Anyone here cheap?

[Lynx nkaf]

I live a life of excess... I have expensive taste in clothes, particularly sneakers. Being invited somewhere constitutes a trip to Nordstrom’s for at minimum a new shirt. It would be an anomaly for you to ever see me in the same outfit twice(besides gym stuff). It’s not uncommon for me to drop $200 - 300 on a pair of sneakers, I’d say every three months. Jordan’s, yeezys. With over 25 pairs of sneakers all practically new sometimes the shoes will sit a half year before being worn.

I enjoy expensive cuts of steak, expensive sea food. I enjoy professional massages atleast once a month. I pay $30 for a bald side fade haircut weekly. I get my feet pedicured monthly. Theoretically, 30 years old with no kids, making 60,000+ yearly in the northeast I should have thousands in the bank. But I do not due to expensive hobbies & lifestyle .. Not glorifying any of this just being completely honest

thus the creation of this thread.

Basically I spend money like a 23 year old white girl from Beverly Hills. I’m somewhat metrosexual if anyone uses these terms anymore. I own 30+ bottles of cologne, ranging from $30 Azzaro Chrome to $350 Creed Adventist’s
One good thing I will say about myself is very little debt, all things considered. All this folly is funded with cash not credit.
However I am what you call “hood rich”.. I have all these worthless material things but no assets. Car is financed, live in apartment .. etc etc

Awesome you Beverly Hills girl you.

Why no money spent on NBA games? I'd think you like that if you play and you like nice shirts and sneakers to display.
This is a fantastic time of your life right now cola.
Don't change a thing.
Just caught your edit.
Maybe aim for paying cash for vehicles, just that change.

 

[cola]

Awesome you Beverly Hills girl you.

Why no money spent on NBA games? I'd think you like that if you play and you like nice shirts and sneakers to display.
This is a fantastic time of your life right now cola.
Don't change a thing.

This was acceptable and fun in my 20s, ill be 31 this August it’s time to grow up some. Baltimore has no nba team but you can catch me at a ravens game twice a season, maybe 4 orioles games.

 

[Lynx nkaf]

This was acceptable and fun in my 20s, ill be 31 this August it’s time to grow up some. Baltimore has no nba team but you can catch me at a ravens games twice a season.

Your clock is ticking I'm reading you.

So, you're a super grinder with the multiple jobs/income streams.

What are your personal(read:women goals?)
If that's hard to write, then ask yourself, "what DON't I want in women?"
that's fun you go to a few games anyways.
I know Baltimore is cool, what's the spot in the city you're most relaxed in? Think of this without posting specifics on the forum. Maybe settle in that spot to give yourself the feeling that you've 'made it'. You wrote it was time to grow up some so I think it must mean settle down into a preferred address.

Asking the woman type and the address type questions of yourself will determine what you do next with your money...just my two ideas for you to stay motivated saving and investing.

 

[ImTheDoubleGreatest!]

There is a store called Aldi in my area. That place is my go to for saving money.

Do some people not have an Aldi? I thought they were a huge chain across the US

I don't tip at places where the employees get paid hourly or don;t rely on tips. Sounds cheap but back in my day they didn't have tip jars every fukn where. It's like tipping everyone became a thing along the way which is horse chit. They look at you with anger if you dont tip them. MOfo I used to do the same job and never took tips, asked for tips nor had a tip jar. It's like society magically put tip jars everywhere! It's like everyone wants a hand out these days.

Cost of living is a lot higher than it used to be, and these people oftentimes get paid less than minimum wage. Knew a bus boy who made $5.25/hr bc they rely on tips, and a waiter who made $3/hr bc of the same. It’s ****ed.

If you can't get a 15 year mortgage, or already have a 30 year, making just one extra payment per year drops your amortization to 20 years.

Do you mean like just putting down extra on principal?

 

[cola]

Your clock is ticking I'm reading you.

So, you're a super grinder with the multiple jobs/income streams.

What are your personal(read:women goals?)
If that's hard to write, then ask yourself, "what DON't I want in women?"

I don’t have a woman goal. I’ve slept with women for sport for years. I do have a “main” girl who if she chooses to stick around I’ll probably make an honest woman of in a few more years.

