Random Fashion Thoughts (Part 3: Style farmer strikes back) - our general discussion thread

[dieworkwear]

I would love to stop working, but then I wouldn't be able to buy clothes that don't fit and I never wear.

 

[mak1277]

You know I often hear about retiring early and not working at all. I don't even know what I would do. For the most part I like a lot of the stuff that my type of work brings especially socially. If I had enough money to retire in 15 years, I'd probably just take a different cool job or switch careers to something that is a passion. I'd definitely work toward that level of flexibility. However working a job I hate for 15 years for big ass money seems like a waste of an already short existence. Gotta find the right balance of good pay and can deal with the work.

Frankly I wish all people could do what they enjoy and be guaranteed a comfortable living. Free leather jackets for all.

For me - I don't hate my job, I hate working. The best job is still just a job... still an obligation. Freedom beats obligation every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

It's possible I'll get bored, but then I think about all the books that exist that I could read, all the streams that exist that I can fish, all the trails that exist that I can hike, all the time I can spend with my kid, all the museums to see and restaurants to try and ... and ... and...I can't imagine how I ever fit a job into my schedule.

Edit - re: jawnz, etc....I would never retire if it meant I had to reduce my spending...I'm not a crazy person.

 

[peachfuzzmcgee]

It takes all kinds, I was unemployed for a year due to the pandemic and my wife picked up the tab. I still went out to volunteer, work in communities, and do support for old people in Japan. I also farmed rice for a little bit. I don't know, it is all dependent on the way one looks at it. Once I started doing these, they became obligations, but I found it no less rewarding.

However the way you are living sounds sick too.

 

[sinnedk]

Totally nothing is perfect, I don't mind taking a look at anything available and I'm definitely not closing my options. Luckily, I have the ability to do something in not just one country but three. I can go back to Mexico, I can stay in Japan, I can go back to the states. I'm not meaning going to "college", I mean just take some sort of schooling, certs, apprenticeships etc.

Food is indeed tough, and I probably would still be working under a team and just doing my own thing on the side. My wife makes more money than me and she has more growth potential so her thought has always been to give me freedom to pursue whatever I want because someday I will probably make funny money in comparison. She works in fintech/education technology. She probably would do way better in NYC than anywhere else since Japan has pretty low tech salaries.

I think when I say money doesn't make me happy, I mean that I don't need a super surplus to be happy. As long as I can travel every once in a while, make tasty food, and buy some crap here and there I'm happy. I once worked a job that I really hated but made decent money, all I did was fill the hole with jawns.

I am the same in this area. As long as i have enough with a rainy day fund I'm good to go.

I've been in tech for 20+ years, more if you count corporate IT before that, and I am So. Sick. Of. It.

There's an apprenticeship opening for a bookbinder in my area, which has been a hobby of mine for a long time. I'm so tempted to apply for it and chuck the tech job.

(truth is, I think they should hire someone young who will keep the tradition going for a few decades more than I can)

Damn dude i am sorry to hear that. i know a lot of folks burn out in industries, hope you find what you need.

The research is quite contradictory on this: up to a point, money makes you happier, but then it becomes less and less significant, and the point at which it stops making you significantly happier isn't super high (can't remember off hand). There are also contradictory findings about how much individual happiness is linked to national wealth, and what seems to be the most important thing is a combination of guaranteed basic needs met and economic stability / predictability - in other words not having to worry about poverty or you or your children's future.

?

 

[BlakeRVA]

Career decisions ultimately come down to personal awareness. You have to understand (or at least have some vague direction) of the type of life you want, then figure out the path(s) to get there.

Some folks don't care what they do on a daily basis as long as the paychecks keep coming. Other folks need to feel significance or passion for their work.

Neither path is objectively right or wrong, it just depends what type of person you are.

Personally, I've decided to take a similar path to @mak1277 - where I've found a well-paying career that I'm talented at. It provides a comfortable lifestyle and I'll likely retire in my 40s to pursue whatever hobbies or interests I have. This may involve some level of work, but ultimately it will be on my terms.

