Comments on: “I Don’t Need To Get a Job. I Don’t Need the Money!”

By: Em

Em — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 01:10:15 +0000

Saving money and working to establish security in the future is an admirable goal, but some people have other goals in life than slogging through a 40+ hour work week so that we can quit when we’re 55 and go to Fiji, Peru, Amazon cruise etc. Personally I’d rather be in a job that makes me want to work til I die, because I enjoy it, not because of the financial reward. Money is incidental to work, though you should make enough in whatever you do to support yourself independently. It’s about being disciplined and hard-working, even if you decide to work 15 hrs a week and write a book, work on cars, build furniture with the rest of your time.

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 16:10:43 +0000

Better is a handful with quietness, than both hands full with labour and pursuit of the wind. – Ecclesiastes 4:6

By: jj

jj — Sun, 15 May 2011 18:58:14 +0000

If you work a job you don’t really need you take a job from someone who really needs it.

By: Burbank

Burbank — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 12:48:42 +0000

Unfortunately it is not a clear picture that I am seeing from many of the comments here.
Many are claiming ” I don’t need the money… ” It is not the money it is the Freedom of Choice that the money allows.
Cap has talent resources that allow him to add a burst of income when he wants to increase his ability to choose differently, most of us do not and it requires a habit of steady and reliable slogging through life to achieve a level of freedom.
The freedom is to be able to make our own choices and not be at the will of other forces’ choices for us.
Personally I found that I was NOT as talented as Cap when I was younger so I found a good trade, lived below my means for a couple of decades and retired at 55 with a great retirement and savings.
I think that MOST of the new generation will be blaming anything but themselves when they find little freedom because of lack of ‘ needing the money ‘ and lack of planning.
I did not need the money then, my wife and I have it now.

PS
Paid off house, went to Fiji, Peru, Amazon cruise,
Brazil and still support grandkids…
Didn’t need the money… well, maybe a little.

By: Ryan R

Ryan R — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 22:40:49 +0000

I don’t find what you said to be snobbish, stupid, naive, ignorant or what ever other adjective someone may apply to that particular situation. No one “needs the money”. We don’t need money period. We believe we do but we don’t. We need money because we’ve been taught that to specialize is far more efficient than to do everything generally. We’ve traded in know-how and skill for higher wages so we can pay someone else with the know-how and skill to do work for us we would have done ourselves in a different era.

You were absolutely right in what you said. Your friends argument doesn’t seem to hold up either, what about your parents, sister? They didn’t need money either but they chose to live in such a way that they needed it. They bought into the idea that they needed the money. We don’t need modern housing, cars, gasoline, electricity or utility supplied water. Is it easier? Most definitely but untold billions did just fine without those things for a long time before the 20th century.

By: Tony Chung

Tony Chung — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 06:50:23 +0000

Great post Cap, it’s pretty phenomenal/admirable that you were able to get yourself out of $10k debt.

Keep up the awesome posts :)

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 08:56:20 +0000

It might be a better idea to focus on building up the auto parts business than to get a regular job. Self-employed people have always made more money on average than people who work for others. Also, in this economy, it can be very hard to find a job, and you never know how long it’s going to last even if you do find one.

By: 50plusfinance

50plusfinance — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:39:15 +0000

Its nice when all the youngsters can live off Mom and Dads hard work. But enjoy it while it lasts. Because when you eventually have children, your kids are going to do to you, what your doing to them.

By: Cap

Cap — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 23:25:16 +0000

regular guy: Actually I agree completely, and have since regretted the times I’ve spent being unproductive. The math simply works out the best no matter how you slice it, you’ll come out much further ahead if you start earning/saving while you’re young, vs. years later when the factor of time is lessen.

By: Cap

Cap — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 23:21:40 +0000

SAFTM: Nicely put, agree 100%. At some point in time, if and when I choose to have a family, then certain financial responsibilities will come attached with that decision. Until then, as long as I’m not leeching on society or anyone, I think I can sleep well at night, whether or not I have a stable job.

rcevans: I skimmed the post again and spotted a few more errors, but I’m certain there’s more I missed. Unfortunately, I speak three languages and none of them fluently. Cursed world. I’ll probably get around to getting an editor once if I ever write frequently again.

