Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire how you got where you are

Making some career choices soon and may change course. Before I do I wanted to ask you guys and get a few ideas. What decisions or sacrifices did you make to end up successful? So much is not the same as when my dad or my boss started in the 70s and 80s, including some stuff you just plain can't do anymore. But what led you to where you are and what advice would you give to someone in their 30s today?

Great question.


I just turned 40 and sometimes wonder the same thing.


Curious to hear what people have to say.

When I was young, it was all about making money. Latter it became quality of life. Figure out what really makes you happy and what you really need and try to find the balance.

Be born rich.

Whatever you do, keep the overhead down.

Well I did a couple stupid things when I was young that kind of limited me. I got married to the wrong woman twice and I decided not to finish college due to a good job offer (I thought )

Whenever I was pondering a move the one thing that kept me from doing or not doing it was how would it affect my family.

Now I just do what I want!

That's good advice.

Find a sugar mama.

Success is relative. You got to be happy at what you do too.

Well I can't send happy to visa to make a payment, so gotta do more than that

I grew up very poor and decided early that I would not live that way as an adult. Had no special skills so the only jobs that would allow me to earn at the level I wanted to live at were in sales. Not recommended, as I always test borderline introverted, but if I wanted to live a certain way, that was what I would have to do to pay for it. It was never easy for me but then again, it was always easier than picking cotton or hoeing corn, so I did it. Lived the way I wanted, quit work in my 50's and still have a good life, so it worked for me. There were lots of 60+ hour weeks, away from home for weeks at a time, etc... but it paid for the lifestyle I wanted.

Just decide what lifestyle you want and what jobs will pay for it. If you put in the work required, you should get there. BUT, it takes a LOT of very hard work to do it.

Do as little as possible, don't listen to people with gray hair, be late every day , leave early if no one is looking or you wont get caught. I'm sure there is more,but I won't spoil it for everyone else who has words of wisdom.

Without knowing more about you, the advice I'd give to someone in their 30s is:

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."

Save money. Learn to be content with less stuff, or old stuff, or not having what everybody thinks you should have. The "keep the overhead down" comment above is good. Have a small house, an old truck, and simple tastes.

Keep your debt low
Save at least 10% of your gross and invest it
Live within your means
Find someone successful in your field and find out how they do it. Don't reinvent the wheel
Don't be afraid to go for it

Col Harland Sanders was 60 when HRC started KFC

Best advice I can give is live below your means.

Save as much as possible. Take that savings and invest wisely , make as few mistakes as possible in investing.

The trick is to make money while you sleep and have your money working for you.

AVOID THE DEBT TRAP, that being said at times debt is fine as long as you make more on that debt than the interest cost and risk is MINIMAL.

It is very dangerous to risk leveraged money.

And continue to live below your means.

I work hard, learn fast, and do what's needed. There are a lot of things I can do well but I don't have a piece of paper saying I went thru liberal indoctrination and I don't do my best work under stress and pressure. Have had a couple sales jobs in a row but the "sell or get fired" thing makes me want to walk away and find a job where I am respected.

I am loyal and enjoy helping people, honestly don't know how to find my niche. Could be good at a lot of stuff but it's hard to find full time or decent pay right now. I am full time and make 40k...pretty good for no degree but just done with the drama and such at my current job.

I have been a registered rep, series 6. So I know investing. Just looking for where I belong and trying to survive in the meantime I guess

You married or single?

Drive POS cars

Take that red lobster every weekend money and pay your mortgage off before age 30.

If you AND your spouse don't make at least $80k a year (or $50k single) you don't need to be buying wave runners, polaris rangers, bass boats browning citoris and yeti coolers.

There, that might help some.

Busted my ass at an ordinary job.
Strived to be the best I could be.
Never called in sick, always sacrificed for the good of the company.
Became a valuable, responsible asset.
Got promotions, was given leeway for time off based on my value.
Married well.
Kept the marriage strong.
Gave all I could as a father.
Retiring at 57.