Always live below your means period. Most people don’t get that that more you make doesn’t mean the more you spend. Being over 50 and debt free feels so good!
The only thing better is putting money in a high yield savings account and finally collecting interest every month( instead of paying it) I keep my emergency fund in one and it’s been paying about $400 a month in interest.
My 75 year old sister has ways been hopeless with money. She vented to me recently about the state of her finances and said…..”well, it's easy for you, you have MONEY”. I have money because I didn’t piss it away on stuff I didn’t need and things I couldn’t afford. I am 78 now and have a lovely, stress-free life because I never fell into the trap of comparing myself to others who seemed to have more than me, and chasing that. Everything I have is a result of being diligent (but not cheap). I travel, I have a lovely home as a result of thinking about money before I part with it. Having a plan and a vision is key, and at your age Nicole you are one rare bird.
Good post. I agree. But sometimes I believe I am lucky to be void of that urge to “keep up with the Jones’s”. I didn’t choose my personality. Sure, I made wise choices with money and now am debt free and comfortable like you, but if I’d been born with a different personality, well, who knows? How much is chance vs our wise choices? Just a thought. I’m not saying you should be less judgmental of your sister. I sure she was foolish with money when given smarter advice. I just (partially) consider myself lucky. As another example, I have almost no “fear of missing out” (never have) so it is much easier for me to be smarter with my money. Others might not be so lucky.
- People follow each other over that cliff because the fall to the bottom is filled with temporary fun. Your mother must be proud of you. I’m certainly proud of my financially responsible kids.
Agree with you about Dave R. "Normal" is so overrated. In the words of Ellen Goodman: "“Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for-in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.”
I've never heard that quote before but I feel it to my core. So much of life seems to be about trying to impress people we either don't know or don't like. I'm glad I gave up on that futile endeavour when I was very young.
Exactly....and these brainwashed zero critical thinking normies think we're the dummy or losers.....society is so backwards and nauseating to the intellectual and philosophical minded
@@SWFLtreasures She is young single why would she have a child if she's not married yet and it's a personal choice to weather, she wants to have any. We don't know if she is interested in cats if you paid attention, she has a dog so might be a dog person. Also, if you paid attention to her video, she doesn't seem the type to pay she comes across as someone money conscious so would likely adopt or take in a stray if she wanted one. But little doggies do require a ton of attention and love
It would have been a good opportunity to tell her about her youtube channel. But...then again, who wants their neighbors to get a glimpse of the inside of their home, and see how they live?
@@littleredrose6254 allangilbert5865 is answering the fact that iamjane9628 stated that Nicole should feel complimented instead of taking it as a dig and the fact that she is annoyed a neighbor would ask her personal finance questions while giving out free information to the world on youtube. In my neighborhood, there was a married woman who was a doctor and had a child - yet her parents bought her their townhouse for 1 million dollars so she could have her own townhouse near where she worked. We rented and didn't have rich parents to buy us a townhouse and still don't so we still don't own. Her husband, who was a butt, complained that they were living in the ghetto in this particular beach city (the townhouse is now worth 2 million by the way and they still live there). It was never the ghetto, it's just that we lived in a city where the most expensive house is almost $100 million and the least expensive condo is almost $2 million. It happens. Is there anything else you need answered?
I would like to share a story that happened to me just earlier in the week. I arrived at a worksite to chat with a few construction guys, some banter went my way about how i'm a "rich ass" with my patagonia sweater and how they're 200$. You can imagine the smile on my face when I told him that I was able to thrift it for $10.50, probably the price of his corner store lunch! It's moments like that which make me feel good about being smarter with my pocket!
yeh i got some like new nikes from throwing out dumps on the side of the road. i have found quite a few pair actually. i like wearing them knowing people probably think wow that guy is wearing nikes how cool or how expensive when really they were free
And honestly, even if your husband paid full price for the sweater, it wouldn't even account as proof for being a "rich ass". A high quality sweater that lasts for ages still has a cheaper cost-per-wear than a poorly made, cheap sweater ... people are so shortsigthed in this case ...
Maybe your neighbor was might asking you this question because of genuine curiosity. As a person in my early 30s as well- I want to learn how other people succeed in life so I can learn from them and teach them to my kids. Especially if they grew up in an environment where financial topics were talked about. Btw love your content- you are constantly teaching me new things to be more financially aware 💕
thats likely! but as Nicole said she seemed to stop listening when she didn't get the answer she supposedly wanted. Sometimes the way you ask certain questions may imply things, like the way the lady asked Nicole implied that the woman did not believe that she could buy a house on her own, that's she's incapable as a young woman to do something like that. Rather than ask about her job she jumped straight to that. I think it's important to think about how you are wording things around some topics because the way you word things can get intrepreted in several different ways, though it's always good to assume the good in people and that they did not mean it negatively
I was thinking the same. I’m always curious as to what people do to understand what I’m doing wrong. it’s a bit of an intrusive question and I wouldn’t ask that but I don’t think it’s offensive. Sounds pretty innocent.
Working overtime to pay for a car, so that you can work and work overtime. Then you have to eat out, because you're never home. At that point, it doesn't matter where you live, because all you do is sleep there.
Girl, I love your “not” normal, independent, intelligent, no nonsense lifestyle. Truth: money doesn’t buy happiness, however poverty causes a lot of stress in a hyper capitalistic culture.
Probably referring this distorted form of capitalism that exists in North America. Socialism’s a terrible system but Capitalism by itself can be a terrible system too.
I've found a way to optimize my food expenses. I'm one of those people who doesn't mind eating the same meal day after day, provided it tastes great, is super healthy and doesn't take long to prepare. For me, that's farm fresh omelets. A friend of mine raises chickens and sells the eggs at about 60% what factory eggs cost. She takes good care of her hens and there are no chemicals or hormones involved. I'll make a four-egg omelet with lots of cheese and add the vegetables, which are chopped once a month and frozen into portions. Ingredients include onions, green peppers, jalapenos, black olives, black beans, parsley, cilantro and spinach leaves. I'll chop those and freezer bag them into 32 portions. When I'm cooking, I've got it timed to start with thawing what I need first, making the omelet and tossing in cheese and those massive portions of vegetables. While that's cooking I'll microwave a frozen portion of rotisserie chicken. The meal is rounded out with some large wedges of tomato with sour cream and optionally some kimchi. Way too much for one meal, I eat what I want and save the rest, so no cooking the next day or two. The omelet takes 22 minutes to prepare. Using this method I'm eating plenty of protein from farm fresh eggs and the chicken, a great variety of vegetables, something fermented, and LOTS of flavor. Add Sriracha for extra kick. It's the cheapest way to eat healthy and when I'm on this diet I start losing weight immediately, typically a half pound a day. My body loves it, and I'm saving money and lots of time, which is money. I actually don't get bored with this because of the variety of flavors and textures in this ideal meal.
😊 I agree with that. My go to is basic lightly seasoned simmered pinto beans. Having freezer or dehydrated veggies available. They can be put in anything.
If I am cooking for 1 person I will cook meat for many meals and then all I have to do is boil a potato, get some vegetables together and warm up the meat for a meal. It takes 15 minutes max for each meal.
I had to think “outside the box” to get my first place. I worked in a remote gas field as a cook for 4 weeks on two weeks off, and volunteered for extra time. I wasn’t married and have no kids, didn’t buy a 50k+ plus truck, and didn’t need a lot of toys. I gave up my apartment since I was gone most of the time and when the weather was nice camped out for a week then got an inexpensive room for a week for my two weeks off. I came across a homeowner in trouble who settled for a cash deal. Being single and a great income I was heavily taxed, so after I secured the place I spent a lot of money upgrading the place and took advantage of all the tax credits I could on energy efficiency, as well as itemizing my taxes for working in remote sites. My goal was to be a homeowner, this was the quickest way I could figure out how to do it, “bite the bullet”. My family is always broke, so I avoided the same spending habits. I hunt and fish so I don’t buy much meat, and have a small garden. It can be done, you just can’t think like “everyone else”. I no longer work in a gas field, however my lifestyle was set up to be cheap and low maintenance. Borrowing money is something that I avoid, comes down to do I really need it or is just a want it. Normal is expensive.
Waaayyy back in the 80's, I had a button on my backpack that said "Why be normal?"...I had it on there upside down even, lol. That thinking has made a lot of difference in my life, especially financially.
same. A famous lady's memoir came out recently that me and a lot of friends wanted to read. They're all waiting on autographed copies to arrive 70 bucks a pop. I read it the day after it was released, free from the library. No part of me needs or wants an autographed copy.
I used to have a $60 monthly dry cleaning bill. I found that I could wash most of my clothing in cold water and hand to dry, cool iron and they would be fine.
Hey Nicole, I had a cousin ask me one time (and in a snarky way) "how do you afford everything you have"? I should have told her, I'm a kingpin for a South American drug cartel. But I told her the truth. I'm a saver, then a spender. I work within a budget and try and find the best price for the things I want. And sometimes, that means buying something used. Furniture is just one example. I own a small farm in the "back country" of Pennsylvania. All my equipment is used, and some of it is older than I am. My Ferguson TO20 was built in 1955, I was born in 1963. I also wanted to say, I think you are a very nice, well adjusted person. You have your own goals in life. And know what you want out of life. You please yourself. (you remind me of me!) One thing I wanted to mention about money. Something you always hear is, "money doesn't buy happiness". Well it may not, but it does buy comfort!! Keep up the good work, and give Levi a scratch for me!!
Ya know Nicole, I've been following your channel for a while now, so I already know how you afford your home. It's no mystery to me. In addition to enjoying the appreciating value on your first home, you are a minimalist, which in itself is a money-saving concept. Also you make your own meals, and look for every opportunity to avoid scams designed to separate the consumer from their money. Also you have your YT channel. You put in a lot of effort, but most importantly you play it smart 💯
I drove a 1997 thunderbird for 12 years .Car is rusted to shit , head liner is a tent and makes all kinds of sounds when its idle. but starts, breaks work and runs. My coworkers who made less than me were driving big ass trucks and newer hondas and toyotas with $500+/month car payments. By living so frugal and not caring what others think. I saved enough for a downpayment on a home before the high interest rate increases back in April 2022. I brought my 2021 Mazda 3 in cash. My only debt is my mortgage which is less than rent anywhere in a 100 mile radius. Now i'm saving to replace my roof within 3 years with a metal one so I don't have to worry about it for 25 years. Then I can just start saving to pay off my mortgage before the age of 45 and retire by 50. Stay humble yall. People who judge you based on dumb objects like expensive clothes or cars probably don't got much going on in their own lives.
I'm not wealthy but lived a life like you portray - and I learned from my Momma who is now 93. She lived thru the depression, she worked only one job that was always minimum wage, yet we always had Christmas presents under the tree. We didn't get toys in between - just our birthday and Xmas. I'm the only kid who didn't have kids. She even gave THEIR kids their main Xmas gifts for many years. My siblings all balk at her advice of saving money - they CAN'T - "things aren't the same as the old days". Even though they saw what she did on her minimal income! I gave up dispensing advice as I would get attacked that I don't understand I don't have kids so now I keep my mouth shut. But they all seem to have to drive the big gas guzzling trucks, have the latest phones, eat out all the time, kids lack for nothing - etc. etc. All on credit I assume. I retired at 60 and continue to live my frugal life but it's pretty stress free and that's what I want in my short time on this earth.
Hang on if you’re mom is 93 then she did live through the depression. - as a little kid - lol. It’s not like she was working. Can’t trick me I know my history, I’m a dusty old hat.
