# How did you go from poor to rich?



## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

So if you started from a poor family but ended up at least moderately well off, what were the steps that got you there?


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

DH and I both worked very hard and didn't overspend. The first house we owned was a four room house that we completely remodeled. Most of the work was done by my husband. Later, we sold that house and bought 76 acres from my elderly cousin. We made yearly payments to her until we got enough money to pay off the loan. As soon as that was paid off we bought a neighboring 40 acres. DH started his own excavation business in the late 1970's by borrowing the money to buy a small backhoe. We paid that off as soon as possible. I worked on the farm, raising calves on nurse cows. After our kids were all in school, I went to college and graduated with a BS in education. I worked for over twenty years in public education. DH is still working although he is in his late sixties. I have retired from my day job and now babysit our young grandson so his mom can work. We are by no means rich, but we do live comfortably.


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## Rick (May 10, 2002)

Denial. Frugality. Patience. 

One car family. Rode bikes instead of burning fuel.

Kept a cold house in winter and a warm one in summer. Gardened from age 19 on.

Must include that we had some money left to us that we used to drill a well, bulldoze a clearing and a switchback road, and stone to pave the road.


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## Rick (May 10, 2002)

linn said:


> DH and I both worked very hard and didn't overspend. The first house we owned was a four room house that we completely remodeled. Most of the work was done by my husband. Later, we sold that house and bought 76 acres from my elderly cousin. We made yearly payments to her until we got enough money to pay off the loan. As soon as that was paid off we bought a neighboring 40 acres. DH started his own excavation business in the late 1970's by borrowing the money to buy a small backhoe. We paid that off as soon as possible. I worked on the farm, raising calves on nurse cows. After our kids were all in school, I went to college and graduated with a BS in education. I worked for over twenty years in public education. DH is still working although he is in his late sixties. I have retired from my day job and now babysit our young grandson so his mom can work. We are by no means rich, but we do live comfortably.


Hi Linn. You reminded me we refused to pay interest on anything but a home, and even then pad our 30 year mortgage off in 20 years.


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## Jolly (Jan 8, 2004)

Hard work, good life choices and the ability to tell yourself no.


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## Gercarson (Nov 2, 2003)

"Born Again"!


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## bjba (Feb 18, 2003)

The best advice I ever got, "spend less than you earn". I learned quickly "live beneath your means". Find a job and keep it. When there are no jobs create one.
There are no secrets. Most importantly, Keep on keeping on. The Good Lord watched out for me.


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## J.T.M. (Mar 2, 2008)

where I want to said:


> So if you started from a poor family but ended up at least moderately well off, what were the steps that got you there?


 Still waiting , and boy do I look forward to the struggles of suddenly being able to pay the light bill on time


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Work longer hours, stay healthy, spend a lot less than you earn, buy things when the price is low, sell high, buy used cars, drive them until their monthly repair costs exceed a normal car payment, avoid the latest craze: Bluetooth, I pad, smart phone, 4G,50 inch Flat screen. Don't spent $80 a month cable TV, lavish gifts, snowmobiles , 4 wheelers, speed boats and dirt bikes.


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## watcher (Sep 4, 2006)

where I want to said:


> So if you started from a poor family but ended up at least moderately well off, what were the steps that got you there?


Kept my pencil in my pocket when I was a young buck. 

Didn't marry until I was older. 

Worked hard in high school and college. 

Didn't do drugs or booze.

Started investing/saving money as soon as I started making my own. 

Watched my nickles and dimes.

Didn't buy expensive or costly to operate toys (boats, atvs, etc)

Looked for, found and married a woman who thought and lived the way I did.

IOW I lived a life where I rather be happy and have less money than be richer and wondering what life's about. Got a buddy who started out at about the same economic level as me and followed about the same plan. But he has a nice big house in a ritzy neighborhood with a bass boat, new truck for him, new mustang for the wife and the rest. But IMO I'm much happier in my life. My kids didn't wind up with kids out of wedlock, I don't have to work 50 hrs a week just to pay my bills and I still have all my hair  (ok the last one has nothing to do with life style but its something I kid him about all the time)


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## HDRider (Jul 21, 2011)

I came from a tenet farm. My father was a tenet farmer and so was my grandfather. We were very poor. Not as poor as my wife's family, and her's was a big family.

My Dad would leave the farm in the afternoon to work 3:30 to 12 in the factory. He vowed to leave the farm. He had a good crop one year and made the move.

*The advantage I had in life was learning that hard work paid off.* I bought my first car at 14, and doubled my money on it. *My second advantage in life was I had a reasonable brain.*

I chopped cotton for money and then I drove a tractor when I was too young to work other places. From 13 on.

When I was 16 I went to work at KFC. I learned to do everything in that store. Then I worked other places until I started college. Which I paid for. I worked summers in factories and saved my money living with my family. I was married at 18, and am still married to the same lovely lady. *Being stable is another advantage.*

When I got my two year degree I moved to Houston. I always worked hard and tried to reach that next rung. I have lived in TX, TN, IN, IL, NC. *Another advantage is being willing to pick up and move.*

I am about done with the rat race. I have bought a nice farm and have saved enough money to pay for everything I own. I pay two mortgages right now, but I will pay them off before I head to the farm. *Another advantage is planning and working to attain the plan.*

I make good money, but I ain't rich. I took care of my kids. I sent them to school. I tried to instill in them what I had in me.

I got where I am by having a lot of advantages in life. Don't get me wrong, I have been stupid too. But I always had some invisible someone that grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and set me right.

*God has blessed me in so many ways. That has been my biggest advantage. And for that I am very, very thankful. Gratitude is another advantage.*


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## jefferson (Nov 11, 2004)

What is you home town news paper? Your funnies are better than those in mine:yuck:


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

Education, education and more education. Each stage leading to more enjoyment and independence in our work as well as material rewards - salaries and benefits.

We weren't afraid to change careers and both of us did so ending up doing something else that we really wanted to do. We also did not hesitate to follow the work, moving many times and adjusting our plans.


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## plowjockey (Aug 18, 2008)

Taking difficult, but well paying jobs, no one else wants(wanted) to do.

First it was computers, back in the 1980's. Then (now) it was driving a truck.

DW has a not so glamorous, but great paying professional job, in the medical field.


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## CesumPec (May 20, 2011)

when DW and i got out of college, neither one of us had great paying jobs, but we lived on one salary. The other salary paid off school debt (in one year) a car loan (in 13 months) and the rest went to savings. 

Once we had enough to pay $20% down on a house we made that purchase. The realtor wanted to push us into more expensive homes because she said we could pay 5% down and live in a much nicer/bigger place. But we stayed frugal and only bought half the house we could supposedly afford and made extra principle payments every month. As we have moved through the years, we continued to buy much less house than we could afford.

We continue to save, drive our cars till they drop, forgo expensive vacations and anything else we can't pay for with cash, and have no debt except for a small home mortgage. We make a game out of saving as much money as possible on groceries, splurge on a fancy dinner out maybe 4 times a year (>$100 for the 3 of us) but rarely eat out otherwise unless work schedules force it. 

That isn't to say I've never done anything stupid with money. I've made mistakes a plenty. I've used bad judgment and made a few bad investments. I've made impulsive purchases that I later regretted. But because our savings goals always come first, the mistakes have been relatively small and I worked harder to make sure I wasn't such an iggitt the next time around.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Because of the blood of Jesus, God's grace has been upon us to preserve us and bless us all through the years. We haven't done anything except make mistakes. He has preserved us and blessed us.


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## SueMc (Jan 10, 2010)

1. Education and a good career choice. 
2. Not having any desire to keep up or compete with anyone. 
3. Not being overly impressed with a lot of "stuff".

Right now I have an overwhelming desire to find out how long my car will last. I got over buying a new car every couple of years (stupid, I know) 10 years ago!


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## willow_girl (Dec 7, 2002)

Well, I was married to a moderately wealthy man, for awhile anyway! ound:

Kinda ironic that after being a staunch feminist my whole life, the closest I came to financial security was via ... the old-fashioned way.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

where I want to said:


> So if you started from a poor family but ended up at least moderately well off, what were the steps that got you there?