At this point, I treat sex like eating a sandwich. If I’m hungry I’ll go downstairs and make one, much the same if I need sex I’ll go seek it. It’s a physical urge to be satiated twice in a while. No more thought Is really required than that with women.

I know you’re a lady, I hope that above paragraph isn’t too sharp.

 

[Spaz]

Please don't offer bad personal financial advice to people.

It's no wonder people who are poor gets poorer.

You condition ur own minds and when you act as such you become as such.

 

[Lynx nkaf]

I don’t have a woman goal. I’ve slept with women for sport for years. I do have a “main” girl who if she chooses to stick around I’ll probably make an honest woman of in a few more years.

At this point, I treat sex like eating a sandwich. If I’m hungry I’ll go downstairs and make one, much the same if I need sex I’ll go seek it. It’s a physical urge to be satiated twice in a while. No more thought Is really required than that with women.

I know you’re a lady, I hope that above paragraph isn’t too sharp.

Ok.
I read that you do not plan to be prepared financially for 'making the main plate an honest woman'(translate: marriage?)
Where in your life do you need to grow up?
You sound satisfied and content right now.

I'm following the youtuber Dave Ramsey's baby steps plan for money management and the next step(three) is to save 6 months net salary as an untouchable, accessible emergency fund.

I only just started crushing baby step 2 myself but I'd freakin love to come back and post that I completed step three!
What do you think of eliminating all debt and saving 6 months net(your example would be 30,000 +)

 

[ImTheDoubleGreatest!]

Change my own oil, wiper blades, I know how to drywall wall, run electric. If I can learn it and do it myself I pretty much do that. The cost to pay someone to do it, I could invest in some high quality tools that I get to keep forever.

I've been working on cars since High School which allows me to drive nice used fancy cars. It's a good skill to have and doing all the basic maintenance isn't rocket science. Tools have also gotten very cheap(price and quality wise). It's definitely a good time to learn some basics to save some money.

Working on cars is something I love and hate. You're right, it's not that hard if you take the time to learn the basics and go from there. I try to do my own work on things I feel comfortable with. I've been doing my own oil changes for the past 15 years, my own brakes, valve cover gasket, alternator, you know easy stuff. I don't own enough tools for certain jobs. Sometimes I just don't want to deal with it. I only drive cars that are easy to work on and considered reliable like Toyota & Honda. If you know how to work on cars, have the space & tools, you can make some really good money on the side.

Yeah just to clarify, I meant basic maintenance stuff. Dealers totally rip off customers these days on the most mundane stuff. Like $45 to change wiper blades? LOL

Personally I think EVERY male should have basic skill set including being able to change headlight bulbs, oil, air filter and stuff like that.

One of my older coworkers where he's a youth leader at his church was amazed that most of the kids in his program didn't even know how to turn a screwdriver or hammer a nail in. Pitiful.

Where do you guys learn this stuff? They don't teach it to us younger dudes growing up anymore. I've been wanting to learn about how to do all of this but I don't know how to learn. The internet and YouTube are great, but let's be honest here, you need some real hands-on practice with this type of stuff.

And honestly, it's not even about saving money, it's about just being a man. Knowing basic construction, plumbing, electrician-work/HVAC, and car maintenance is like knowing how to tie a tie for a man; it's one of those lost rites of passages that every man should know how to do, but doesn't nowadays. I've been wanting to learn about this stuff since I was 15 but I don't know where or who to learn from because everywhere you look, people say you should already know how to do this stuff and jobs always want someone who already has experience. My dad knows about all of this but he's too busy, so I can't learn from him. And technical schools are too costly and time consuming, plus I'm not looking to learn this stuff super in-depth as a skill/trade but just as a handyman so that I know how to handle myself.

 

[ImTheDoubleGreatest!]

@cola

As per your thread, I think you've already gotten all the answers you needed, and most of them were stuff you already knew about. The biggest thing for you based off of what you've revealed here in the thread is that it isn't so much that you don't know how to save money, but rather you can't. Most of your problems with not being able to save comes from you spending money on stupid **** you don't need and on things that at the end of the day don't even make a difference in your life or even matter.