@@helpfulcommenter that is correct I wasn't trying to fool anyone. But do you not think living through such a time, with sometimes little food on the table, that you would not learn how to live on fumes? - hell she speaks of getting an orange in her stocking at xmas and it was a treat! She always preached saving for hard times and living below your means. Her prime was during the 50's, 60's, and 70's raising us - still not easy there were not the support systems there are now. So I stand by my statement - learned from my Momma who is still alive and still lives basically the same way :)
@@UnkleAL1962 my family came from Oklahoma during the dust bowl, to California. Okies. I was born in the 70s and got oranges in my stocking every Christmas as a kid
I don't understand why so many people love smart watches. The justifications I have heard come down "I don't have to take my phone out of my pocket to do X." or "It lets me check my messages while I am working out and my phone is over there in my bag." What is so hard about taking your phone out of your pocket or unplugging for a bit while you work out whatever. I am quite happy with my $15 80's style watch that doesn't have to be charged every day. The battery lasts for 5+ years and costs a few dollars to replace.
For the same reason people will leave their house (where there is a coffee maker) and drive 10 mins to Starbucks and then stand in line to pay $7 for a coffee.
I bought a mechanical watch, with a winding rotor inside, pretty cogs and a moonphase... I wonder if I'm going to do the maintenance on it or if by then I'll decide to just go back to not wearing a watch in the first place... apart from the fact that watches can be very pretty, I found out that my 5 year old samsung android phone also has a watch built in... and an app that shows the moonphase too. I think I'll buy a smart watch when it becomes a device that effectively replaces a smartphone (watch, phone, camera, basic googling, music player)... and if that's the cheaper option... but today they don't really function standalone, so no thanks...
Since I retired 23 years ago, I have not worn a watch. I have no need to know the time. I have a simple cell phone I've had for about 15 years; costs $9.00 per month. My car is 19.5 years old and runs like new because its a Toyota Camry. I have no debt but I have a lot of money in GICs that earn a lot of interest, with most of it in TFSAs which do not pay taxes on interest. Life is very good.
If you run or bike or skate etc without your clunky phone: it can track vital stats; you can buy some water or bandaids without bringing cash; it can create a voice memo. It can show you the way back to your car or hotel if you are lost. It can do a lot of pretty handy things.
Im a 54 year old childless spinster and going against the grain has saved me so much money and allowed me to have a level of freedom i never would have had.
I have 3 children. I gave them all free homes. You don't have to skip having a life if you are good with money. I'm 52 and life completely debt free including no mortgage in a 3000sqft cape cod. All the kids are grown.
Did you know in America the fastest route to the poor house is divorce. Be proud you’re a singleton. There is nothing wrong with it and you’re probably all the better for it. ❤
@@bencharlie9509 I've been divorced twice. I raised the first two children with $0 child support. Money guy did an episode on wealth and demographics. The demographic with the least wealth was never married and no kids.
Pretty sad that homes are so unaffordable that owning one makes people suspicious. And even sadder that even being financially responsible is no longer enough. The future looks pretty bad even for the people with houses
Bought an older rav4..knew owner who took care of it...saved $10,000 the few bumps/scratches gives it character & makes me feel car is less of a target in today's world
Great video as a quick reality check. I refuse to buy the newest phone every year and won't buy another phone until absolutely necessary. I do not have cable TV and I refuse to subscribe to more than one streaming service (and only if I'm using it enough to warrant the cost). I own an older car and walk when I can to save gas. I return cans & bottles for a refund...it's crazy how fast they add up. I subscribe to channels like these to keep me grounded. I color my own roots for $4, instead of $70 plus tip. I do my own manicures. I do my own lawn and yard work. Not that there's anything wrong with paying for those services if you can, and they make you happy. However, I don't care about being "normal", I prefer knowing my own financial limits, so I can use that money for the things that are important to me.
I haven't had cable tv in over 15 years now, and am one of the very last Americans to buy an iphone for the very first time. Our society has become too materialistically disposable, so few people like us get their mileage out of what we buy.
My phone is a refurbished iPhone eight. I have never subscribed to any streaming services because there are too many things out there that I can watch for free, including getting dvd’s from my local library…I also collect bottles and cans to redeem; sometimes I use them as part payment on my grocery bill when I’m buying a few things!
I’m 35 with a well paying job that is now stress-free for me (wasn’t always), and I haven’t had a car payment in years. Recently my car started throwing fits, seemed like every few months, another $2k of work was needed. So I’ve been looking for a more reliable vehicle with a loan to purchase. Your videos are making me triple think this. Maybe I’ll stay put with my old car, continue to fix it & pay cash for repairs. And see how long I can go saving up to buy instead of taking a loan. Thank you for your wisdom
I bought used cars with cash for decades, but was always fixing them or having to abandon them because the repairs weren't worth it. I bought a used car that's only a few years old with a loan, and I actually save money in the long run because I'm not constantly having to fix or buy a crappy used car. I also like the security knowing it will be highly unlikely that my car won't start or will break down while driving. That peace of mind is priceless to me.
@@jennyraine8465 I couldn’t agree more. The stress and anxiety of surprise breakdowns and no-starts are mentally exhausting. Definitely need to dive deeper, run numbers and weigh pros and cons
Medical insurance and costs here in the U.S. is one factor that is so unpredictable that it causes a severe planning contingency. Canada provides you a safety net in that category. I have always been and lived very similar to the way you live. But, my advise to anyone here is- don’t get sick.
Yes life is better here in Canada. We believe every person has a right to good health care without fear of large bills. Americans are in big trouble if they get a serious illness.
The is true. Myself, my husband, and my son all ended up in the ER last year for different reasons. My husband cashed out stock to pay off his debt which was several thousand after insurance. My son luckily only had a $50 or so bill after insurance because he was referred to the local children’s hospital since he is under 18. I am still paying mine off. I work for myself part time and after insurance my bill was several thousand dollars after insurance as well. Close to 3,000, I believe. All together last year we had close to $10,000 of medical debt to deal with AFTER insurance!
While I absolutely understand feeling offended by the neighbor's (rude) question, I would take it as a compliment overall. When I was 20 and in college I bought a clean, older mobile home and lived there until a couple years post-college. It was way cheaper than renting an apartment. I remember carpooling to a work event with a coworker in her 30s and she was like "oh do you live with your parents?" - she thought it was so weird I owned this trailer, by myself, as a college student. Until then I'd felt pretty embarrassed that I lived there instead of an apartment like "normal" peers. But when I sold that mobile home, I had a couple grand to put toward my first house and in the early 00s that was definitely nice to have.
I am driving a 14-year old car but I am not embarrassed. I love my car. I bought it new with cash and was told by my mechanic, recently, that I can drive it for another 10 years, no problems. There are some people I know, who live very well off credit cards, but I wouldn't trade their life style for mine. Living debt free feels really good.
my car is 18 yrs old, which seems wild to me because I bought it new as well and it feels like maybe 12 yrs ago in my mind. Anyway I keep thinking I should buy a newer car (cash) just to "update" but I refuse to do so until my car has real problems. So far my former mechanic spouse keeps it in great shape so there is absolutely no real reason for me to upgrade.
@@seltzermint5 The funny thing is, because I bought my car new, it still looks new to me, even thought there are a couple of rust spots poking through. I plan on driving it for as long as it goes. My friends and family don't care what I drive, and people who judge, are strangers, and I am not interested in opinions of strangers.
@@MilaN-lt2mq My friends and family do (to SOME extent) judge my vehicle, they say things like "you deserve better" it's so weird to me. My husband's car is also older and we take a lot of very long road trips across the USA. Friends & family sometimes comment that maybe we should rent a car for these long trips lol. If my husband wasn't a former mechanic I would maybe agree but he can fix stuff and fortunately we're at a point that we could just fly home and/or buy a car outright. It's weird to me that people care!
This channel is amazing. One thing you left out with David Ramsey: he has come out as a huge @55hole in recent years. Stuff like “it’s not my fault that the rental market priced my tenants out, raise the rent and EVICT THEM!!” Elitism at its worst.
I been living this way for years; over a decade. The worst part is the assumptions that family and co-workers make. They turn their noise up at me because I drive an older car and assume I mis-spend my money because I don't have all the latest things. I rather save, live below my means, and watch bank account look nice.
That sounds like my life because the people I work with get on this way as well, always wanting to know what others are doing…In the meantime, I couldn’t care less what other people are doing!
Me too. I didn't like those co-workers either and while today, they're still working at the same damn place, living in a dump of a city with all the money they earn, I get to spend my years in a different country that is more beautiful with a better and healthier life, while they are stuck in traffic in their nice cars, at their windowless office, getting fatter (they're already all fat) and will die in their 70's if lucky.
I think i understand to a degree why talking about money is frowned upon, however i also think its what keeps people poor. Many of us did not receive a good - for lack of a better term - financial eduction from our parents. It isnt anyones responsibility to teach strangers anything of course (or reveal personal info for that matter), but at the same time: Corporations are definately very happy that financial topics are taboo.
That feeling you had when your neighbor asked about whether you get financial support from your parents is the reason why my parents always advised me to never ask personal questions of others, especially ones related to money or finances. I follow that advice to this day.
You should have told your neighbour that you're actually an assassin for hire, and if they see anyone in all-black visit your home, then they should stay indoors :D
Just discovered your channel. Good stuff! For 20 years I worked as an international teacher, went around the world living on 4 continents, saved money, and paid cash for my house when we moved back. I drive an 11-year old car that I paid cash for when it was new. I ride an 11-year old custom-built made-to-measure bicycle that I also paid cash for back-in-the-day. Semi-retired (substitute teaching when I want... teaching an adult ed class 3× per week at the local university), eating good food and coffee at home. Ride my bicycle around!
Great video! I also have a love, but mostly hate relationship with Dave Ramsey. He doesn't believe in buying on credit, which means he doesn't belive in credit scores. I don't know what planet he lives on, but to buy a house, nobody has a million dollars in cash just lying around, which means you need to finance it. Which means your credit score is very important. In a previous life, I used to work for a giant credit repair firm. And not only was I able to fix my own disasterous credit, but thousands of other peoples too. But the most important takeaway was that I learned that the consumer credit game is just that - A GAME. Once you learn the rules to the game, the laws that protect you, and everything you can about it, you can then play that game, strategize that game and totally win. A great credit score is as good as cash in the bank. Also Dave doesn't believe in precious metals. That tells me that he doesn't understand insurance either. Precious metals are not an investment. They are simply an insurance policy that protects your purchasing power. Also, they are a great way of saving money that is just slightly more difficult to spend on a whim.
I love that I came across your channel....everything you said is true and I did about 95% of that. However, the greasy salty foods that is poisoning my body is in fact my downfall. When I go back to look at the fast food bill...it is astronomical plus it's 6 of us total. 😫. I never splurge on cars, clothes hair dos nothing....just eating out. I am currently limiting that continuous mounting debt. Thanks for sharing. I wish I would have worked and save money in my twenties instead of going into debt. I am certainly teaching my children differently. Sometimes I wish I could go back to my early twenties knowing what I know now. Thanks again. Congratulations and your personal success. Many more blessings.
Most people do not like me especially family from both sides of the aisle. My wife and I go boo! hoo! hoo! SO!? LOL I retired at age 48 and my wife has not had to work since she was 35. We live in what most would consider a shack but who cares, no rent, no mortgage and no property taxes (in Puerto Rico, you don't pay property taxes on your first property). My car registration and one year car insurance combined came out to $133. That's for the entire year and full coverage. No, we are not normal and we prefer it that way. Good video.
