Money can’t buy you love.
Money can’t buy you health.
Money can’t buy you happiness.
But it sure as shit CAN by you a lot of other very important things like freedom, options, control over your own life, and most importantly, power.
Today I want to introduce the concept of “fuck you” money. If you don’t already have a stash of fuck you money, it’s very important that you begin working on getting some as soon as possible.
What is fuck you money?
Fuck you money, as you may have guessed, is uncommited cash sitting in your bank account which you can use to live on when you need to say “fuck you!” to an asshole boss, customer, or employer of any variety.
It’s really that simple. It’s the stash of cash you will have which will allow you to operate and live as a free human being rather than a slave. I’m not saying you will have to quit work and spend your days stroking your beard on the porch and reading philosophy (although you can do that if you wish), but it will give you the option to quite simply pack up your things and tell anybody you don’t like to get out of your face.
This is good for several obvious reasons.
Why is fuck you money good?
Fuck you money is good because it gives you power and independence. When you have enough money in the bank to live for a few years, you don’t worry, toss and turn, and lose sleep. In fact, you sleep like a baby.
You may even have a conversation like this:
‘Yeah Jack, cancel that stag weekend, can you? I need you to come into the office on the weekend and file away some TPS reports.’
‘Sorry Jim, I have plans as you already know. We’re going to Vegas and will probably end up sniffing coke off a hookers asscheeks like The Wolf of Wallstreet, but maybe someone else can fill in.’
‘Now Jack, you know the company is going through some cut backs, you wouldn’t want to jeopardize your chances of future employment would you?’
‘Jim…You know what…Fuck you!’
‘Sorry? This must be a bad line….I thought you said…’
‘Yes Jim, I said fuck you! You can rest my hairy nutsack on your eyeballs. I quit.’
Now I personally am not into doing coke and if I went anywhere near a hooker’s asscheeks my little lady would have something to say, but the point remains. I might instead tell my boss I’m not available to work for a few months and go trekking in The Himalayas or train to run a marathon, whatever suits me.
The point is, when you have several years of living expenses saved and in the bank, you will have the kind of power and independence required for you to actually have the above conversation with whoever you please. Forward-thinking people might tone it down a notch or two, but the point remains—you could actually have that conversation if you wished.
That’s power. That’s what fuck you money can do for you. That’s why fuck you money is good.
How to get some fuck you money
If you’ve been an undisciplined naughty boy in the past, you may be a long way away from having this kind of power, and frankly that’s your karma. You reap what you sow in this life and your finances are no exception, so if you’re piled high in credit card debt and loans and have no savings, the best thing you can do is accept that you are in the shitter and make a commitment to get out of it as soon as possible.
The only way out of a hole is to stop digging and yell for a rope, then climb out. That’s just the way it is.
Ideally, if you have been a little more prudent and disciplined, you may have no debt and some savings, but you’ll want to build on that and if possible add to the pile until you have several years worth of savings on hand. This is when you will begin to feel the power of fuck you money, whereby if the economy tanks and you lose your job, if you get hurt and can’t work or if your boss tries to bully you and you tell him to get fucked, you won’t lose a single wink of sleep.
So, in order:
Pay off your debt and never get into debt again
Debt is for slaves. If you have 80k equity in your home and a 200k mortgage, sell it, take the money that is left and buy a house for that much. Even if it’s only 50k and you have to move, do so. If you don’t want to do what is necessary to achieve true power and financial mastery, don’t complain when you have to cancel your stag weekend to Vegas and file some TPS reports because you’re living way above your means. Life is all about choices.
To prove I’m for real and practice what I preach consider this, I make six figures a year and my rent is $300 a month. I moved to Asia so I could implement this strategy. You can too.
Lower your expenses
I don’t know you and I don’t know how you live, but I’m willing to bet my bottom dollar that if you are an average man in the western world 50% of your life expenses are absolutely unnecessary.
Lose the brand new car, lose the expensive cell phone plan and cable TV, downsize on the rent, move closer to your place of work, and eat simply. In a couple of years your debts will be gone and your bank account will be swollen like Arnold’s biceps back in the day. If your shoes cost more than $50, you need to be beaten will a financial stick. Expensive shoes are for girls, financial freedom is for men.
Save and invest
After you take care of the parasite of debt and downsize to a reasonable standard of living, start stacking that paper and building your “fuck you fund.”
You can even invest these funds in stocks, bonds or a mutual fund if you wish, but make sure that wherever you stick the money it is liquid so you can get it out easily if you need to access it in an emergency fuck you situation.
Bonus: Expand your income.
For the budding entrepreneurs among you, find ways to expand your income. Start a side gig, build an income-generating website, and create multiple streams of income. Invest all this money into further income generating assets while living of your primary income source and before you know it you’ll be rockin’ like Mick Jagger.
Conclusion
Having a fuck you fund is nice. Very nice. I know that firsthand because I enjoy the benefits mentioned in this article.
I personally choose to work because I enjoy my job most of the time and I also stand to become rich if i stick with it for ten or fifteen years. That being said, I could quite happily quit tomorrow and take a couple of years off to think about what I wanted to do next.
I don’t have enough to live forever, but I do have enough to live for a couple of comfortable years if i ever need to tell somebody “fuck you!”
And that, merry men, is why you need to get some fuck you money.
Read More: Why Adopting A Frugal Mindset Will Hurt You
PYF – pay yourself first. Save 10% of your paycheck. If you start this with your first paycheck, it will be easy to maintain.
10% is good. However, better is possible. I’ve seen guys in Asia where I am, live on 20-30% of their paycheck and bank the rest. I agree with the above poster though, you NEED to expand your income too and attract abundance through realizing there’s a lot out there to be had.
10% is pretty easy at all income ranges. 20%+ gets tricky. In my actual life I push 20-25% most years. In fact, I live on less than what the government takes from me in income, sales, and property taxes, which really pisses me off because apparently they need more of my money than I do.
Someone’s gotta pay for all those single mamas raisin’ bastards. As men, the government over taxes us to pay for these bitches. Women don’t have to be good wives to get your money anymore, now they have the vote they can forcibly take it from you via government taxation. Look into a workable tax avoidance scheme, some offshore shit or something
Well said the bitch doesn’t have to marry and divorce you to live off you anymore.
Sensational piece of advise. This will give you immense freedom. I used to have a ‘fuck off’ mortgage – so low that you didn’t have to stay at a job out of necessity.
Nothing worse than having to crawl on your knees for your mere existence.
Agree for young guys. I lived in small, but nice/clean flats when I was first out on my own. Month to month rent and I could bail whenever. Now I have a house that my friends refer to as either “[Playboy] Mansion East” or “Stately Wayne Manor”. Do I have a mortgage on it? Fuck yeah. Why? Because I’m paying less than the generally accepted rate of inflation on it, and I am putting my $ to work to earn returns that are 4x, 5x and 6x my mortgage rate.
Debt has its place, but not consumer debt.
Mistral
“Now I have a house…”
No you don´t. It belongs to your bank and they have you grabbed by your balls and could do whatever the fuck they want with “their” house.
Stop pretending your debts are different than other debts. Debts are debts and you´re a slave living in your massas mansion 😉
Mentality like that is going to cost you valuable opportunities. Sometimes you have to sacrifice the peach to seize the plum, as the old Chinese saying goes.
My Mortgage is less than prime, the value of the real estate has shot up. I am up an easy 100k for doing nothing at all. Make debt work for you.
Mentality like that will keep me out of debt.
Owing a bank shitloads of money would drive me nuts…but opinions vary.
Except that I could cut a check for the balance, tomorrow, and be done with it. Instead I’m leveraging the bank’s money for net gains in the double digits, while paying them back in inflationary dollars….put in the terms of your analogy, I am living in the massa’s house, eating massa’s food, drinking massa’s wine and fucking massa’s women….all while the massa pays me to do it.
The financial crisis created opportunity in that there was a price correction (to varying degrees) around the country in real estate *and* interest rates bottomed out at the same time. Thus, “Uncle Mistral’s Pussy Palace” is worth tens of thousands more than I paid for it, all while I’m basically being paid to live there, all while living in a sweet house.
Mistral
I understand the viewpoint. That’s why I posted “debt is slavery” above. Because for a lot of guys, it is. Bear in mind, it’s not the guy who dies with the most money who wins, it’s the guy who had those most fun. As I get older, I worry less about the mortality rates on things; I’m sure I will get to the point where I no longer need to check the expiration dates on cans. 😉
The point is that debt used as leverage has a place; consumer debt does not. The exception to that is a 12 months “same as cash” deal, for people with self discipline. The problem is, if you miss the 12 months (and they’re counting on you missing it) then you get raked. OTOH, if you simply divide the amount by ten and pay it out in ten months, your good. I did that a couple times on items that, today, wouldn’t even be a rounding error.
Being a bachelor who is out of the house an average of 18 hours a day, I think owning a home is for families of 4+ people with dogs and cats. Sure, you COULD make lots of money off of a home later than the road, but you’re too much at the mercy of the market, a la The Great Crash of 2008.
