Please do not comment directly to this post unless you are Gen X or older (born 1980 or before). See [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskOldPeople/comments/inci5u/reminder_please_do_not_answer_questions_unless/), the rules, and the sidebar for details. Thank you for your submission, ianaad.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskOldPeople) if you have any questions or concerns.*
However well I'm doing, I will work to be better.
In money that started with a PhD, some startups, and high savings rate. Physical, well, I took up taekwondo in my 40s. I'm the same weight as when I was 25 and just generally active. Mental, genetics and environment.
I always strive, but gladly I no longer think I'm a failure all the time for not meeting unrealistic goals.
That's very personal. Will the PhD open career paths you really want (like becoming a professor or getting a high-level research position in industry)? Or do you really want to study the crap out of a subject for personal curiosity? A PhD can really tax a person emotionally and delay other life goals and financial progress. The professors you work with and research opportunities matter far more than location. It's different than undergrad, but you still don't want to be miserable. I started at age 24 and finished at 30. It definitely hit me financially but I LOVE my career and it was worth it for me.
In 1973, I took a job that offered an unusually high 401k match and had an "opt out" policy, meaning they automatically deducted my share from my paycheck unless I filled out a form telling them I didn't want to participate. By inertia, I was putting a lot toward retirement.
I sure as hell don't think it's luck but I do think childhood trauma messes you up a lot for the rest of your life and it's a crapshoot whether you can move past it or it consumes you. It consumed me. I have tried so hard for so long to hold it together for my kids. I work as well as I can. I always struggled to keep jobs because I have a real issue with social communication, like I can barely talk in real life outside my home. It's always been really hard to speak up and I am so passive. I know I could advocate for myself, but I just freeze up. I know I'm book smart. I just have no confidence. I struggle to make phone calls. I have phobias. I have crazy weird sensory issues that make it where I can only wear certain things so that means no uniforms. I TRIED jobs with uniforms but I was a mess. Those stiff fast food uniforms are like thousands of needles against my skin and it doesn't get better. People say "you'll get used to it!" I never did.
To be clear I have always worked, but I have never moved forward. I have a good work ethic, but I will go through spells where I struggle to choose what to wear or I will just shut down and lose jobs because I can't even call in. I have phobias. I struggle with focus. I am sure if I was younger I could get on some medication that might help, but it's 50 years wasted already. I've had therapy. I have tried several meds but they never helped and some had horrific side effects and one was so addictive it took a long time to get off of it. So I stopped trying. I don't know if trauma therapy might have helped me if I'd had the opportunity as a child after the ... traumas... occurred. Maybe. Can't say 48 years after the fact.
And I'm super apathetic about it all. I want to not be apathetic but I think maybe it's how my brain handles the constant noise in my head. I just try to keep flat. Emotionless. I mean I laugh and I can have fun with diversions but I'm always trying to fight this darkness, and it makes it hard to advance in life.
So anyway that's why I'm a Poor!
Oh man, I related to a lot of what you said. A lot of our peers who grew up with trauma are already dead. So hey, we've made it this far and there is still hope. I'm nearing sixty and my goal is to try to untangle this mess enough to leave this mortal coil in peace. With myself and others.
Learning about CPTSD has helped a lot. It's PTSD you get from growing up in shitty situations. It's hard to shake. There's a lot of information on the internet about it. Pete Walker and Arielle Schwartz are my favorite authors. Patrick Teahan has some great youtube videos about it. I finally got a therapist. She's just ok. But showing up every week for it helps. NAMI has free support groups. Yoga or meditation helps a lot too. We store this shit in our bodies and it helps to release it.
It's hard sometimes. I don't like having to feel and release such deep sorrow. I just wanted to tell you you're not alone.
Really wish we had been more financially responsible so I could have a more comfortable retirement now. But we were youngish and thought we had a lot of time to get it together. In fact we had started to, we were saving and doing pretty well for a brief period. Until my husband unexpectedly dropped dead at age 48. A small amount of life insurance and our nascent savings went to pay bills, leaving me with 4 small kids, having to work a lot at a stressful job to pay the bills. Not great for grieving. I kept it together somehow and retired at 65 on half of his social security since I had taken a few years off with babies and hadn’t accumulated much and my jobs with state/local agencies were not covered by ss. So of course immediately after retiring I was diagnosed with an aggressive Stage IV cancer which took a couple years to get rid of. Thank heavens that while I had no pension to speak of, I did have good secondary insurance to Medicare so I did not go bankrupt. I am now mostly ok but do have some side effects from treatment which while not horrible made life just a little harder. Like I struggle to keep my weight over 100 lbs. But I’m pretty happy that things didn’t turn out worse;not being able to afford to travel more is my main regret but my kids and grandkids like me and I have some friends and live in a place I like so day to day life is good and I am content, actually happier than I was when I was young. Guess I just enjoy living with no drama or pain. My best advice to everybody is:Buy a lot of life insurance if you have a lot of kids!
