Posts by casualharbor17

Ronald Castillo5 said:We had cheap student housing for about $7,500 a year—utilities were extra. My wife was working just like I mentioned, too. Look, if I’d grown up with a wealthy dad, we wouldn't have been grinding like this. Just to be clear: my wife was pulling 70-hour weeks, and I was doing 35 hours while in school full-time, then picking up extra shifts during breaks and over the summer... we were hitting about 90 hours a week combined. We managed to bring in maybe $1,500 to $2,000 a month, which actually covered our bills and let us travel a bit here and there—you know, enjoy life.

Does that make the math a little clearer?

Ronald Castillo5 said:Great post—well, I wouldn't say everything you wrote is perfect, but it’s excellent because it gives us so much to chew on. I'm not saying you missed any real-world examples; I'm sure everything you mentioned is happening out there, and honestly, things could probably be even worse. But the point I really want to drive home is this: there aren't any set rules here. It all comes down to the individual and how they navigate the situation. There are plenty of ways to make things work—it just depends on whether a person chooses to move forward or let themselves slip.

I basically started this thread because I wanted to see where my perspective lands compared to how people view life abroad versus what happened here in America back in '94—and then see how the younger generation looks at it all now that ten years have passed.

When I first decided to move abroad, I had my heart set on exactly where I ended up—going back to school and getting my education—but I didn't have a dime to my name. Back in '91, I was pulling in maybe a dollar an hour, and then I spent two years back in the classroom. My wife and I eventually figured out a plan to head over to Germany during the summer—she took on house cleaning jobs while I worked washing cars—just so we could scrape something together. We managed to save a few thousand bucks in about two months, and even then, we had to borrow enough just to cover the trip to the UK and pay for that first semester of tuition. Since we weren't EU citizens back then, we had to pay the full out-of-state price upfront. It wasn't easy.

Exactly... we can't even compare our situations. Back then, I didn't even know the language—I was hitting classes during the day and pulling whatever low-wage shifts I could find at night. My wife was doing the exact same thing. But the real point here is that you don't just stumble into success overnight. It feels like kids today expect everything right this second—the cars, the apartments, the designer clothes, all the high-end gear—without putting in the time. You have to look ahead, maybe five years down the road, and set a clear goal. Once you actually see a path forward, that’s what gives you the drive to work 50 hours a week—going to school by day and working late into the night. You grind seven days a week, taking any job that comes your way, for a few years straight. It's doable if you have that vision. Usually, the guy who thinks he can skip the struggle and jump straight to the good life ends up blowing half a gram of something white instead.

Look, it wasn't really about hoarding cash for my wife and me—that was never the main goal. It was all about getting my education. And honestly, when you're paying those massive tuition fees for a degree, there isn't much room left for "saving money"—it just wasn't an option for us back then.

Everything you're saying holds water—it's all valid points that we definitely need to consider. But again, there isn't one single rule for this; it really comes down to the individual. It could play out exactly how you described, it could be even worse, or honestly, it could be much better. The main thing I want to emphasize is that opportunities exist to achieve things that look impossible at first glance. To me, the West provides a much better foundation—a fertile ground where a person can actually push their intellectual and physical limits, step outside their comfort zone, and truly tap into their full potential.

Back when I was working in the fax industry, I saw tons of people from the old North America region coming through over the last 30 years. I actually ended up being the first one among my peers to buy a house while I was still a student. Of course—it took about four years to pull it off... but honestly, who expects you to have everything figured out on day one? Unless you show up with a massive bag of cash, that kind of thing is just impossible.

Everyone thought it was impossible—who’s going to grant the loans, who's going to fund it, all that nonsense. But get this: people in the UK and other parts of Europe don't even pay tuition because they're part of the European Union... plus, they end up taking out massive bank loans just to cover their living expenses while they're hitting the books. I had it different. I had to pay my own way through school and work on the side just to stay afloat. Most graduates over in the UK come out the other side buried under $5,000 to $15,000 in debt that they spend years paying off. Me? I finished my studies with enough cash saved up to put down a 15% deposit on a house. Honestly, when I tell people from the UK that, their heads just spin.

Look, what I’m trying to say is—it’s tough at first. Of course you start out behind the curve. But because we actually value the opportunities we get here way more than the people born into them, we have this ability to take something mediocre and turn it into something exceptional. We don't even need to be geniuses to make that happen. It's just that we come from places where nothing was ever handed to us on a silver platter—so we fight a lot harder than the locals do. My peers back in the UK are just now starting to think about buying their first house, while I'm already looking ahead to my very last mortgage payment.

The average American rents for about ten years before finally buying their first home. Most first-time buyers aren't hitting that milestone until they're around 34. So—look—it’s not like even the locals have everything handed to them on a silver platter right away.

Come on, you can't compare apples to oranges here. I think it's much more important to look at how young people view their own future—how far ahead they're planning. Anyone who demands everything "right now" usually ends up failing, and honestly, they rarely find any real happiness.

At the end of the day, happiness isn't measured by what you own.

It wasn't instant, but back when I was a student, I managed to buy a house after five years... and honestly? It looks like I'll pay it off way faster than my boss, who's been at the firm for 25 years while I've only been there 18 months. Sure, eventually, I'll probably buy something bigger and better and take out another loan... but it all comes down to the individual—what they do with their capital (whether that's brainpower, time, or cash). Often, it’s not about how much someone earns, but how they spend (or invest) it.

Whether you're abroad or right here in the States, the rules for debt stay the same. There is good debt and there is bad debt.

Good debt is when the move makes you more money than the interest you're handing over to the banker—like in investing—or when the alternative is just more expensive (like buying a house with a mortgage because renting would cost you way more in the long run). So, the size of the loan doesn't matter, provided it's actually good debt.

Bad debt is when you take out a loan just to blow it on liabilities—things that just drain your wallet or lose value almost immediately... things like cars, luxury items, vacations, and so on.

If someone really needs credit, they should keep it small. (We've all been there—sometimes life just throws things at you that you have to cover.)

And if you absolutely have to take out a massive loan, make sure someone else is the one footing the bill for the interest (through investing).

Whether you're living in Afghanistan, the US, or West London... if you don't follow these principles, you're going to end up in a hole and it won't be pretty.

Ronald Castillo5, please—help me out here. How did you manage to study in England, paying £6,000 a year for tuition, plus rent (at least £150 a week), plus food and basic living costs (at least £100 a week),
while working the cheapest jobs possible (maybe £250 a week)?

Was your wife working for you, or did you have a wealthy dad?
The math just doesn't add up.
If you could just let me in on the secret (show me the numbers),

I'd really appreciate it.
I'm just interested in the numbers.
Or maybe you were using some tricks.

Because if you were, I might just start doing the same.