In the sage words of Drake, "You only live once". Make the most of it ?

 

[nahneun]

Career decisions ultimately come down to personal awareness. You have to understand (or at least have some vague direction) of the type of life you want, then figure out the path(s) to get there.

Some folks don't care what they do on a daily basis as long as the paychecks keep coming. Other folks need to feel significance or passion for their work.

Neither path is objectively right or wrong, it just depends what type of person you are.

Personally, I've decided to take a similar path to @mak1277 - where I've found a well-paying career that I'm talented at. It provides a comfortable lifestyle and I'll likely retire in my 40s to pursue whatever hobbies or interests I have. This may involve some level of work, but ultimately it will be on my terms.

In the sage words of Drake, "You only live once". Make the most of it ?

what do you do for a living if you don't my asking

 

[BlakeRVA]

what do you do for a living if you don't my asking

I work in IT sales, specifically Cloud Infrastructure. Happy to talk in further detail if you have specific questions.

 

[sinnedk]

I work in IT sales, specifically Cloud Infrastructure. Happy to talk in further detail if you have specific questions.

tech sales are booming especially during covid also helps when some products sell themselves.

 

[OccultaVexillum]

a career change doesn’t always require going back to school especially these days, did he mention something about schooling? All I saw was “career”.

re school, it’s a slippery slop IMO. Most people don’t end up using their degrees but the skill set learned in college does come into play. Btw I did turn something I enjoy into a career.

he said “maybe go back to school”…
I guess it just triggered me a bit since I left a program that I really loved to go into healthcare management/tech because the job prospects were so good and that’s the advice I was given. And now I work in a field that’s unrelated to what I wanted to do/started (architecture) and unrelated to what my degree is (Healthcare). If I did it all again I’d stick with architecture or go furniture design / product design.
I’d happily take a 50% paycut to do something worthwhile

 

[Peter1]

I have spent the majority of my career in journalism, which means a very low salary ceiling. However, we've managed to live in cool places - - Monterey, Philly, Manhattan, now Paris. But I'll definitely not be retiring early. Sounds like hotel work is somewhat similar.

Just something to consider.

 

[Gus]

The research is quite contradictory on this: up to a point, money makes you happier, but then it becomes less and less significant, and the point at which it stops making you significantly happier isn't super high (can't remember off hand). There are also contradictory findings about how much individual happiness is linked to national wealth, and what seems to be the most important thing is a combination of guaranteed basic needs met and economic stability / predictability - in other words not having to worry about poverty or you or your children's future.

My experience has been "Money doesn't buy you happiness but it does give you options"

 

[dieworkwear]

If I could do it all over again, I think I would go back and choose to be born into a wealthy family.

 

[cb200]

My experience has been "Money doesn't buy you happiness but it does give you options"

Me vs options in life.

 

[sinnedk]

he said “maybe go back to school”…
I guess it just triggered me a bit since I left a program that I really loved to go into healthcare management/tech because the job prospects were so good and that’s the advice I was given. And now I work in a field that’s unrelated to what I wanted to do/started (architecture) and unrelated to what my degree is (Healthcare). If I did it all again I’d stick with architecture or go furniture design / product design.
I’d happily take a 50% paycut to do something worthwhile

I completely get it if i had to do this all over again i would have loved to start with computer science or better yet just finish a degree in 4 years but on the other hand the journey is what makes us who we are. Even though my current job is super technical the soft skills i learned early on in my banking career came into play big time so i do owe a lot of my success to that journey.

The part that i try to pay forward sometimes via colleagues other times via kids that need guidance is to show what one can achieve and get done with tech (this doesn't mean you need to be in tech). I had a 486 as a first computer but going back further I was at my grandmother's job at the port of Odessa, Ukraine playing around on the old punch card computers in the 80s. I love technology and all its potential but am also very concerned about ramifications such as over dependency and privacy.

I guess i like the implications and fear the ramifications.

 

[sinnedk]

If I could do it all over again, I think I would go back and choose to be born into a wealthy family.

then you'd just be more spoiled with more jawnz