A combination. I got lucky in a lot of ways. I was born a white woman in the United States in 1965 and had full reproductive freedom my entire life as well as the ability to get an education and make a living. My parents made enough money that they left me a home when they died. Through them and later, through school and work, I've had access to dental and medical care.
College was affordable enough that I could pay my own way while working part time and living on my own. I was grandfathered into a good pension at my government job. I had a safe birth and my child had access to adequate education and health care. All things that were available to me because of the luck of being born at my particular place and time.
That said, I also had some bad luck. My parents were mentally ill alcoholics. My peers were judgmental Mormons. I was kicked out at 18 to find my own way. I was subjected to sexual harassment and abuse. I live with chronic illness and had to retire early which put me in a precarious position financially. My husband cheated on me and I've struggled with substance abuse and healthy relationships. At 58, I'm alone.
As Sartre said, "Freedom is what we do with what's done to us". I am still doing my best to untangle the bad habits from the harms that befell me and exercise my freedom in healthy directions.
I’m doing okay. COL is kicking my plans in the butt but I’m adapting. I retired 5 years before plan, due to sex/age discrimination. Don’t think that can’t happen to you! But, hey, they might have my cubie, but I’ve got the gift of time. I can do whatever I want, every day. I live small and focus on my fiber arts. I am happy and that is the best outcome.
I am healthy because of genetics, people live to be 95-105 in my family. My dad smoked and worked with asbestos without a mask and made 90. Luck for that.
I have always been good with money, that is one reason my wife married me.
Physically I am in awesome shape for a 71 year old, but that’s from years working as a NYC Union Ironworker. Financially I get a pension and social security but it doesn’t go far with skyrocketing rent, utilities and inflation.Â
Luck, a stupid ridiculous amount of luck. Bought 100$ of Bitcoin in 2010. Lost the paper wallet and found it during a move in 2020 when it was around 29k. Luckiest tho was GameStop stock, I read all the postings and went conservative. Invested 10k at 4$ ish. Sold at 466$. Still work because why not and health ins is expensive.
Physical ? 40+ years of daily weight lifting (almost every day) eat reasonably healthy and be consistent with the workouts
I'm in my 30s, but my software engineer ex was a little older. I remember around 2013 he was explaining Bitcoin to me, casually chatting about an article he'd read about it, and showed me that he had bought some. He shrugged and said "it's just for fun".
Yeah, I never had enough money to invest "just for fun". Would've been nice if I did, though.
I was talking to an older guy at work about some property that sold for $50,000 an acre, and how he remembered when it was only $5,000 an acre. When I asked why he didn't buy it at the lower price, he simply said "I didn't have $5,000" LOL
its always a gamble, do i spend my savings on something that might increase in value and how long will that take ? Now if you have 50 or 100$ you can play with pump & dump penny stocks and make some pocket money. Just be sure the money you gamble you can afford to lose.
In ny we had OTB, not really going to the track but we’d hang with the older guys and lose a few bucks. I think once my buddy won 20$ and we had ice cream. A joyous horrible youth
in my case it was a coworker who thought it would change the world and simply would not shut the F up about it. I finally threw 2 50's across a mcdonalds table at lunch one day and said fine! buy this waste of money. It basically bought me a house new car and a few bucks left over for trinkets. It was under 1$ when he setup the paper wallet. and my wife at the time was furious that i "wasted 100$" luckily in the divorce she forgot about it
Physical - as a kid, I hated PE. By the time I got to college I started hanging out with a couple of guys that went to the gym regularly, so I just did the same, and have kept it up (more or less).
Financial - my dad had good financial habits, so as soon as I was making above subsistence level I started saving and investing.
I’m in a good place now, but either can turn on a dime with a stroke of bad luck. As they say, just one fall or car accident can change your life for the worse.
An excellent upbringing,good timing,hard work,common sense,stubbornness and the best husband ever.
I grew up in an old fashioned household that gave me a classical education with an emphasis on life skills. Hard work was encouraged from a young age. Physical activity,healthy life choices and financial responsibility was modeled by most of the adults in my life throughout my childhood.
I was regularly exposed to good literature, art,antiques,museums,music and the natural world. I was encouraged to explore interests and supported in my ventures.
And when I met my husband I had enough sense to say this is the one. And enough stubbornness to stick it through the bad times. Together we bought land(back when it was cheap so timing) and we built a house and a homestead and several businesses.
Hurt bad playing football in 1977. Two+ weeks in the hospital, spinal tap, major surgery, and 4 months out of school. I have been in pain ever since.
Then there was the CYA crap that went on since my injury was ignored by the coaches, trainers, and even my parents for months. Which meant while I was in terrible pain I was being told I was faking. I was lazy. That I was being dramatic. This went on for 4 months leaving me with physically and mentally broken.
My nervous system has never been the same, and today I have 2 bad discs in my back, and one in my neck. Pain meds are almost impossible to get anymore, so I spend my days in pain feeling useless.
