The rich get richer.... Poor get...

**d2dave** · 14th September 2013, 01:40 PM

I was a high school drop out, failed third form (year nine). I hated school.

My second job as a 15 year old in 1970 was in a petrol station pumping gas. Take home pay $18.85. I was never any good with money and used to live from week to week on my pay, no savings, often borrowing a couple of dollars the day before payday.

Every available opportunity between serving petrol I went into the workshop to see if I could help. I had a love of cars. From there I learnt enough to get jobs as a lub attendant. This was basically an unqualified spanner that used to do grease and oil changes.

From this I learnt enough to confidently apply for mechanics jobs. From here I went on and became qualified.

I still live from week to week on my pay. When I met SWMBO at age 28 we both had nothing. (She is six years younger than me)A year together we then both committed $100 per week(nearly 50% of pay) each from our pay. In twelve months with 10K we purchased our house. 10K was not enough deposit on a $65,000 house so we had two loans, one at 12.5 % and one at 17%!

At the same time be got married. We then put tenants in our house and lived in a caravan at my parents place for three years. SWMBO worked two jobs, I did a few car repairs at home and we paid off our mortgage in three years. This was not easy but I look at it as three years of pain for long term gain.

I am far from rich but we are very comfortable. If you have bothered to read my story you will see that I went from an uneducated nothing to an uneducated something from a lot of bloody hard work.

We did this too without any government hand outs. There was $1,000 available for first home buyers, but as we were renting our place we could not risk it. Also back then if the bank found out they would have increased our interest rate by 1%

**WhiteD3** · 14th September 2013, 02:06 PM

One hundred posts to this thread and the Mods haven't seen the need to delete it yet. Well done guys!

My 2 cents worth. I am well off according to the stats; have a nice house, drive a (leased) D4, etc. What I've got I got through persistence and work; not smarts or opportunity but I've made so many blunders in the journey to this point it makes me cringe just thinking about it!

I got into senior management and decent $$ after years and years of unpaid OT, nights spent at home doing the work I didn't have time to do during the day and working away for weeks at a time.

I don't begrudge paying what I think is a lot of tax to support in part, those less fortunate than me. I do begrudge supporting the lazy, ignorant and selfish.

IMHO a lot of the handouts and support payments (class welfare) are not helping people, rather they are taking away their motivation or reasons to get ahead.

**Landy Smurf** · 14th September 2013, 02:15 PM

I am not saying this is a right or wrong thing more just curious what older people then I think about it.
Has it been worth it to spend lots of time while younger(could be 15 , could be 50) working ie overtime, away from home for weeks or just days at a time?
if you had your time again knowing what you know now would you do it the same or different?

**BBC** · 14th September 2013, 02:36 PM

Poverty and wealth....it is always relative.

What was your start point?

How did you end up?

BUT...the most important thing...did you enjoy yourself?

**WhiteD3** · 14th September 2013, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by Landy Smurf

I am not saying this is a right or wrong thing more just curious what older people then I think about it.
Has it been worth it to spend lots of time while younger(could be 15 , could be 50) working ie overtime, away from home for weeks or just days at a time?
if you had your time again knowing what you know now would you do it the same or different?

Worth it? It depends on what you're after. I'm 51 and started out as an apprentice sparkie at 16. At any particular point in time it is hard see the payback for the extra effort but over the long term I think yes. I can remember many times (SWMBO remembers better

) coming home after 3 days or 2 weeks away to be handed two toddlers, hear the bedroom door slam shut followed by howls of distress, followed shortly after by snoring.

She'd surface midday next day recharged and happy to see me.

We were prepared to put up with this and other dramas because our goals were always bigger than our current pockets.

I know people who are happy with a lot less and those who are unhappy with a lot more. Each to their own. You'll only know if you were right when its too late

**Davo** · 14th September 2013, 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by Landy Smurf

I am not saying this is a right or wrong thing more just curious what older people then I think about it.
Has it been worth it to spend lots of time while younger(could be 15 , could be 50) working ie overtime, away from home for weeks or just days at a time?
if you had your time again knowing what you know now would you do it the same or different?

Nobody looks back and wishes they'd done more work, they just wish they'd had more time with their loved ones. In our culture, we tend to assume we'll live until old age, but then when you lose someone important you have to realise that you could die at any time, just like that. And when it's all over, it's all over.

Tombie · 14th September 2013, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by Davo

Nobody looks back and wishes they'd done more work, they just wish they'd had more time with their loved ones. In our culture, we tend to assume we'll live until old age, but then when you lose someone important you have to realise that you could die at any time, just like that. And when it's all over, it's all over.

That's very true as well.

Put in the time, but make sure you balance time with the family as well...

**Landy Smurf** · 14th September 2013, 03:08 PM

All in all it really comes down to peoples values I guess

**frantic** · 15th September 2013, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by dullbird

Just out of curiosity they didn't happen to be BMKal's Alpacas over in WA?

he is trying to sell me some to help me get rich

My oldest daughter wants to raise alpacas, maybe we could organise a group buy

I'll just have to find some land as a suburban block won't be big enough, and the manure running into the neighbours pool could strain an already tense relationship a bit.

**d2dave** · 15th September 2013, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by moretonisle

Some of us believe we should pay taxes for the common good. We don't look for every little loophole to avoid it.

I am sure you must some times you purchase a product or service and try to get the best deal. Legally minimizing you tax is the same thing.

I do my best to legally minimize my tax, and I still pay a poo load.

As Kerry Packer once said
"Anyone who pays more tax than they can get away with needs their head examined."

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