Plus, there’s something to be said about simply picking up the phone and saying “Hey, I need my shower snaked” and having someone come and do it for you at no extra cost.
“Uncle Mistral’s Pussy Palace”
Hehe! Well, good for you uncle Mistral.
I certainly agree in a financial freedom sense it is better to be debt free, but if you are looking at wealth accumulation, debt is a tool.
If you have a 3.75% mortgage and can get a return on your investment of 3.76%+, you are better off keeping the mortgage.
Plus you can reduce your taxes too which gives your investment am effectively higher rate of return.
That being said, most people are functionally illiterate when it comes to finances so they may in deed be better off paying down their debt.
For those who lack the proper financial education, they totally missed out on a huge opportunity to generate wealth since 2008.
Depressed property values and panicked stock sales allowed for people to swoop in and purchase property cheaply as well as stocks cheaply. Imagine buying dividend paying stocks giving 15-30% YOC (yield on cost) for solid companies that aren’t going anywhere. Coca-Cola, Hershey, Proctor and Gamble are all going to be pumping out cash for the next 30+ years.
I bought my first house and immediately had 2 rooms to rent out. Those two rooms paid for my mortgage. Many Caribbean immigrants do the same sort of thing.
That meant that I was living at home for free and could divert what I would pay for rent into investments. Several friends of mine saw what I did and immediately did the same.
I know. The market was nuts. And you could make a ton of money buying market puts on the way down.
Nothing wrong with this view; I held it for years until Financial Crisis in 2008…of course, I bought *after* real estate and mortgage rates tanked.
if u have learnt yet, CUT UP YOUR FUCKING CREDIT CARDS!!!
No way… better to learn to safely use your credit cards than to cut them up!
Two years with my one air points card and I have enough points to fly around the world… twice. Use them intelligently and reap the free rewards!
thats how they get u! you’re already paiding way more on interest!
learn the discipline to save your money which will give u power within!
true power = self control = confidence + self esteem
drug addicts, fat women that eat = no true power = weak people = lindy west
Look, there are certain things you are going to buy. Food, gasoline, etc. Saving money is cool, but to the extent I spend it (I was a tightwad when I was young–I actually invented copper wire by stretching pennies until they screamed–but now when I buy anything, I do it with a card that benefits me. Fuck paying cash, that only benefits the merchant.
Credit cards don’t charge interest unless you carry a balance. Just pay everything off at the end of the month, and those rewards are indeed free. To make sure you don’t forget, sign up for the automatic payment. I havenet paid any interest in years, and I put everything on my cards. It’s also an easy way to keep track of spending as it appears all on one statement.
Banks hate “revolvers”, customers that pay their CC balance completely every month. They make nothing off of them ( just the merchant fees ), and end up providing a bunch of free services to them.
Pay your balance every month, accumulate the points, and be the customer the bank hates.
Only if you suck at using them. As vagabond expedition correctly points out, you can often use them for free travel.
Even if you just get a cash-back card, isn’t it better to pay 30-60 days later in 99-cent dollars?
On my last vacation, I was sitting in a suite at a Hyatt which I as paying less than $100/night for through judicious use of points and Diamond upgrades (I have a lot of discretion over my travel choices at work and so I focus on a couple of different companies to max my rewards). I also carry co-branded credit cards to help with perks.
When I was young and broke, I used no-fee cards that gave me cash back and built up a good credit history, and then reaped the rewards when I was older.
Mistral
I won’t have a credit card that doesn’t give rewards (ideally for travel, but shopping is also nice) and they have paid off handsomely, literally and figuratively!
I knew a guy who had his own business and cycled tens of thousands of dollars for it through his personal credit card, which was of the non-rewards type. He kept telling me how it didn’t make any difference, but I sat him down and FORCED him to get a Delta Amex (it was a better deal then). He has since happily saved thousands of dollars flying back and forth to India (he married an Indian girl) on the miles that he only got b/c I made him fill out an application at bayonet point.
Great article, but in his enthusiasm to put across an excellent message, the author gets a little carried away with himself….. If you read books like Richard Branson’s Losing My Virginity, you can understand that the abundance mentality and taking a shot at it, produces Caribbean Island ownership amongst other things….
It’s not only about cutting costs to the bone and not having debt, because very often a lovely condo or stretching yourself beyond the comfort zone is a more productive mindset and abundance mentality….
When you start scrimping your productivity has an ever decreasing ROI. However (and this has happened to me many times)…. when you rent that outrageous $7000 a month penthouse you know you can’t afford, somehow (perhaps in part because you are rubbing shoulders with the wealthy instead of the hoodlums), the money just begins to appear, as if by magic.
I agree to some extent. There is an abundance and I am always looking for ways to expand my income (which is growing year on year). However, we also need to realize that not everyone has the skills and personality of Richard Branson. Making money like he does is kind of like doing physics like Einstein. Only a small % of people can do it on that scale.
when you read about how he acquired that island, which was nothing more than going to the Caribbean on a whim to pretend to be interested in it, because he wanted to impress a girlfriend and heard he’d get helicoptered about the place…. then he low balls the offer and they dump him unceremoniously at the airport, only to call him up 6 months later to accept his offer because the owner was going broke… it’s the mindset that even a homeless can use to get a leg up…..
it wasn’t even a serious offer and he didn’t even have the money to buy it, but when they accepted he just went ahead on a whim and a prayer… the contract stipulated he had to spend ALOT of money on buildings and water supply within a few years…. or lose the island back to the Govt. …. more money he didn’t have and couldn’t possibly afford and yet there it all is, sitting pretty in paradise….
if there was ever an example of the power of game, keeping a cool head, having a sharp mind, riding opportunities, inspiration, intuition, trust in yourself, faith, blag, front, panache, etc… this must be it.
I read that story. His life seems to have involved a fair amount of gambling and putting all his chips on the line behind something he believes in. I respect the courage, but not every man is made from the same gumption 🙂
Richard Branson is one of the most virulent feminists on the planet. A full-on coward and groveling punk, and not a model of healthy masculinity. . . nor of masculinity at all.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2323292/Sir-Richard-Branson-dresses-drag-losing-bet-AirAsia-chief.html
Cheers.
publicity stunt….. i guess you didn’t read the bit about the threesomes with cute Japanese girls, when he was starting his record label which was very popular in japan…. a wolf in sheep’s clothing… very clever actually….
I know more about dragon-boy Richard that I wish I did. He’s an emasculated arrogant punk. Would love five minutes alone with him, that should be plenty.
Threesomes with women is hardly an accomplishment, and is only a valid gauge of masculinity to PUA teenage cultists, who imagine such self-absorbed posturing is cool.
Correct. A 2 bedroom 1.5 bathroom 1000 square foot condo on manhattan’s UWS is something you can buy for between 900k-1.2m right now. You need to drop a huge nut of cash (30%) but you can get your mortgage (plus taxes and common charges) to be about the same as (or if you are lucky slightly less) than the rent on a similar apartment.
NYC real estate is pretty much the safest investment in the universe. Short of something biblical happening, in 25 years when that mortgage is paid off the condo will be easily worth 6m.
If you are 20 think about going INTO your 50’s with that kind of nut. If you are 40, that is a strategic retirement plan which would allow you to move to a place like coastal North Carolina and spend the rest of your life fishing and telling people how smart you were.
Not saying a fuck you fund isn’t a great idea because it is…but so is diversification…in the case that diversification comes in the form of a long term investment virtually guaranteeing future security.
Great write-up. Remember guys, once you are wealthy, women will throw themselves at you, -so be prepared. If you are one of those, “I want to get married and have kids someday” kind-of-guys, then you must have a pre-nup. I repeat, MUST HAVE A PRENUP. And don’t be cheap on getting your attorney either. If you can’t afford a good attorney, you can’t afford to get married.
If you are in debt or broke today, remember what Tom Leykis says, “Even if you are a loser today, doesn’t mean you will be a loser for the rest of your life.” So always invest more money than you spend, and stay away from all debt. Car loans and mortgages really are for suckers trying to pretend they have more money than they actually do, -buy in cash if you must own. Again, love to see money articles here, kudos to the author.
Word.
And you have to live in a state where pre-nups are enforceable.
Mistral
Taking a family law course is a terrifying experience. South Dakota, despite being one of 2 states left with “fault based” divorce, has the highest child support requirements in the nation and it will void any provision that waives alimony in case of a divorce. A good attorney will tell you that where you get divorced is just as important as what’s in the prenup.
Absolutely true, which is why pre-nups should designate both governing law and venue *and* you should get married in that state, to avoid collateral attack if the state you get married in is more vagina-mony friendly. Even that might not be enough.
Or you could just not get married, considering what a shit deal it is, and avoid of “common law marriage” states.
there is no commen law marriage in florida.