But you said it yourself though, you're hood rich, and that's the problem. You still have some of that ghetto mentality where you gotta have all these nice things that don't mean anything or else you ain't shit, even though in reality having all that shit only makes you more of a target to get jumped by jealous dudes who wanna steal from you. The problem here isn't so much from you, but rather the people you associate with. You need to alienate yourself away from all that, and away from those types of people bro. You're already 30 years old and you're only getting older. Imagine how those dudes will be like 10-20 years from now with that same mentality—you got a 40 or 50 year-old smoking some weed outside talking about all that same exact shit you used to talk about when y'all were kids like they just got outta high school. You wanna be like that?

Look of course I'm generalizing here, but you know for a fact that there are some dudes out there still on that same shit from when they were like kids man, and they look almost old enough to be your grandpa. It's not cool to be like that at that age no more, it's just crusty. You gotta move on from that. You ain't gotta cut off everything and become a monk, that's not what I'm saying. But like for real though, you got over 25 pairs of shoes when you only have 2 feet; what do you need all that for? And buying a shirt every time you go out? At this point, no one would even notice you wearing the same outfit again with the amount of clothes you have, it's like you're stockpiling for the apocalypse or something. Still treat yourself every now and then, but there's no need to just spend money like that for no reason. It's better to see that number in your bank account go up and up than it is to get a pedicure when you're just gonna take a shower and cut your toenails anyway. Besides, who's even looking at your feet anyway, people only looking at your face when they're with you.

Ease into it a little bit man, it's not the end of the world if you let your hair grow a little

 

[Bible_Belt]

Where do you guys learn this stuff? They don't teach it to us younger dudes growing up anymore. I've been wanting to learn about how to do all of this but I don't know how to learn. The internet and YouTube are great, but let's be honest here, you need some real hands-on practice with this type of stuff.

And honestly, it's not even about saving money, it's about just being a man. Knowing basic construction, plumbing, electrician-work/HVAC, and car maintenance is like knowing how to tie a tie for a man; it's one of those lost rites of passages that every man should know how to do, but doesn't nowadays. I've been wanting to learn about this stuff since I was 15 but I don't know where or who to learn from because everywhere you look, people say you should already know how to do this stuff and jobs always want someone who already has experience. My dad knows about all of this but he's too busy, so I can't learn from him. And technical schools are too costly and time consuming, plus I'm not looking to learn this stuff super in-depth as a skill/trade but just as a handyman so that I know how to handle myself.

Regarding mortgages, everyone needs to review their own mortgage contract and its terms, but usually the lender must apply a payment to principal if you make it at the same time as the regular payment. That can be a state law matter, so once again, the answer to any contract question is to read the contract.

As far as working on your own stuff, you just have to do it. I have completed a lot of projects for which I was not qualified, which would have not happened without trying. I have found that getting older gives me a lot more patience than when I was younger and had a tendency to get frustrated and quit.

 

[ImTheDoubleGreatest!]

Regarding mortgages, everyone needs to review their own mortgage contract and its terms, but usually the lender must apply a payment to principal if you make it at the same time as the regular payment. That can be a state law matter, so once again, the answer to any contract question is to read the contract.

Because they can apply penalties or simply just flat out reject it?

As far as working on your own stuff, you just have to do it. I have completed a lot of projects for which I was not qualified, which would have not happened without trying. I have found that getting older gives me a lot more patience than when I was younger and had a tendency to get frustrated and quit.

Well something like a car for example, you don't exactly want to screw up on cuz then you'd have to get a new one. Not to mention, insurance might not cover anything if they find out that it's no longer working because you messed with it. You can obviously just lie and say "it just stopped working one day and wouldn't start up" lol but if the dealer comes along and tells them that someone clearly messed around with it, they'll either look at you and get the police involved, or if you lie and say it may have been someone else, they might check the cameras in the neighborhood (if you live in one of those types that is), or just make it out to be a bigger deal than it needs to be. Don't know why a mechanic would do that, but you never know.

