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Small-Scale Question Sunday for September 22, 2024

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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Say you’re not “tolerably well off monetarily”. What would you say to someone who has generations of poverty (often extreme poverty) in their genes and wants to break that cycle?

If you're in the US, breaking out of generations of poverty boils down to:

  • Not making truly idiotic financial decisions
  • Becoming a great employee

That's it. If you do these two things, you will have multiple leadership opportunities and a comfortable living. Every single job I've had, from the crappy to the great, has eventually led to a manager realizing I deserved to be paid more than my peers and given more power and control of my destiny. A server at a mid-tier restaurant in the US makes an insane amount of money relative to the amount of effort and dedication they put into their job. Oilfield workers are famous for high school graduates making enough money that it takes hookers and high-interest car loans to destroy their future. Literally, just show up on time, try hard, and be friendly with your boss.

If you're struggling with the first, I find this book to be 90% excellent advice for people who have not been educated about money from an early age.

You also said "for the least effort without breaking the law" which implies some sort of shady /r/overwork J2 type thing. I don't think anyone wants to help you with that.

But in terms of maximizing earnings, you can either work harder or do something that is hard.

  1. Work harder. Literally just work more hours. For example, buy a fixer upper house and get roommates. Pay the mortgage with the rent you bring in. Fix up the house. Sell it. You'll make money since rich people want to buy a house that is move-in ready, not needing repair. Another example, you can detail cars for people and charge at least $50/hour. Or, more easily, just find a job that pays overtime and work lots of overtime.

  2. Do something hard. There are tons of high-paying jobs that many people just don't want to do because they suck. For example, accounting. If there's something you don't mind doing that pays well, this can be okay. The big category of high-paying jobs that suck is owning a business. Most people just want to draw a check with zero risk or effort.