“then you must have a pre-nup. I repeat, MUST HAVE A PRENUP”
Don’t get married, ever. These are not, repeat, not the days to marry and / or have kids, period.
Forget marriage in ‘Murica. Even with a pre-nup you are fucked as a man when it comes to the law. In many cases, a family court judge has no preset rules he must go by. He just does whatever the fuck he wants, which usually means the man gets fucked.
And I absolutely agree, once you have the smell of money and success on you bitches will be crawling all over your ass. Pump ’em and dump ’em boys.
Ahhhh, sage advice. And like most sage advice, none of us will actually do it.
It’s like the fact that men have been telling their sons, and us their descendents, to “Stay the hell away from a bad woman!” Do we listen?
Of course not! We bang her over, and over, and over again. Then when she screws us in a not so fun way, we come here (and everywhere else) in a not so pleasurable way for anyone. Least of all ourselves.
Men have been telling this to their sons also, save, save, save, save some more. Work hard, and achieve independences. If you marry, marry very, very, very well. Whatever that means for you.
Did we listen?
Fuck you we didn’t listen! We never friggin listen!
Why you ask?
Because we have a dick, and the rage to tell our fathers we know better. When we usually (not in all cases as some fathers are Douchey McDush the (name said vice or negative here)), tell our dads to Eff off, we fail to heed that inner voice telling us we’re stupid. Strangely, it sounds like our dad’s voice. The following voice years after that tells how right he was, also sounds like his voice.
Then, stupidly nowadays with women’s court, we marry/have kids, our voice (like our dad’s) is the voice making our son’s rebel against wisdom.
So, love your heart. Be glad you don’t have to care if any listen.
Reminds me of a Mark Twain quote:
“When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished by how much he’d learned in seven years.”
Great advice. About a year ago my boss suddenly told me that I would need to start joining overseas conference calls at 2am. I refused and promptly quit. He thought he could make shit roll down hill but didn’t realize that not everyone is up to their neck in mortgage debt. I am never going back to that.
No pay no play. If they want you forfeiting sleep so that you can take a shitty call at 2am, they can pay dearly for it. Otherwise “fuck you” right?
Exactly. A friend of mine who works in finance (HR) recently told me she was on a midnight call with HQ to discuss……the importance of employee work-life balance. I kid you not.
Debt is for slaves.
This.
Mistral
“Gold is the money of kings, silver is the money of gentlemen,
barter is the money of peasants – but debt is the money of slaves.” – Norm Franz
And knowledge is the money of the free
fuck knowledge, wisdom is where its at.
knowledge has been deified and commodified, but really its wisdom (by that i mean long standing experience, master apprentice type mentorship or knowledge that has stood the test of time, and centuries cc:nassim taleb’s antifragility, on the lindy effect, phenomenlism and stuff like that) that is the true currency of the world.
with google so much people ‘know shit’ but they don’t really ‘know shit’ and they sure as hell can’t ‘do shit’.
there was a brief point someone once made about the availability heuristic and how people just parrot out what they easily recall (i.e. what google search and its filter bubble tells them) and dont actually know much of anything for real. its all second hand shit.
if i could encourage anyone to do anything within the manosphere it would be, take a break from the net sometimes and cultivate friendships and working relationships with mentors and skilled people you look up to, people who are a little further up the path than you, but that are physically there and in front of you.
the importance a good in person mentor can never be underestimated.
even if you look at early science, you see this concept of master and apprentice, of patronage by the wealthy (ostensibly for bragging rights), and the artist/sculptor/mathematician repeat itself again and again. its a system that worked, really fucking well.
now we have big gov, big research and big bullshit. knowledge has become a machine.
no one even knows how anything works anymore.
There’s no singular person that could create and source all the components required to make a car for himself, such is the scale of globalisation.
In britain, we have no fucking clue how our hodge podge internet network infrastructure works.
And all of this systematised knowledge is kept in an ivory tower, guarded jealously by big government and research grant think tanks and other forms of bullshittery.
its immensely fragile.
I’m of the opinion that Taleb was right. large amount of players (individuals, companies) , lots of small bets on projects (10 5 million dollar projects than 1 50 million dollar project) and while most of them will fuck up, some will blackswan and more than recoup the loss.
by letting people fail, and win big you enable the system to progress and be fluid to changes.
if you don’t let people fail, you never really let them succeed
i agree with you, but the biggest rich cunts in the world (i’m not talking galt types, i mean wanker bankers and big gov) make so much fucking money off of debt
in fact our entire economic system is based on this basic fraud
“Debt is for slaves…”
Nope….You should have said….”Taxes are for slaves….”
Leverage (debt) can be very profitable and a smart investment strategy….Paying taxes never is.
This is where YOUR taxes go…..
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11347454/Mother-and-daughter-weigh-a-total-of-43-stone-and-get-34k-a-year-handouts-but-refuse-to-diet.html
As I am fond of saying “Tax *evasion* is a crime; Tax *avoidance* is not only legal, it’s a moral obligation and a constitutional right!”
Further, the affiant sayeth not….
Mistral
Tax is a crime 🙂
“The Power to Tax is the Power to Destroy”
–Daniel Webster (and John Marshall)
You’re not just a pretty face are you?
I have a Big, Sexy…..Brain. 😉
Tax is illegal.
I have no quarrel with others paying taxes so they may be worn down by the state …
That simply leaves more freedom for me and those who follow a similarly independent path.
AND I’M TOO SEXY FOR THIS CRANIUM …
🙂
Disagree. Debt is as good as earnings when you manage it well and can pay it back, that is, when you enter debt to produce profit rather than more debt.
See my reply to Paul on this thread about why I use credit cards and my reply to Hieronymus as to why I have a mortgage. Using debt as leverage and it is a tool; use debt to buy things that depreciate in value and serve no purpose is slavery.
And let’s face it, most people suck at handling money. My advice w/r/t debt as slavery is for them. As we saw in the recent financial crisis, cheap money gets a lot of people into trouble. When the tide goes out, we discover who was swimming naked.
À bientôt,
Mistral
In that case, agree.
Yes. People are simply not aware of how to manage debt well. Nothing is wrong with being in debt as long as you are using the debt for productive means. Unfortunately, most people use the debt for exciting shopping and cars that are way overpriced.
going into some debt is good as a tax shelter. an example of this is owning a house.
The long term economics should be there, also.
“Expensive shoes are for girls, financial freedom is for men.”
A gem.
This man gets it!
As for shoes, investing in a pair of quality leather boots might be the only exception. I bought a pair 2 years ago for $185, plus about $60 for new outsoles and polishing supplies. I’ve worn these things hundreds of times, still look and feel great. Plus leather doesn’t hold odors like foam and plastic.
I agree. Not only that, you can get quality shoes resoled at a fraction of their original price. Rubber soles will last for years. I get mine repaired every couple of years for about $30.
$50 shoes look like shit and will fall apart in six months. Bad shoes effect your game and the impression you leave on people. There is a reason why soldiers loot the boots from the dead.
I have a Rubber Soul that was made in 1965.
And it still sounds great 🙂
I think the maxim of “buy cheap disposable shit” is completely wrong. Better to Invest in quality goods built to last.
“The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money.
Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.
But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that’d still be keeping his feet dry in ten years’ time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.
This was the Captain Samuel Vimes ‘Boots’ theory of socioeconomic unfairness.”
I will make one other point. You don’t necessarily need a fund if a) you have no debt and b) you have skills you can sell.
So I rent rather than have a mortgage. At any point, I can pack up and leave. If I need funds, I can get a job in a heartbeat because I have skills that are in high demand.
While there is nothing inherently wrong with what you have said, what you might consider is “What if I become disabled?” or what if, for some other reason you cannot find work?
You are certainly not wrong to be nimble and retain mobility, of course, but not a bad idea to have a fund, anyway. I like the optionality of cash.
W/R/T my having a mortgage, I got a sweet house at a great price, my mortgage is less than the rate of inflation, and I use the free capital I have to get positive net returns. Also, as I am an older guy now and have had time to accumulate wealth, my capital is mobile, so I don’t necessarily have to be able to move house at any given moment. That said, I didn’t buy until I was in my 40s and only b/c an exceptional opportunity presented itself.
À bientôt,
Mistral
I’m insured out the ass but good point nonetheless. Its a trade off between the cost of saving liquid funds or paying the premium plus pay out risk. The risk of me not finding work notwithstanding disability is virtually zero given my experience and qualifications.
I don’t like houses mainly because the net return is negative and they take up a disproportionate amount of your wealth.
Totally get it. We have each arrived at different solutions utilizing calculus that is appropriate to our individual situations. Nothing wrong with that.
This is ok as long as you are young and have no disability. Eventually, all men will age; and by its 70s, no man can really take health for granted.
See my response to Mistral about insurance. Also keep in mind that a “fund” is no guarantee that you will be able to pay for disabilty.
Go Jack Reacher — patronise cheap hotels instead. 🙂
I’ve read a lot of your posts, and it looks to me like you’re a total jerkoff. I don’t believe any of the shit you say about yourself and pretend to get up to is true.