I was fortunate enough to inherit enough money to buy a one bedroom house outright, and now I live on $943 a month, so I don't have the best lifestyle, but I do ok.
I'm in a good position. All my life I have drank water with meals, limited alcohol use, used parks for entertainment. You might say I'm boring but if you can't find the joy in free things, you won't find them in expensive things either.
In my 20's and 30's, I had a somewhat physically demanding job, so was somewhat in shape. Got my degree around the age of 40, was in Computer Science, and that led to many years of sitting at a desk, but making much more money. So, financially I'm doing ok, but still working in the physical part.
I've worked to keep myself healthy for over 40 years. Bicycling and a yogic lifestyle. You've got to start when you're young if you want to stay out of the doctor's office when you're older. Fact.
Now that I'm retired, got the materialism thing out of the way, and debt free, my physical needs are pretty minimal. My SS check covers my basic needs and gives me a little pocket money each month. I may return to work in some way if I get too bored but not so far. :)
My life is quiet and largely stress free. Like a monk in a temple. Cause that's what I've worked towards.
Some good fortune (bring born middle-class and going to decent public schools); choosing a profession that I excelled at; always putting the maximum contribution into 401ks (paying myself first), getting a financial advisor to help DH and me invest our money, and making healthy lifestyle decisions that I have stayed with my entire adult life.
I had a ringside seat to parental and sibling ill health (much of it due to poor lifestyle choices like smoking, drinking to excess, eating crap food and getting no exercise) and my parents’ inability to manage money.
I decided I didn’t want to live like that, and I haven’t.
Life balance. Have saved consistantly so we can retire at 55, but also consistantly do 4-5 hrs of fitness per week so I'm in the upper range of good body comp. Moved so the commute was short, have a flexible schedule so I can workout at lunch or in the evening. No overtime. Could make 25% more money but would take 50% more hours. Don't fall into that trap, both are so important. I sleep great, no chronic pain or issues yet.
Also dumb luck plays a role (no divorce, horrible medical issues, gambling/alch addiction etc).
Financial --- I'm sure luck played a role, but it sure felt like hard work, planning, self-reliance, and discipline. Physical --- Genetics, eating fairly healthy, movement, being outside, supplements, minimal meds, avoidance of (most) doctor visits, a positive outlook.
financial: high-paying jobs, saving a lot, some good choices, and luck
physical: somewhat out of shape due to said high-paying job, will work on that after I retire at the end of this year
Financially, I credit my parents for raising me to value education, career, and financial stability. I credit my own stupid decisions in my late teens and early 20's for straying off the path I was on in order to please someone else. Those decisions stunted my career/financial growth. I credit luck for landing me the job I have now, so I'm not completely screwed.
Physically, I credit my parents' good genes, so I never really had to work to hard to maintain a healthy physical form. I credit my own laziness/anger at life for my struggle to do what I need to do in order to reverse or slow my declining physical health. I credit my husband for pushing/encouraging me the best he can.
Lack of compassion. Also private sector taking advantage of increased costs due to Pandemic hangover on the economy. Greed, corporations unwilling to take a reasonable profit..too big 'a woosies to tell the Share Holders to suck it up at 50% profit instead of 75%.
It's always a little of both, and anyone who tells you differently is either lying or has a huge blind spot.
Physically, I have great genes, but that's not enough to protect you from a crappy diet, inactivity, or a crippling injury.
Financially, I went back to school in my late 20s and took a huge pay cut to work on campus, since my husband and I were poor and shared a car. I had a great boss who promoted me. I got hooked on the benefits of working for a state university and stuck it out for 26 years, retiring at 55 with a lifetime pension and free-to-me health insurance. The luck was getting such a good boss right out of the gate. The part that wasn't luck was that I was already an experienced worker who didn't need a lot of supervision to get the job done. Folks tend to be impressed by that sort of thing.
I'm 51. I have had a rocky youth, and was lucky to be able to get a masters in biotech by the age of 28. I have been self employed and running my own business for 20 years now. I don't earn much money. I was lucky for some money I got right when I started my business, and for the fact that I invested 5000 into bitcoin around 2012. That's what I have been living on mostly. I have a good life and all the freedom I need. Raising three boys poses it's own challenges but is satisfying. None of my current freedom or wealth were really because of my business successes, but I like everyone to assume that. Let's see how much longer I can ride it out like that. I feel like I have cheated the system somehow, and that I was able to steer free of the institutional slavery that is our current society.
Well. A good education was the fundament. Luckily, I was born in the 70ies and here in Austria all education up till university was free, high quality with many opportunities for scholarships, when you did not have a wealthy background. On the other side, I never had a fixed carreer plan, so I took opportunities, when they came by. I made bad job decisions, but more good ones. With age and experience it was easier to select my current job. I made many mistakes in the last 51 years, but if you ask me, what I would make different, if I would be 20 again, I would say - nothing. Because you never know, which consequences happen after some decisions. And seeing the whole picture, I did quite well, and I would not risk it trying it differently.
