21]

Working as a salaried employee means that you must save as much as you can
and invest that into wealth producing income. Otherwise you will always at the mercy
of your health or your employer if something goes wrong like getting sick, getting laid off
or losing your job.

I see having a job as a temporary solution. Sure poor money management and
choosing the wrong position that does not pay enough can easily cause
you to struggle...especially when you are taking care of a family.

However in today's economy, just because you work 40 hours a week
is no guarantee that you'll get ahead. That's because the whole purpose
of a company is to make money...not provide a livelihood for their employees.

The company is not interested in giving you enough money to pay your bills,
deal with cash emergencies and save for retirement. It's not a priority for them.
They also don't care about the cost of living...it's a non issue.

You have to be willing to change jobs, network, change industries and
work to the point where you can create an income for yourself that is
not dependent on you trading your time for money or some company
deciding your financial future.

Because that is a losing game.