I started out with nothing.... through careful planning, a lot of hard work, and frugal practices I still have most of it.  Actually I have never been wealthy, but I do know several in that top percentage group. (millions+ per year income) Those folks have worked for many, many years, planned wisely, did without, sacrificed, scrimped and saved and basically "lived poor" to get where they are today. Me? I have achieved a modest, albeit comfortable lifestyle through mostly my own efforts, (a bit of help from family, and advice from friends), educating myself, working, saving what I could and investing it. I am certainly not wealthy from a financial point of view, but I am quite content with my lot in life.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

willow_girl said:


> Well, I was married to a moderately wealthy man, for awhile anyway! ound:
> 
> Kinda ironic that after being a staunch feminist my whole life, the closest I came to financial security was via ... the old-fashioned way.


ah yes... Marriage...A very old profession, but honorable and well respected by many. There is another, quite similar, a bit older, (some say the oldest of all professions) not quite as well respected by some, but far more honorable in my opinion.


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## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

where I want to said:


> So if you started from a poor family but ended up at least moderately well off, what were the steps that got you there?


Frugality,my grandfather and father's work ethic, investing wisely, good fortune and a satisfaction with simple living and pleasure while not worrying about what the Jones' had orhow they thought of how I choose to keep and fix my old stuff instead of trying to one up them in a never ending game of keep up if you can.


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## snowlady (Aug 1, 2011)

Education, common sense and a good work ethic.


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## willow_girl (Dec 7, 2002)

> ah yes... Marriage...A very old profession, but honorable and well respected by many. There is another, quite similar, a bit older, (some say the oldest of all professions) not quite as well respected by some, but far more honorable in my opinion.


Ehh. I didn't marry him for his money, and I didn't take any of it when I left him, either. :shrug:


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## bowdonkey (Oct 6, 2007)

Yvonne's hubby said:


> ah yes... Marriage...A very old profession, but honorable and well respected by many. There is another, quite similar, a bit older, (some say the oldest of all professions) not quite as well respected by some, but far more honorable in my opinion.


A tip of the bottle to YH for that very astute observation.


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## poppy (Feb 21, 2008)

Gercarson said:


> "Born Again"!


Hey, good to see you again!!


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## poppy (Feb 21, 2008)

Yvonne's hubby said:


> ah yes... Marriage...A very old profession, but honorable and well respected by many. There is another, quite similar, a bit older, (some say the oldest of all professions) not quite as well respected by some, but far more honorable in my opinion.


I agree. Farming is honorable.


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## TenBusyBees (Jun 15, 2011)

Tightwad Gazette
No cash, no buy
Never eat out
Buy used


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

where I want to said:


> So if you started from a poor family but ended up at least moderately well off, what were the steps that got you there?


Worked hard/smart and didn't overspend our income, actually we lived well below our means which allowed us to pay cash for almost everything. 
Paid off the house in 18 years, car loans are for never more than 3 years (with at least 50% down) and I usually pay them off early.
We do use credit cards but they get paid off monthly.

Basically everything is on a cash basis.


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

HDRider said:


> *Another advantage is being willing to pick up and move.*


Very correct! I've lived in 4 states.

Can't understand people who can't make a living where they are but refuse to move. I had to borrow money to move to Texas -- best career move I have ever made.


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

I'll let you know when it happens.


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## Tricky Grama (Oct 7, 2006)

willow_girl said:


> Well, I was married to a moderately wealthy man, for awhile anyway! ound:
> 
> Kinda ironic that after being a staunch feminist my whole life, the closest I came to financial security was via ... the old-fashioned way.


 Just as easy to love a rich man than a poor one!! Huh, WG!

You've left off some of your story, tho, I know you've worked hard most of the time.


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## Tricky Grama (Oct 7, 2006)

My mom was a widow when I was 2 yrs old. Lived w/her parents til G'pa died when I was 8, then it was G'G'ma,. G'ma, Mom & me. (now why would you think this is dysfuncional??  )
Married too young but helped put my then DH thru college, never bought stuff we couldn't afford, just a small home then a bigger one when family grew. But for sure never beyond our means.
Went to college when my kids were in school & got a degree. 

So my advice is: do not have a kid b/4 you're out of H.S. & don't quit your education. 
Along w/living w/in your means.

Could've bought a HUGE home, more than qualified for the loan but chose to pay off our modest house instead. Now we can live on my SS + rental house income. We'll draw 401K $$ when I have to.

We get outta the TX heat every summer & sit on a dock on a lake. 
So I think we're RICH!


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

Tricky Grama said:


> We get outta the TX heat every summer & sit on a dock on a lake.
> So I think we're RICH!



You are indeed. Knowing what you have is what you really want does make you rich.


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## TheMartianChick (May 26, 2009)

I didn't do it, but my parents did. They got married when they were in their 20's and then dad was drafted into the Army. Mom had already been to business school and worked as a secretary. Once out of the military, dad got a job working for the railroad doing dirty work and eventually landed an entry level job working at an Armory. They used dad's GI bill to buy their first home and always saved at least something from every paycheck. They also bought US Savings bonds. They spaced their 3 children out with one being born every 7 years. When they bought their 2nd home, they paid cash for it and kept the 1st one as a rental for additional income. They both retired at 55 from their jobs with the State of NY... Mom worked in hospital administration and dad ran one of the local armories. 

They were firmly middle class in lifestyle, but were very frugal. They always gardened, raised a few animals and knew how to make things last. They were both born during the Depression and came from large, poor families. While mom never went hungry, my father was the child of immigrants and did know the feeling of only getting one meal per day. Education was always very important to them, so they always took vocational or college courses. My mom got earned her college degree when I was 10 years old.


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## willow_girl (Dec 7, 2002)

> Just as easy to love a rich man than a poor one!!


Fortunately, the opposite also is true! :hysterical:


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## Scott SW Ohio (Sep 20, 2003)

Like others, I have worked hard (often multiple jobs), been frugal, overcome setbacks, got a useful college degree, moved to where the jobs were, had a small family later in life, and made saving a priority starting early in my career. 

I never smoked or drank or fooled around, and I can't guess how much money that has saved me over the years. Also I fixed up and sold a series of houses for good tax-free money over the last 30 years - having a useful and enjoyable "hobby" that makes money rather than costs money was a double win for me.

My parents did me a lot of favors. One was encouraging me to work - I started with a paper route at age 10, and got hooked on earning my own money. Another was letting me know about family finances as a kid. As a high-schooler and young adult I always was more aware of financial matters than my peers, and this helped me establish good financial habits, avoid debt and save/invest for my future.

Though I'd like to pat myself on the back, I also have been really lucky - good parents (though poor), good health, many kind people who helped me, a great marriage and for the last 19 years a growing and generous company to work for. I just never got derailed by any of the disasters that seem to blindside many others and I'm not sure why but I am very grateful for my charmed life.


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## CesumPec (May 20, 2011)

Scott - i was also going to mention the no smoking or drinking. I see a "poor" neighbor put away at least a 6 pack every night. I see another "poor" neighbor smoke a couple of packs a day. Neither of them can afford to pay their child support but they waste a lot of money on luxuries. 

Another acquaintance from the poker table, he's always made way more money than me, got a $1M bonus one year. He spends (or claims to) upwards of $1 to 2K per week in stripper bars. He brags about what a big shot he is and how all the girls love to see him come in. His marriage is in the toilet and he had to file bankruptcy within 3 years of that $1M bonus. He chalks up his financial difficulties to bad luck on a few failed investments. I come to a different conclusion. 

I've never thought of myself as rich (and i still don't because I'm not by a long shot) until I heard someone define a rich man as someone who invests his money and a poor person is someone who spends his money. And the corollary, a poor man works for his money and a rich man has his money work for him.


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## Ozarks Tom (May 27, 2011)

Raised to be very independent (mainly by being ignored), and learned self confidence through working from an early age. Always sought responsibility, and enjoyed being in charge of myself or others. Joined the army at 17, and made sergeant by 19. After the army, lots of jobs for about 5 years until I landed a commercial flooring sales/management position. Learned everything I could about flooring from installers/vendors/manufacturers even competitors. After 6 years I started my own company, ran it for 9 years and sold it. Started another company, this time specializing in wood flooring. Operated it for 8 years and sold it. Piddled around for about 4 years, selling wood flooring regionally, then opened 2 area rug stores. Operated them for about 6 years, but when the housing market busted out I closed them.

My advice? Don't be afraid to take chances. Have confidence in your decisions, and hire the best people available (pay them well) to make money for you.


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## tarbe (Apr 7, 2007)

Got my first paying job at 14. Worked continuously until I went into the Marines at 18.

Did 4 years in the Marines and learned a bit about the value of education...went to college.

Graduated with honors in Chemistry and Business, while working the entire time.

Did 26 years in the petrochemical industry with one company. Retired at 54.

Hard work alone didn't do it though. My wife and I had to exercise fiscal discipline along the way too!

Oh, staying married to one good woman along the way made a very big difference, too!