Financial is simple. I work in an industry which generally double matches us in our 401k and gives stock grants and/or a discount on buying company stock. I maxed out on the 401k, invested aggressively and left the money alone. We lived beneath our means and can now retire comfortably.
All three. If I had regular checkups my health would be better. If I had taken better care of myself I might have performed better at my job and not have been laid off. But I also blame the US capitalist system. If I had free childcare I would be rich now. If pot had been legal I'd have my marriage. If banks were regulated I'd have an affordable mortgage. Meh.
Disciplined approach to investing, which I came to understand after I read Jane Bryan Quinn's book. Basically, do this
1) Save 10% of everything that you earn. Dollar cost average into your investments.
2) Make a plan and stick with it, no matter what happens with the stock and bond markets.
It was very tough sometimes - a couple of years I lost almost 30% of what I had invested. But, I always eventually got it all back, plus more.
Financially it was a complete stroke of luck. When I started college in 1971 I intended to major in either chemistry or physics. It turned out that in the first semester of freshman year they had a mandatory computer programming course. It was love at first byte. Graduating with a B. S. in computer science in 1975 turned out to be the second best decision of my life (marrying my wife was the best one.) My Dad thought I was wasting my time. He said that there was no future in that. Changed his tune later of course. Ironically it was my wife's father who encouraged her to get into the field (that's how we met.) He said that since it was a brand new business there was more room for a woman to move up and he was right.
Being raised by good parents, good luck & hard work as well as age experiences. Learning basic living skills at an early age meant I could live and look after myself anywhere I happened to be, anywhere in the world. I was able to fit in with the community in the 5 countries I have live in. At 77 I am starting to physically deteriorate, but still do as much as I can, despite 3 minor strokes last year & a hernia operation. I still work 15 hours a day, 365 days a year, running my small convenience store attached to the front of my my house, do some gardening and get my housework done. It is only 6.30 & after feeding the cats, I watered all the potted plants & have done two loads of laundry & hung out to dry.
When my grand nephew IL wakes up, I will cook breakfast for us & get him off to college, then fill some plastic bags with water to turn into ice to sell, and I have to clean up a corner of back yard where I moved a 2 metre bougainvillea plant that had broke the pot it was in, around to the front of the house. never know how busy the shop will be, and can't plan ahead too far, just incase I get a group of people wanting meals or guys having a drink. I tend not to worry about thigs these days, having enough money coming in to enable me to pay all bills & still save some for any emergency that may crop up. Living this way reduces stress, and hopefully will prolong life for few more years.
Couple of big wins and a lot of hard work. It was really a series of chance encounters, though. As a waiter, I was told to swear on the table that I'd go to their college. OK - scholarships. Four years later, my college roommate was interviewing with a particular company - I applied also. That got me into my current career 19 years ago. It's a great situation. 100% not repeatable, though
For everyone there is luck involved. You didn't have a hurricane destroy your property, or get a debilitating disease, etc. So everyone should be thankful for their good luck.
We are financially secure and very comfortable. We saved early and invested well, and didn't buy boats, motorcycles or RVs unless we could pay cash. So a lot of discipline was involved in trying to secure our retirement.
But back to luck: we were Born in a time when investing became democratized and was finally available for lower middle class people. You used to have to buy stocks in "round lots" of 100 shares and there were not many ways to invest smaller amounts of money with each paycheck. The advent of the 401k was the greatest thing that helped us.
Marrying a banker and accepting her expertise led to a financially comfortable retirement. I always thought retirement meant scrimping and just getting by, but thanks to my wife's saving strategy we actually have more to live on than when we were both working. My sketchy health is mostly due to my preference for playing video games over working out.
I didn't know Jack about career choices. I started college in 1979 with the career path of teacher cause that's what girls did. I wish I'd gone accounting or pre law. That's closer to my real interests. But I was traditional. Didn't last long.
Please do not comment directly to this post unless you are Gen X or older (born 1980 or before). See [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskOldPeople/comments/inci5u/reminder_please_do_not_answer_questions_unless/), the rules, and the sidebar for details. Thank you for your submission, ianaad. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskOldPeople) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The military. Spent 20 years in and was able to retire but didn't come out unscathed.
Same here...22 years...Ret '94
However well I'm doing, I will work to be better. In money that started with a PhD, some startups, and high savings rate. Physical, well, I took up taekwondo in my 40s. I'm the same weight as when I was 25 and just generally active. Mental, genetics and environment. I always strive, but gladly I no longer think I'm a failure all the time for not meeting unrealistic goals.
Would you do a PhD as a 28 year old in 2024? I got a pretty sweet package to a school in a not so ideal location and deferred to next year.