Come on man, say what you really think.
I can get a lot worse than that. I actually don’t think he’s a bad poster, just don’t believe everything he says. I hit him because he’s a popular poster. I was offensive, but look at his response – it’s actually very civilised – if he really been offended he should of have given me a Fuck You or keyboard smack in the mouth or something.
isn’t this meant to be a site for masculine men?
I actually thought it was pretty funny. There he is being polite and non offensive to everyone and along comes The Kurgan to fuck everything up
just don’t believe everything everything he says.
You don’t have to. That doesn’t make it any less true. I don’t have anything to prove to anyone else. *shrugs*
I hit him because he’s a popular poster.
Is there some sort of agenda I should be aware of?
…but look at his response – it’s actually very civilised …
That’s how you know I’m a grown-up.
…if he really been offended…
Being “OFFENDED!!!” at every little thing is for people who cannot control their emotions, and expect the rest of us to do it for them. Certainly, you were rude, but does that matter to me? Not really.
isn’t this meant to be a site for masculine men?
Perhaps you should consider your views on what masculinity is.
À bientôt,
Mistral
I’m as Cool as November, and as Smooth as China Silk….
À bientôt,
Mistral
There is so much politeness. One poster somewhere on this site said that he thought the site used to be really good, but that now it seems to be full of white middle class whiners – I am paraphrasing, but I kind of agree.
Then there are those dudes that actually behave exactly like what women/feminists criticise, and really are giving them more ammo.
And the ones that talk about their sex lives or how much pussy they are constantly getting?…..well…..if you have to talk about it.
You know, I actually thought that I would get a lot of responses attacking me for having a go at a popular poster – sort of like a site unity against me. It didn’t happen though.
Yeah, look, it was a little experiment.
But “and expect the rest of us to do it for them” – you’re on a fringe site. You’re sitting on the margins, albeit maybe a large margin. There is no rest of us.
It does matter to you, because you’ve posted this response to me twice.
But “and expect the rest of us to do it for them”
It’s applicable to real life.
It does matter to you, because you’ve posted this response to me twice.
As I also said, I prefer to try engagement. Maybe I was hoping it would sink in….
À bientôt,
Mistral
You know, I actually thought that I would get a lot of responses attacking me for having a go at a popular poster – sort of like a site unity against me. It didn’t happen though.
Maybe I’m not so popular. Or maybe guys understand that I can fight my own battles. One riot, one ranger.
À bientôt,
Mistral
Man, I apologise. I was just trying to see what I could get away with on this site before trying to post serious stuff.
Of course, if you don’t accept my apology I will attack you.
Yeah I don’t think anyone on here gives a shit about anyone else. Friends one day, enemies the next.
There are lots of whiners true. But they get called out constantly. Btw I get lots of pussy but the reason I talk about it is because I have nothing else to say.
Yes I am just that shallow.
Personally I hate you. How dare you dishonor those two hot young innocent cuties.
Without sharing with the rest of us.
Sharing is caring bro.
Plus “matters” and “offended” are two different things.
I get it now – you’re just not popular.
Everyone has to have a flaw.
Can you still call it a pussy if there is no hair on it?
Interesting really. Bit like women.
Hope I*m not intruding, but I would like to point that it*s a female.
They definitely don’t like conflict on this site – not very alpha. Lucky it’s keyboards and not fists.
Really? I thought it was a Jr. High School age boy. I was giving it too much credit, I see….
Clearly, you’re struggling with sarcasm…
I do share them…with each other. 😉
Have you never seen Austin Powers?
It’s all fun. We’d still go out for beers after a day of telling each other “fuck you”. I guess that’s the difference between men and women.
How many males have you met that are completely focused on insults while trying to appear masculine and in control? Here, we have a true feminist. Incredible specimen!
I’ve read a lot of your posts and it looks to me like you’re a total jerkoff.
That does not seem to be the prevailing view. You are free, of course, not to read my posts, but if you do, I would suggest that you focus on the content, rather than the poster, and maybe you will be able to profit from them.
I don’t believe any of the shit you say about yourself and pretend to get up to is true.
I am not running a religion; therefore, your belief is not required.
I find, as I go through life, that most people I come into contact with like me.* Then there is basically nobody in the middle, or very few, and then there is a small group at the far end who hate me with a pathological rage. I find that those folks usually have some other issue(s) in their lives that are driving their unhappiness, and I happen to be a convenient lightning rod. That’s not really my problem, and it doesn’t ruffle my feathers one bit.
Anyway, when I post, I try to Share The Knowledge. If I’m posting about women, it is from long and often difficult and even painful experience (but for you young guys, it’s free!). You may not like that I’m tapping some sweet 2×22 y.o. ass**, but that doesn’t change the fact that I am. If anything, that should give you hope, and besides, I left a road map to how I did it.
If I’m posting about money, it is is to Light The Pathway for guys coming up now. I used to be broke; now I’m not. I got from A to B and other guys can, too. If you can see it, you can be it, or whatever. And sure, it was a different time then also, but back in the 90s we used to talk about how great the 80s were (people forget that the 90s started out with the “No New Taxes” recession and then Clinton got in and raised taxes again, and put the economy in the shitter again). I remember hustling out a lot of ground balls before I beat one out, and I try to think about what I would do if I was a young guy coming up now. If I figure anything out, I’ll share, of course. We should be focused on helping each other.
Anyway, I’m perfectly willing to chalk your post up to you having a crap morning. OTOH, if that’s not the case, then that’s fine, too, and I will somehow have to live with myself.
À bientôt,
Mistral
*I try to keep hold of those people, and shred the assholes. Loyalty is not a character flaw, and the more people you have around who remember that you were their friend when there was no juice in it for you, the better off you will be. And besides, life, like good wine, is meant to be shared, in good fellowship.
**To say nothing of the side pieces.
I have to say, I always thought the Eighties sucked.
Maybe you were living in the 1880s? In the 1980s, America was still a pussy paradise, and the shaved beaver started appearing in the ecosystem. Life Was Good.
Lol!
Why didn’t you just tell me to get fucked? I deliberately offended you. Why give me a softcock approach? Isn’t this site meant to be for masculine men?
Why didn’t you just tell me to get fucked
Because I’m a grown-up. I still might, I suppose, but generally, I prefer trying engagement first and seeing if that works.
I deliberately offended you.
You tried to offend me.
Why give me a softcock approach?
And evidently, you’re still trying.
Isn’t this site meant to be for masculine men?
So masculinity is always some version of “Hulk *SMASH!!*“?
Look, RoK is a community. It should be about men helping other men. If someone I don’t know calls me names on the internet why should I throw a tantrum or melt like I’m made of sugar candy? It doesn’t make any difference in my life at all. I simply try to help other guys with what I know.
À bientôt,
Mistral
I feel even worse about having a go at you now. You’re talking about shaved beaver – my favourite.
Hey baby, you*re on the wrong website. Check out some new bags & shoes on amazon.
And that just makes me laugh. Johnny – you just tickle me, doll.
I responded. Where is your smartass retort cocksucker?
Can someone ban this bitch ?
No, and look at some of my more serious posts dickhead. And why are you calling me a bitch? That’s a serious fag way of talking. Are you a fag? Johnny sounds pretty homo to me.
Great comeback fuckhead.
I disagree about the shoes. Having “fuck you money” also means you can have an occasional mouthful of oats.
If you want to live in a month-to-month situation with some stability, find a guy who is renting out a room in his house (I’ve seen divorced guys do this to hep with alimony) or find a small flat that is not corporate run and then follow this advice:
Be they type of tenant that landlord’s like. When I was living on the cheap, I would establish good relations with the LL which means (a) paying my rent on time–and my checks never bounced, (b) not pissing off my neighbors–no loud music or other bullshit. That’s what headphones are for, and (c) mostly fixing things in my flat if they went wrong. If you have the mechanical skills not to fuck things up, then LLs will love you for this.
Treat your flat like the Bat Cave: it’s location should be known to very few, meaning yourself, your faithful butler, and such women as you bring home to bang. That’s it. Parties are for people who have good insurance.
À bientôt,
Mistral
I thought I was the only guy who did this. I don’t even bring women back to my apartment; I always insist on banging at their apartment. That way, I can leave whenever I want and avoid the hassle of having to kick anyone out politely. I highly recommend it.
“I can leave whenever I want”
That is EXACTLY the reason to go back to her place.
Yeah there is nothing more annoying than a woman who overstays her welcome.
I find myself in the exact same situation. It’s the perfect sanctuary. But one onders, when’s the next step ? What solutions do we have to become owners of our own home :
A. You get a loan to buy a house – but for me that’s out of the question.
Other than that, it’s pretty much out of my control.
Any takers?
You could find a ‘rent to own’ situation with a private note-holder. This should be possible, still, as you will find some folks who are in the situation where they cannot otherwise sell their house. You may be able to get a conventional mortgage later, if that’s what you want.