We both started out poor, by the way.


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## CesumPec (May 20, 2011)

Here's an article I found interesting in explaining what it takes to become rich. I really like #7 - create multiple sources of income. 

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/222718

I once read that the single most common trait of all Americans who went from little wealth to millionaire (that didn't inherit or marry into wealth), was that they got married, and stayed married to that same person for life. I couldn't find that info via Google, but here's an article that discusses the importance of marriage to wealth.

http://www.accountingweb.com/topic/marriage-effect-wealth


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## willow_girl (Dec 7, 2002)

> I once read that the single most common trait of all Americans who went from little wealth to millionaire (that didn't inherit or marry into wealth), was that they got married, and stayed married to that same person for life.


OMG. I am doomed! ound:


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## Tricky Grama (Oct 7, 2006)

jefferson said:


> What is you home town news paper? Your funnies are better than those in mine:yuck:


 Ok, since all others ignored you (prolly should take their advice!) I'll bite. Why do you say this? Are you poor & plan to be that way? Or just don't believe ANY of us? Or just a troll?


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

Tricky Grama said:


> Ok, since all others ignored you (prolly should take their advice!) I'll bite. Why do you say this? Are you poor & plan to be that way? Or just don't believe ANY of us? Or just a troll?


I assumed it was just a misplaced post meant for another thread. Because I couldn't make any sense out of it either.


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

Pay cash for everything, with the exception of your home and vehicle. Pay extra on those items. Don't go out to eat except as a special treat. Find inexpensive ways to entertain yourself and your family. Things like game night, camping trips, picnics in the park, etc. These are usually inexpensive forms of entertainment. Raise as much food as you can, what you can't raise, buy in bulk. Dress for comfort, not to impress. By that, I don't mean you have to look like little orphan Annie, but no need to buy expensive clothes at expensive stores. If you don't need two vehicles, don't buy two. Don't worry about keeping up with the neighbors. The day will come when they will still be struggling with finances, where you will be living very comfortably. One more thing, and I'm sure some will disagree with me on this, but as a Christian I have always believed that when you give to those in need, God will supply your needs. So give with a generous heart and you will recieve.


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

I wanted to address a few other posts where it mentioned a good education. Although a good education is nice, these days you have dug yourself so deep in debt by the time you leave college that unless it's for a specific career I wouldn't push the college issue. Unless you want to be a doctor or other professional that needs a higher education, IMO, you would be better off doing on the job training, or find an apprenticeship type program and stay out of debt. Too many young people start out so far in debt that it's hard to dig out of it.


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## pancho (Oct 23, 2006)

Most people have much more experience the other way.
Going from a rich person to a poor person.


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## Hollowdweller (Jul 13, 2011)

I'm not sure I'm better off than my parents. Probably about equal.

I do own more land than my parents do.

I'd say the way we were able to either come in the same or slightly ahead of our parents is we both got college degrees, we didn't have any kids, We both worked. Plus we pay off almost everything we get. 

Of course my Dad worked 8 hour days with weekends off, my mom stayed home and took care of the house and kids, so while my wife and I probably had to work harder because we both have to work and couldn't afford to have any kids and have long commutes my parents had less money but more time to enjoy the simple things. My dad could retire at 58 and we can at 55 so maybe we have one ahead on him there.


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## Txrider (Jun 25, 2010)

work hard, work smart, start saving money at a young age.

On top of that be frugal, only buy what you need, what you have to have, not what you want. Most folks I know live from paycheck to paycheck because they blow way too much money on wants, things they desire, not things they really need.

Drive a new car until it's wheels start falling off, don't buy a new one every 2 years or even every 5 years. Mine is a toyota SUV I bought in 1996, no car payments for me in over a decade. One TV in the house if any. Cheap food and zero fast food, one restaurant meal a month.

And another good rule is never buy anything on credit besides a house, and don't ever pay interest on anything that doesn't appreciate in value.


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## HDRider (Jul 21, 2011)

There is a lot of solid folks on this thread.


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## CesumPec (May 20, 2011)

pancho said:


> Most people have much more experience the other way.
> Going from a rich person to a poor person.


would you care to back that up with evidence?


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

Sonshine said:


> I wanted to address a few other posts where it mentioned a good education. Although a good education is nice, these days you have dug yourself so deep in debt by the time you leave college that unless it's for a specific career I wouldn't push the college issue. Unless you want to be a doctor or other professional that needs a higher education, IMO, you would be better off doing on the job training, or find an apprenticeship type program and stay out of debt. Too many young people start out so far in debt that it's hard to dig out of it.


This is something that can be changed. You do not have to go to university or a technical college on loans. Parents can save for their children's education and the children can work while in highschool and while in college. You can also work while attending by taking fewer courses and paying as you go. And you can take student loans but only what you really need and then work for the first years after graduation to pay it off by sacrificing such things as vacations, houses and cars. My generation did it. All the young people who work for my husband did it or are doing it. It all depends how badly you want an education.

Higher education is becoming more important all the time and if the US, Canada and the EU want to compete our children need to be better educated. 

I find it stunning that people are dismissing higher education so easily these days. The huge success of the West was because of education. Now the East has caught on as we get lazier and stupider. Britain will graduate 21,000 engineers this year. China will graduate 500,000. China has more students taking master's degrees than are enrolled in US universities. By the year 2020 China will have 10 world class universities. The competition in the future will be harsh.


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## Ozarks Tom (May 27, 2011)

emdeengee said:


> I find it stunning that people are dismissing higher education so easily these days. The huge success of the West was because of education. Now the East has caught on as we get lazier and stupider. Britain will graduate 21,000 engineers this year. China will graduate 500,000. China has more students taking master's degrees than are enrolled in US universities. By the year 2020 China will have 10 world class universities. The competition in the future will be harsh.


Before you get too excited about China, keep in mind their society doesn't encourage individual thought or initiative. Their contributions to science and technology have been nominal at best. Now, some of the best minds in those fields are Chinese, but they are here in the US doing the work.

They wouldn't spend so much effort in industrial espionage and hacking of scientific data if they were able to turn all those degrees into original thought.. In many cases a degree just proves you test well.


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## willow_girl (Dec 7, 2002)

> Most people have much more experience the other way.
> Going from a rich person to a poor person.


I'm in the process now ...

It probably should be a lot more painful than it is, but ... :shrug:


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

My parents farmed in the 60s and 70s when I was growing up, just like Dad did in the 30s and 40s. Never made any money. They paid the farm off and only had money when they sold out. I farmed in the 70s and 80s, got out in the early 90s. I made good money farming and good money when I sold out. We lived modestly both on the farm and while living in town. I made good money in the town job and have a nice retirement. We have retired to a small cottage, live simply. Some say we live without, we have what we want but want to live lightly on the earth. We don't miss"stuff"....James


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

Ozarks Tom said:


> Before you get too excited about China, keep in mind their society doesn't encourage individual thought or initiative. Their contributions to science and technology have been nominal at best. Now, some of the best minds in those fields are Chinese, but they are here in the US doing the work.
> 
> They wouldn't spend so much effort in industrial espionage and hacking of scientific data if they were able to turn all those degrees into original thought.. In many cases a degree just proves you test well.


China was just an example. India is another. 

The idea that no one else has original thoughts or is able to compete is just wrong. In fact it was never right. In the past many of those minds set up shop in the US because that was where the money was. Now it is in China. And you just have to look at the new cities of China to see what innovative thinking can build. An old and obsolete infrastructure is not their problem.


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## NoClue (Jan 22, 2007)

I worked hard, listened to my elders, paid my dues, and got a few lucky breaks. Looking back, as much as I'd like to take credit for my 'success', Divine Providence had as much to do with getting where I am today as anything I did. I know a lot of people who've worked far harder than I ever have who are just barely scraping by.


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## CesumPec (May 20, 2011)

NoClue said:


> I worked hard, listened to my elders, paid my dues, and got a few lucky breaks. Looking back, as much as I'd like to take credit for my 'success', Divine Providence had as much to do with getting where I am today as anything I did. I know a lot of people who've worked far harder than I ever have who are just barely scraping by.


_âIâm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.â_ â Thomas Jefferson 

_âLuck has a peculiar habit of favoring those who donât depend on it.â_ â Anonymous 

_âLuck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.â_ â Seneca 

Hard work and financial discipline are both necessary. Looking back over this thread, you'll see that that is a common theme.


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## sidepasser (May 10, 2002)

I graduated at 17 and went to work and worked at various jobs with the intent that one job led to a higher paying job all along with the way. So far things have worked out that way. At times I have worked one full time job and two part time jobs, for 6 years I worked a full time job and at least one part time job in order to pay my farm off ten years early. I did get that done. 

