Yesterday I turned 41 and thought about the things I’ve learned in life. Many of those things, I wish someone had told me and if I was told and didn’t listen, I wish someone had shook me silly until I understood. There’s also many things that were bad info but also got good adivce I wish I had taken. So here’s my 40-something;s message to 20 and 30-somethings.
Fuck a job, start a business
When I was 12 years old, I took an economics class in middle school where we learned about inflation and checks and balances. The one question that swirled around in my head was, Well if everything goes up because of inflation, then what happens when it hits a ceiling? Will we be paying $20 for an apple? What happens when things start getting too expensive for people to buy? I firmly believe we are seeing the start of that “ceiling” my 12-year old self was wondering about. The middle-class is shrinking, homelessness is growing, people have had to liquidate their savings and retirements to keep a float and both parents in teh household have to work to keep the money in order. Many jobs are hiring part-time to avoid paying workers benefits. And all of this and more is getting worse and not better. Employers lay off and don’t pay people liviable wages left and right. The best thing you can do for youserlf is control your ifnancies by starting your own business. A job is so 80s, so fuck a job,start a business.
Disassociate yourself from people who have nothing going for them
That’s right. I said it. Break em off and do it fast. It may sound harsh and it may sound mean, but at the end of the day at some people these people are going to become a problem. While they may be innocent now, over time while you progress in your career and they are still stuck doing what they were doing in high school, it will be like you’re talking two different languages. You won’t be able to relate to them because their realm of understanding is at a standstill and they won’t be able to relate to anything you’re talking about unless you bring it down to their level which you may soon get bored of. Trust me, I’ve been there.
Do not wait until you’re 40 to start saving for retirement
If I knew then what I know now, I would have realized that I’m pretty sure this was the worst financial advice that was given to me of all time. While it may have been absolutely fine at the time they old me as this was back in the 80s, they didn’t take into account that the cost of living would go way up like this. And it wouldn’t been even worse advice if I was working at minimum wage. According to Mint, to live comfortablly after retirement, I would have to be a millionaire.
Don’t have kids until you’re married and financially able
I am so sick of seeing single-moms, I’m literally about to lose it. All I ever hear from them is how they’re struggling to pay bills and all these other sobb stories. And all I can think of was, well, you had sex witohut protection and a stable income, wtf did you think was going to happen? When I’m talking about single-moms, I’m not talking about those who were legitly married and shit just didn’t work out, I’m talking about the ones who date a guy and play Russian Dick and have unprotected sex and hope they don’t get pregnant.