Thank you for your wonderful content. I am a subscriber living in Los Angeles. I’ll be turning 49 in a few weeks, on my house, on a couple rental properties, and have worked my ass off since college. I did go to college and I was fortunate to, not have any loans. But other than that, I have worked very hard for many years. I drive a 13 year-old Toyota and have been made fun of because of it. I buy 80% of my clothes from thrift shops, and always have. I splurge on concerts And food, but I rarely go out to restaurants. I never look at the food bill from Trader Joe’s or Ralph’s. Money does not buy happiness, but it does buy freedom and security. I live pretty minimalist in a small house and a fantastic location. To everyone out there, correct, living with your memes is not a sacrifice at all, but instead, it is an investment in freedom.
My coworkers DoorDash or Ubereats DAILY! I bring my lunch-leftovers or healthy frozen meals, sandwiches, etc. They look at me like I’m weird for not wanting to pay $20 USD on lunch. My bank account thanks me. They are the support staff and I’m the highest paid employee outside of the business owner. I find a direct correlation between the more money you earn and the less you spend. I reject lifestyle inflation!
I'm not sure you should be upset by the neighbor asking you that question. Actually it's an accomplishment and an acknowledgement on what you've been able to achieve. Bravo to you!
I sort of have the opposite problem. Married couples or people with room mates are confused as to why I, who am single and living alone, don't have the extra money lying around to go on trips and buy better stuff for my house.
Incredibly clueless of people to think that way about your situation when you are single and live alone. On the flipside though a lot of those people probably do all the things they do but don't save much of anything. I know many people like that.
Thank you. Great video. Being normal according to our society is to have a lot of debt, but pretend to be rich just to impress people who don't really care about you. It doesn't make any sense to be normal, but you will have to face a lot of criticisms.
It is amazing how people think they are poor because they are always scraping for cash, but they never see the daily purchases that fritter their income away. Every "oh it's just a few dollars" purchase total up to real money in the end. One trick you can use to save money is the ask for things you need as Christmas gifts. I haven't bought clothes in years, I end up getting a few new items every Christmas, Most of the small kitchen appliances I own were, gifts, as were my dishes, my cookware, etc. Oh those are terrible gifts. No! These are all things I wanted and needed, that are expensive, that I ended up getting for free and that I was thrilled to get.
I would honestly prefer to just stop doing Christmas gifts all together, but we still exchange with my parents every year. I love that through the years I have managed to get them to accept that the stuff we really want is useful, practical, or one "big ticket item" that seems frivolous but is so much better than a bunch of small things...for example a season pass to an amusement park is around $130 and results in several days of fun throughout the year for both me and my husband with "bring a friend" passes we only need 1 season pass to share. We would much prefer that as our gift, than for them to spend $100-200 on a lot of little trinkets, gadgets & stuff we don't want or need. I've even asked for a bulk package of gum or sparkling water. At first (in my 20s) I think they just thought I was struggling but by now, decades later, they understand I'm just weird!!
I work with two people who come in with iced coffee from Dunkin Doughnuts every single day. I look at them and wonder how much that costs them for the year!
@@cherylT321 I know what you mean! I don't deny anyone their fun and frivolous purchases but I would much prefer to mix it up at least. Like maybe I will get a fancy coffee but that is not something I want or need every single day! Boring.
Hello from Ottawa! Working in a car dealership has really opened my eyes to how people love to buy stuff they can't afford. 8-9 year finances at 10% are normal now.. same people complain about being broke all the time!
I don't own a house. Most of my friends do, & I'm usually told to buy one, but I don't want a house for just myself. I like the convenience of renting. I just come home, sleep, then go & live life without having to pay lots of money or spend lots of time keeping things up. If I had a wife & children, they would deserve a house & I would have one, no doubt, but being single, that's a lot of responsibility & money & investment that seems overkill for just a simple, single man. Not buying a house is not normal in my circle, but not being married & not having children is also not normal in my circle. Something that struck me was when you said that your neighbor asked if your parents helped you, & your answer didn't seem good enough for her, I feel like people look for people to hate (maybe not hate, but strongly dislike, I don't know). It seems to me that she was looking for a way to judge you. If you had said yes, she could've "hated" (for lack of a better word) you, but when you said that you have a good job & no kids & so were able to afford it, that answer was a judgment on her. You weren't judging her, but since she was looking to judge you, it kinda backfired on her, which is why your answer didn't satisfy her. I feel like in addition to looking for people to "hate," people also look for validation from other people, in that they almost need other people or people around them to do the same thing they are doing in order to validate their decisions. Married people seem to have trouble dealing with single people & parents seem to have trouble dealing with people who don't have children. Sure they don't have anything in common, but they also don't validate their life decisions, because they didn't follow the same path in life. It's uncomfortable, even strange & disconcerting.
I live a frugal lifestyle and focus my goals. One thing to point out about the "normal" people, is they don't have it all wrong. You can do everything right , your only 1 diagnosis away from losing all your money in treatment/hospice. Your only 1 bad year in the job market away from losing all your savings. You're at outlier, you've been able to keep steady employment, not having to be a caretaker for your family, and you have no kids ( which you probably don't have cause you can't afford them , that is why I don't have any yet). What I have noticed with "normal" people is they aren't idiots (Majority), they have been fearmongered into avoiding hardships. Most people don't buy a new car cause they want to show off. Most pay for it because they don't want to the reliability issues that can come with a decade old car, or have some of the safety features of the newer ones. People don't take out student loans because its a bad business choice, but rather believe they can find fulfillment in their life through their career , and that is just the price to pay. Like I mentioned before I am pretty frugal and 5 years ago, I loved it, I could save so quickly, and still afford to treat myself once in awhile to the occasional sushi or fast food. Now, anytime I feel like getting a non- home made meal, I feel I cannot afford it comfortably. I'm glad your making it , but just realize you dodged ALOT of trains getting here, not all you noticed. Stay humble, your only one day away from losing it all.
This is the first time I've ever seen you on youtube. I enjoyed this so much. You're just straightforward, no bs & i appreciate that. Dave Ramsey annoys me to no end. I can't get anything out of his content b/c I'm not at all religious and he's so damn smarmy. Thanks for being abnormally normal. 😅
I love your video. So, so true about reducing stress by having a little less in life. Ive learned this lesson as ive gotten older. The world and society could care less about you. You need to care about you. Your happiness in life. Thats what important.
Nicole, when my wife and I first got married 31 years ago we decided that in order to have a happy life in our older years we would have to sacrifice a lot then. We invested little by little with a financial company, stayed home on our vacations( never ever went south for the winter for a break and couldn’t care less!). Saved enough money for a down payment to build a house and paid it off by the age of 45 by doing by- weekly payments instead of monthly ( it cut down on the amount of interest) Now at the age of 56 we are able to enjoy our life together! Accountability and responsibility are two words that we all have to learn! There is no free lunch in this world, you don’t have the luxury, the right, the privilege to have material things just because you want them. Like you if sacrificing then to have the life we have now is weird I’ll take weird any day of the week!
Nicole, this is awesome. I think when people assume things about others financially, it's a fantastic opportunity to educate the ignorant. You're amazing. You are doing so well and by your own doing. That makes it sweeter. I could have been you back in the mid 90's when I bought my first house. But that was the beginning of decades of financial stupidity. Boy, if you could go back. However, I've become the person I am due to doing it all wrong for so long. Great video.
I think one important point on the money can’t buy you happiness is to reiterate something you e said before Nicole because new level new devil if your lifestyle creeps with increased income then the same problems and stresses that haunted you at 50k a year will haunt you at 100k and could be even more stressful because of the scale of the issue. But I do agree if you can control your money and have more of it then it can certainly reduce every day stresses x
Debt-free since I was 31. How?? I lived in my van for 2 years 20-21 to save the down payment on my first house I can repair anything I own and always buy used(often broken stuff)which I then repair and maintain. I never took a loan for anything except tools (to earn money with) and my land I worked in the NYC area, sold my home for a 150k profit snd used that money to pay cash for my land in NC I now live on 20k a year and lack nothing plus I do not NEED to work I can hear the "yeah but you couldn't do that today" WELL my son just paid cash for his land and home next to mine It was harder for him BUT...... He does work (40+hrs) but is debt free at 33 and well on his way to retiring once his children are grown
I know what you mean. I used to work in a room with someone who would ask nosey probing questions; I found out from a co-worker friend that on her lunch break, she would tell her lunch buddies what I had said. She also found it funny that I didn’t have the latest tech gadgets and the car I drive is paid for and is 14 years old. In the meantime, she always has a car note because she is always driving the latest car that she is financing and always has the latest most expensive gadgets. This woman is also always financing exotic trips so she can impress others…I’m happy being a homebody who can find things to do that are low cost or free; that is something this woman finds boring…I am so glad l no longer have to work with this nosey, two-faced individual!
It sounds like you are what we call a contrarian. I've been one of those since high school and in the long run, although others might see us as a bit weird, it's stood me in good stead. From the sound of it that position has put you in a really good place so thanks for sharing as a younger person to show other young people that making good decisions has consequences just like making bad ones. Keep it up Nicole.
I realized everything was the opposite when I was young and it served me well, I escaped the hamster wheel when I was 35. A word of caution, money doesn't buy happiness, it does remove day to day stress. But in the end, no one on their death beds talk about money or a dog they had, our relationships are all that truly matters.
The second part of your story (being broke) is the answer to your first (do your parents help). As a frugal person who's worked towards FI, I believe your neighbour wanted a sad answer? They wanted you to say, "Yes, occasionally I really need the help--do you?," or "No, because they often struggle and so do I--it's hard right now." It's been my experience that people aren't genuinely curious about another's financial situation, they want an answer which works in commiseration with their own. (i.e., They want to know you face the same challenges as them or that you're actually worse off.) ...It's the Great Canadian Crab Bucket.
completely right, i followed your same blueprint. i sacrificed everything i knew and loved on the west coast due to inaccessible property prices when i was trying to get into real estate for 10+ years, and moved to the rust belt. lived like i was poor. 15 year old car that costs 0$ a month. 3 year old high end smart phone. cook all my meals. and within 2 1/2 years of the move i own a 4 bedroom city house and a 26 acre ranch with 2 houses on it. still grinding, still growing 🙏
Another awesome, spot-on video! I agree with the earlier comment that you should treat your neighbor's curiosity as a compliment. It just means that people notice your financial savvy and growing success!
I had a plumber once who charged 200 dollar/euro for a job that took him under an hour and required less than 10 dollar/euro in material... that got me thinking, I inscribed for some diy-courses, at a serious level, learning home electricity, plumbing, installing heating installations... we bought an appartment for the children, my daughter helped me to bring the electrical wiring up to code, best investment we ever made... the downside is that my daughter gets this appartment basically handed to her on a platter, it's still to be seen if she'll really appreciate the value of it... she's going to be a nurse, still one year to go, she'll be busy enough.
@@monetarnie3841 I couldn't beat him, so I joined him, I've also had a month as a jobstudent working for an electrician, damn hard work, but I did the electricity in my own house and in the appartment and had it accredited. The experience was important to learn that these jobs are not magical, if you want to get your hands dirty, you can do it.