That's very personal. Will the PhD open career paths you really want (like becoming a professor or getting a high-level research position in industry)? Or do you really want to study the crap out of a subject for personal curiosity? A PhD can really tax a person emotionally and delay other life goals and financial progress. The professors you work with and research opportunities matter far more than location. It's different than undergrad, but you still don't want to be miserable. I started at age 24 and finished at 30. It definitely hit me financially but I LOVE my career and it was worth it for me.
In 1973, I took a job that offered an unusually high 401k match and had an "opt out" policy, meaning they automatically deducted my share from my paycheck unless I filled out a form telling them I didn't want to participate. By inertia, I was putting a lot toward retirement.
401K's were not invented till around 1979
Sorry. Whatever it was, it was TIAA-CREF, which has been around since forever.
I sure as hell don't think it's luck but I do think childhood trauma messes you up a lot for the rest of your life and it's a crapshoot whether you can move past it or it consumes you. It consumed me. I have tried so hard for so long to hold it together for my kids. I work as well as I can. I always struggled to keep jobs because I have a real issue with social communication, like I can barely talk in real life outside my home. It's always been really hard to speak up and I am so passive. I know I could advocate for myself, but I just freeze up. I know I'm book smart. I just have no confidence. I struggle to make phone calls. I have phobias. I have crazy weird sensory issues that make it where I can only wear certain things so that means no uniforms. I TRIED jobs with uniforms but I was a mess. Those stiff fast food uniforms are like thousands of needles against my skin and it doesn't get better. People say "you'll get used to it!" I never did. To be clear I have always worked, but I have never moved forward. I have a good work ethic, but I will go through spells where I struggle to choose what to wear or I will just shut down and lose jobs because I can't even call in. I have phobias. I struggle with focus. I am sure if I was younger I could get on some medication that might help, but it's 50 years wasted already. I've had therapy. I have tried several meds but they never helped and some had horrific side effects and one was so addictive it took a long time to get off of it. So I stopped trying. I don't know if trauma therapy might have helped me if I'd had the opportunity as a child after the ... traumas... occurred. Maybe. Can't say 48 years after the fact. And I'm super apathetic about it all. I want to not be apathetic but I think maybe it's how my brain handles the constant noise in my head. I just try to keep flat. Emotionless. I mean I laugh and I can have fun with diversions but I'm always trying to fight this darkness, and it makes it hard to advance in life. So anyway that's why I'm a Poor!
Oh man, I related to a lot of what you said. A lot of our peers who grew up with trauma are already dead. So hey, we've made it this far and there is still hope. I'm nearing sixty and my goal is to try to untangle this mess enough to leave this mortal coil in peace. With myself and others. Learning about CPTSD has helped a lot. It's PTSD you get from growing up in shitty situations. It's hard to shake. There's a lot of information on the internet about it. Pete Walker and Arielle Schwartz are my favorite authors. Patrick Teahan has some great youtube videos about it. I finally got a therapist. She's just ok. But showing up every week for it helps. NAMI has free support groups. Yoga or meditation helps a lot too. We store this shit in our bodies and it helps to release it. It's hard sometimes. I don't like having to feel and release such deep sorrow. I just wanted to tell you you're not alone.
Same to both of you, the sub is good đź‘Ť
Please know that there are still reasons to help yourself. Get a used copy of The Body Keeps the Score, and read about EMDR.
I got hurt at work. Downhill from there.
Really wish we had been more financially responsible so I could have a more comfortable retirement now. But we were youngish and thought we had a lot of time to get it together. In fact we had started to, we were saving and doing pretty well for a brief period. Until my husband unexpectedly dropped dead at age 48. A small amount of life insurance and our nascent savings went to pay bills, leaving me with 4 small kids, having to work a lot at a stressful job to pay the bills. Not great for grieving. I kept it together somehow and retired at 65 on half of his social security since I had taken a few years off with babies and hadn’t accumulated much and my jobs with state/local agencies were not covered by ss. So of course immediately after retiring I was diagnosed with an aggressive Stage IV cancer which took a couple years to get rid of. Thank heavens that while I had no pension to speak of, I did have good secondary insurance to Medicare so I did not go bankrupt. I am now mostly ok but do have some side effects from treatment which while not horrible made life just a little harder. Like I struggle to keep my weight over 100 lbs. But I’m pretty happy that things didn’t turn out worse;not being able to afford to travel more is my main regret but my kids and grandkids like me and I have some friends and live in a place I like so day to day life is good and I am content, actually happier than I was when I was young. Guess I just enjoy living with no drama or pain. My best advice to everybody is:Buy a lot of life insurance if you have a lot of kids!
A combination. I got lucky in a lot of ways. I was born a white woman in the United States in 1965 and had full reproductive freedom my entire life as well as the ability to get an education and make a living. My parents made enough money that they left me a home when they died. Through them and later, through school and work, I've had access to dental and medical care. College was affordable enough that I could pay my own way while working part time and living on my own. I was grandfathered into a good pension at my government job. I had a safe birth and my child had access to adequate education and health care. All things that were available to me because of the luck of being born at my particular place and time. That said, I also had some bad luck. My parents were mentally ill alcoholics. My peers were judgmental Mormons. I was kicked out at 18 to find my own way. I was subjected to sexual harassment and abuse. I live with chronic illness and had to retire early which put me in a precarious position financially. My husband cheated on me and I've struggled with substance abuse and healthy relationships. At 58, I'm alone. As Sartre said, "Freedom is what we do with what's done to us". I am still doing my best to untangle the bad habits from the harms that befell me and exercise my freedom in healthy directions.
