Tips for Failure - Or - How to Guarantee a Life Of Being Broke

[colene_me]

Interesting thread.
Some tips for failure in mind:
- Do not save for the rainy day.
- Be a one day Billionaire
- Quit when you feel it will just give you stress.
- Listen to all the negative comments and think it was really you.

[SallyC]

Be unwilling to try any new frugal techniques that might fail, need tweaking or not result in an instant huge savings.

[Ayanka]

Nearly 2 years and counting... this thread desserves a bump for the new people.

Buy the maximum of house you can afford according to the bank, especially looking for size and not how much costs there will still be involved in the renovation of the house. This is what a friend of mine did, who works weekends to pay the mortgage and spends a lot of free time renovating a house. Don't get me wrong, I really hope it will work out for her but financially it wasn't a good move.

[bayareamom]

Believe Used goods stores are for losers: Afterall purchasing anything from the GoodWill, Salvation Army etc is for poor people. Why would you want to buy used stuff anyway it is all junk. Also who would want to wear a pair of pants or a dress that someone else had their butt in. Or a couch which someone else sat on. It does not matter if the item is in perfect condition or has been washed/cleaned. While I am at it why buy anything from garage sales it is along the same lines.

that's so funny! if we think about it, people's butts are have been in new clothes too, lol! when they try on the clothes, lol! that is why we ahve to wash our clothes, if when new, lol!

not too mention, the creepy crawlers that live in the stores and roam around the clothes and whatnot.

1. Follow your poor-paying passion

I have seen countless friends take up liberal arts courses in very expensive universities and end up jobless for more than a year. When they get a job, they get a very poor paying one with no career growth. Meanwhile the electrician who took a short course in a community college immediately got a job and was making decent money. Please, please separate your career and your hobbies. You can enjoy your European history during your free time but between 8-5 you have to make money. The truth is, how much you make largely depends on what kind of work you're doing. It doesn't matter how high your IQ is. All people doing the same job are more or less earning the same amount of money.

2. Date or marry someone who's ambitious but does not have the income to back it up

This comes from experience. I have dated quite a number of women who dream of a house, a nice expensive car, yearly trips overseas and eating out weekly yet aren't doing anything to improve their income. You know what's on their mind? They're betting that you'll be successful and you'll be paying for it! It sounds harsh but that's the reality. Next to children and medical illness, dating a high maintenance girl is the next fastest way to lose money. Some would also constantly request that you guys eat out (but you shoulder the bill).

3. Frequently browse Instagram

You heard me. You do not win when you browse Instagram. It's like watching advertisements voluntarily. You see a particular person having the time of his life. It's just part of humanity to also want it. You either spend, or your frugality kicks in and you just feel bad and depressed that you can't afford it.

4. Start an expensive collection

I used to collect watches, albeit not that expensive. Mostly Timex and Seikos. At first it was manageable, what's $50 or $100? But it causes a weekly itch. As they say, you catch a bug. You always have an itch to expand your collection and trust me it costs you both time and money. I have spent a total of $1500 on watches. The good thing is that I was able to sell everything and recover $800. But that's for watches. What if your collection cannot be sold? Don't start to begin with.

5. Have high maintenance friends

Believe it or not, broke people flock together and stay together. I'm sure you know a group of friends who frequently eat out, party or go on trips but you know that they're job doesn't pay that much. Don't don't don't underestimate peer pressure.

Been there done that. Back in college I used to hang out with a group of attractive girls who liked to have $30 meals frequently. A total waste of money.

6. Think that having one job is always enough and you just have to be frugal.

This is not true at all. You may find it hard to believe but most people have other sources of income. I know accountants and even lawyers who are driving Uber during the weekends. Another office staff I know of takes an extra 4-hour shift after work as a data entry clerk. Sometimes the solution is not to be frugal but simply to earn more money.