Education is a necessity these days, even electricians and plumbers have to be educated enough to read blue prints, pass their licensing tests, etc. Very few jobs these days can be had on a less than high school education and even a HS education is not enough to get by in most cases. College degrees these days = a HS diploma 20 years ago and a Masters Degree = a college degree 10 years ago.

Most of the people I work with have one or two different degrees (just in case, they say) and they keep their hand in whatever profession they have dormant; i.e. if you have a business degree and an engineering degree and aren't using the eng. degree, they volunteer to work on projects just to "keep their hand in".

Don't spend more than you make, and have more than one way to make a buck. Don't expect a handout. I never expected no one to give me anything and I wasn't disappointed 

Don't have more children than you can feed/clothe and educate. buy used pretty much all the time. Use stuff till the wheels fall off before replacing. My truck is a 2003 and runs very well, I will keep it until the wheels fall off (so to speak). It's paid for and still looks good.

My horse trailer is paid for - I am going to sell it and downsize to a two horse and pay cash for it. I have friends that make a trailer payment every month and their trailer payment is more than my farm payment was and for just as long - 15 years. don't be like my friends.

If it eats it will cost you money. Bear that in mind when acquiring all kinds of livestock that you think is "cute". If you can't ride it, eat it, or breed it and make money - it is a pet and will cost you money. Keep that in mind when thinking about getting new animals. 

Work hard, and I mean work. Some folks spend more time looking like they are working, but not really working. If you actually work, people that matter will take notice. 

Don't acquire someone else's problems - be it children, pets, husbands, wives, families, etc. Their problems become your problems will cost you money. It is ok to help out, but I have seen far too many families dragged down to poverty by helping those that won't help themselves. 

Just some things I've learned over the years, and now that I am fairly ok financially, I still work. I think I am so used to working that I don't know how NOT to work. lol..


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## majik (Feb 23, 2005)

My mother would say that I went from comfortable to poor. In fact, she describes us as living in a rural slum. So, what did I do? I took my good education and found a series of good jobs, married a man I loved, had 2 awesome kids and decided to commit to them and stayed at home for about 10 years. Went back to work. DH came home to keep the house and support the kids. So we waited to buy a house, but rented a farmstead, grew our food, canned and loved one another. Sure, I have a great job and a house I love, but I could do without either so long as I have my family. What did I do? Let go of the expectations that other people had for me and learned to live my own live. Couldn't be happier. Rich is relative.


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

emdeengee said:


> This is something that can be changed. You do not have to go to university or a technical college on loans. Parents can save for their children's education and the children can work while in highschool and while in college. You can also work while attending by taking fewer courses and paying as you go. And you can take student loans but only what you really need and then work for the first years after graduation to pay it off by sacrificing such things as vacations, houses and cars. My generation did it. All the young people who work for my husband did it or are doing it. It all depends how badly you want an education.
> 
> Higher education is becoming more important all the time and if the US, Canada and the EU want to compete our children need to be better educated.
> 
> I find it stunning that people are dismissing higher education so easily these days. The huge success of the West was because of education. Now the East has caught on as we get lazier and stupider. Britain will graduate 21,000 engineers this year. China will graduate 500,000. China has more students taking master's degrees than are enrolled in US universities. By the year 2020 China will have 10 world class universities. The competition in the future will be harsh.


I payed as I went and guess what, I've never used it. So often kids get a degree that they never use. Why pay the ridiculous fees when it takes years to pay for and you more than likely will never use it?


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

Guess my idea of poor was differantt then the replies indicate.
Spend less than you make...not poor!! LOL Poor doesn't make enough to buy food!!
Education...poor ends up debt and years of struggle to pay it off!!!
So how did you go from cant pay rent and not enough food and 2 lousy paying jobs with no or lousy benefits to rich?


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## CesumPec (May 20, 2011)

Sonshine said:


> I payed as I went and guess what, I've never used it. So often kids get a degree that they never use. Why pay the ridiculous fees when it takes years to pay for and you more than likely will never use it?


there are very affordable colleges that give good educations. both my wife and I went to a good state school with a good reputation, paid our own way, and came away with bills small enough that they could be paid off within a year of graduation. 

To say that someone will more than likely never use the degree is a stretch. It would be interesting to see a stat on how many people stay in their degree field. I know lots of people drift careers over their lives. 

I have never worked in my computer degree field directly, but the education was invaluable. The things I learned have translated very well to several different kinds of business and technical fields. It also made a huge difference when working on gov't contracts. I could be billed at a significantly higher rate, thus more money to me, because I had that degree. Many gov't contracts don't care what degree you have, you just have to have one in order to be placed on that contract.


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

Everything that I have someone gave to me or helped me achieve. It can be stripped from my hands quickly if I start thinking that I deserved it or did it on my own. I am rich only in that I am content with a place to play and that I always have something to do.


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## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

> Education, education and more education.


Just have to say I know of at least 10 people that did not even graduate high school that are very wealthy. I think a willingness to work hard is more important. Too many people do not have the work ethic from years ago. I think the school of life is much more important than the school of books. 

My dad did not finish 9th grade. He quit school to go to work to help support his mother who was a widow. He married at 18 to my mom. They had 11 kids & were never on any kind of assistance. He just worked to support his family. He started a sawmill business in 1988 & last year it hit a million dollars in sales. It now supports several families. 

I know several people this way. They became wealthy because they worked hard. My dad is one of the smartest people I know. I can't think of much he can't do. That was one way he got by. He fixed things himself & did what needed to be done all by himself. We didn't go on vacations or eat out. We grew a big garden & wore hand-me-downs. We did without when most people can't imagine doing without something they want.

Too many people today do not want to work hard. I know several that keep going back to school because they don't know what else to do with themselves. They'd rather mooch off their parents & stay in school than go out & get a job. Why work when mom & dad will foot the bills for you & allow you to be a slacker??


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

Sonshine said:


> I payed as I went and guess what, I've never used it. So often kids get a degree that they never use. Why pay the ridiculous fees when it takes years to pay for and you more than likely will never use it?


 
Because education is more than just a degree or diploma or certificate. If all you are interested in is a piece of paper then it is a waste of time, effort and money. Perhaps you wasted your degree because you did something else with your life or simply because you got the wrong one for you. But one line of education can lead to another. And knowledge is never wasted. It has a way of interjecting itself in your life in very common or very odd ways.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

emdeengee said:


> Because education is more than just a degree or diploma or certificate. If all you are interested in is a piece of paper then it is a waste of time, effort and money. Perhaps you wasted your degree because you did something else with your life or simply because you got the wrong one for you. But one line of education can lead to another. And knowledge is never wasted. It has a way of interjecting itself in your life in very common or very odd ways.


You would be surprised at how much knowledge is indeed wasted! I have known quite a few very well educated folks that would be trapped if they were in a phone booth with two doors. Having knowledge is one thing, knowing how to apply that knowledge is quite another.


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

Yvonne's hubby said:


> You would be surprised at how much knowledge is indeed wasted! I have known quite a few very well educated folks that would be trapped if they were in a phone booth with two doors. Having knowledge is one thing, knowing how to apply that knowledge is quite another.


And I have known uneducated people who would also be trapped. 

I just find the new contempt for education and the ridiculous presumption that educated people are useless when it comes to practical matters and common sense to be completely incorrect. 

Given the huge number of college and university graduates who made up, and make up, the workforce it seems to me that most of them have been able to figure out how to get dressed, brush their teeth and drive to their empire building work despite the handicap of being educated. 

And some have even been able to figure out how to procreate thus keeping the colleges and universities turning out the builders and shakers.


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## CesumPec (May 20, 2011)

Wendy said:


> Just have to say I know of at least 10 people that did not even graduate high school that are very wealthy. I think a willingness to work hard is more important. Too many people do not have the work ethic from years ago. I think the school of life is much more important than the school of books.
> 
> My dad did not finish 9th grade. He quit school to go to work to help support his mother who was a widow. He married at 18 to my mom. They had 11 kids & were never on any kind of assistance. He just worked to support his family. He started a sawmill business in 1988 & last year it hit a million dollars in sales. It now supports several families.
> 
> ...


I agree that hard work is more important, but do not minimize the importance of an education. With many jobs, you'll never get the chance to prove how hard you work if you don't have the degree, or the certificates to prove you've completed the automotive, plumber, etc certification processes. 