Here in Brazil I try to have a simple life and some people thik I've gone too far, but that's not true. For example, cars. I was born in 1968. When I was a young driver, in the 1980s, having a basic car in Brazil meant having a really basic car, without devices like air conditioning (Rio is a HOT city), electric windows and other items. So you needed a lot of money to have a decent and comfortable vehicle. Now it's very different. Any car comes with more comfort and technology than the best car of my youth, so I'm very pleased with my basic 2016 Hyundai and there's no reason to waste money on a new model. I think that what makes people waste money in their daily life is much more related to vanity, the need to cause envy and/or some subjective self-affirming issue. A friend of mine works at a sportswear store. I once asked him who is crazy enough to spend $200 or more on a fancy sneaker if you can find good ones for just $70. Then he said that the people who buy these items are the ones who can't afford them. Richer people would never buy them.
I grew up in a huge city and was car-free for most of my life, and it's really weird for me how being forced to drive a car and commute from a village or suburbia is somehow "normal".
Good on you. Did the same thing. Rather than college, I worked and bought 3 condos between 21 to 23 years old. Sold two and bought a house in 2002, paid it off by 2015. Sold last rental in 2019 and now just retired, last week on my 56th birthday. Lifestyle is like yours, as a minimalist. Still have been through 49 states and have traveled to 56 countries via backpacking and vanlife travel. Love it as it is so much more adventurous. Looking to do more of it in the coming years.
Normal/stupid spending: Big trucks when you’ve never done labor or large vans because you now have 2 kids Buying multi floored homes when you’ve retired. As in my neighborhood, remodeling a single story home into a second story home for retirement. Vacations you put on credit because you’re working hard to pay bills. Weddings Out of state college tuition Luxury brands that have huge logos so you can pay to be their billboard Uggs for a child that will grow out of them in 3 months or shoes for babies that aren’t even walking Buying brand anything for kids that aren’t even aware of branding Phones for kids that haven’t even hit puberty Collectibles Most of the things people are willing to go into debt for. ❤Abby Normal 😂
You are a real smart cookie! My husband and I usually get takeout pizza once a week, but it has been disappointing for the past several weeks. It had been the best place nearby, but changed it's sauce, and got cheap on the amount of toppings. So, we tried another place. They put the wrong toppings on (we actually sent pictures to get our money refunded). My husband hadn't had fish in a long time, so we tried a popular restaurant/takeout near us. I got the mozzarella sticks. What a waste of money! My sticks were overcooked batter, but somehow the cheese was solid. Like they had been already cooked, then left to go cold, then recooked for a short time, just to get the outside hot. He gave his fish a 2 out of 10. I'm grateful that we didn't get food poisoning. Even getting takeout is a waste of money. And I am disgusted that we threw away money which could have gone much farther in a grocery store, which is saying something these days. Long story short- don't throw away your hard-earned money on crappy food made by people who don't even care about making it properly. Your videos are an inspiration to people of all ages!
Your story made me think of my "relationship" with KFC. Once a month or so I get a craving for it and have it delivered. Every month I realize that I didn't really enjoy it and have a little buyer's remorse when I think of how much further the money would have gone at the grocery store. Restaurants are ridiculously expensive now with even fast food joints facing backlash from customers. Grocery sore prices can be outrageous too, of course but they are still a healthier and more economical choice than dining out.
@@markhernden9472 Well,I have another story that may help you with overcoming your craving for KFC! Several years ago, my ex and I got KFC and went to the drive-in (movie theater if you're too young to know). Well, got home, he went to sleep, and I had massive bad food poisoning that lasted 8 hours. (Blamed me for ruining his sleep, took me to his dr the next day, and his dr told him that I was very sick and dehydrated.) Never had KFC again. Did you know they also bleach their chicken?Not too long before that incident, he'd taken me to Denny's, and I had ordered the chili. Was sick from that also. Blamed me for getting sick, saying I should have known better than to eat chili. Funny- he never warned me when he took me- and I had never eaten there before, either, although he had. Happily , that marriage ended after 2 and a half years. With my now husband, I had an incredibly bad bout of food poisoning from Dairy Queen (icecream with fudge brownie pieces and hot fudge sauce) . Pain was so bad that it was in my back (not just stomach). Blood pressure 77 over 59 for almost 3 days. Couldn't hold a glass for a day. My now husband had to hold it for me while I drank through a straw.(And I didn't get blamed for ruining his night or day, etc.) So hopefully these stories will turn you off from spending your money at 'muck houses' as my husband calls them!🤢🙂👋
My experience the last few years has been food from restaurants and take-out joints is never as good as what I can make at home. My own cooking has just the extras I want (minus what I've run out of and too comfortable to go out in the cold to the grocery) cooked the way I want, and is fresh off the stove or out of the oven. Frozen pizzas from the grocery cooked at home is 100x better than any delivered pizza, with generous toppings.
I also purchased a house in 2021 with no help from my parents other than my mom put some rhubarb in my backyard, and the harvest is paying dividends. I seriously would love to chat about personal finance, and the intersection with macro econ in the media.
This is an excellent video, and I agree with your points.My path was similar but not identical. I'm almost 72, and have never owned real estate, but I lived in inexpensive apartments (with roommates for many years), and was able to save and invest a lot of money. I've lived in six different US states, so it was easy to move when the times came to take a new job. I retired 11 years ago, and have never been in debt (but I'll admit that college was much less expensive decades ago , and I had an assistantship while in grad school). A couple years before I retired, I asked my father why my coworkers had expensive new cars while I was driving a 20 y/o Oldsmobile (which was actually a wonderful car), and he answered "it's because the others have debt but you have wealth!" I was able to go on vacations overseas (getting the best airfare I could, renting a small car, staying in basic motels, and buying most of my food in grocery stores--so my travel expenses were less than what many spend on vacations close to home. In short, life is good.
One thing I learned after getting the "adult job" after grad school, was that even though I had the ability to afford nicer things, the pursuit of getting that "thing" was way more rewarding than buying it. Obviously if you want something really badly and is within your means, go make that purchase, but on major purchases like a car upgrade or new watch was just something that seemed so much more attractive in thought
Hi Nicole. I just wanted to say that I really like the way you produce your videos. Instead of using stupid stock videos you're doing that all by yourself which makes your content so pleasant to watch (also it saves money by not needing to buy stock videos which is a clever move). Your content looks very professional but also honest and believeable at the same time. Please do not change anything about it.🙂
I don't find that question offensive at all! Actually a compliment on how well you appear to be doing. You are way too wise to be offended by normal human curiosity. ❤
Former Toronto resident: Ramsey's main benefit to me was two-fold, pay down home mortgage technique & optimize home ownership expenses (e.g., eliminate PMI), and in lieu of insurance use employer's life insurance plan or purchase term and plow savings into mutual funds or whatever so that 20-30 years later, in theory, your home is paid off and you've got a nest egg. Unfortunately, life is often chaotic, hence I decided to purse a non-"normal" financial lifestyle. For example, my 2 cars are 12 and 28 years old, long paid off, I live humbly and plow disposable income into savings. My neighbors may sneer at my cars, my clothes, or the fact I don't spend hours in bars and restaurants, the latter because I care about what I eat and I never drink. Advice to young 'uns, don't compete with each other, compete against time, against yourself! Invest in yourself first. Great video, Nicole, just discovered your channel. Cheers.
I have some friends that are really high consumers. They are constantly buying the next "cool" gadget. They like to talk about it and show it off but that doesn't last long and they are on to the next gadget or hobby. Its pretty crazy to me since I spend a lot of time thinking about a purchase to make sure it's something I will use long term. I go over to one of my friends house and he has sooo much stuff that is just sitting around becoming outdated or rotting. Such a waste of resources.
We may live through political changes in our lifetime where such a waste of resources becomes illegal, and your friend has pogrom thugs knocking on his door because they know how much plastic waste he is reponsible for.
@@DerHammerSpricht . ...as opposed to now, when people are suspicious if you are not a consumer, and conspicuous consumption is glorified in the media, and promoted by politicians as a way to 'grow the economy'. Wage slavery, and perpetual debt, is the best way to ensure the proles keep grinding away, earning profits for the capital owners.
When I was 25 I bought my first house (with a 3.25% mortgage). Most in the neighborhood were my parents age. The first time I met each neighbor's wife at the mailbox, they asked very similar questions: "so... what do you do?" and "so... do you work?" I think they thought I was a trust-fund kid. I was a little offended because I worked really hard and still lived like a college student!
Do what makes you happy, my biggest regret is not quitting drinking sooner and over paying the mortgage instead. waking up feeling fresh instead of being hungover priceless, spend some save some, today I refused to pay 2£ for a coffee out of the hospital vending machine, went back to the car to get bottles of water out of the boot still got stung 6£ for parking. The most important thing is you’re health. Look after you’re mind and you’re mind will look after you’re body. Look after you’re pennies and the pounds will look after themselves.
Thank you for a great video Nicole! I am glad to say that I am not normal. One of the things that is not normal in my community is using our public library; I am still learning about the many different services that our library provides. Also, it is not normal to have a backyard and plant veggies/fruits. I can go on and on...Thanks again; I appreciate your videos.
Google searches of Dave Ramsey come up with things like how multiple times he’s been sued. Like the single woman working for Dave Ramsey’s company who got pregnant and then she got fired after Dave learned that she wasn’t married. I don’t remember if it was that situation or another in which Dave said “I can freaking fire anyone I want to”. If I myself owned a company and I found out that a single woman employee of mine became pregnant I’d respond with “hey Nancy, when is the baby due”? Then I’d have a gift for her baby shower. I’d put Dave Ramsey in the same category as Donald Trump, VGNF as in very gifted, noticeably flawed.
your hair looks nice! I was trying to figure out what was different about you in this video. your videos help me stay on track. just so you know you're out here inspiring people.🤩
I feel so blessed in my life, that now, I can afford small emergencies when needed. This wasn't always the case. When I was younger and raising a family, I was definitely living g paycheck to paycheck. So, I really appreciate this freedom.
In 'real' terms UK house prices have not increased in 15 Years, however their nominal value has increased plenty compared to salaries - how does this compare to Canada? FYI UK houses are very expensive compared to averages salaries.
I don't know about Canada but I'll.tell you that's mostly the case in the US. For the last 50+ years, wages have only grown about 1-2% per year while our primary inflation metric, the consumer price index, has grown about 3-6% each year and actual macroeconomic inflation has been more like 6-8%. Buying power has gone from where the median wage would take about 3 months and 3 years, respectively, to buy a house and a car when my parents were fresh out of college to around 6 months and 11 years when I graduated and in the 20+ years since that, it's up to around 11 months and 15-20 years now. Reported I.elation the past 4-5 years via CPI has been stated to have been around 10% a year while actual inflation has been 12-16% growth of wages has been between 2 and 3%. You're considered to be doing well if you earn over $100k which is about 1 standard deviation above the median wage. But if you adjust median wages from the mid 1970s to today, it would be around 150-200k.
Just a thought: I agree with this video completely!!!! The people here think like me!!! However, there was a time when I literally was NOT making enough money to survive. Whenever I tried to express this to anyone , they assumed I was spending too much, or I could just make a few changes...... But the reality was that I needed to make enough money to survive & struggled to find a better paying job to do it.....and all the suggestions I was getting weren't helpful. Just something to keep in mind in case you meet someone struggling. While I agree most people spend too much; there are now too many jobs that don't pay enough.
1K for a new phone, and $141 per month for the service seems ridiculous to me. See, I have an IPhone SE. I bought it new 6 years ago for $230, and it's never let me down. It's small, it's sturdy, and it works! I also use Tracfone, which costs me per year what most people pay per month. Using the calculator function (on my IPhone SE, ironically enough), it looks like my phone plus the six years of usage have totaled slightly over $1,000. Had I bought a new $1K phone 3 times, and been paying $141 per month, I would have paid over $13,000. That extra $12K has proven itself to be more useful in my index funds.
