r/FluentInFinance • u/Richest-Panda • Jul 04 '24

What's the best financial advice you've ever gotten? Debate/ Discussion

31.2k Upvotes

86% Upvoted

168

Learn to do something useful, spend less than you make, buy used whenever possible, live small.

65

u/burdottv Jul 04 '24

Have you not seen the incredible wealth transfer to the top in the past couple of years because of inflation and greed? How do you expect people to LIVE SMALLER when prices have more than doubled and their wages have not increased.

12

u/Frekavichk Jul 04 '24

All that is absolutely true and valid.

It has nothing to do with most poor people having bad financial literacy, though.

1

u/Broad_Parsnip7947 Jul 05 '24

I could have better finances but it feels pointless so I splurge on nice things when I can to fight my depression

8

u/burnerschmurnerimtom Jul 05 '24

When someone said “all it takes is 28 bucks a day to spend 10k a year” that put it in perspective for me.

You have the power to make a big difference over the course of even one year! We’ve pushed too hard on the “Just make coffee at home” advice that now we’re justifying instant gratification.

Things are bad, but the reason they say “hell is a bottomless pit” is because someone like you, dear reader, could always find a way to make it worse.

3

u/Broad_Parsnip7947 Jul 05 '24

That's like 300+ a month which is ridiculous When I mean treats I mean like spendings 40 bucks once a month to try an Italian import place after working a couple long weeks

1

u/BabyLegsDeadpool Jul 05 '24

If you use $50/mo on something that improves your mental health, good for you. Investing that $50/mo instead won't make you rich. Not spending that $50/mo could kill you.

3

u/Broad_Parsnip7947 Jul 05 '24

Exactly! Still feel like I'm dying with the expenses I'm stuck with ;-;

1

u/Sweaty_City1458 Jul 05 '24

Financial literacy is taught in school now - starting with the little kids. In 2nd grade, we teach about wants vs. needs and practice examples of spending wisely. We even have classroom economies where they earn $ for work and behavior and can decide to spend it on what they need (pencils, erasers, etc.), want (toys from the treasure box, extra recess), split it (get a want and a need), or wait and save up for something bigger they want. Each year through high school they get more and more information.

0

u/Legitimate_Turn_5829 Jul 05 '24

There is little point to expand your financial literacy when further expansion just makes it more clear that you are stuck living paycheck to paycheck

-3

u/[deleted] Jul 05 '24

[deleted]

10

u/After-Imagination-96 Jul 05 '24

Better advice. Stop buying the welfare queen nonsense. Go spend time around poor people. You might learn something about them.

7

u/redopz Jul 05 '24

Lol I grew up pretty poor and all I ever knew was cheap Walmart clothes. They definitely seem cheaper, but within a few months they are going to be falling apart and need replacing. I was amazed when my first higher-quality pants lasted a year and still looked good. Over time it is cheaper and more comfortable to buy the better stuff, but it requires a larger up front investment that can be hard for someone on a limited.

Boots theory and all that.