 

[metalwater]

Where do you guys learn this stuff? They don't teach it to us younger dudes growing up anymore. I've been wanting to learn about how to do all of this but I don't know how to learn. The internet and YouTube are great, but let's be honest here, you need some real hands-on practice with this type of stuff.

a. A mentor can be a parent/neighbor/(someone in social circle(church or other)). The old man that is retired close by.. Hey dude, can you show me how to change a wiper blade? beer is on me.
b. school; we used.. to have shop classes in school teaching this exact stuff.
c. just try.. Will not be good at it until doing it wrong several times. It is usually ok to screw something up that you never did before, it is one of the ways to learn.

 

[Lynx nkaf]

Where do you guys learn this stuff? They don't teach it to us younger dudes growing up anymore. I've been wanting to learn about how to do all of this but I don't know how to learn. The internet and YouTube are great, but let's be honest here, you need some real hands-on practice with this type of stuff.

And honestly, it's not even about saving money, it's about just being a man. Knowing basic construction, plumbing, electrician-work/HVAC, and car maintenance is like knowing how to tie a tie for a man; it's one of those lost rites of passages that every man should know how to do, but doesn't nowadays. I've been wanting to learn about this stuff since I was 15 but I don't know where or who to learn from because everywhere you look, people say you should already know how to do this stuff and jobs always want someone who already has experience. My dad knows about all of this but he's too busy, so I can't learn from him. And technical schools are too costly and time consuming, plus I'm not looking to learn this stuff super in-depth as a skill/trade but just as a handyman so that I know how to handle myself.

I can share with you how I learned. You know I'm a mechanic, welder and builder(industrial/commercial)?
You also know I'm a girl and these are male-dominated trades/skills?

So you can conclude I fought and worked and hung on tooth and nail to gather skills?
Like, can you really envision how freaking hard it was to learn 'top secret' stuff?

If your mind is now open....

There are tricks.
'Tricks of the trade'

I can share two major tricks, two main things you absolutely must know.





Not in order of importance:




#1 "righty-tighty, lefty-loosy"
Almost all bolts tighten clockwise and loosen counterclockwise.





#2 All repair reasons are based on these three causes:

It's dirty, gunked up, clogged
Its loose, worn out, worn down
or
Something's missing(a part, a piece that rattled off or got knocked out)



Now, watch what may happen.
Some negging and attempts to knock me off my confidence in myself. When you lose that confidence, its like you don't believe in yourself that you can make or repair something.


Ever play billiards or pool with really good players in your stereotypical cool pool hall? The sheer amount of smack talk that occurs is all designed to throw you off your concentration and game.

I mean game-game.
You must maintain frame when building or repairing...you must believe you can do this thing!!!!

Like Eric of the South Main Auto youtube channel says "if I can do it, you can do it!"

This is only the very tippity-tip of the iceberg.

Once you gain confidence that you can do mechanical things your curiosity will explode. Its a world that's kept me company for DECADES.

I'm still learning!
That's the thing, there's 10s of thousands of skills like "righty-tighty, lefty-loosey"

I don't mind if you make fun of me. I've heard every freaking neg in the book.

I'm not making light of this, those two main things(which direction bolts come off and on and the principles to apply when you're approaching a repair) will already make you look like you know what you're doing.

Remember be the c0cky pool player who isn't swayed by negs.
(and those negs come a lot of the time from your own thoughts)



There's so much more.

Take things apart. Put them back together.

Go stand in the wrenches aisle at the store and just stare at all the choices-ask staff for help.
There's an underground world of mechanics/handy people/builders that will help with free advice if you're enthusiastic enough.

Don't give up and "stay dirty" like Eric the car guy youtube channel says.

 

[Mike32ct]

Where do you guys learn this stuff? They don't teach it to us younger dudes growing up anymore. I've been wanting to learn about how to do all of this but I don't know how to learn. The internet and YouTube are great, but let's be honest here, you need some real hands-on practice with this type of stuff.

And honestly, it's not even about saving money, it's about just being a man. Knowing basic construction, plumbing, electrician-work/HVAC, and car maintenance is like knowing how to tie a tie for a man; it's one of those lost rites of passages that every man should know how to do, but doesn't nowadays. I've been wanting to learn about this stuff since I was 15 but I don't know where or who to learn from because everywhere you look, people say you should already know how to do this stuff and jobs always want someone who already has experience. My dad knows about all of this but he's too busy, so I can't learn from him. And technical schools are too costly and time consuming, plus I'm not looking to learn this stuff super in-depth as a skill/trade but just as a handyman so that I know how to handle myself.