So not to diss you on the phone there. I have an Iphone 7 myself. Generally the newest iphone is a lot better though. That's why people buy them. Me however don't care about the iphones that's why I have the 7.
I don’t really see anything wrong with that question, It should be taken as a compliment, actually. As a parent I would be extremely proud of my children if they turn out to be like Michelle, Im working on that though! Keep up the great work!
Always live below your means period. Most people don’t get that that more you make doesn’t mean the more you spend. Being over 50 and debt free feels so good!
oh it feels soooooo good.
Yes it does.
There is no way you can adequately explain to debtors how great it feels to be "completely" debt-free!
AMEN!! Best feeling ever!! Only way to know is to experience it.
The only thing better is putting money in a high yield savings account and finally collecting interest every month( instead of paying it) I keep my emergency fund in one and it’s been paying about $400 a month in interest.
My 75 year old sister has ways been hopeless with money. She vented to me recently about the state of her finances and said…..”well, it's easy for you, you have MONEY”. I have money because I didn’t piss it away on stuff I didn’t need and things I couldn’t afford. I am 78 now and have a lovely, stress-free life because I never fell into the trap of comparing myself to others who seemed to have more than me, and chasing that. Everything I have is a result of being diligent (but not cheap). I travel, I have a lovely home as a result of thinking about money before I part with it. Having a plan and a vision is key, and at your age Nicole you are one rare bird.
Good post. I agree. But sometimes I believe I am lucky to be void of that urge to “keep up with the Jones’s”. I didn’t choose my personality. Sure, I made wise choices with money and now am debt free and comfortable like you, but if I’d been born with a different personality, well, who knows? How much is chance vs our wise choices? Just a thought.
I’m not saying you should be less judgmental of your sister. I sure she was foolish with money when given smarter advice. I just (partially) consider myself lucky.
As another example, I have almost no “fear of missing out” (never have) so it is much easier for me to be smarter with my money. Others might not be so lucky.
- Your sister sounds like my sister.
- People follow each other over that cliff because the fall to the bottom is filled with temporary fun. Your mother must be proud of you. I’m certainly proud of my financially responsible kids.
And I bet she wants you to help her now!
Congratulations!
Agree with you about Dave R. "Normal" is so overrated. In the words of Ellen Goodman: "“Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for-in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.”
Normal is broke
So True!!!
So well said!
I've never heard that quote before but I feel it to my core. So much of life seems to be about trying to impress people we either don't know or don't like. I'm glad I gave up on that futile endeavour when I was very young.
Exactly....and these brainwashed zero critical thinking normies think we're the dummy or losers.....society is so backwards and nauseating to the intellectual and philosophical minded
For years I've been saying "Money doesn't buy happiness, but it goes a long way to eliminating misery."
Money doesn't buy happiness, but it does buy the means to pursue it.
Yeah but she is single and childless. Will probably buy a couple cats soon.
It buys happiness if you have a brain. Being a slave is the worst thing that can happen to a person.
@@SWFLtreasures She is young single why would she have a child if she's not married yet and it's a personal choice to weather, she wants to have any.
We don't know if she is interested in cats if you paid attention, she has a dog so might be a dog person.
Also, if you paid attention to her video, she doesn't seem the type to pay she comes across as someone money conscious so would likely adopt or take in a stray if she wanted one. But little doggies do require a ton of attention and love
@@bunnyboo6295mgtow / red pill use cats as an insult. Little do they know it’s not. 😂
Nicole, take that as a compliment! She can't believe someone as young as you can be so successful! But that's because you live like no one else : )
It would have been a good opportunity to tell her about her youtube channel. But...then again, who wants their neighbors to get a glimpse of the inside of their home, and see how they live?
I have been asked similar and I absolutely take it as a compliment!
Your not comfortable talking to your neighbor in private, but no problem telling the world your personal information, that is so f'd up!
@@allangilbert5865 Sorry, to whom is this comment directed, please. ?
@@littleredrose6254 allangilbert5865 is answering the fact that iamjane9628 stated that Nicole should feel complimented instead of taking it as a dig and the fact that she is annoyed a neighbor would ask her personal finance questions while giving out free information to the world on youtube. In my neighborhood, there was a married woman who was a doctor and had a child - yet her parents bought her their townhouse for 1 million dollars so she could have her own townhouse near where she worked. We rented and didn't have rich parents to buy us a townhouse and still don't so we still don't own. Her husband, who was a butt, complained that they were living in the ghetto in this particular beach city (the townhouse is now worth 2 million by the way and they still live there). It was never the ghetto, it's just that we lived in a city where the most expensive house is almost $100 million and the least expensive condo is almost $2 million. It happens. Is there anything else you need answered?
“Do your parents help you financially?”
“Just Onions.”
*Walks Away*
Yes, this was a golden moment 🎤
I would like to share a story that happened to me just earlier in the week. I arrived at a worksite to chat with a few construction guys, some banter went my way about how i'm a "rich ass" with my patagonia sweater and how they're 200$. You can imagine the smile on my face when I told him that I was able to thrift it for $10.50, probably the price of his corner store lunch! It's moments like that which make me feel good about being smarter with my pocket!
My husband's wardrobe is like 30% Patagonia and none of it full price. Good work.
yeh i got some like new nikes from throwing out dumps on the side of the road. i have found quite a few pair actually. i like wearing them knowing people probably think wow that guy is wearing nikes how cool or how expensive when really they were free
And honestly, even if your husband paid full price for the sweater, it wouldn't even account as proof for being a "rich ass". A high quality sweater that lasts for ages still has a cheaper cost-per-wear than a poorly made, cheap sweater ... people are so shortsigthed in this case ...
And your explanation may have helped them to learn how to get good clothes for much less.
@@craftsmanctfl3493 That also makes me feel great about it!
A Chinese saying goes "Wealth is not being able to do whatever you want. Wealth is not having to do whatever you dont want.
That's so true.
Hi Nicole, dont be mad at your neighbor, just tell her to subscribe 😉
No, just lean into it and tell them you are a trustfund baby! Have fun with it😅
No, it was rude.
Brilliant! :)
Maybe your neighbor was might asking you this question because of genuine curiosity. As a person in my early 30s as well- I want to learn how other people succeed in life so I can learn from them and teach them to my kids. Especially if they grew up in an environment where financial topics were talked about.
Btw love your content- you are constantly teaching me new things to be more financially aware 💕
The neighbour is probably impressed by your situation and wonders if there is a blueprint.
Agree. I would take it as a compliment.
thats likely! but as Nicole said she seemed to stop listening when she didn't get the answer she supposedly wanted. Sometimes the way you ask certain questions may imply things, like the way the lady asked Nicole implied that the woman did not believe that she could buy a house on her own, that's she's incapable as a young woman to do something like that. Rather than ask about her job she jumped straight to that. I think it's important to think about how you are wording things around some topics because the way you word things can get intrepreted in several different ways, though it's always good to assume the good in people and that they did not mean it negatively
I was thinking the same. I’m always curious as to what people do to understand what I’m doing wrong. it’s a bit of an intrusive question and I wouldn’t ask that but I don’t think it’s offensive. Sounds pretty innocent.
Or maybe the neighbour was wondering how much to support her own kids in regards to buying a home.
Working overtime to pay for a car, so that you can work and work overtime. Then you have to eat out, because you're never home. At that point, it doesn't matter where you live, because all you do is sleep there.
Girl, I love your “not” normal, independent, intelligent, no nonsense lifestyle.
Truth: money doesn’t buy happiness, however poverty causes a lot of stress in a hyper capitalistic culture.
Poverty probably also causes a lot of stress in socialist societies. You know, starvation and stuff. Everyone being equally poor doesn't help.
Probably referring this distorted form of capitalism that exists in North America.
Socialism’s a terrible system but Capitalism by itself can be a terrible system too.
@@laurak.3059indeed
beta simp
Poverty causes stress in any culture. We all have basic needs like food and shelter
I've found a way to optimize my food expenses. I'm one of those people who doesn't mind eating the same meal day after day, provided it tastes great, is super healthy and doesn't take long to prepare. For me, that's farm fresh omelets. A friend of mine raises chickens and sells the eggs at about 60% what factory eggs cost. She takes good care of her hens and there are no chemicals or hormones involved. I'll make a four-egg omelet with lots of cheese and add the vegetables, which are chopped once a month and frozen into portions. Ingredients include onions, green peppers, jalapenos, black olives, black beans, parsley, cilantro and spinach leaves. I'll chop those and freezer bag them into 32 portions. When I'm cooking, I've got it timed to start with thawing what I need first, making the omelet and tossing in cheese and those massive portions of vegetables. While that's cooking I'll microwave a frozen portion of rotisserie chicken. The meal is rounded out with some large wedges of tomato with sour cream and optionally some kimchi. Way too much for one meal, I eat what I want and save the rest, so no cooking the next day or two. The omelet takes 22 minutes to prepare.
Using this method I'm eating plenty of protein from farm fresh eggs and the chicken, a great variety of vegetables, something fermented, and LOTS of flavor. Add Sriracha for extra kick. It's the cheapest way to eat healthy and when I'm on this diet I start losing weight immediately, typically a half pound a day. My body loves it, and I'm saving money and lots of time, which is money.
I actually don't get bored with this because of the variety of flavors and textures in this ideal meal.
😊 I agree with that. My go to is basic lightly seasoned simmered pinto beans. Having freezer or dehydrated veggies available. They can be put in anything.
I do something similar, but having taco bell on tuesdays.
I can broccoli and roasted chicken pretty much everyday. Maybe switch up the seasoning or the vegetable but yeah it does not phase me. Lol
If I am cooking for 1 person I will cook meat for many meals and then all I have to do is boil a potato, get some vegetables together and warm up the meat for a meal. It takes 15 minutes max for each meal.
I had to think “outside the box” to get my first place. I worked in a remote gas field as a cook for 4 weeks on two weeks off, and volunteered for extra time. I wasn’t married and have no kids, didn’t buy a 50k+ plus truck, and didn’t need a lot of toys. I gave up my apartment since I was gone most of the time and when the weather was nice camped out for a week then got an inexpensive room for a week for my two weeks off. I came across a homeowner in trouble who settled for a cash deal. Being single and a great income I was heavily taxed, so after I secured the place I spent a lot of money upgrading the place and took advantage of all the tax credits I could on energy efficiency, as well as itemizing my taxes for working in remote sites. My goal was to be a homeowner, this was the quickest way I could figure out how to do it, “bite the bullet”. My family is always broke, so I avoided the same spending habits. I hunt and fish so I don’t buy much meat, and have a small garden. It can be done, you just can’t think like “everyone else”. I no longer work in a gas field, however my lifestyle was set up to be cheap and low maintenance. Borrowing money is something that I avoid, comes down to do I really need it or is just a want it. Normal is expensive.
Wow, such ingenuity!
Waaayyy back in the 80's, I had a button on my backpack that said "Why be normal?"...I had it on there upside down even, lol. That thinking has made a lot of difference in my life, especially financially.
I'd almost always rather have the money (and freedom) than the 'stuff'
same. A famous lady's memoir came out recently that me and a lot of friends wanted to read. They're all waiting on autographed copies to arrive 70 bucks a pop. I read it the day after it was released, free from the library. No part of me needs or wants an autographed copy.