Not owning a house is hardy the end of the world. I didn’t own a home until I was in my 40s b/c I preferred to be mobile. This is a problem faced by modern workers; not can skills become obsolete, so can locations. If you work at a specialized factory making good money in an otherwise depressed area and then that factory relocates to China (yes, Transicold, I am looking at you) then you could be well and truly fucked. If you’re a renter, you can more easily move to where the work is.
I’ve mostly had month-to-month arrangements with people who were willing to deal b/c I’m a well-groomed, adult professional with no dogs/kids or other things that might shit anywhere at any time, rock solid credit and I’m a “good tenant” (as described above).
Good advice, man.
I try to help when I can.
I find myself in that situation. It’s the perfect sanctuary. But one onders, when’s the next step ? What solutions do we have to become owners of our own home :
A. You get a loan to buy a house – but for me that’s out of the question.
Other than that, it’s pretty much out of my control.
Any takers?
Once again so glad I live on a boat. I can fuck off whenever I want
Did that for a number of years. Was great tha no one could knock on my door at the mooring. But boats are holes in the water you throw money into. Like being married to three women at once. The vessel, the weather, the Coast Guard. Ended up living in the garage at work for free.
See my reply to “Guest” immediately above.
You can never own a home. You are always paying rent (i.e. to the government in the form of taxes). Plus the government can sweep in at any moment and take it from you (divorce, civil forfeiture, inheritance, etc.). In my opinion, you are better off without. The whole thing is a gigantic con.
Truth…
Nice article, but I got the feeling reading it that one should think more about tomorrow than enjoying the riches of the present.
I understand the benefits of having a fuck you stash but if l have to live like a pauper in order to obtain it, is the benefit not cancelling itself out?
My question is G, do you want to go trekking in The Himalayas when you are an active young man or an o.a.p.?
Leon,
It’s possible to do both. I don’t live like a pauper and still manage to sav 40-50% for investing. I’d say that if i HAD to choose, however, I’d go for the power and freedom of a fuck you stash. It all depends what you value more. Once i can go to the Himalayas without using more than 5% of my total stash, I’d say I can afford it.
Short term loss for long term gain. Thats what you get when you invest in yourself.
The other alternative is not to inflate your lifestyle as your earn more money. Get a raise and put more into your investments/pay off debt and you won’t notice the increase.
I get the mindset, which is sound. But there are some execution problems. There is good debt, and bad debt. Depending on the interest rate and how it’s working for you. For example, selling your 280k home to buy an 80k place because it has no debt seems to follow this mindset, but I would argue it does not. You want to own equity in an asset that appreciates (rapidly, of course is best). If you have a cheap mortgage with interest that is deductible, buying some shack free and clear probably costed you a pretty penny on the 280k place that appreciated. Many would use part of the 80k to buy another place as an investment. The concept of smart money. Of course, you can get over leveraged, but my greater point is, all debt is not equal and don’t treat it as such.
I agree, however, it really depends on what you’re working for – a greater net worth, or ultimate freedom?
I would argue they are related, depending on your timeline. You could easily build up that wealth and cash it in by selling, or creating income streams via renting etc. Basically saying, built up equity is a version of “frozen” F-U money that can be a path as well.
When it comes to debt for housing, a situation can easily happen where the interest burden on debt is way less than the rent you’d need to pay. There’s nothing magical about debt, but it helps if you have investment assets to match your debt, so that you retain the option of paying off the debt by liquidating the investment. A kind of fuck you fund against the bank, one might say.
You stepped on my ass
You’re breakin’ my glasses too
You won’t drive my car, might be a star
I’ve had enough of you
I’m goin’ insane
There’s no one to blame so fuck you
You can’t have your way
There’s nothing left to say
There’s nothing left to do, ooooohhh
You’re breakin’ my heart
You’re tearing it apart so fuck you
One point i will correct – Shoes should be the most expensive and expressive part of your character!
Yes, if you’re a pimp or a homosexual.
Where in Asia do you live that you pay $300 per month? I’d love to pay that much in rent.
I’m on my way to Thailand at the end of this month and am going for about 2 months and then off to somewhere else. I work remotely so I figured it’s better to live in a country that’s cheap rather than expensive ass LA.
I made the most money I have ever made in my life in 2014 (120k) and am fucking broke. No joke. I know first hand living beyond one’s means. Luckily I didn’t go into any debt, just didn’t save anything.
I live in Jakarta, Indonesia.
My place is small because it’s just me and my little lady living there. But it does have a sweet pool and a gym, and it’s built on top of a mall so I don’t have to travel around to get what I need.
Thailand is a good place. I think you’ll like it.
Looking forward to it. Thanks.
This article is horrible advice. The exchange with Jack and his boss is infantile. If you are so unknown in your industry that you can tell your boss to fvck off (to go to Vegas no less), where do you expect to be after you savings are shot? You’ll just be some schmuck looking for the same job. If you had a reputation, it is now gone like your money.
You cannot invest your way to wealth living on a paycheck in less than 25 years. The author throws numbers around, like $50,000, as if these were large sums. They are not. In the short run $50K is chump change. I have many times that (in cash) in various businesses and investment accounts. If you consider $50K fvck you money and you spend it, you are now the one fvcked. Back to zero you go. You are now out of fvck yous. One and done.
Unless you are a highly skilled medical doctor, lawyer or engineer your only path to wealth is by starting your own business. And, if you want or need to tell your boss to fvck off for a trip to Vegas, it’s highly likely you don’t have the aptitude or discipline to start and operate a business.
Decide first what YOU want, not what you want vis-a-vis your boss. If you think your life’s best efforts and best living will hinge from saying fvck to your boss, you are indeed lost.
Depends where you live pal, where I am, 50k is enough to live for yeeeaaarrrsss.
Secondly you said “You cannot invest your way to wealth living on a paycheck in less than 25 years” – means you’ve missed the entire point of this article. It’s got nothing to do with wealth, but power to make a change when you feel you want to.
As for the infantile exchange, perhaps you should invest in a sense of humour.
“It’s got nothing to do with wealth, but power to make a change when you feel you want to.”
You missed my point. Making a change when “you feel you want to” is blue-pill hamster thinking.
Absolutely, I could make 50 large last 3 0r 4 years with no other income. Hell, I could make it last twice that if I went Spartan with it. (Hawaii surf bum)It seems some people don’t know how to live without the silver spoon so snugly fit up their asses.
I agree, I wasn’t impressed by this Piece.
me neither. seemed too generic
If you think $50K is chump change, you aren’t seeing that figure in the wider context of the article. An average first world inhabitant lives for two years on that, and could be stretched to four with sufficient minimalism. If $50K is chump change that you’d piss away in no time, you’ve ended up in a position where your lifestyle is expensive and can’t be downsized without a major restructuring, which is exactly the kind of situation he’s telling you to not get into in the first place.
My point (admittedly not well stated) is that the first $50K is the hardest to accumulate and seed money for actually setting yourself up in a business or portfolio. This is a difficult task taking many years to accomplish (when you are young) but a necessary one. If you “feel” (as some one else stated) like making an abrupt change in your life because you are denied a weekend in Vegas; If you “feel” like you need power over your boss to say “fvck off”, you are pissing away a large investment of your young time and energy.
Life is not a dress rehearsal. After you pissed that money away, you have to go back to square one, years wasted to say “fvck you” to “the man” that you will NEVER get back. If you don’t piss the money away, the next $50K comes much sooner, and the next sooner still.
I’ve lived in the same house for 27 years that is paid for. I have two cars one 12 years old the other 5 years old, both paid for. I also own ocean front property, three businesses, a company car (paid fore) a 7 figure office building and not had a boss in 12 years. I’m 57 now. Do the math, I started on this road at 45 after working for a “boss” for 25 years.
The other point I’m trying to make is that the whole under current of this “fvck you” money and going back to square one, is a life of low expectations as exemplified by the prize being a trip to Vegas and blowing coke off a whore’s ass.
Coming full circle, if Vegas and coke on a whore’s ass is “the dream” I suppose you and the author are right where you need to be.
Satire. Google it. Nobody is really going to do coke off a hokers asscheeks, nor are they going to speak to their boss that way. It’s called humour, to entertain while making a point. I understand your point too, but as red knight has pointed out above, you clearly didn’t get it. Also i’m in Asia where 50k is like having 200 in the US of A. Probably should have mentioned that.
I don’t think he actually meant that you should piss away your entire FU fund the moment you decide to stop abiding the asshattery of your boss, but rather use it to buy time to find another job where the boss is less of an asshat. Or, to generalize the concept, buy time to fund the replacing of whatever or whoever you told to fuck off.
Correct
I think the simple point that you are correct in making is that real power is in being an entrepreneur. Cursing out bosses because you saved a little money is not the way to go. I agree there. My perspective is that people need to learn to work for themselves and not get trapped by the paycheck.
