Student Loan Debt?

[jyoutz]

I've been in my career for 22 years now after graduating Magna *** Laude from a state university. What I've found is that the things you enjoy at 25 are not necessarily the things you enjoy at 45 and certainly won't enjoy at 65. Life changes, priorities change, and interests change. So what it boils down to is earning a living and keeping the bills paid, and lots of times I wonder if it would have been better to leave off the years of paying college debt and just go straight to work in a trade. I would have been far ahead financially, and may have still ended up happy and doing something cool at this middle-aged point in life anyhow.

My son is almost 17 and I'm 99% sure he is not going to waste time in college.

The key is to decide what you want to do, then going forward to do what’s needed to get there, be it college, trade school, or apprenticeship. But you can pay the bills doing something you enjoy. It’s not either/or.

 

[paulsharvey]

I was building commercial and multifamily residential until the 08 crash and went into inspection side on linear/horizontal construction (roads/utilities, ect). I Hated inspection for the first 3 years of doing it; But, once you get good at something, you learn to like it. Point being, I was forced to change, against my will, but when you get good at something, you may not enjoy it, but you learn to kinda like it. At this point, although I've had a couple chances to go back, I wouldn't; for multiple reasons; stress, moving every 3-9 month, ect

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

We can now live on $36k per year, and we have the ability for earning two incomes. I just need to coast until 59.5

 

[riptides]

We can now live on $36k per year, and we have the ability for earning two incomes. I just need to coast until 59.5

Before or after taxes?

 

[JJT]

So, would the complaining party have to prove that you have negatively impacted them to take it to court?

Probably. I've seen some absolutely ridiculous deed restrictions. 1) Owners must be God fearing and 2) No illegal drug use are two examples. A fairly common deed restriction - No single wide mobile homes.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Before or after taxes?

After tax. That includes sinking funds for home repairs, auto repairs and future auto purchases.

 

[newbury]

The key is to decide what you want to do, then going forward to do what’s needed to get there, be it college, trade school, or apprenticeship. But you can pay the bills doing something you enjoy. It’s not either/or.

And be prepared to be flexible.
I was "college trained" as a field biologist and worked in the Army as enlisted, then civilian for ~ 5 years doing mapping. Loved the job, lots of travel in the US, good people. Then I found myself advising more and more people on how to get their computers to work and what to buy.
Transitioned over to teaching computer mapping to almost every place the Army had a topo unit. From 1997 to about 2010 ended up being on travel all over the world for about 2 weeks per month. All for support of units going to support "the War on Terror" Lots of job enjoyment, minimal biology.

Another key is to know when to quit.

 

[Blue Mule]

The key is to decide what you want to do, then going forward to do what’s needed to get there, be it college, trade school, or apprenticeship. But you can pay the bills doing something you enjoy. It’s not either/or.

Yes. But I think you missed my point. If you ask somebody in their 20s what they enjoy, the answer you get won't usually be the same as the answer you'll get when you ask that person the same question in their 40s, or 60s...

So the idea of chasing a career that you'll enjoy when you're fresh out of high school is often times a lost cause.

 

[jyoutz]

Yes. But I think you missed my point. If you ask somebody in their 20s what they enjoy, the answer you get won't usually be the same as the answer you'll get when you ask that person the same question in their 40s, or 60s...

So the idea of chasing a career that you'll enjoy when you're fresh out of high school is often times a lost cause.

It is very much an individualized thing. I have studied and worked in the career field I chose when I was 18 for 43 years and still am active in my professional society. My youngest son has a masters in business finance and he has changed jobs and employers, yet continued to work in finance. My oldest son is working on his PhD in wildlife science and loves that study and has worked several consulting jobs while in school. He will complete his program soon and should have no problems working in his field with the experience and education he has accumulated. But yes, I know a lot of people who have made mid career changes. Someone has to make a decision and go forward chasing their interests. In some cases those will change over time, while others will not. What else can you do but pursue your interests? It’s miserable to do a job you hate or find boring.

Edit: one last thought. It’s my observation that most people will change employers/jobs several times in their careers, but tend to remain in their broad career field, so education and experience aren’t irrelevant.

 

[paulsharvey]

Probably. I've seen some absolutely ridiculous deed restrictions. 1) Owners must be God fearing and 2) No illegal drug use are two examples. A fairly common deed restriction - No single wide mobile homes.

On specifically mobile homes; by definition no mobiles have been build since like 1986. Manufactered homes by definition are not the same thing.