I used to have a $60 monthly dry cleaning bill. I found that I could wash most of my clothing in cold water and hand to dry, cool iron and they would be fine.
Ok cool. I was going to suggest to buy a dryer.
@@tonyp9313Dryers are terrible for clothes, nothing makes clothes fall apart more than a dryer
Lol. I have worked professionally for many years and have never used a dry cleaner.
When you are financially free, it is not normal. I retired early and my wife retired really early. All of our neighbors still work.
Indeed
They probably don’t know you retired early because they’re probably never home!
Hey Nicole, I had a cousin ask me one time (and in a snarky way) "how do you afford everything you have"? I should have told her, I'm a kingpin for a South American drug cartel. But I told her the truth. I'm a saver, then a spender. I work within a budget and try and find the best price for the things I want. And sometimes, that means buying something used. Furniture is just one example. I own a small farm in the "back country" of Pennsylvania. All my equipment is used, and some of it is older than I am. My Ferguson TO20 was built in 1955, I was born in 1963. I also wanted to say, I think you are a very nice, well adjusted person. You have your own goals in life. And know what you want out of life. You please yourself. (you remind me of me!) One thing I wanted to mention about money. Something you always hear is, "money doesn't buy happiness". Well it may not, but it does buy comfort!! Keep up the good work, and give Levi a scratch for me!!
Ya know Nicole, I've been following your channel for a while now, so I already know how you afford your home. It's no mystery to me. In addition to enjoying the appreciating value on your first home, you are a minimalist, which in itself is a money-saving concept. Also you make your own meals, and look for every opportunity to avoid scams designed to separate the consumer from their money. Also you have your YT channel. You put in a lot of effort, but most importantly you play it smart 💯
I drove a 1997 thunderbird for 12 years .Car is rusted to shit , head liner is a tent and makes all kinds of sounds when its idle. but starts, breaks work and runs. My coworkers who made less than me were driving big ass trucks and newer hondas and toyotas with $500+/month car payments. By living so frugal and not caring what others think. I saved enough for a downpayment on a home before the high interest rate increases back in April 2022. I brought my 2021 Mazda 3 in cash. My only debt is my mortgage which is less than rent anywhere in a 100 mile radius. Now i'm saving to replace my roof within 3 years with a metal one so I don't have to worry about it for 25 years. Then I can just start saving to pay off my mortgage before the age of 45 and retire by 50. Stay humble yall. People who judge you based on dumb objects like expensive clothes or cars probably don't got much going on in their own lives.
You sound like a more hardcore version of me. I don't honestly care about retiring early or paying off my mortgage early but same to everything else.
Having the crappiest car in the parking lot is a badge of honor.
Kept a 2000 Camry till 2021 when it was having trouble starting got a 2019 Camry and plan on keeping it just as long.
@@nickpapagiorgio702 it probably won't get stolen, bonus 😊.
I have two cars that have been paid off for many years. I always like to say the best feature of my car is that it has NO payment! :-)
I'm not wealthy but lived a life like you portray - and I learned from my Momma who is now 93. She lived thru the depression, she worked only one job that was always minimum wage, yet we always had Christmas presents under the tree. We didn't get toys in between - just our birthday and Xmas. I'm the only kid who didn't have kids. She even gave THEIR kids their main Xmas gifts for many years. My siblings all balk at her advice of saving money - they CAN'T - "things aren't the same as the old days". Even though they saw what she did on her minimal income! I gave up dispensing advice as I would get attacked that I don't understand I don't have kids so now I keep my mouth shut. But they all seem to have to drive the big gas guzzling trucks, have the latest phones, eat out all the time, kids lack for nothing - etc. etc. All on credit I assume. I retired at 60 and continue to live my frugal life but it's pretty stress free and that's what I want in my short time on this earth.
Hang on if you’re mom is 93 then she did live through the depression. - as a little kid - lol. It’s not like she was working. Can’t trick me I know my history, I’m a dusty old hat.
@@helpfulcommenter that is correct I wasn't trying to fool anyone. But do you not think living through such a time, with sometimes little food on the table, that you would not learn how to live on fumes? - hell she speaks of getting an orange in her stocking at xmas and it was a treat! She always preached saving for hard times and living below your means. Her prime was during the 50's, 60's, and 70's raising us - still not easy there were not the support systems there are now. So I stand by my statement - learned from my Momma who is still alive and still lives basically the same way :)
@@UnkleAL1962 my family came from Oklahoma during the dust bowl, to California. Okies. I was born in the 70s and got oranges in my stocking every Christmas as a kid
I am happy to see your dog is still with you.
+1
A house is not a home without a dog
I don't understand why so many people love smart watches. The justifications I have heard come down "I don't have to take my phone out of my pocket to do X." or "It lets me check my messages while I am working out and my phone is over there in my bag." What is so hard about taking your phone out of your pocket or unplugging for a bit while you work out whatever. I am quite happy with my $15 80's style watch that doesn't have to be charged every day. The battery lasts for 5+ years and costs a few dollars to replace.
For the same reason people will leave their house (where there is a coffee maker) and drive 10 mins to Starbucks and then stand in line to pay $7 for a coffee.
Laziness contributes to extra spending for sure!
I bought a mechanical watch, with a winding rotor inside, pretty cogs and a moonphase... I wonder if I'm going to do the maintenance on it or if by then I'll decide to just go back to not wearing a watch in the first place... apart from the fact that watches can be very pretty, I found out that my 5 year old samsung android phone also has a watch built in... and an app that shows the moonphase too.
I think I'll buy a smart watch when it becomes a device that effectively replaces a smartphone (watch, phone, camera, basic googling, music player)... and if that's the cheaper option... but today they don't really function standalone, so no thanks...
Since I retired 23 years ago, I have not worn a watch. I have no need to know the time. I have a simple cell phone I've had for about 15 years; costs $9.00 per month. My car is 19.5 years old and runs like new because its a Toyota Camry. I have no debt but I have a lot of money in GICs that earn a lot of interest, with most of it in TFSAs which do not pay taxes on interest. Life is very good.
If you run or bike or skate etc without your clunky phone: it can track vital stats; you can buy some water or bandaids without bringing cash; it can create a voice memo. It can show you the way back to your car or hotel if you are lost. It can do a lot of pretty handy things.
Im a 54 year old childless spinster and going against the grain has saved me so much money and allowed me to have a level of freedom i never would have had.
Having freedom is feeling rich. Having allot of fancy things with hard to make payments is feeling poor.
I have 3 children. I gave them all free homes. You don't have to skip having a life if you are good with money. I'm 52 and life completely debt free including no mortgage in a 3000sqft cape cod. All the kids are grown.
Did you know in America the fastest route to the poor house is divorce. Be proud you’re a singleton. There is nothing wrong with it and you’re probably all the better for it. ❤
@@bencharlie9509 I've been divorced twice. I raised the first two children with $0 child support. Money guy did an episode on wealth and demographics. The demographic with the least wealth was never married and no kids.
That sounds like my life!
Pretty sad that homes are so unaffordable that owning one makes people suspicious. And even sadder that even being financially responsible is no longer enough. The future looks pretty bad even for the people with houses
Bought an older rav4..knew owner who took care of it...saved $10,000 the few bumps/scratches gives it character & makes me feel car is less of a target in today's world
Great video as a quick reality check. I refuse to buy the newest phone every year and won't buy another phone until absolutely necessary. I do not have cable TV and I refuse to subscribe to more than one streaming service (and only if I'm using it enough to warrant the cost). I own an older car and walk when I can to save gas. I return cans & bottles for a refund...it's crazy how fast they add up. I subscribe to channels like these to keep me grounded. I color my own roots for $4, instead of $70 plus tip. I do my own manicures. I do my own lawn and yard work. Not that there's anything wrong with paying for those services if you can, and they make you happy. However, I don't care about being "normal", I prefer knowing my own financial limits, so I can use that money for the things that are important to me.
I haven't had cable tv in over 15 years now, and am one of the very last Americans to buy an iphone for the very first time. Our society has become too materialistically disposable, so few people like us get their mileage out of what we buy.
My phone is a refurbished iPhone eight. I have never subscribed to any streaming services because there are too many things out there that I can watch for free, including getting dvd’s from my local library…I also collect bottles and cans to redeem; sometimes I use them as part payment on my grocery bill when I’m buying a few things!
I’m 35 with a well paying job that is now stress-free for me (wasn’t always), and I haven’t had a car payment in years. Recently my car started throwing fits, seemed like every few months, another $2k of work was needed. So I’ve been looking for a more reliable vehicle with a loan to purchase. Your videos are making me triple think this. Maybe I’ll stay put with my old car, continue to fix it & pay cash for repairs. And see how long I can go saving up to buy instead of taking a loan. Thank you for your wisdom
I bought used cars with cash for decades, but was always fixing them or having to abandon them because the repairs weren't worth it. I bought a used car that's only a few years old with a loan, and I actually save money in the long run because I'm not constantly having to fix or buy a crappy used car. I also like the security knowing it will be highly unlikely that my car won't start or will break down while driving. That peace of mind is priceless to me.
@@jennyraine8465 I couldn’t agree more. The stress and anxiety of surprise breakdowns and no-starts are mentally exhausting. Definitely need to dive deeper, run numbers and weigh pros and cons
There's nothing wrong with being an onion baby. Great video as always.
Medical insurance and costs here in the U.S. is one factor that is so unpredictable that it causes a severe planning contingency. Canada provides you a safety net in that category. I have always been and lived very similar to the way you live. But, my advise to anyone here is- don’t get sick.
Way to type alot of words. Without saying much
Yes life is better here in Canada. We believe every person has a right to good health care without fear of large bills. Americans are in big trouble if they get a serious illness.
@@jcampbell2481 Yes, my wife is from Canada. I lived there 3 years. I much prefer your healthcare to ours.
@@Soljarag5 if you live in the U.S. your fucked. Shortened version.
The is true. Myself, my husband, and my son all ended up in the ER last year for different reasons. My husband cashed out stock to pay off his debt which was several thousand after insurance. My son luckily only had a $50 or so bill after insurance because he was referred to the local children’s hospital since he is under 18. I am still paying mine off. I work for myself part time and after insurance my bill was several thousand dollars after insurance as well. Close to 3,000, I believe. All together last year we had close to $10,000 of medical debt to deal with AFTER insurance!
While I absolutely understand feeling offended by the neighbor's (rude) question, I would take it as a compliment overall. When I was 20 and in college I bought a clean, older mobile home and lived there until a couple years post-college. It was way cheaper than renting an apartment. I remember carpooling to a work event with a coworker in her 30s and she was like "oh do you live with your parents?" - she thought it was so weird I owned this trailer, by myself, as a college student. Until then I'd felt pretty embarrassed that I lived there instead of an apartment like "normal" peers. But when I sold that mobile home, I had a couple grand to put toward my first house and in the early 00s that was definitely nice to have.
I am driving a 14-year old car but I am not embarrassed. I love my car. I bought it new with cash and was told by my mechanic, recently, that I can drive it for another 10 years, no problems. There are some people I know, who live very well off credit cards, but I wouldn't trade their life style for mine. Living debt free feels really good.
my car is 18 yrs old, which seems wild to me because I bought it new as well and it feels like maybe 12 yrs ago in my mind. Anyway I keep thinking I should buy a newer car (cash) just to "update" but I refuse to do so until my car has real problems. So far my former mechanic spouse keeps it in great shape so there is absolutely no real reason for me to upgrade.