I’ve been self-employed coming up on 11 years. That’s over a decade of not having bosses hand meaningless pieces of paper to me, waking up when I chose as long as I put in the hours, and countless other quality of life issues that you can’t put a price on.
I implore every young guy out there to pursue entrepreneurial ideas immediately. Better to stumble with a real venture now that’s small potatoes in order to learn the ups and downs–and gain a stomach for disappointment.
I’m 35, battle tested in business, debt free, wife free, and ready to kick ass both in work and personally.
I disagree.
I hit my first million in 10 years on a government paycheck due to a combination of frugality, real estate rentals and dividend paying investments. 2nd million will be hit in about half that time.
A single dude can live fantastically well on 25k a year (or if you are MrMoneyMustache a whole familiy) if you don’t live in an expensive real estate market, engage in stupid consumerism, or own some relatively cheap rental property and move overseas (know of a number of dudes who did exactly that and moved to third world countries). If you do live in an expensive real estate market find an elderly person who wants companionship and you can rent quite cheaply.
Stay frugal, invest as much as you can (or buy property and let rooms) and you can build up a decent amount of wealth on the order of 10 years and let it snowball from there. Living on 25k a year means you are far less likely to be dependent on others.
The point of the FU fund is options. A number of my friends have taken the Tim Ferris mini retirement route doing exactly that.
You don’t disagree.
You accumulated wealth in conjunction with your own goals, not to F bomb the boss or blow coke off a whore’s ass.
You can pick $25K or $50K as your index. My point was that the FU fund is a huge hurdle when you are young but merely one tax payment when you are older and successful. Being stupid early and often will bring you a lost decade in a short life time.
BTW. Kick ass personal story. My hat’s off.
I see what you’re saying.
I like to hear success stories and hope the inspire other people to do the same!
My old man always told me,
“Control your debt before your debt controls you.”
First time he told me this as he was handing me my first credit card while in college. Never forgot that.
Every man should know how to make a budget and know how to stick to it. I recommend Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. It is a really good, back to basics class on finances. Worth the money. He’s smart and conservative. He explains how to practically use the market but he knows not everybody has the time to spend being a day trader. There is a Christian aspect to it I’m not a fan of, but it barely comes up.
“If your shoes cost more than $50, you need to be beaten will a financial stick.”
Not necessarily. You want good quality shoes that won’t give you foot problems. You can invest in a pair of high quality leather European shoes that will easily last for a few years.
This Article has great timing. I got laid off from my first real job post undergrad Monday. I have $10,000 in savings, 0 debt, and I’m wondering while I ponder what to do with my life, should I take the money and invest? find new employment? Both? Or take the 10k and run off into the world with a “Fuck you” attitude. I think I’ve made my decision.
Money can’t buy you happiness.
Maybe not..but having no money can sure as hell buy you a whole lot of unhappiness.
So, let me get this strait. If I want more money I may need to spend less and expand my income. no one has ever said that before
Everyone says it. Few actually do it.
F U money is a lot…million at least. 10k is not f u money
My shoes cost many multiples more than $50 and I have multiple pairs.
Do I have a problem?
But yet can’t do blow off a hookers ass because of his girl. I think he has a much bigger problem.
That would depend on whether his woman has a FU fund enabling her to leave him.
Have you heard of dollar cost averaging and if you have what are your opinions on it?
Also have you considered investing in real estate?
As an expert in real estate I would tell you to stay far away from it.
Why? Is the economy still in a slump or is it generally a bad investment?
The people who make money in real estate are “connected”. The average person will lose money in real estate and this has been demonstrated. By all means invest in real estate but it should only form about 5% of your overall portfolio. Furthermore, the house you live in should be considered a liability not an investment.
So wholesaling flipping or renting out homes would be a bad idea in general?
In general yes, unless you have a special talent in either market timing or you enjoy being a property manager. If you do, by all means do it, but for the average person, you can make more money with less risk and stress by including an exposure to real estate in your diversified portfolio.
I never buy shares to hold for long so DCA doesn’t concern me. If i’m in the market at all i usually am short selling via a spread bet when opportunity knocks. Again, i do that rarely.
Real estate i’m lookimg into currently. We’ll see.
Actually building the fucking you fund isnt much of an issue but working at it and having it there for a few years in the bank without inflation eating away at it is what worries me the most. Any advice on how i can oversome that issue?
DCA works if you are investing a fixed amount each week or month, and something that is safe, and not ever going to lose value.
Income property ( NOT investment property ), and precious metal works well for this. During your investment time, the dips in value get you more of the investment, and the fixed amount invested limits your loss when the value happens to peak.
Just make damned sure the investment is safe. Speculative real estate would be bad.
How much do you believe is a food fixed amount? The guys at wallstreetplayboys recommend $1,000 a month, but thats barelt what i can put into the bank to save.
As for real estate what would be considered an investment property? Flipling homes?
There’s one thing this article doesn’t mention, and which is worth adding. In the example exchange between you and the boss, you don’t have to be the one who quits. You could simply tell him that no, you won’t come in on the weekend, you’ll rather insist on exercising your rights under both labor law and your work contract. Having your fuck you fund as a safety net gives you the ability to say that, and there’s a good chance you will get to keep your job anyway. The mere existence of the fuck you fund increases your bargaining power, and will thus benefit you even without you actually having to spend anything out of it.
It’s not a coincidence that abusive (and illegal but hard to prove) employer practices are disproportionately prevalent in low-end, unskilled minimum wage jobs where the disparity in bargaining power between employee and employer is at its largest.
There’s one thing this article doesn’t mention, and which is worth adding. In the example exchange between you and the boss, you don’t have to be the one who quits. You could simply tell him that no, you won’t come in on the weekend, you’ll rather insist on exercising your rights under both labor law and your work contract. Having your fuck you fund as a safety net gives you the ability to say that, and there’s a good chance you will get to keep your job anyway. The mere existence of the fuck you fund increases your bargaining power, and will thus benefit you even without you actually having to spend anything out of it.
^^^^
THIS!
Absolutely, there’s a reason employers love, love, love married men with children and a huge, hulking mortgage. Because they know these men are stuck, they need that money to come in next month or they’re fucked.
That said, once a boss decides to become a shithead, it’s time to pull the ripcord. I left a well-paid corporate gig b/c a cunt I worked with thought it would be okay to try an force me to do her work* and would go running to her boss when I would tell her to get stuffed. I was dialed-in with HR (sometimes it pays to be nice to middle aged fatties) who loved me and hated her, but I could also see it was time to head for greener pastures. I now work mostly from home (another reason to have Stately Wayne Manor) making double what I used to make at the new gig, and having more freedom and better quality of life.
So sometimes, fucking off voluntarily is the way to go.
Mistral
*Because “she has kids”. Guess what, they’re not my fucking kids, so fuck off, bitch. If you can’t get your work done, that’s not my problem.
It amazes me how over time, the “savings” account has changed in definition to reflect the current economic times. Here are some of the new definitions of a “savings” account:
-College fund
-Retirement fund
-Child support fund
-Ailmony fund
-Mortgage fund
-Car fund
-Unemployment fund
The list goes on and on. What happened to the simple “savings” account? You know, the account that accumulates money throughout your life and does not ever get touched- just the satisfaction of knowing you have some disposable income next to your name.
Ditto. If it’s an account that can potentially lose money because it’s tied to the market then it isn’t savings.
No disrespect to the author, but I no longer believe in anyone who says they earn “six figures.” It feels like the whole false rape epidemic, where everyone screams they have been raped.
For the last few years, I have kept hearing from everyone on the radio, magazine articles, blogs keep shouting from the top of their voices, that they earn “six figures.”
BULLSHIT. Now don’t get me wrong. There are people who do earn six figures, but the fact that nearly everyone mentions they earn six figures makes me think, was there really a recession, because it seems that everyone mentions that they earn six figures.
It is bullshit, and bullshit is the greatest product that people love to sell. Especially internet marketers, who keep bragging about how they quit their jobs and are now earning the magical “six figures.”
I’m surrounded by lineman that make six figures.I don’t yet though:(
Have a look on my website where i prove i work in oil and gas offshore and openly admit i domt make a single dime online. If you don’t believe 6 figures in oil and gas is possible, a simple google search will peove it. I’m selling nothing, so i have no reason to pull the wool over your eyes 🙂 i make a little side change from an actual business i have, but not passive either.
Also, there was no recession here in Asia.
I don’t doubt you for a second. Yes, in oil and gas industries, you can make 6 figures, depending on the position you work in. But it still doesn’t change the fact- so many people lie about making six figures, that it has turned into an epidemic:
“I make six figures”
“I make six figures”
“I make six figures”
“I make six figures”
Soon it will be, “I make seven figures!”
What are the qualifications for your job? I’d love a good paying job in another country. I really want to get out of America
Vocational qualifications related to the industry. Look on some of the big oil and gas service provider sites and that’ll point you in the right direction
If you have a technical degree its hard not to earn 6 figures in 5-10 years (or less depending on your degree/location). Most just stall out in the low six figures.