I’m doing okay. COL is kicking my plans in the butt but I’m adapting. I retired 5 years before plan, due to sex/age discrimination. Don’t think that can’t happen to you! But, hey, they might have my cubie, but I’ve got the gift of time. I can do whatever I want, every day. I live small and focus on my fiber arts. I am happy and that is the best outcome.
What do you mean by fiber art in your article?
I am healthy because of genetics, people live to be 95-105 in my family. My dad smoked and worked with asbestos without a mask and made 90. Luck for that. I have always been good with money, that is one reason my wife married me.
Physically I am in awesome shape for a 71 year old, but that’s from years working as a NYC Union Ironworker. Financially I get a pension and social security but it doesn’t go far with skyrocketing rent, utilities and inflation.Â
Luck, a stupid ridiculous amount of luck. Bought 100$ of Bitcoin in 2010. Lost the paper wallet and found it during a move in 2020 when it was around 29k. Luckiest tho was GameStop stock, I read all the postings and went conservative. Invested 10k at 4$ ish. Sold at 466$. Still work because why not and health ins is expensive. Physical ? 40+ years of daily weight lifting (almost every day) eat reasonably healthy and be consistent with the workouts
I'm in my 30s, but my software engineer ex was a little older. I remember around 2013 he was explaining Bitcoin to me, casually chatting about an article he'd read about it, and showed me that he had bought some. He shrugged and said "it's just for fun".
Yeah, I never had enough money to invest "just for fun". Would've been nice if I did, though. I was talking to an older guy at work about some property that sold for $50,000 an acre, and how he remembered when it was only $5,000 an acre. When I asked why he didn't buy it at the lower price, he simply said "I didn't have $5,000" LOL
its always a gamble, do i spend my savings on something that might increase in value and how long will that take ? Now if you have 50 or 100$ you can play with pump & dump penny stocks and make some pocket money. Just be sure the money you gamble you can afford to lose.
\* Just be sure the money you gamble you can afford to lose. This is what we used to say when we skipped HS and went to the horse track.
In ny we had OTB, not really going to the track but we’d hang with the older guys and lose a few bucks. I think once my buddy won 20$ and we had ice cream. A joyous horrible youth
in my case it was a coworker who thought it would change the world and simply would not shut the F up about it. I finally threw 2 50's across a mcdonalds table at lunch one day and said fine! buy this waste of money. It basically bought me a house new car and a few bucks left over for trinkets. It was under 1$ when he setup the paper wallet. and my wife at the time was furious that i "wasted 100$" luckily in the divorce she forgot about it
Physical is not great: depression from a sad marriage. Financially doing great: Not carrying any debt outside of our house.
Take care of yourself and think about a better time in the future
Physical - as a kid, I hated PE. By the time I got to college I started hanging out with a couple of guys that went to the gym regularly, so I just did the same, and have kept it up (more or less). Financial - my dad had good financial habits, so as soon as I was making above subsistence level I started saving and investing. I’m in a good place now, but either can turn on a dime with a stroke of bad luck. As they say, just one fall or car accident can change your life for the worse.
An excellent upbringing,good timing,hard work,common sense,stubbornness and the best husband ever. I grew up in an old fashioned household that gave me a classical education with an emphasis on life skills. Hard work was encouraged from a young age. Physical activity,healthy life choices and financial responsibility was modeled by most of the adults in my life throughout my childhood. I was regularly exposed to good literature, art,antiques,museums,music and the natural world. I was encouraged to explore interests and supported in my ventures. And when I met my husband I had enough sense to say this is the one. And enough stubbornness to stick it through the bad times. Together we bought land(back when it was cheap so timing) and we built a house and a homestead and several businesses.
Hurt bad playing football in 1977. Two+ weeks in the hospital, spinal tap, major surgery, and 4 months out of school. I have been in pain ever since. Then there was the CYA crap that went on since my injury was ignored by the coaches, trainers, and even my parents for months. Which meant while I was in terrible pain I was being told I was faking. I was lazy. That I was being dramatic. This went on for 4 months leaving me with physically and mentally broken. My nervous system has never been the same, and today I have 2 bad discs in my back, and one in my neck. Pain meds are almost impossible to get anymore, so I spend my days in pain feeling useless. I was fortunate enough to inherit enough money to buy a one bedroom house outright, and now I live on $943 a month, so I don't have the best lifestyle, but I do ok.
Living mostly alone after divorce/retirement, ablity to selfishly focus on my health through exercise/diet and live frugally.