I think the best you can do is offer to help a buddy or relative who is working on a project.

1. Is a friend working on a car?
2. Is a relative installing a new toilet?
3. Is your dad wiring up a new ceiling fan?

People have all kinds of projects going on. Any experienced person would love to have a helper. Even if you just watch and hand them tools, that's fine. Helpers don't really need experience. And you can ask them questions along the way.

Once you've seen something done a few times, you can probably do it yourself, or worst-case you can request that they be your helper/guide for YOUR project.

 

[Spaz]

I can share with you how I learned. You know I'm a mechanic, welder and builder(industrial/commercial)?
You also know I'm a girl and these are male-dominated trades/skills?

So you can conclude I fought and worked and hung on tooth and nail to gather skills?
Like, can you really envision how freaking hard it was to learn 'top secret' stuff?

If your mind is now open....

There are tricks.
'Tricks of the trade'

I can share two major tricks, two main things you absolutely must know.





Not in order of importance:




#1 "righty-tighty, lefty-loosy"
Almost all bolts tighten clockwise and loosen counterclockwise.





#2 All repair reasons are based on these three causes:

It's dirty, gunked up, clogged
Its loose, worn out, worn down
or
Something's missing(a part, a piece that rattled off or got knocked out)



Now, watch what may happen.
Some negging and attempts to knock me off my confidence in myself. When you lose that confidence, its like you don't believe in yourself that you can make or repair something.


Ever play billiards or pool with really good players in your stereotypical cool pool hall? The sheer amount of smack talk that occurs is all designed to throw you off your concentration and game.

I mean game-game.
You must maintain frame when building or repairing...you must believe you can do this thing!!!!

Like Eric of the South Main Auto youtube channel says "if I can do it, you can do it!"

This is only the very tippity-tip of the iceberg.

Once you gain confidence that you can do mechanical things your curiosity will explode. Its a world that's kept me company for DECADES.

I'm still learning!
That's the thing, there's 10s of thousands of skills like "righty-tighty, lefty-loosey"

I don't mind if you make fun of me. I've heard every freaking neg in the book.

I'm not making light of this, those two main things(which direction bolts come off and on and the principles to apply when you're approaching a repair) will already make you look like you know what you're doing.

Remember be the c0cky pool player who isn't swayed by negs.
(and those negs come a lot of the time from your own thoughts)



There's so much more.

Take things apart. Put them back together.

Go stand in the wrenches aisle at the store and just stare at all the choices-ask staff for help.
There's an underground world of mechanics/handy people/builders that will help with free advice if you're enthusiastic enough.

Don't give up and "stay dirty" like Eric the car guy youtube channel says.

The trade you learned should only be taken up by men when they're in their late teen to early 20's.

From there they should evolve and surpass that stage.

Remember = Men die for wealth just as birds die for food.

 

[Jack12345]

Ever play billiards or pool with really good players in your stereotypical cool pool hall? The sheer amount of smack talk that occurs is all designed to throw you off your concentration and game.

I remember when I used to go playing pool alone to learn the mechanics behind the game it felt really weird. The thing I learned this period is to focus. I dont hear you I dont see you. You are invisible to me.

Must to admit this is not so socially normal behavior, but if it triggers someone's this is probably because he's not into making partnership with you

 

[Zontyy]

Where do you guys learn this stuff? They don't teach it to us younger dudes growing up anymore. I've been wanting to learn about how to do all of this but I don't know how to learn. The internet and YouTube are great, but let's be honest here, you need some real hands-on practice with this type of stuff.

My dad was in the carpenter union for 20 years, he bought a rental property that needed work and I offered to help him, really I just wanted to learn basic skills. During that renovation, I learned how to run electric, install a panel, framing, drywall, install windows and doors. I think my dad really enjoyed it because he was pushing 70s at the time. He would show me how to do something then let me work and show me what I was doing wrong. I would meet him after work and then spent 2-3 hours everyday helping him in that home. One thing I did learn is that you need proper tools to do a job, half of the frustration is when you try to make something work without the proper tool. My father also insisted my first car be a junker so when it broke down or needed work I would learn how to take care of a vehicle

When I was extremely poor in my 20s, they have vocational schools and the county I live in would give grants and pay all the tuition to attend these schools which were after hours be it from my job or university. These vocational schools I learned automotive, changing wiper blades, oil, headlights, tires, brakes etc etc. I also learned some medical field stuff. I make too much money now to qualify but I would love to take a welding and hvac maybe even LPN if I could get it for free.