Financial Samurai: Sorry for late response. If I remember right, it was from an invitation by the Wise Bread guys awhile back. But to answer your question, yes, there was a time where I use to write (a lot) more. Back in 2005 to 2007 was probably my peak writing time, until I took on other projects/school/work.

I think I’ve read a post you wrote a bit ago about how some blog networks seem exclusive and close-off-ish, where “A-list” hangs around each other, but generally I think people just congregate base on timing and fit. Some of us started before others, so we got to know each other more before some of the newer blogs.

Hope this answers your question and any subsequent ones, if you’re wondering why a random blog that barely has any content is part of some “big” blog networks (to be frank, there are many many new personal finance blogs that are miles ahead of me in terms of content, frequency, and quality).

By: regular guy

regular guy — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 04:24:07 +0000

Although you may not “need” the money, there are other reasons to work”

- get experience
- accumulate wealth.

When you are older and have a family, I guarantee that you will look back and wish you had used the time to accumulate more wealth.

Having substatial assets in the bank (or wherever..) makes a big difference towards peace of mind.

By: Credit Gal

Credit Gal — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:27:44 +0000

I just had my daughter graduate from college and she had 2 job offers…wouldn’t take either because $40K-or there about’s, just wasn’t enough money. She elected to go back to school for a Masters. I just don’t get it. Maybe life is just too easy-or maybe this is the new perspective. sigh…

By: Financial Samurai

Financial Samurai — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 15:55:10 +0000

Hi Cap,

Can you let us know how you got into the “Money Tips” network? Looks like a great list of bloggers to be associated with.

Was there a time you used to write a lot more?

Cheers, Sam
The Yakezie

By: Jon

Jon — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 22:15:43 +0000

The whole point of a job is to get money, unless you enjoy it more than being unemployed. Why work if you don’t have/want to?

By: rcevans

rcevans — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:48:25 +0000

Good article! And some of the responses are great, too! (ie: 6.benjamin bankruptcy Says:
July 11th, 2010 at 7:36 pm) What a great observation!

I will make one comment though, on the writing/grammar skills in the article and in a number of the responses: Didn’t you people learn enough in your college years to express yourselves properly in writing? (comments 2,8 & 9) You might want to sharpen up your grammar if you DO want to land the job you want…. :o)

By: SAFTM

SAFTM — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 17:47:15 +0000

The way I look at it is that if you safeguard your money and live a simple life, that’s fine. No need to get a job if you don’t need one. If you expect someday to have a wife and kids, it may be appropriate to get a job now and save more because your priorities may change. But if you’ve chosen the life you want to life and you have enough money for that enjoy it.

When I choose who I give money to I do so wisely – I wrote a post about a family member who asked me for money – I said no. Why? One reason was because our money priorities were not the same. He asked for $$ to buy gifts. I don’t spend a lot on gifts. (I not-so-secretly have the same outlook when people smoke a pack or two a day and then complain they have no money! Don’t get me started!).

By: alex

alex — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:00:31 +0000

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By: michelle

michelle — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:43:33 +0000

will you dont need be i do. mean all that big head

By: SavingFreak

SavingFreak — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 23:39:19 +0000

I have to say taking some time before I started a “real job” to pursue some dreams really worked out well for me. I eventually decided that my original plans were not what I really wanted, but the pursuit of those dreams lead me in even better directions.

By: benjamin bankruptcy

benjamin bankruptcy — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 02:36:22 +0000

Your Mama didn’t suck it up and pay the mortgage so you can be stuck in a job you don’t like so you can suck it up for your kids. I’m also a millenial and as long as you’re supporting yourself and not milking off your parents I say hold out for your dream job, later on you might have to suck it up and get a “real” job but maybe if our parents hadn’t settled there’d be less mid life crises, fewer sports cars/harleys being sold and bosses getting it on with their secretaries