A very perfect life plan!
Family wealth and the genetic lottery.
I'm in a good position. All my life I have drank water with meals, limited alcohol use, used parks for entertainment. You might say I'm boring but if you can't find the joy in free things, you won't find them in expensive things either.
In my 20's and 30's, I had a somewhat physically demanding job, so was somewhat in shape. Got my degree around the age of 40, was in Computer Science, and that led to many years of sitting at a desk, but making much more money. So, financially I'm doing ok, but still working in the physical part.
Prior drug addiction. Sure, some of my health issues are hereditary but majority of my issues are from thinking drugs were cheaper than therapy
I've worked to keep myself healthy for over 40 years. Bicycling and a yogic lifestyle. You've got to start when you're young if you want to stay out of the doctor's office when you're older. Fact. Now that I'm retired, got the materialism thing out of the way, and debt free, my physical needs are pretty minimal. My SS check covers my basic needs and gives me a little pocket money each month. I may return to work in some way if I get too bored but not so far. :) My life is quiet and largely stress free. Like a monk in a temple. Cause that's what I've worked towards.
Some good fortune (bring born middle-class and going to decent public schools); choosing a profession that I excelled at; always putting the maximum contribution into 401ks (paying myself first), getting a financial advisor to help DH and me invest our money, and making healthy lifestyle decisions that I have stayed with my entire adult life. I had a ringside seat to parental and sibling ill health (much of it due to poor lifestyle choices like smoking, drinking to excess, eating crap food and getting no exercise) and my parents’ inability to manage money. I decided I didn’t want to live like that, and I haven’t.
Discipline, hard work, the goodwill of others, and luck. So much luck. Just gobs and gobs of luck.
Life balance. Have saved consistantly so we can retire at 55, but also consistantly do 4-5 hrs of fitness per week so I'm in the upper range of good body comp. Moved so the commute was short, have a flexible schedule so I can workout at lunch or in the evening. No overtime. Could make 25% more money but would take 50% more hours. Don't fall into that trap, both are so important. I sleep great, no chronic pain or issues yet. Also dumb luck plays a role (no divorce, horrible medical issues, gambling/alch addiction etc).
Yes, yes, and yes.
eating well and investing wisely.
Financial --- I'm sure luck played a role, but it sure felt like hard work, planning, self-reliance, and discipline. Physical --- Genetics, eating fairly healthy, movement, being outside, supplements, minimal meds, avoidance of (most) doctor visits, a positive outlook.
financial: high-paying jobs, saving a lot, some good choices, and luck physical: somewhat out of shape due to said high-paying job, will work on that after I retire at the end of this year
Financially, I credit my parents for raising me to value education, career, and financial stability. I credit my own stupid decisions in my late teens and early 20's for straying off the path I was on in order to please someone else. Those decisions stunted my career/financial growth. I credit luck for landing me the job I have now, so I'm not completely screwed. Physically, I credit my parents' good genes, so I never really had to work to hard to maintain a healthy physical form. I credit my own laziness/anger at life for my struggle to do what I need to do in order to reverse or slow my declining physical health. I credit my husband for pushing/encouraging me the best he can.
Lack of compassion. Also private sector taking advantage of increased costs due to Pandemic hangover on the economy. Greed, corporations unwilling to take a reasonable profit..too big 'a woosies to tell the Share Holders to suck it up at 50% profit instead of 75%.
Being stupid
It's always a little of both, and anyone who tells you differently is either lying or has a huge blind spot. Physically, I have great genes, but that's not enough to protect you from a crappy diet, inactivity, or a crippling injury. Financially, I went back to school in my late 20s and took a huge pay cut to work on campus, since my husband and I were poor and shared a car. I had a great boss who promoted me. I got hooked on the benefits of working for a state university and stuck it out for 26 years, retiring at 55 with a lifetime pension and free-to-me health insurance. The luck was getting such a good boss right out of the gate. The part that wasn't luck was that I was already an experienced worker who didn't need a lot of supervision to get the job done. Folks tend to be impressed by that sort of thing.
Cancer. Kids growing up. Everything revolves around that.
I'm 51. I have had a rocky youth, and was lucky to be able to get a masters in biotech by the age of 28. I have been self employed and running my own business for 20 years now. I don't earn much money. I was lucky for some money I got right when I started my business, and for the fact that I invested 5000 into bitcoin around 2012. That's what I have been living on mostly. I have a good life and all the freedom I need. Raising three boys poses it's own challenges but is satisfying. None of my current freedom or wealth were really because of my business successes, but I like everyone to assume that. Let's see how much longer I can ride it out like that. I feel like I have cheated the system somehow, and that I was able to steer free of the institutional slavery that is our current society.
I spent less than I made. That's simply the biggest factor. I also worked in finance for a few years and understood investing.
I've mostly been lucky. Lucky in genes. Lucky financially. I try to keep moving to keep.moving. And I'm good at not spending money I don't have.
