Last night I was in Messenger, and I said hello to a contact that I haven't met in person, but he was someone with whom I'd chat with about 2 years ago. All was well until I mentioned to him that I started sharing my bedroom in the apartment I rent.
He didn't ask me why, but he quickly went on to judge me (someone he hasn't even met). He asked my age. I'm 36. Then he went on to ask me about my posessions. Do I have my own house? no
Do I have a car? no, and I don't want one. I live only a few minutes walk from the subway and a major avenue. I definitely don't want to waste money on a car. Then he went on to tell me that I don't even know if I'll have food to eat tomorrow. That isn't the case, but I didn't feel like correcting him since he didn't seem to care about my situation only my posessions.
He then told me that I have nothing. Then he continued to tell me how he has his own house and furniture and he pays his bills.
The difference is that he lived with his parents most of his life and his parents gave him for free the lot to build his house on. The hardest thing in a megacity is to find WHERE to build a house and actually buy it. The actual construction here is very easy to manage once you own the land. It is very likely he never rented. I'm not saying anything he did to have his house is wrong. What I'm saying is that his arrogance is wrong since he basically lived off of his parents while I have had to pay rent and bills and yes, I buy my furniture too. If he had been renting since his early 20s like I have and had he bought the land his house is on then I'd admire him. Since that's not the case, I think he's a jerk who deserves retribution for being so arrogant.
Should I have my own place by now? I suppose I really should, but my income isn't high, and I'm single. Most of my income isn't considered when applying for a loan. He also works independently, but since his parents gave him the land, he didn't even need to request a loan to build. Land in a megacity/metropolis is very expensive. If I lived in a small town or even a small city, I probably would be able to buy an empty lot for not so much.
As for his scolding me for sharing my room, I think that was just stupid, but that shows you how backwards people are. Instead of praising you for making a sacrifice to finally get ahead financially, they scold you since you really should spend as much money as possible and somehow manage to buy a house of your own while single on a low income. Sorry, but I'm not going to buy into that backwards thinking. That's what leads people into mortgage foreclosure and living on the street or with family, because they spent instead of saved.
No, I don't regret not living off of my parents during my 20s and then have the option of being an arrogant idiot like him. I'm very proud that I've been able to survive without having to ask my parents to support me or to give me land for my own house. I only regret not posting the roommate advertisement years ago! I'd have a lot more money saved today if I had a roommate sharing a room not only an apartment. I also wouldn't have had to move a few years ago when times were tough if I had shared the rent of my room with another.
I definitely want to continue to live with roommates and yes share my room (I started sharing this month). Some of the money I save will go toward bunk beds. The rest of the money I save goes toward my financial independence and early retirement. I definitely hope to have my own home, but I'm not going to be a jerk about it when I do. As long as I am single, I plan to have roommates! It just makes sense to share. Housing costs are normally the biggest expense and rent money isn't an investment. You pay it and it is gone. When I buy my own place, I also plan on having roommates. If I'm lucky their rent money will pay the bills or most of them. I will be able to have my own place and still retire early.
I actually could get a small loan for a tiny house without a yard on the outskirts of the metropolis, but I wouldn't be able to live there while I am working since it would be about 2.5 or 3 hours away and since there is no yard I wouldn't be able to have a garden. Those houses only have 1-2 tiny bedrooms so I wouldn't be able to share. It wouldn't be a very good investment since it wouldn't be a place I'd want except in an emergency. It makes more sense for me to invest in dividend stocks and bonds.
What do you value? Do luxuries like a car make you feel like you have more value that someone who takes public transportation? I think a better measure of how you are doing is in stability, the ability to cover your basic needs, and safety for the future. Having your own home gives stability, but only as much stability as being able to live in it and pay the bills. A car doesn't make you more stable, it eats money. A car is a convenience. How many months could you survive if you stopped working your regular job today? If I stopped earning money today, I could easily live 7 months and 10 months if I only cooked basic food at home.
No comments:
Post a Comment