@@seltzermint5 The funny thing is, because I bought my car new, it still looks new to me, even thought there are a couple of rust spots poking through. I plan on driving it for as long as it goes. My friends and family don't care what I drive, and people who judge, are strangers, and I am not interested in opinions of strangers.
@@MilaN-lt2mq My friends and family do (to SOME extent) judge my vehicle, they say things like "you deserve better" it's so weird to me. My husband's car is also older and we take a lot of very long road trips across the USA. Friends & family sometimes comment that maybe we should rent a car for these long trips lol. If my husband wasn't a former mechanic I would maybe agree but he can fix stuff and fortunately we're at a point that we could just fly home and/or buy a car outright. It's weird to me that people care!
@@seltzermint5 Tell them they can buy a car they think you deserve for you then.
My car is a paid for 2010 Toyota. I take good care of it so I hope to have it for the next 10-15 years!
This channel is amazing. One thing you left out with David Ramsey: he has come out as a huge @55hole in recent years. Stuff like “it’s not my fault that the rental market priced my tenants out, raise the rent and EVICT THEM!!” Elitism at its worst.
I been living this way for years; over a decade. The worst part is the assumptions that family and co-workers make. They turn their noise up at me because I drive an older car and assume I mis-spend my money because I don't have all the latest things. I rather save, live below my means, and watch bank account look nice.
That sounds like my life because the people I work with get on this way as well, always wanting to know what others are doing…In the meantime, I couldn’t care less what other people are doing!
Me too. I didn't like those co-workers either and while today, they're still working at the same damn place, living in a dump of a city with all the money they earn, I get to spend my years in a different country that is more beautiful with a better and healthier life, while they are stuck in traffic in their nice cars, at their windowless office, getting fatter (they're already all fat) and will die in their 70's if lucky.
I think i understand to a degree why talking about money is frowned upon, however i also think its what keeps people poor. Many of us did not receive a good - for lack of a better term - financial eduction from our parents. It isnt anyones responsibility to teach strangers anything of course (or reveal personal info for that matter), but at the same time: Corporations are definately very happy that financial topics are taboo.
Off topic- But I love your haircut!
I don’t agree with you on everything but I really like your perspective and how honest and straightforward you are about it. You are a badass!
That feeling you had when your neighbor asked about whether you get financial support from your parents is the reason why my parents always advised me to never ask personal questions of others, especially ones related to money or finances. I follow that advice to this day.
You should have told your neighbour that you're actually an assassin for hire, and if they see anyone in all-black visit your home, then they should stay indoors :D
That's Funny Lov it
Good one, or alternatively, tell the neighbour that the Dave Ramsey baby steps were by-passed by becoming a porn star.
Or say “Why? What did you hear?” 😂
Just discovered your channel. Good stuff!
For 20 years I worked as an international teacher, went around the world living on 4 continents, saved money, and paid cash for my house when we moved back.
I drive an 11-year old car that I paid cash for when it was new.
I ride an 11-year old custom-built made-to-measure bicycle that I also paid cash for back-in-the-day.
Semi-retired (substitute teaching when I want... teaching an adult ed class 3× per week at the local university), eating good food and coffee at home.
Ride my bicycle around!
Great video! I also have a love, but mostly hate relationship with Dave Ramsey. He doesn't believe in buying on credit, which means he doesn't belive in credit scores. I don't know what planet he lives on, but to buy a house, nobody has a million dollars in cash just lying around, which means you need to finance it. Which means your credit score is very important. In a previous life, I used to work for a giant credit repair firm. And not only was I able to fix my own disasterous credit, but thousands of other peoples too. But the most important takeaway was that I learned that the consumer credit game is just that - A GAME. Once you learn the rules to the game, the laws that protect you, and everything you can about it, you can then play that game, strategize that game and totally win. A great credit score is as good as cash in the bank. Also Dave doesn't believe in precious metals. That tells me that he doesn't understand insurance either. Precious metals are not an investment. They are simply an insurance policy that protects your purchasing power. Also, they are a great way of saving money that is just slightly more difficult to spend on a whim.
I love that I came across your channel....everything you said is true and I did about 95% of that. However, the greasy salty foods that is poisoning my body is in fact my downfall. When I go back to look at the fast food bill...it is astronomical plus it's 6 of us total. 😫. I never splurge on cars, clothes hair dos nothing....just eating out. I am currently limiting that continuous mounting debt. Thanks for sharing. I wish I would have worked and save money in my twenties instead of going into debt. I am certainly teaching my children differently. Sometimes I wish I could go back to my early twenties knowing what I know now. Thanks again. Congratulations and your personal success. Many more blessings.
Most people do not like me especially family from both sides of the aisle. My wife and I go boo! hoo! hoo! SO!? LOL I retired at age 48 and my wife has not had to work since she was 35. We live in what most would consider a shack but who cares, no rent, no mortgage and no property taxes (in Puerto Rico, you don't pay property taxes on your first property). My car registration and one year car insurance combined came out to $133. That's for the entire year and full coverage. No, we are not normal and we prefer it that way. Good video.
Thank you for your wonderful content. I am a subscriber living in Los Angeles. I’ll be turning 49 in a few weeks, on my house, on a couple rental properties, and have worked my ass off since college. I did go to college and I was fortunate to, not have any loans. But other than that, I have worked very hard for many years. I drive a 13 year-old Toyota and have been made fun of because of it. I buy 80% of my clothes from thrift shops, and always have. I splurge on concerts And food, but I rarely go out to restaurants. I never look at the food bill from Trader Joe’s or Ralph’s.
Money does not buy happiness, but it does buy freedom and security. I live pretty minimalist in a small house and a fantastic location.
To everyone out there, correct, living with your memes is not a sacrifice at all, but instead, it is an investment in freedom.
My coworkers DoorDash or Ubereats DAILY! I bring my lunch-leftovers or healthy frozen meals, sandwiches, etc. They look at me like I’m weird for not wanting to pay $20 USD on lunch. My bank account thanks me. They are the support staff and I’m the highest paid employee outside of the business owner. I find a direct correlation between the more money you earn and the less you spend. I reject lifestyle inflation!
Those damn co workers
Greater income + way less foolish spending = $$$ cha-ching! $$$
I'm not sure you should be upset by the neighbor asking you that question. Actually it's an accomplishment and an acknowledgement on what you've been able to achieve. Bravo to you!
I sort of have the opposite problem. Married couples or people with room mates are confused as to why I, who am single and living alone, don't have the extra money lying around to go on trips and buy better stuff for my house.
Incredibly clueless of people to think that way about your situation when you are single and live alone. On the flipside though a lot of those people probably do all the things they do but don't save much of anything. I know many people like that.
Thank you. Great video. Being normal according to our society is to have a lot of debt, but pretend to be rich just to impress people who don't really care about you. It doesn't make any sense to be normal, but you will have to face a lot of criticisms.
Yep, if you do this people will make fun of you for not spending money. But then be jealous because you have some lol. Cant win
It is amazing how people think they are poor because they are always scraping for cash, but they never see the daily purchases that fritter their income away. Every "oh it's just a few dollars" purchase total up to real money in the end. One trick you can use to save money is the ask for things you need as Christmas gifts. I haven't bought clothes in years, I end up getting a few new items every Christmas, Most of the small kitchen appliances I own were, gifts, as were my dishes, my cookware, etc. Oh those are terrible gifts. No! These are all things I wanted and needed, that are expensive, that I ended up getting for free and that I was thrilled to get.
I would honestly prefer to just stop doing Christmas gifts all together, but we still exchange with my parents every year. I love that through the years I have managed to get them to accept that the stuff we really want is useful, practical, or one "big ticket item" that seems frivolous but is so much better than a bunch of small things...for example a season pass to an amusement park is around $130 and results in several days of fun throughout the year for both me and my husband with "bring a friend" passes we only need 1 season pass to share. We would much prefer that as our gift, than for them to spend $100-200 on a lot of little trinkets, gadgets & stuff we don't want or need. I've even asked for a bulk package of gum or sparkling water. At first (in my 20s) I think they just thought I was struggling but by now, decades later, they understand I'm just weird!!
I work with two people who come in with iced coffee from Dunkin Doughnuts every single day. I look at them and wonder how much that costs them for the year!
@@cherylT321 I know what you mean! I don't deny anyone their fun and frivolous purchases but I would much prefer to mix it up at least. Like maybe I will get a fancy coffee but that is not something I want or need every single day! Boring.
@@seltzermint5 👍
My elderly mother lives with us and came with cookware and dishes!
Hello from Ottawa! Working in a car dealership has really opened my eyes to how people love to buy stuff they can't afford. 8-9 year finances at 10% are normal now.. same people complain about being broke all the time!
I don't own a house. Most of my friends do, & I'm usually told to buy one, but I don't want a house for just myself. I like the convenience of renting. I just come home, sleep, then go & live life without having to pay lots of money or spend lots of time keeping things up. If I had a wife & children, they would deserve a house & I would have one, no doubt, but being single, that's a lot of responsibility & money & investment that seems overkill for just a simple, single man. Not buying a house is not normal in my circle, but not being married & not having children is also not normal in my circle. Something that struck me was when you said that your neighbor asked if your parents helped you, & your answer didn't seem good enough for her, I feel like people look for people to hate (maybe not hate, but strongly dislike, I don't know). It seems to me that she was looking for a way to judge you. If you had said yes, she could've "hated" (for lack of a better word) you, but when you said that you have a good job & no kids & so were able to afford it, that answer was a judgment on her. You weren't judging her, but since she was looking to judge you, it kinda backfired on her, which is why your answer didn't satisfy her. I feel like in addition to looking for people to "hate," people also look for validation from other people, in that they almost need other people or people around them to do the same thing they are doing in order to validate their decisions. Married people seem to have trouble dealing with single people & parents seem to have trouble dealing with people who don't have children. Sure they don't have anything in common, but they also don't validate their life decisions, because they didn't follow the same path in life. It's uncomfortable, even strange & disconcerting.
Agreed, I get judged all the time for not being married and not having kids. People forget there are many ways to live a satisfying life.
Money doesn’t buy happiness, it buys options!
Good video Nicole!😁👍
I live a frugal lifestyle and focus my goals. One thing to point out about the "normal" people, is they don't have it all wrong. You can do everything right , your only 1 diagnosis away from losing all your money in treatment/hospice. Your only 1 bad year in the job market away from losing all your savings. You're at outlier, you've been able to keep steady employment, not having to be a caretaker for your family, and you have no kids ( which you probably don't have cause you can't afford them , that is why I don't have any yet). What I have noticed with "normal" people is they aren't idiots (Majority), they have been fearmongered into avoiding hardships. Most people don't buy a new car cause they want to show off. Most pay for it because they don't want to the reliability issues that can come with a decade old car, or have some of the safety features of the newer ones. People don't take out student loans because its a bad business choice, but rather believe they can find fulfillment in their life through their career , and that is just the price to pay. Like I mentioned before I am pretty frugal and 5 years ago, I loved it, I could save so quickly, and still afford to treat myself once in awhile to the occasional sushi or fast food. Now, anytime I feel like getting a non- home made meal, I feel I cannot afford it comfortably. I'm glad your making it , but just realize you dodged ALOT of trains getting here, not all you noticed. Stay humble, your only one day away from losing it all.
You don't sacrifice the film quality, its appreciated!
This is the first time I've ever seen you on youtube. I enjoyed this so much. You're just straightforward, no bs & i appreciate that. Dave Ramsey annoys me to no end. I can't get anything out of his content b/c I'm not at all religious and he's so damn smarmy. Thanks for being abnormally normal. 😅
I love your video. So, so true about reducing stress by having a little less in life.