I too know an 8th grade drop out, a mom at 14, dead broke widow at 32 with 3 kids who is now worth millions - all from her own businesses. She will tell you she is very sorry to have missed out on the education, the high school experience, and had to work twice as hard as the next guy. 

The fact that a few people can overcome incredible odds isn't a good argument that it is the best way.


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

CesumPec said:


> I agree that hard work is more important, but do not minimize the importance of an education. With many jobs, you'll never get the chance to prove how hard you work if you don't have the degree, or the certificates to prove you've completed the automotive, plumber, etc certification processes.
> 
> I too know an 8th grade drop out, a mom at 14, dead broke widow at 32 with 3 kids who is now worth millions - all from her own businesses. She will tell you she is very sorry to have missed out on the education, the high school experience, and had to work twice as hard as the next guy.
> 
> The fact that a few people can overcome incredible odds isn't a good argument that it is the best way.


 
I completely agree. A while back someone wrote that the richest man they knew "could not read or write but boy could he count."

I found this very sad because no matter how rich the man was he was still not free and independent. If he could not read or write then all of his life he was dependent on the kindness of strangers or those he paid to read for him, inform him, interpret information and in fact educate him. And he missed out on the great joy of books. For all he knew the commandment was "Thou shall steal" - if it were read to him incorrectly either by accident or on purpose.


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## Jokarva (Jan 17, 2010)

SueMc said:


> 1. Education and a good career choice.
> 2. Not having any desire to keep up or compete with anyone.
> 3. Not being overly impressed with a lot of "stuff".
> 
> Right now I have an overwhelming desire to find out how long my car will last. I got over buying a new car every couple of years (stupid, I know) 10 years ago!



I'll just quote this post (I'm doing the same with my 15 yr old Toyota, intend to drive it till the wheels fall off  ) and add...

pay yourself first, have an *emergency* fund (the cable bill is not an emergency).
be willing to take a risk....part of our retirement is funded by rental properties - something most aren't willing to do cause it's a pain, but it can really pay off.
Keep your expenses low.... don't have bad habits, smoking and drinking cost you more than just the beer and smokes. 
Keep healthy (dental too) as best you can, poor health is expensive.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

emdeengee said:


> Given the huge number of college and university graduates who made up, and make up, the workforce it seems to me that most of them have been able to figure out how to get dressed, brush their teeth and drive to their empire building work despite the handicap of being educated.


Yep, this paragraph says a lot.... All that education so they can figure out how to tie their shoes, brush their teeth and get to work on time.... where they will most likely spend their entire lives working for someone else (making them richer) doing a job they dislike. 
I was always raised to believe that working for wages was what people did temporarily until they got on their feet and made successes of themselves. Nothing sinful about it necessarily, but certainly not a place where one wanted to spend their lives. Better to own your own blacksmith shop than to work in someone elses steel mill and like that.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

emdeengee said:


> I completely agree. A while back someone wrote that the richest man they knew "could not read or write but boy could he count."
> 
> I found this very sad because no matter how rich the man was he was still not free and independent. If he could not read or write then all of his life he was dependent on the kindness of strangers or those he paid to read for him, inform him, interpret information and in fact educate him. And he missed out on the great joy of books. For all he knew the commandment was "Thou shall steal" - if it were read to him incorrectly either by accident or on purpose.


You might be surprised at how much can be learned without reading other peoples ideas on a given subject..... like the people who go out on their own, figure things out and learn it... then other folks then learn from.


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## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

> I agree that hard work is more important, but do not minimize the importance of an education. With many jobs, you'll never get the chance to prove how hard you work if you don't have the degree, or the certificates to prove you've completed the automotive, plumber, etc certification processes.
> 
> I too know an 8th grade drop out, a mom at 14, dead broke widow at 32 with 3 kids who is now worth millions - all from her own businesses. She will tell you she is very sorry to have missed out on the education, the high school experience, and had to work twice as hard as the next guy.
> 
> The fact that a few people can overcome incredible odds isn't a good argument that it is the best way.


Well, I never graduated. I also got straight A's. A lot of people feel I am wasting my life, but I am doing what I have always wanted to do. I am not dumb by any means. I fix most things myself & can usually figure out how to make do with things I can't fix. I have never had a problem finding a job when I needed one. I have had people call me out of the blue & ask me to work for them. You could not pay me enough money to go back to school. I would rather have a job milking cows or hauling poop out of a barn then a job that required me to sit in an office. I don't care how much money it pays. 

I drive people nuts because I do not push my kids to go to college. I have a son that is a junior in highschool. He has been getting stuff from colleges for a few years already. He is taking college courses & is very intelligent. Drives people nuts that he doesn't know yet what he wants to do. I tell them to stop pushing him. If he wants to go to college he can, if he doesn't, he doesn't have too. I am not going to push him either way as I really don't care what he does. All I expect of him is to have a job & pay his own way which he already does. 

Too many people focus on what will make them the most money instead of what will make them happy. I know a lot of people making good money that hate their jobs & are stressed out. I do not chase money. I am happy with the simple things in life. I am rich in what matters. I do not define my wealth by how much money I have in the bank or how much money I make at my job. A lot of people would do much better if they stopped focusing on how much money they make.


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

Yvonne's hubby said:


> You might be surprised at how much can be learned without reading other peoples ideas on a given subject..... like the people who go out on their own, figure things out and learn it... then other folks then learn from.


And you might be surprised how reading about the thoughts, experiences, discoveries and ideas of others can lead to innovative ideas of your own. Peoples' minds go off on a tangent and presto you have something completely original that started from something not original. 

Everyone starts off learning the same numbers - 1,2,3,4,5...- but what a bookkeeper can do with those numbers is completely different from what a physicist or engineer can do with them. Yet we all had to learn our numbers and letters.

Not to mention the huge amount of time and effort you can save through the appreciation of the endeavours and experiences of others and the application of the sound principles that permeate our lives which were the great works of previous generations. Education exposes you to all that has come before and without the original building blocks there would be no advancement. If each person had to figure everything out for themselves right from scratch then we would just keep reinventing the wheel. Education is accumulated knowledge shared.


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

Yvonne's hubby said:


> Yep, this paragraph says a lot.... All that education so they can figure out how to tie their shoes, brush their teeth and get to work on time.... where they will most likely spend their entire lives working for someone else (making them richer) doing a job they dislike.
> I was always raised to believe that working for wages was what people did temporarily until they got on their feet and made successes of themselves. Nothing sinful about it necessarily, but certainly not a place where one wanted to spend their lives. Better to own your own blacksmith shop than to work in someone elses steel mill and like that.


I was always raised to believe in education for educations sake as well as for what you could do with it and where it could lead you. And that it is an ongoing endeavour. 

It continues to surprise me how you always assume that people who have education must be unmotivated and not have the ability to apply their skills to their job. And of course that anyone who is educated must dislike the work they do. This is simply not true. 

I never assume that a person without education is unmotivated and unintelligent. I just assume that they have other skills and abilities. You seem to really believe that people with education are incompetent and worthless. That is once again simply not true. But if it makes you feel better...

There are millions of people who happily and successfully work for others and working for wages does not make them failures. Everyone at NASA is a wage slave and they are some of the most successful people in the world.

If you are happy owning your own blacksmith shop then that is wonderful. But others may be just as happy and successful working in a steel mill.


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

emdeengee said:


> Because education is more than just a degree or diploma or certificate. If all you are interested in is a piece of paper then it is a waste of time, effort and money. Perhaps you wasted your degree because you did something else with your life or simply because you got the wrong one for you. But one line of education can lead to another. And knowledge is never wasted. It has a way of interjecting itself in your life in very common or very odd ways.


I believe a person can be educated with on the job training than with college. There are exceptions to that, as I've mentioned in an earlier post, but for the most part the hands on training and life experience are far better tools to become educated IMO.


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

emdeengee said:


> And you might be surprised how reading about the thoughts, experiences, discoveries and ideas of others can lead to innovative ideas of your own. Peoples' minds go off on a tangent and presto you have something completely original that started from something not original.
> 
> Everyone starts off learning the same numbers - 1,2,3,4,5...- but what a bookkeeper can do with those numbers is completely different from what a physicist or engineer can do with them. Yet we all had to learn our numbers and letters.
> 
> Not to mention the huge amount of time and effort you can save through the appreciation of the endeavours and experiences of others and the application of the sound principles that permeate our lives which were the great works of previous generations. Education exposes you to all that has come before and without the original building blocks there would be no advancement. If each person had to figure everything out for themselves right from scratch then we would just keep reinventing the wheel. Education is accumulated knowledge shared.