Some stuff, I picked up from my friends, I have a guy who is a plumber and I asked to tag along on his jobs to learn how to about that stuff. He loved the extra company and to show me how to fix that stuff.

Finally there is the internet with youtube and plenthora of communities where people want to help. I learned all about free-to-air satellite TV from youtube and online communities. If you try and probably get frustrated when it is not working but you can always ask people for help. Youtube taught me how to hotwire Jeep Cherokee's when my key broke back in the day. Right now I'm trying to self study some IT certifications. I also joined a language exchange group months back where I video chat arabic speakers practice my arabic while they practice their english. The big benefit of the language exchange group is you meet some pretty hot girls who then when you visit there country they love to be your guide and you already have a rapport with them.

 

[Lookatu]

a. A mentor can be a parent/neighbor/(someone in social circle(church or other)). The old man that is retired close by.. Hey dude, can you show me how to change a wiper blade? beer is on me.
b. school; we used.. to have shop classes in school teaching this exact stuff.
c. just try.. Will not be good at it until doing it wrong several times. It is usually ok to screw something up that you never did before, it is one of the ways to learn.

These are all good suggestions. For me, I was into customizing cars when I was in HS and I wanted to have the most bad azz ride and to do that, I couldn't achieve it if I paid for parts AND labor. This got me to researching through books, online, friends, other mechanically inclined EXPERIENCED people.

First thing I recommend is spend $50-100 for basic mechanics tool set kit from Lowes/HD/Craftsman/Harbor Freight.

Second, start with the very basics, changing air filters, headlight bulbs, etc.

Third, Just like you learn stuff from these forums about females, start hanging out on a car forum that is specific to the car you own. Same as here, learn who seems experienced on there so you're only following the best and accurate advice. Supplement with other general automotive articles and youtube videos.

Fourth, If you have a little free time, go to car meets. Especially car meets that may be centered around the type of car you have. You can often meet enthusiasts that really know their stuff and willing to help you out. Either for free, beer, or a super cheap labor rate compared to the pros with official businesses.

Just doing basic maintenance stuff, especially if you have an older used car can save you quite a bit.

One word of advice: Do not try to learn or do something totally on your own that will endanger you or leave you stranded.
For example, if you screwed up on a brake job and you weren't able to stop at highway speeds.
Another example would be a timing belt job. If you forget to tighten something, it could get loose and leave you stranded on the road requiring tow charge and extensive engine damage potentially.

Also analyze what type of person you are. Not everyone is OCD or detail oriented. If you aren't detail oriented, it's best to just stick to the easier maintenance items.

Basically the same kinds of things apply to home remodel/reno's too. The neighborhood and the type of house I wanted would've been out of my budget if I bought one already 100%. Bought the cheapest beater house on the block and did my own work(father in-law was a contractor/electrician most of his life and mentored me) and immediately added $50k in equity within 6 mos that took me to do the work.

 

[Mike32ct]

The most important advice I’d give for any project:

1. Finish one step/task before starting the next one. If you get overly eager/impatient/rushed and jump to step two while step one is only partially complete, you risk forgetting something important or just plain F-ing it up.

Does a pilot or surgeon skip steps or jump ahead? Hell no. You shouldn’t either.

The other benefit of working one step at a time is you are able to give 100% of your focus to that task currently at hand.

TLDR: Do everything in a logical order, and don’t jump ahead or mix steps.

 

[Bible_Belt]

The biggest obstacle to working on anything is that the manufacturer often makes it difficult on purpose. I have a truck with an engine that seems to have been designed on the premise of making it impossible for an owner to change his own oil. The oil filter is so far up inside the engine that it requires a lift to raise the vehicle in order to access it. I was changing my own oil at age 16, but I don't even try with this truck. It's not worth the experience of having oil leak out because I couldn't tighten the filter enough.