Living Frugally to Retire By 40? Mental Illness or Smart ?

[darwin666]

I would gladly give all my money away (substantial amount) if i could be 21 again.

The guy eating peanut sandwiches is a moron (well, he's young and stupid).

Money is always recoverable, time is lost forever.

many a youth dont know what they have.. by the time they realize they are old and penniless.

 

[joederp]

He also might drop dead before he becomes 'free'...

Guess he'd like at least a chance of not living on his knees his whole life. Plenty of bad things "might" happen before he reaches his goal, but it's his goal and freedom to choose one's path without the ever-tightening noose of a bullshit monetary system around his neck is worth trying for.

Seems there's a lot of self-confirmation bias amongst the naysayers here...didn't get the ducks in line until much later in life, perhaps?

The second most valuable thing in life is freedom and if to him freedom is retiring at 40 then it's super smart...

This.

 

[Brianharvey]

many a youth dont know what they have.. by the time they realize they are old and penniless.

What should these young guys be doing in your opinion, out of interest? What do they 'have'?

 

[joederp]

Money is always recoverable, time is lost forever..

Ben Franklin famously stated, "Time is money."

As long as the young chap isn't saving it up to impress some chick, he's reducing the risk of saving in vain...

 

[PoundTheRock]

The second most valuable thing in life is freedom and if to him freedom is retiring at 40 then it's super smart...

I love this answer, considering my six years in federal prison. Before reaching 40, I owned my own home, had millions, and spent trading hours in Tokyo Joe's chat room. Remember the good old days of 1999? Then, my dumb ass started a hedge fund.

I spent much of those six years in the prison library, hit the books, and learned data science. I was fortunate to land a great job because of those acquired skills. Prison is the best thing that ever happened to me. I write my monthly restitution check with great pride and have paid off about 82% so far.

Now in my early 50's, there is no greater happiness. My MacAir, clothes, and luggage are my sole possessions. Life is simple and beautiful. Every day, I go into work, walk into the executive conference room, and just want to cry at the view out the window. To experience joy and sadness at the same time, there is no greater gift. Every day is precious.

Regards,

PTR

 

[BSAM]

Name one thing on this earth better than freedom.

 

[dealmaker]

Name one thing on this earth better than freedom.

Health...

 

[cornix]

Lifestyle is up to a person, but one thing is sure: one should invest, not just save the money. The best state is when you won't even know exactly how much you have, because almost all your money works.

 

[BSAM]

Health...

Good answer, sometimes, brother Deal.
But, let me remind you that once upon a time, not so long ago, hundreds of thousands of USA military people believed that nothing trumped freedom.

 

[dealmaker]

Good answer, sometimes, brother Deal.
But, let me remind you that once upon a time, not so long ago, hundreds of thousands of USA military people believed that nothing trumped freedom.

Let's not dilute the conversation by introducing a political tangent. You had asked and I gave my opinion.