 Which is why I posted that I believe appreticeship programs were a good thing. That way they are learning hands on in their chosen career field.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

emdeengee said:


> I was always raised to believe in education for educations sake as well as for what you could do with it and where it could lead you. And that it is an ongoing endeavour.


There is nothing wrong with an education and I dont recall ever saying there was. Where the problem comes in is with the emphasis placed upon holding degrees. Quite often those who have the degrees really are clueless as to how to utilize the education they have. Remember.... 75 percent of all college graduates ranked in the bottom 3/4 of their class. 



emdeengee said:


> It continues to surprise me how you always assume that people who have education must be unmotivated and not have the ability to apply their skills to their job. And of course that anyone who is educated must dislike the work they do. This is simply not true.


True, not ALL, but according to the "educated" folks that do the surveys.... yes.... it is true of the MAJORITY of our work force! 
http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2012/05/18/new-survey-majority-of-employees-dissatisfied/ 

Only 19% said they were satisfied with their jobs. Another 16% said they were âsomewhat satisfied.â But the rest, nearly two-thirds of respondents, said they were not happy at work. Twenty-one percent said they were âsomewhat unsatisfiedâ and 44% said they were âunsatisfied.â




emdeengee said:


> There are millions of people who happily and successfully work for others and working for wages does not make them failures. Everyone at NASA is a wage slave and they are some of the most successful people in the world.


Perhaps we need to define success? 



emdeengee said:


> If you are happy owning your own blacksmith shop then that is wonderful. But others may be just as happy and successful working in a steel mill.


True... for many... if not most folks, working for the other fellow suits them just fine. I was never one of those. I also think you have overlooked my entire point on this part of the subject.


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## Tricky Grama (Oct 7, 2006)

Sonshine said:


> I payed as I went and guess what, I've never used it. So often kids get a degree that they never use. Why pay the ridiculous fees when it takes years to pay for and you more than likely will never use it?


 Education is rarely wasted...matters not if you 'use' it. It 'betters' a person to know stuff. Almost always.
I incured some college loans as well as working a few jobs while getting a divorce & raising 3 kids...it can be done.


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## CesumPec (May 20, 2011)

Yvonne's hubby said:


> You might be surprised at how much can be learned without reading other peoples ideas on a given subject..... like the people who go out on their own, figure things out and learn it... then other folks then learn from.


agreed, much can be learned that way. That's how it was mostly done for the last 10,000 years. And you'll note the standard of living went pretty much unchanged, the pace of technological change was very slow. Farming, transportation, construction, length of life, healthcare, in 1000 BC or 1000 AD or 1900 changed little or very slowly. Compare that to the pace of technological advancement in the last century. We went from unable to fly to walking on the moon in 3 generations. 

And since then the pace of change has accelerated even more. Mass education has made the technological advancements possible and technological change has made the education necessary to function in the modern world.


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## Ambereyes (Sep 6, 2004)

I am not rich by any stretch of the imagination when it comes to money but have built my life around working for what I needed. 

Two degrees paid for did not borrow to get them, education is important but just as important is learning from experience, as much as possible I took advantage of that. 

Live below my means always. Didn't have a new vehicle until I was in my late forties and bought that one cash, got a good deal because it was after the next years models came out. Credit was something we very, very seldom used. 

But I feel rich in life because I am satisfied.


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

Tricky Grama said:


> Education is rarely wasted...matters not if you 'use' it. It 'betters' a person to know stuff. Almost always.
> I incured some college loans as well as working a few jobs while getting a divorce & raising 3 kids...it can be done.


Yes, it can be done. I did it. However, too many are starting out so far in debt due to believing they HAVE to go to college in order to succeed in life that it's ridiculous. This thread is about going from poor to rich. Now, I'm not rich by any stretch of the imagination, but we are comfortable compared to where we came from. Many will struggle for years to pay off the debts they incur by going to college when they would be better off starting to work in their chosen field and getting real experience. They start out with less debt and more actual education in their career.


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## Scott SW Ohio (Sep 20, 2003)

Sonshine said:


> I believe a person can be educated with on the job training than with college. There are exceptions to that, as I've mentioned in an earlier post, but for the most part the hands on training and life experience are far better tools to become educated IMO.


Why not both? I dropped out of college after my sophomore year and then worked three years doing sub-professional but fairly skilled technical work - drafting, computer coding and finite element analysis. I learned a lot, but especially that I wanted to be more than a technician. So I went back to school, got my Mechanical Engineering degree, and upon graduation I had multiple job offers from companies that appreciated I had both the degree and some useful work experience. And I more than doubled my salary, and have made an excellent living ever since.

I don't think of myself as an education snob - I recognize the limits of a college education, and I understand that many people are happy and successful without one. But you can also err in the other direction. For me getting the degree made a vast difference, and I'm glad I was not too proud or complacent to go back to school. As in most things, it's probably better not to generalize but to make decisions based on your individual circumstances.


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

Scott SW Ohio said:


> Why not both? I dropped out of college after my sophomore year and then worked three years doing sub-professional but fairly skilled technical work - drafting, computer coding and finite element analysis. I learned a lot, but especially that I wanted to be more than a technician. So I went back to school, got my Mechanical Engineering degree, and upon graduation I had multiple job offers from companies that appreciated I had both the degree and some useful work experience. And I more than doubled my salary, and have made an excellent living ever since.
> 
> I don't think of myself as an education snob - I recognize the limits of a college education, and I understand that many people are happy and successful without one. But you can also err in the other direction. For me getting the degree made a vast difference, and I'm glad I was not too proud or complacent to go back to school. As in most things, it's probably better not to generalize but to make decisions based on your individual circumstances.


I don't think anything is wrong with getting a degree. However, the topic is regarding going from poor to rich. One of the ways I suggest is not to go into debt to earn that degree. There's many careers that a degree is not really neccessary. There are some that it's critical to have further education. Don't just go to college because someone tells them they have to and incur all that debt. If your chosen career field doesn't mandate it, then go for an apprenticeship type program or on the job training. Sometimes life experience is the best form of education.


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

Sonshine said:


> I believe a person can be educated with on the job training than with college. There are exceptions to that, as I've mentioned in an earlier post, but for the most part the hands on training and life experience are far better tools to become educated IMO.


Education and experience. Both are equally important. One supports the other. There is much that can be learned with on the job training but not all. A nurse trainee can put into practice what she learns while working in the hospital but she isn't going to learn anatomy by bathing a patient. She will learn how to move the patient and how to observe physical changes in the patient. One supports the other. If you have a good grounding in the basics of any subject then applying it in a practical manner is much easier and more productive. 

When I hired people to work for me I did not want to have to start from scratch and babysit them. I wanted them to have a solid grounding from which we could work forward. Come to me with basic education and I would give you all the on the job training you needed. 

The situation in the US is that there are 12 million unemployed and even though there are jobs available they require a work force that is better educated and trained than what is available. The US military has even said that the applicants today are too uneducated and unfit to serve. How tragic is that for a country.


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

Sonshine said:


> I don't think anything is wrong with getting a degree. However, the topic is regarding going from poor to rich. One of the ways I suggest is not to go into debt to earn that degree. There's many careers that a degree is not really neccessary. There are some that it's critical to have further education. Don't just go to college because someone tells them they have to and incur all that debt. If your chosen career field doesn't mandate it, then go for an apprenticeship type program or on the job training. Sometimes life experience is the best form of education.


 
There are many careers and jobs that do not require a degree but since the subject is enrichment the simple facts are that over a lifetime a person with a degree earns much more money.

Debt for an education is a problem but so is the attitude. People will go into debt for a $30,000 car without blinking an eye but moan about spending $50,000 for an education. 

The cost of a university education has increased by 500% since 1980 - which is ridiculous. But that is reality. This means that people have to really save hard for the education they want and may not be able to get it all at once but work at it in stages.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

Sonshine said:


> I don't think anything is wrong with getting a degree. However, the topic is regarding going from poor to rich. One of the ways I suggest is not to go into debt to earn that degree. There's many careers that a degree is not really neccessary. There are some that it's critical to have further education. Don't just go to college because someone tells them they have to and incur all that debt. If your chosen career field doesn't mandate it, then go for an apprenticeship type program or on the job training. Sometimes life experience is the best form of education.