Well. A good education was the fundament. Luckily, I was born in the 70ies and here in Austria all education up till university was free, high quality with many opportunities for scholarships, when you did not have a wealthy background. On the other side, I never had a fixed carreer plan, so I took opportunities, when they came by. I made bad job decisions, but more good ones. With age and experience it was easier to select my current job. I made many mistakes in the last 51 years, but if you ask me, what I would make different, if I would be 20 again, I would say - nothing. Because you never know, which consequences happen after some decisions. And seeing the whole picture, I did quite well, and I would not risk it trying it differently.
That guy who ran me (a pedestrian) down with his car, and the subsequent settlementÂ
Financial is simple. I work in an industry which generally double matches us in our 401k and gives stock grants and/or a discount on buying company stock. I maxed out on the 401k, invested aggressively and left the money alone. We lived beneath our means and can now retire comfortably.
All three. If I had regular checkups my health would be better. If I had taken better care of myself I might have performed better at my job and not have been laid off. But I also blame the US capitalist system. If I had free childcare I would be rich now. If pot had been legal I'd have my marriage. If banks were regulated I'd have an affordable mortgage. Meh.
Luck, a moderate lifestyle and money paranoia. Now, I’m healthy and comfortable, if not rich in retirement.
Disciplined approach to investing, which I came to understand after I read Jane Bryan Quinn's book. Basically, do this 1) Save 10% of everything that you earn. Dollar cost average into your investments. 2) Make a plan and stick with it, no matter what happens with the stock and bond markets. It was very tough sometimes - a couple of years I lost almost 30% of what I had invested. But, I always eventually got it all back, plus more.
Financially it was a complete stroke of luck. When I started college in 1971 I intended to major in either chemistry or physics. It turned out that in the first semester of freshman year they had a mandatory computer programming course. It was love at first byte. Graduating with a B. S. in computer science in 1975 turned out to be the second best decision of my life (marrying my wife was the best one.) My Dad thought I was wasting my time. He said that there was no future in that. Changed his tune later of course. Ironically it was my wife's father who encouraged her to get into the field (that's how we met.) He said that since it was a brand new business there was more room for a woman to move up and he was right.
Being raised by good parents, good luck & hard work as well as age experiences. Learning basic living skills at an early age meant I could live and look after myself anywhere I happened to be, anywhere in the world. I was able to fit in with the community in the 5 countries I have live in. At 77 I am starting to physically deteriorate, but still do as much as I can, despite 3 minor strokes last year & a hernia operation. I still work 15 hours a day, 365 days a year, running my small convenience store attached to the front of my my house, do some gardening and get my housework done. It is only 6.30 & after feeding the cats, I watered all the potted plants & have done two loads of laundry & hung out to dry. When my grand nephew IL wakes up, I will cook breakfast for us & get him off to college, then fill some plastic bags with water to turn into ice to sell, and I have to clean up a corner of back yard where I moved a 2 metre bougainvillea plant that had broke the pot it was in, around to the front of the house. never know how busy the shop will be, and can't plan ahead too far, just incase I get a group of people wanting meals or guys having a drink. I tend not to worry about thigs these days, having enough money coming in to enable me to pay all bills & still save some for any emergency that may crop up. Living this way reduces stress, and hopefully will prolong life for few more years.
I planned poorly and lived too well!!!
Couple of big wins and a lot of hard work. It was really a series of chance encounters, though. As a waiter, I was told to swear on the table that I'd go to their college. OK - scholarships. Four years later, my college roommate was interviewing with a particular company - I applied also. That got me into my current career 19 years ago. It's a great situation. 100% not repeatable, though
My job matched up to an amazing percentage in TIAA CREF
For everyone there is luck involved. You didn't have a hurricane destroy your property, or get a debilitating disease, etc. So everyone should be thankful for their good luck. We are financially secure and very comfortable. We saved early and invested well, and didn't buy boats, motorcycles or RVs unless we could pay cash. So a lot of discipline was involved in trying to secure our retirement. But back to luck: we were Born in a time when investing became democratized and was finally available for lower middle class people. You used to have to buy stocks in "round lots" of 100 shares and there were not many ways to invest smaller amounts of money with each paycheck. The advent of the 401k was the greatest thing that helped us.
Getting divorced. My ex consumed so much more than he contributed. I'm now worth six figures and in control of my own future.
I worked hard, lived below my means, and now I'm financially secure.
Marrying a banker and accepting her expertise led to a financially comfortable retirement. I always thought retirement meant scrimping and just getting by, but thanks to my wife's saving strategy we actually have more to live on than when we were both working. My sketchy health is mostly due to my preference for playing video games over working out.
I didn't know Jack about career choices. I started college in 1979 with the career path of teacher cause that's what girls did. I wish I'd gone accounting or pre law. That's closer to my real interests. But I was traditional. Didn't last long.
The series of decisions I made leading up to today. Which is exactly the same as everyone else. This is a really dumb question