You will find that those with STEM degrees are far more active online and thus you are more likely to encounter them.
I’ve always had an F you fund.Like you stated in the article its useless if you have debt.I have nice cars ,race bikes etc but there all used or salvaged.I bought the sports car wrecked and fixed it.Racing and driving a nice car is not an investment so buying nice things of status is OK IMO as long as there payed for or were salvaged lol.
I’m calling shenanigans on this one. This is good advice, and it’s also the same advice that Frank (John Goodman) gives to Jim (Mark Wahlberg) in the recently-released film The Gambler. Give credit where credit is due.
Best thing about FY Money if you get there, is that NOBODY dictates your schedule. The saddest feeling in the world is having to get up day after day at a set time and report to somebody doing something you don’t want to be doing.
Whats even more sad, is that people are breeding, which in turn, creates more people who must report to somebody doing something they don’t want to be doing.
One of the coming problems is we will arrive at a point where there are too many people with nobody to report to. Jobless recoveries are becoming the norm….
I’m not sure if I totally believe this. What if you are a single dad and your ex is getting you for a massive child support bill, or alimony? What if your earning capacity is low? Most of us have gone or are going to college, as means to get a good paying career—don’t go into the college is a scam discussion ,please—and that requires a prolonged tango with financial aid.
You see alot of these cost cutting plans as means to generate wealth,but many people live a reality where they almost don’t have enough to save, or if they do it would be a meager amount. This is the reason why Wal-Mart exist
Most people are dumb.
-Most people have kids they cannot afford
-Most people think marriage will provide a great life, and their wives will not leave them.
-Most people think the world owes them a living but got a surprise wake up call when the 2008 crash happened and saw how the politicians and bankers got away with the damage they did
-Most people are not aware of why hyperinflation occurs
-Most people never planned for tomorrow, but spent all their money and resources like today never ended
-Most people cannot budget or plan for the future
And now, most people are paying the ultimate price. For too long, Americans thought it was okay to borrow unlimited money and to put their trust and reliance on an economic and political system that is so corrupt, that Americans are paying the ultimate price.
Ignorance is NOT bliss. You choose to be ignorant, you pay the price.
I do have a little bit of fuck you money. If I wanted, I could sell my house and get 175 000$. Then I could live in some cheap apartment for a while. I could even survive for a few years without a job. I hope I don’t need to do it though.
This is the truth. I called it safety fund. When the employer starts to employ some slavering ideas, then I prepare my refusal arguments. But if he demands my slavery, well, I kindly inform him I won’t do it. Fires me, au revoir then, bitch !
I won’t sell my freedom for money, fuck that. I will work harder yes, but I will not stay longer than needed just ’cause some foreign mother-fucker likes that the working man he pays in my country is 20 times less than his home country.
,,Fuck you money” is perfectly put together.
Loans are for people who haven’t dealt with them a great deal.Well I have. Fuck loaning, fuck giving away your peace of mind even if it is for ,,just of couple of years”. Some of my corporate cock sucker colleagues that earn twice my pay, are so deep in loans that I sometimes feel lucky my salary is half theirs.
People will kill to pay the mortgage.
Bankers know this, that is why central banks encourage a fiat system with currency expansion and artificially low interest rates. It crushes savers (those that would wish to be independent) through inflation, and dramatically raises the cost of a house, so eventually everybody needs a loan to buy a house. Then everybody is on the hook for a paycheck. Neo-feudalism baby.
Damn son, I’ve been telling everyone this since the begining and nobody believed me. I remember when I was in 8th grade and commercial mobile phones came out. I asked my dad to buy me one, he said: ,,Sure thing, son, but with your money and you pay your monthly abonament”. So there I was, a 14 year old kid with a new mobile phone (motorola C200) paying off my monthly fees WITH NO INCOME. I hated my dad for making me pay my own taxes, but I now by him a beer every time I come visiting. I encourage forcing your kids pay for their own shit ! They learn the ways of the world, it’s a painfull process and they will hate you for it, but after 10 years they’ll be forever grateful they had a father like you!
Haha! Good pops you had. I had hard lessons of money at a young age too; it has proved invaluable.
I think giving an allowance is horse shit, and instead make my kids work chores for money. My 6-year old son is better with money and currency conversions than most college educated 22 year-olds.
How the heck can you have a fuck you money in a country where inflation is more than 20% a year? in a country where the goverment can confiscate your saved account whenever they want?
Seriously, even If I buy gold/silvere/bitcoins,I don’t know what to do.
You answered the question. Buy gold and silver coins. Get a foreign bank account, denominated in something other than the worthless fiat shit your country prints.
This shouldn’t cost you much more than a plane ticket to get started.
1) this entry sounds similar to another blog i enjoy: ‘mr. money mustache.’
2) a word of caution: before you blow your stack with your boss, keep in mind this conversation from seinfeld:
JERRY: Hey. Elaine’s quitting.
GEORGE: Really?
ELAINE: I’m marchin’ in.
GEORGE: I’ve done the march in. Best feeling in the world.
JERRY: How ’bout the march out?
GEORGE: Not as good. That’s when you realize all the money you’re losing.
I first learned of this concept listening to Tom Leykis.
Leykis preached the Word before there was a Word to preach. Basically everything that guy says (and there’s a ton of his shows on youtube) is gold.
Your boss doesn’t owe you anything, It’s business, some people don’t view their job as business and get huffy puffy when their boss disrupts their social hour on the job,if your the type of guy who has a fuck you attitude chances are your boss isn’t gonna feel a loss when you leave,you go to work you do your job it’s business, don’t like the job quit, but telling a boss fuck you is juvenile and it will only hurt your reputation in the long run.
haha yeah I used to get all “huffy puffy” during my corporate drone days … then a couple years ago I tried my hand at managing a real estate investment deal and found out what a pain in the ass it is to deal with employees and ended up firing a couple of them … so the funny thing is that now I’m actually a bit sympathetic to my old bosses who had to fire my insubordinate ass!
I don’t believe in absolutes. If you have an idea, a work ethic and an unshakeable belief in yourself you may be in need of financing. Dogma and absolutes bother me. Of course if you make 50K and spend 100K you are going to meet disaster sooner or later. Credit and debt can be OK if you use them sparingly and wisely.
I don’t totally agree about getting shoes costing less than 50 dollars. I have had expensive Timberlands for four years and they are showing almost no signs of wear despite having been up mountains and having kept me warm through two Russian winters.
I’ve been through numerous pairs of Merrels in the same time so you might have a point. I just haven’t found a cheaper brand of comparatively good running shoes.
Quality shoes are something men should have no problem spending money on. I also have a pair of Timberlands, I’ve had this pair for 3 years now. Spend the money on quality stuff that will last, versus something cheap that you’d have to buy many times.
Spent $160 on them and would definitely recommend them.
Curious to see the kinds of shoes the author wears that are under $50 though. I wear size 14, EE width, so I have to usually buy Asics or New Balance athletic shoes and have to order them online. I’d love to find good shoes for cheap, but then you’re sacrificing comfort
I think you are missing the point here.
Status shoes = bad
Good work boots or wear shoes = good
I wear merrils myself. $80 for a pair of shoes that wear for years. Amortized over their lifetime, I am paying less than $50/year for them.
Great article. I started working on fuck you money and paying off debts 17 months ago. Today I’ve got a year’s worth of living expenses and I’m down to $1400 bucks worth of debt that I’ll pay off in the next month or so and then it’s adios debt.
I will say that saving a few years worth of living expenses can seem daunting so break it into chunks. I started by wanting to save a thousand bucks and just kept going.
The nice thing about having fuck you money is that life becomes incredibly relaxing. Some guy cuts you off on the way to work? Who cares? You’re moving and you need to come up with deposits etc. who cares? Some chick you’re dealing with starts turning into a pain in the ass? Cut her loose. Who cares?
There’s no point in spending money you don’t have, to buy shit you don’t need in order to try to impress people you don’t know.
Fuck you, money.
Yeah! Fuck you, money. Never done anything for me but buy food, clothing, shelter, motorcycles, guns, cars, pussy, liquor.
I think I’d rather learn to do things rather than buy things.
Jesus, was right. The meek will inherit the earth, because they will be the only survivors. They know how to get by with the basics.
It’s a little late to be chugging coffee, dude.
The meek with then sign over the deed to the Strong after a few hours of intimidation…..
Yeah, all that “peaceful exchange with consenting individuals” thing that money provides is so overrated. Better to revert back to the stone age and start beating the hell out of everybody in order to eke out a meager existence. That’s a much better plan.
Put yer shirt back on bro, it’s just an idealized sentiment, hardly a real philosophy, I’m not a f*ckin angsty teenager. I like playing with the English language, it’s funny to me how you can utterly change a whole meaning of a sentence with a single comma.
Good article.
However, be very very careful how you store your saved money. I went a bit further than a FU fund and managed to retire at 39. Then lost it all. I’m now 41 and having to lick arse in job interviews again.