According to one feller who started out working for 50 cents a day, and going on to become quite well off.... as soon as he figured out that things worked better when his money was serving him rather than him being a slave to his money things got better. He had been an average student in high school, dropped out at age 16 to take a ten week course in accounting, and hustled that first (and as far as I know... only) job at 50 cents a day. According to the accounts I have read he worked that job about a year and a half and went into business for himself. Twenty years later... while still in his thirties he had done fairly well for himself, owned and controlled something like 90 percent of all the petrol refineries in the US and over 80 percent of them worldwide. His grand kids are still reaping the rewards of his endeavors, as are the numerous philanthropic foundations that he set up that consume millions upon millions of dollars every year. Just imagine what he could have done had he gone to college and earned some degrees! Who knows, he might have actually made something of himself. As it is he gets remembered at Christmas time when we light up the big tree in Rockefeller Center.


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

emdeengee said:


> Education and experience. Both are equally important. One supports the other. There is much that can be learned with on the job training but not all. A nurse trainee can put into practice what she learns while working in the hospital but she isn't going to learn anatomy by bathing a patient. She will learn how to move the patient and how to observe physical changes in the patient. One supports the other. If you have a good grounding in the basics of any subject then applying it in a practical manner is much easier and more productive.
> 
> When I hired people to work for me I did not want to have to start from scratch and babysit them. I wanted them to have a solid grounding from which we could work forward. Come to me with basic education and I would give you all the on the job training you needed.
> 
> The situation in the US is that there are 12 million unemployed and even though there are jobs available they require a work force that is better educated and trained than what is available. The US military has even said that the applicants today are too uneducated and unfit to serve. How tragic is that for a country.


Could you give your source for the US military saying that? I did say that certain career fields would require further education, that would cover nursing.


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

Sonshine said:


> Could you give your source for the US military saying that? I did say that certain career fields would require further education, that would cover nursing.


It was a discussion on CBC news several weeks ago involving US and Canadian politicians and military leaders. I was driving so did not get the names. This has also been discussed on CNN and PBS at different times. This is also on the internet

http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,90736,00.html


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

emdeengee said:


> It was a discussion on CBC news several weeks ago involving US and Canadian politicians and military leaders. I was driving so did not get the names. This has also been discussed on CNN and PBS at different times. This is also on the internet
> 
> http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,90736,00.html


This article is discussing everything from high school education, to obesity, to use of ritalin, and several other issues, but I didn't see anything about college education.


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## sidepasser (May 10, 2002)

My cousin's son tried for 3 years to get into the Air Force but they would not take him until he had a 2 year degree. He got that degree and he was allowed in and just completed basic training and graduated last week. My cousin went out to Texas to see her boy graduate. Now the Air Force is sending him to a technical school to learn how to do his new job. He will be at the school for another 2 years before he ever really serves day one on the job in the AF.

My son cannot cannot teach at the Uni level without a Degree. That is what he wants to do and needs a PhD to do it in the way that he wants to. I think he will likely end up doing that and really that pays less than being a translator. It's not about the money with him, it's about doing what he wants to do in life. That said, he has owned two businesses before he ever went off to college and made quite a bit of money with one he still does when he has time.

My daughter is back in college to get a degree so she can make more money doing the same type of job she is doing now. She wants to go into Hospital Administration and without a degree, no one will give her the time of day. For my daughter it is about the money. She's doing the work now, but not getting paid for it as the requirements are for a degree in Hospital Administration. They don't CARE that she has been doing the job and doing it well, she has to meet the requirements they set.

Yvonne's Hubby - not everyone wants to own their own business. I certainly don't. I did at one point own my own business and I made a profit every month. I also was extremely stressed out, had no time off, and in general hated owning a business. I am much happier today making the same money with none of the responsibilities of owning anything. I don't have to worry about making payroll, buying supplies, being available round the clock, etc.

Everyone is different but what I tell people is to decide what you want to be when you grow up. Then hop on the internet and find out what the requirements are for being whatever it is you want to be. Wanna be a doctor - well you best find a good college, then a medical school, and plan to be tied up until you are through with rotations. Want to be a plumber - find out if you need certifications, journeyman status, etc. and then do it. Want to be an administrative assistant where I work? better have that college degree, at least 4 years, and at least 1 year of on the job experience. Open that newspaper or look at the help wanted ads and find out what employers are looking for. It's all out there for anyone to review. It doesn't matter that a degree may not be needed to do the job, if the employer requires it, there is not much getting around it.


If you want to own a business, you had best be at least able to read in this day and age - there are permits required, leases to review, and the use of "I don't understand it" won't help with legal fines for not doing whatever it is you need to do, like complying with hazardous waste laws, EEOC, etc. Might help to have a bit of cash lying about to get started, a place to conduct business, and some idea of how businesses operate these days, whether it is an Etsy shop or a a brick and mortar.

The competition in the job market is fierce and there may be over 500 people applying for one job and you had best either be better educated, more experienced or a combination of the two in order to bring something to the table.

I know for a fact that even if my kids never used their degrees..no one can take them away and it is better to have one and not need it than need it and not have it. 

OP - I have been poor, really really poor. I lived in a tent with three kids at one point after a tornado hit my farm and I lost my house and everything in it - including my business.
I got a second job and lived on about 4 hours of sleep a night for well over 3 years. I worked full time, came home and cleaned up the land, then worked my part time job, then slept..and kept doing that until I saw daylight again.

There is no "majical unicorn farting out lillies and butterflies" - it is really what people here have told you - hard work and lots of it. Education, experience and more hard work and occasionally you have a bit of luck by being in the right place at the right time and get rewarded.

I am only speaking as to wealth in a monetary manner which is what I think you are referring to. Other types of wealth can be had with the same diligence and effort paid to obtaining them.


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## sidepasser (May 10, 2002)

Sonshine said:


> This article is discussing everything from high school education, to obesity, to use of ritalin, and several other issues, but I didn't see anything about college education.



From the article:

The pool shrinks to 13.6 million _when only high school graduates_ and those who score in the upper half on a military service aptitude test are considered. The 30 percent who are_ high school dropouts are not the top choice _of today's professional, all-volunteer and increasingly high-tech military force. 

My cousin's kid that had to have a 2 year degree was told that he is now competing with the college educated for the same jobs in the military.

All the kids that couldn't get a job on the outside went to the military and they took their college education with them so the competition to get in has become harder. The military is looking at recruits the same way as a civilian employer and if a kid meets all the qualifications and has a degree..well that is just a bonus for the military. 

I think my cousin's kid is going to be an air traffic controller of some type.


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## Scott SW Ohio (Sep 20, 2003)

Yvonne's hubby said:


> According to one feller who started out working for 50 cents a day, and going on to become quite well off.... as soon as he figured out that things worked better when his money was serving him rather than him being a slave to his money things got better. He had been an average student in high school, dropped out at age 16 to take a ten week course in accounting, and hustled that first (and as far as I know... only) job at 50 cents a day. According to the accounts I have read he worked that job about a year and a half and went into business for himself. Twenty years later... while still in his thirties he had done fairly well for himself, owned and controlled something like 90 percent of all the petrol refineries in the US and over 80 percent of them worldwide. His grand kids are still reaping the rewards of his endeavors, as are the numerous philanthropic foundations that he set up that consume millions upon millions of dollars every year. Just imagine what he could have done had he gone to college and earned some degrees! Who knows, he might have actually made something of himself. As it is he gets remembered at Christmas time when we light up the big tree in Rockefeller Center.


Hear, hear! John D. Rockefeller remains a wonderful role model for those seeking to get ahead in nineteenth-century America.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

sidepasser said:


> Yvonne's Hubby - not everyone wants to own their own business. I certainly don't. I did at one point own my own business and I made a profit every month. I also was extremely stressed out, had no time off, and in general hated owning a business. I am much happier today making the same money with none of the responsibilities of owning anything. I don't have to worry about making payroll, buying supplies, being available round the clock, etc.


And thats fine too... but I was under the impression that this thread was about how to become rich. There are extremely few "jobs" that are going to serve that end. If one wants to get rich, they need to lose the job mentality and go into business for themselves. Thats where the real money is.


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## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

Perhaps we should define rich. Rich to me does not equal lots of money. Apparently to a lot of you it does.

My definition of rich is having a roof over my head, food on the table, clothes on our back, & being surrounded by a family that loves each other. We do not have a lot in the way of money, but I am rich beyond my wildest dreams in what matters. I feel sorry for people that feel they have to have money to be "rich". Rich is a state of mind & once you find that state of mind you will be very happy!


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

Scott SW Ohio said:


> Hear, hear! John D. Rockefeller remains a wonderful role model for those seeking to get ahead in nineteenth-century America.


The basics remain the same today... find a need and fill it, take the profits earned and expand your business. Pretty sure Steve Jobs and Bill Gates have done pretty well using those methods... ok, Jobs is dead now... but he did ok while he was in the running.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

Wendy said:


> Perhaps we should define rich. Rich to me does not equal lots of money. Apparently to a lot of you it does.
> 
> My definition of rich is having a roof over my head, food on the table, clothes on our back, & being surrounded by a family that loves each other. We do not have a lot in the way of money, but I am rich beyond my wildest dreams in what matters. I feel sorry for people that feel they have to have money to be "rich". Rich is a state of mind & once you find that state of mind you will be very happy!


Yours sounds more like the definition of happyness. Rich has always been pretty much a monetary term in my world. I think if you will notice its that way with our politicians too. They insist upon robbing the rich... money rich... not the regular folks, based on a happy tax.


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## sidepasser (May 10, 2002)

That is true Yvonne's Hubby. Most definitions of going from poor to rich indicate they are talking in monetary terms, especially since the OP elaborated on how to go from not being able to pay rent to being "rich". 

Now there is rich and there is mind boggling Bill Gates and Steve Jobs rich or Zuckerburg rich, there is also very, very well off which would likely be anyone in the 500,000 - 750,000 range depending on where one lives.

Ultra wealthy - over 1 billion in assets?

True to become "rich" is to usually be in business for oneself, but now days you can be "rich" by working for others as well. I have friends that easily pull down over a mil working for others. I consider them "rich" and they do put in their hours to get that salary. The CEO of my company makes 4 mil per year with stock options, I kinda think he's rich too.

Guess it depends on one's definition of "rich". Some consider anyone making over 50,000 a year rich..I don't. I think that they are merely middle class bordering on working poor depending on where they live.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

sidepasser said:


> That is true Yvonne's Hubby. Most definitions of going from poor to rich indicate they are talking in monetary terms, especially since the OP elaborated on how to go from not being able to pay rent to being "rich".
> 
> Now there is rich and there is mind boggling Bill Gates and Steve Jobs rich or Zuckerburg rich, there is also very, very well off which would likely be anyone in the 500,000 - 750,000 range depending on where one lives.
> 
> ...


Thanks to inflation, just being a millionaire hardly counts as rich these days. It takes a bit more. half million a year? thats middle class in todays economy, half a billion a year.... you will start getting invited to a few of the better parties.


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

I don't think for a moment that being invited to a few of the better parties could be nearly as much fun and as real as the time I spend with people I don't know here.


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## Scott SW Ohio (Sep 20, 2003)

Bret said:


> I don't think for a moment that being invited to a few of the better parties could be nearly as much fun and as real as the time I spend with people I don't know here.


We ARE one of the better parties.


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## Wanderer0101 (Jul 18, 2007)

My family wasn't poverty stricken though we didn't have much when I was growing up. We did a good job of managing what we had. One thing I learned early on was the necessity of being reliable and having a good work ethic. I got where I am today by working hard and doing things and going places that most folks wouldn't, by not expecting immediate gratification but always being prepared to wait until I could actually afford something, by not being self-indulgent and thinking I deserved something I couldn't pay for, by being disciplined in saving and investing rather than blowing what I earned. All of that got me a very good reputation in my field and more money than I every thought I would have as well as a prosperous, healthy family and an absolute wealth of experience and memories that I highly cherish. I did this without one nickel from the government or anyone else, without any kind of a sponsorship,favoritism or leverage; in fact I had to overcome a number of prejudices and obstacles. Not blowing my horn, that's just the way it was. I've seen other people do the same thing with the same results.

People that poor mouth and blame their status on the actions of others or the lack of opportunities handed to them on a silver platter make me nauseous.


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

sidepasser said:


> *My cousin's son tried for 3 years to get into the Air Force but they would not take him until he had a 2 year degree*. He got that degree and he was allowed in and just completed basic training and graduated last week. My cousin went out to Texas to see her boy graduate. Now the Air Force is sending him to a technical school to learn how to do his new job. He will be at the school for another 2 years before he ever really serves day one on the job in the AF.
> 
> My son cannot cannot teach at the Uni level without a Degree. That is what he wants to do and needs a PhD to do it in the way that he wants to. I think he will likely end up doing that and really that pays less than being a translator. It's not about the money with him, it's about doing what he wants to do in life. That said, he has owned two businesses before he ever went off to college and made quite a bit of money with one he still does when he has time.
> 
> ...


You don't have to have college to get in the Air Force. A girl we raised from the age of 14 yrs enlisted about 4 years ago. She was homeschooled and had no other education.


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

sidepasser said:


> From the article:
> 
> The pool shrinks to 13.6 million _when only high school graduates_ and those who score in the upper half on a military service aptitude test are considered. The 30 percent who are_ high school dropouts are not the top choice _of today's professional, all-volunteer and increasingly high-tech military force.
> 
> ...


 
High school dropouts can't enlist in the Air Force without 2 years in college, but a high school graduate can enlist in the Air Force as long as they pass the requirements, both physical and aptitude. The only time a person has to have a college degree to get in the Air Force is if they are going in as an officer.


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## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

where I want to said:


> So if you started from a poor family but ended up at least moderately well off, what were the steps that got you there?


The steps I took to work every day.

Mon


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## rxkeith (Apr 13, 2009)

we have got where we are, by living within our means, always. we maxed out the 401k plans for years. eliminated debt by paying off the mortgage fast, in a neighborhood where real estate appreciated 15-17 percent a year. get a handle on your expenses, stay out of debt. spend less than you make, and you will usually end up alright. 

several people have mentioned education. nice to have, but no guarantee of success. there are college grads having trouble finding jobs, and having thousands of dollars in student loan debt. i know people with $200,000 and $300,000 in student loan debt. even with jobs having a six figure income, its going to take years to pay off that amount of debt. more and more students today are graduating with a frightening amount of student loan debt. its like being in bondage.
work hard, but work smart. education today is over stated to some extant i think. the pattern today in many fields is you need an advanced degree to be "qualified" for the good jobs. some of the most successful people are lacking in traditional education. have an idea, find a niche, think outside the box.

and stay out of debt



keith


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## CesumPec (May 20, 2011)

rxkeith said:


> we have got where we are, by living within our means, always. we maxed out the 401k plans for years. eliminated debt by paying off the mortgage fast, in a neighborhood where real estate appreciated 15-17 percent a year. get a handle on your expenses, stay out of debt. spend less than you make, and you will usually end up alright.
> 
> several people have mentioned education. nice to have, but no guarantee of success. there are college grads having trouble finding jobs, and having thousands of dollars in student loan debt. i know people with $200,000 and $300,000 in student loan debt. even with jobs having a six figure income, its going to take years to pay off that amount of debt. more and more students today are graduating with a frightening amount of student loan debt. its like being in bondage.
> work hard, but work smart. education today is over stated to some extant i think. the pattern today in many fields is you need an advanced degree to be "qualified" for the good jobs. some of the most successful people are lacking in traditional education. have an idea, find a niche, think outside the box.
> ...


there are people of all walks of life who make really stupid financial decisions and they are doomed to struggle no matter if they win the lottery. A relative few people do get a degree after borrowing $100+K and that's usually a very dumb series of decisions. That is a problem of the individual, not of education in general. 

and no one ever said education was a guarantee of success. In fact, many in this thread have said education is good but hard work is more important. What is a guarantee of financial success? Successful businesses crash and burn when the next big tech comes out or the laws change, lottery winners go bankrupt, highly productive farmers get swept away in tornadoes.


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## Tricky Grama (Oct 7, 2006)

Wendy said:


> Just have to say I know of at least 10 people that did not even graduate high school that are very wealthy. I think a willingness to work hard is more important. Too many people do not have the work ethic from years ago. I think the school of life is much more important than the school of books.
> 
> My dad did not finish 9th grade. He quit school to go to work to help support his mother who was a widow. He married at 18 to my mom. They had 11 kids & were never on any kind of assistance. He just worked to support his family. He started a sawmill business in 1988 & last year it hit a million dollars in sales. It now supports several families.
> 
> ...


 Of course there's always those who make it w/o education. But just b/c you know a bunch who did does not mean that this is the norm. 
By FAR it is the one's w/education who make the best of it. 
Studies prove it. Even w/unemployment so hi, its the one's w/o education who are the highest # of unemployed.


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## Tricky Grama (Oct 7, 2006)

Yvonne's hubby said:


> And thats fine too... but I was under the impression that this thread was about how to become rich. There are extremely few "jobs" that are going to serve that end. If one wants to get rich, they need to lose the job mentality and go into business for themselves. Thats where the real money is.


Rich is relative...


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## HDRider (Jul 21, 2011)

Tricky Grama said:


> Rich is relative...


I guess it could help if you have rich relatives.


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