Like the author I live in Asia. I live a minimalist life as a single lad but I made some text-book errors in losing $250,000. I wrote about it here so others can avoid my dumbass errors.
http://www.awolgeordie.com/2014/10/how-i-lost-250000-with-centaur.html
One third of your money in precious metal. One third in income producing property. The last third can be invested.
If you make money, rebalance by buying more property and gold.
If you had followed that plan, those assholes at Centaur would have only rooked you for a third of your wealth.
Cheers Chris. Yeah man, I really don’t know what I was thinking when I did this. I wish I had a time machine!!
NEVER leave your F/Y money in a bank!
Banks work for governments and governments work for women. That money can vanish quicker than panties.
Don’t tell ANYONE where it is.
Banks are fine. A singular bank is bad. Split your investment money up, and choose a few different countries. Do not put all your eggs in one basket, and avoid avoid avoid putting substantial funds inside your country of birth. Those fuckers think they own you, and treat you like it.
That is your advice? Are you US citizen? Do you report all of your foreign bank accounts like you are supposed to, and the amounts?
The IRS is balls deep in just about every country in the world, and most banks will flat out refuse to open accounts for US citizen non-residents anymore because they do not want to deal with the IRS and new banking and reporting laws.
The more money you put in their system, the more they OWN you.
Oh, and by the way, just about every currency in the world has been getting its ass-kicked to the dollar over the last year. Do you want to take that kind of currency risk?
For all those out there, this is not a good option anymore if you are a US citizen. The day is fast approaching for other people too. We are living in a world-wide fiat currency system and banking laws are being put in place every year that limit and report bank activity.
Heed this warning!
Figure out how much you need to live on per year in your South American, Eastern European or Southeast Asian destination of choice, save up for two years of expenses (~$20-40k) and move. My independent income doesn’t cover all of my expenses yet, but in the meantime I’m much happier than working a 9-5 in a place I didn’t want to live anyomore (which is also 2-3 times more expensive to live in than my current home). Worst case scenario, if I can’t develop a steady income in 2 years, I have options for getting a regular job here.
Where do you currently live? Are you just living on your savings right now? How do you plan on developing a steady income?
I really want to get out of America, not yet sure where to go though. But first I gotta build up my bankroll
Poland. Mostly savings and a grant related to my PhD research. I’m making modest amount from investment dividends and growth. I’ve made a small income from affiliate links on several blogs, and I’m working on two ebooks that’ll be out this year. I’m looking into teaching/tutoring English as an additional supplement. Developing my websites looks to be the most promising option for income as well as maintaining my freedom.
Plan a trip or two to scout out some locations. As far as saving money, check out this site: http://www.mrmoneymustache.com Open an account in Personal Capital: https://www.personalcapital.com (or something similar) to track your expenses. It took me about 5 years of annual visits and progressively saving more and downgrading my expenses to decide to leave. Ideally guys will be making enough to live off of when they quit their jobs, but its also really hard to find enough time to work and create a side business. Sometimes you just have to jump in and learn to swim as you go.
What made you decide to live in Poland? Of all the places I’ve visited, I’m leaning towards Sevilla, Spain
Both my parents were born here and I have family in Warsaw, which helped ease the transition. I like the culture, history, etc. and I speak the language pretty well. Now I’m studying here and its a good location for visiting other parts of Europe.
I still think this is a really good post. Information contained therein will give you relative freedom when the need arises.
I’d rather have F U money sitting in my bank account then a expensive superficial car or other items etc.
At the end of the day when you’ve got that fall back you have freedom – you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, lay offs and hour cuts etc. are of no real concern.
And living below your means for a period of time is all it takes to get there.
One thing that is not mentioned in this article is that you have to be able to be a loner, not adaptable to the bullshit at work and in life in general. Since most people dont have fuck you money they are willing to put up alot of shit which you are not. When that happens they will alienate you in various ways. Just a mental perspective to this aspect.
Steal from women, they didn’t earn their money legally anyways.
how would you go about doing that?
A fuck you fund may begin, for a young, healthy man, as six months of expenses. If you get rid of all debt, cars and other frivolities, you may save enough for a couple years in a year.
Actually, becoming a minimalist will help your game, as you will differentiate yourself from the hordes of office bee-workers, will automatically disqualify as a beta provider, and will allow you ample time to optimize logistics and day game.
I’m always amazed at how many people buy brand new cars, then bitch about the price of gas. If you look at the rock dropping value of that vehicle, it far far outstrips the amount spent on gas. On the other end, getting the cheapest vehicle is also usually a mistake because the high cost of labor mean you’ll spend more fixing it than you would have if you bought a newer nicer vehicle. These are things I’ve had to learn the hard way.
fuck you money is the most beautiful thing in the world.
i would say though, one thing i learned from the latest [i can hear the sighs already but its a good book this time] tony robbins book on money and wealth is that it is so fucking easy to go broke.
and even easier when you’re rich and make bad investments [the real way they go broke].
also, a healthy sense of (emotional) discipline is very necessary.
so you’ve got 10k stashed in the bank. so the fuck what? it is way easier to piss away that then you think.
trust me on this one,
emotional discipline/mastery is the number one trait required for just about every sphere of life.
if when you’re rolling in money, you’re in control enough to not completely go absent minded with it (which sadly i have done in the past), you’ll be able to stand and be tough in the lean times when you’re hurting for two pennies to rub together.
no one’s going to fucking argue with a poor man and tell him to suck it up. he knows he’s gotta put up or shut up.
but the guy on his way up and thinks he’s got a little cheddar when he really hasnt? that man needs a little emotional self discipline that they can keep the raging profit apetites in check when they do have the money.
I also think people have a base level of money they kind of aggregate towards high or low. To be able to raise that base level, you have to provide value to a hell of a lot of people (in the same way that jobs did with apple, or gates with microsoft). there’s also some luck involved as well
Fuck you money is nice, but only if somebody cannot fuck you with that money. My suggestion, and what I do is to put it in gold and silver, take delivery and keep your mouth shut about it. If you want to rack of a six figure fuck you fund and keep it in a bank then:
1. It is subject to claim, think ex-wife, business partner, IRS, ex.
2. It is vulnerable to the financial system, think inflation (even the 1 to 3% kind will rip it to shreds over 10 years), bank bail-ins, bank withdraw and transfer limits (like Cyprus and Greece).
3. It is vulnerable to the legal system, think about frozen assets while under investigation, or hell, how about civil asset forfeiture, no charges are needed for your account to be seized, and money transfers or withdrawals over 10k are viewed as suspicious and are reported to the feds.
4. It is vulnerable to fraud, including good old girlfriend “faked my signature or got my bank card and went wild while I was out of country” kind of fraud.
How good is fuck you money, when all of the people above can use it to say fuck you to you?
Real fuck you money must be able to be protected, moved, and used as you see fit. The world is full of vultures and most of them wear a suit, hedge accordingly.
A great “fuck you fund” is your fund of transferable income producing skills. These can never be taken off you and while wages can be garnished, you can leave that country and say “fuck you” to Divorce Court.
I agree. Health and confidence too. Gold is good for the rest. Why more men don’t take care of themselves I’ll never know. Maybe they think that they are too strong to get fucked, who knows.
and stack some PM’s for that rainy day.
Bankers HATE physical PM’s because it takes asset value OUT of the system, where they can’t get their hands on it.
The ultimate fuck you fund.
Exactly. Wish more men knew this. Your PMs are yours. Keep them to yourself and nobody is going to get their hands on it and inflation will not eat it away. That means decades of savings, and no federal reserve chief, no bank, no ex-wife, no income tax collector, no ex-business partner, no lien holder, and no gift, death, or gain tax can take it away from you or the person that you would want to pass it to.
Guys, start young, and make sure at least 20% of your savings is PM. Trust me, there will come a day when you are damn glad that you did.
Gold and Silver are physical embodiments of labor that has been saved/transferred through the millenniums. Fiat cash is worthless paper that serves a role as government mandated currency in today’s society and benefits the financial elite. It has its place, but is guaranteed to go to zero.
This may Sound Like a Stupid Question.. what are PMs?
Precious Metals. No problem, it is a term by those in the know. They don’t teach people about money in school which is a huge disservice to those that give their labor for currency.
Every week I park $300 outta my salary for the last 3 years…closing in on 45k of “just in case my business goes in the shitter” money!
Excellent article. Completely within the defiant, controller of his own destiny vein of this blog. Ive always had troible with finances, budgeting, avoiding impulsive, frivolous purchases. I got paid today, time to start living differently.
I am getting there. Slowly but surely! Right now, my passive income is able to cover my daily expenses.
Most ridiculous line on the internet… jeeez get real
“Debt is for slaves. If you have 80k equity in your home and a 200k mortgage, sell it, take the money that is left and buy a house for that much.?”
Hey man, I don’t agree with you. Not all debts are bad. I’m creating positive cash flow using debts.