Ive learned this lesson as ive gotten older. The world and society could care less about you.
You need to care about you. Your happiness in life. Thats what important.
Nicole, when my wife and I first got married 31 years ago we decided that in order to have a happy life in our older years we would have to sacrifice a lot then. We invested little by little with a financial company, stayed home on our vacations( never ever went south for the winter for a break and couldn’t care less!). Saved enough money for a down payment to build a house and paid it off by the age of 45 by doing by- weekly payments instead of monthly ( it cut down on the amount of interest) Now at the age of 56 we are able to enjoy our life together! Accountability and responsibility are two words that we all have to learn! There is no free lunch in this world, you don’t have the luxury, the right, the privilege to have material things just because you want them. Like you if sacrificing then to have the life we have now is weird I’ll take weird any day of the week!
Nicole, this is awesome. I think when people assume things about others financially, it's a fantastic opportunity to educate the ignorant. You're amazing. You are doing so well and by your own doing. That makes it sweeter. I could have been you back in the mid 90's when I bought my first house. But that was the beginning of decades of financial stupidity. Boy, if you could go back. However, I've become the person I am due to doing it all wrong for so long.
Great video.
I think one important point on the money can’t buy you happiness is to reiterate something you e said before Nicole because new level new devil if your lifestyle creeps with increased income then the same problems and stresses that haunted you at 50k a year will haunt you at 100k and could be even more stressful because of the scale of the issue. But I do agree if you can control your money and have more of it then it can certainly reduce every day stresses x
Debt-free since I was 31.
How?? I lived in my van for 2 years 20-21 to save the down payment on my first house I can repair anything I own and always buy used(often broken stuff)which I then repair and maintain. I never took a loan for anything except tools (to earn money with) and my land
I worked in the NYC area, sold my home for a 150k profit snd used that money to pay cash for my land in NC
I now live on 20k a year and lack nothing plus I do not NEED to work
I can hear the "yeah but you couldn't do that today" WELL my son just paid cash for his land and home next to mine It was harder for him BUT...... He does work (40+hrs) but is debt free at 33 and well on his way to retiring once his children are grown
I know what you mean. I used to work in a room with someone who would ask nosey probing questions; I found out from a co-worker friend that on her lunch break, she would tell her lunch buddies what I had said. She also found it funny that I didn’t have the latest tech gadgets and the car I drive is paid for and is 14 years old. In the meantime, she always has a car note because she is always driving the latest car that she is financing and always has the latest most expensive gadgets. This woman is also always financing exotic trips so she can impress others…I’m happy being a homebody who can find things to do that are low cost or free; that is something this woman finds boring…I am so glad l no longer have to work with this nosey, two-faced individual!
cherylt123 - there is something priceless that YOU have and she doesn't, PEACE OF MIND.👍😉👍
@@OliviaHacking-kf7px Exactly. I’m very comfortable with myself and the way I choose to live my life.
It sounds like you are what we call a contrarian. I've been one of those since high school and in the long run, although others might see us as a bit weird, it's stood me in good stead. From the sound of it that position has put you in a really good place so thanks for sharing as a younger person to show other young people that making good decisions has consequences just like making bad ones. Keep it up Nicole.
I realized everything was the opposite when I was young and it served me well, I escaped the hamster wheel when I was 35. A word of caution, money doesn't buy happiness, it does remove day to day stress. But in the end, no one on their death beds talk about money or a dog they had, our relationships are all that truly matters.
I love your impeccable logic and sense of independence.
The second part of your story (being broke) is the answer to your first (do your parents help). As a frugal person who's worked towards FI, I believe your neighbour wanted a sad answer? They wanted you to say, "Yes, occasionally I really need the help--do you?," or "No, because they often struggle and so do I--it's hard right now." It's been my experience that people aren't genuinely curious about another's financial situation, they want an answer which works in commiseration with their own. (i.e., They want to know you face the same challenges as them or that you're actually worse off.) ...It's the Great Canadian Crab Bucket.
completely right, i followed your same blueprint. i sacrificed everything i knew and loved on the west coast due to inaccessible property prices when i was trying to get into real estate for 10+ years, and moved to the rust belt. lived like i was poor. 15 year old car that costs 0$ a month. 3 year old high end smart phone. cook all my meals. and within 2 1/2 years of the move i own a 4 bedroom city house and a 26 acre ranch with 2 houses on it. still grinding, still growing 🙏
Another awesome, spot-on video! I agree with the earlier comment that you should treat your neighbor's curiosity as a compliment. It just means that people notice your financial savvy and growing success!
I had a plumber once who charged 200 dollar/euro for a job that took him under an hour and required less than 10 dollar/euro in material... that got me thinking, I inscribed for some diy-courses, at a serious level, learning home electricity, plumbing, installing heating installations... we bought an appartment for the children, my daughter helped me to bring the electrical wiring up to code, best investment we ever made...
the downside is that my daughter gets this appartment basically handed to her on a platter, it's still to be seen if she'll really appreciate the value of it... she's going to be a nurse, still one year to go, she'll be busy enough.
Housing is a human right. Your daughter will be fine
@@DerHammerSpricht in the worst case she'll live in the hospital where she works, they have all the amenities necessary :)...
His job didn't take him under an hour. It took him years of learning, getting experience and then under an hour
@@monetarnie3841 I couldn't beat him, so I joined him, I've also had a month as a jobstudent working for an electrician, damn hard work, but I did the electricity in my own house and in the appartment and had it accredited. The experience was important to learn that these jobs are not magical, if you want to get your hands dirty, you can do it.
Normal sucks and I loved your analogy 😂
Here in Brazil I try to have a simple life and some people thik I've gone too far, but that's not true. For example, cars. I was born in 1968. When I was a young driver, in the 1980s, having a basic car in Brazil meant having a really basic car, without devices like air conditioning (Rio is a HOT city), electric windows and other items. So you needed a lot of money to have a decent and comfortable vehicle. Now it's very different. Any car comes with more comfort and technology than the best car of my youth, so I'm very pleased with my basic 2016 Hyundai and there's no reason to waste money on a new model. I think that what makes people waste money in their daily life is much more related to vanity, the need to cause envy and/or some subjective self-affirming issue. A friend of mine works at a sportswear store. I once asked him who is crazy enough to spend $200 or more on a fancy sneaker if you can find good ones for just $70. Then he said that the people who buy these items are the ones who can't afford them. Richer people would never buy them.
I grew up in a huge city and was car-free for most of my life, and it's really weird for me how being forced to drive a car and commute from a village or suburbia is somehow "normal".
Good on you. Did the same thing. Rather than college, I worked and bought 3 condos between 21 to 23 years old. Sold two and bought a house in 2002, paid it off by 2015. Sold last rental in 2019 and now just retired, last week on my 56th birthday. Lifestyle is like yours, as a minimalist. Still have been through 49 states and have traveled to 56 countries via backpacking and vanlife travel. Love it as it is so much more adventurous. Looking to do more of it in the coming years.
Normal/stupid spending:
Big trucks when you’ve never done labor or large vans because you now have 2 kids
Buying multi floored homes when you’ve retired. As in my neighborhood, remodeling a single story home into a second story home for retirement.
Vacations you put on credit because you’re working hard to pay bills.
Weddings
Out of state college tuition
Luxury brands that have huge logos so you can pay to be their billboard
Uggs for a child that will grow out of them in 3 months or shoes for babies that aren’t even walking
Buying brand anything for kids that aren’t even aware of branding
Phones for kids that haven’t even hit puberty
Collectibles
Most of the things people are willing to go into debt for.
❤Abby Normal 😂
well said. Keep your money in assets vs money in the bank. That right there makes you above average.
You are a real smart cookie!
My husband and I usually get takeout pizza once a week, but it has been disappointing for the past several weeks. It had been the best place nearby, but changed it's sauce, and got cheap on the amount of toppings. So, we tried another place. They put the wrong toppings on (we actually sent pictures to get our money refunded).
My husband hadn't had fish in a long time, so we tried a popular restaurant/takeout near us. I got the mozzarella sticks. What a waste of money! My sticks were overcooked batter, but somehow the cheese was solid. Like they had been already cooked, then left to go cold, then recooked for a short time, just to get the outside hot. He gave his fish a 2 out of 10. I'm grateful that we didn't get food poisoning.
Even getting takeout is a waste of money. And I am disgusted that we threw away money which could have gone much farther in a grocery store, which is saying something these days.
Long story short- don't throw away your hard-earned money on crappy food made by people who don't even care about making it properly.
Your videos are an inspiration to people of all ages!
Huh. I thought you were going to say, & now we make our own pizza lol
@@tonyp9313 LOL! No- been there, done that, and failed. We have come to the consensus that it is time to forget about pizza.
Your story made me think of my "relationship" with KFC. Once a month or so I get a craving for it and have it delivered. Every month I realize that I didn't really enjoy it and have a little buyer's remorse when I think of how much further the money would have gone at the grocery store. Restaurants are ridiculously expensive now with even fast food joints facing backlash from customers. Grocery sore prices can be outrageous too, of course but they are still a healthier and more economical choice than dining out.
@@markhernden9472 Well,I have another story that may help you with overcoming your craving for KFC!
Several years ago, my ex and I got KFC and went to the drive-in (movie theater if you're too young to know). Well, got home, he went to sleep, and I had massive bad food poisoning that lasted 8 hours. (Blamed me for ruining his sleep, took me to his dr the next day, and his dr told him that I was very sick and dehydrated.) Never had KFC again. Did you know they also bleach their chicken?Not too long before that incident, he'd taken me to Denny's, and I had ordered the chili. Was sick from that also. Blamed me for getting sick, saying I should have known better than to eat chili. Funny- he never warned me when he took me- and I had never eaten there before, either, although he had.
Happily , that marriage ended after 2 and a half years.
With my now husband, I had an incredibly bad bout of food poisoning from Dairy Queen (icecream with fudge brownie pieces and hot fudge sauce) . Pain was so bad that it was in my back (not just stomach). Blood pressure 77 over 59 for almost 3 days. Couldn't hold a glass for a day. My now husband had to hold it for me while I drank through a straw.(And I didn't get blamed for ruining his night or day, etc.)
So hopefully these stories will turn you off from spending your money at 'muck houses' as my husband calls them!🤢🙂👋
My experience the last few years has been food from restaurants and take-out joints is never as good as what I can make at home. My own cooking has just the extras I want (minus what I've run out of and too comfortable to go out in the cold to the grocery) cooked the way I want, and is fresh off the stove or out of the oven. Frozen pizzas from the grocery cooked at home is 100x better than any delivered pizza, with generous toppings.
I also purchased a house in 2021 with no help from my parents other than my mom put some rhubarb in my backyard, and the harvest is paying dividends. I seriously would love to chat about personal finance, and the intersection with macro econ in the media.
This is an excellent video, and I agree with your points.My path was similar but not identical. I'm almost 72, and have never owned real estate, but I lived in inexpensive apartments (with roommates for many years), and was able to save and invest a lot of money. I've lived in six different US states, so it was easy to move when the times came to take a new job. I retired 11 years ago, and have never been in debt (but I'll admit that college was much less expensive decades ago , and I had an assistantship while in grad school). A couple years before I retired, I asked my father why my coworkers had expensive new cars while I was driving a 20 y/o Oldsmobile (which was actually a wonderful car), and he answered "it's because the others have debt but you have wealth!" I was able to go on vacations overseas (getting the best airfare I could, renting a small car, staying in basic motels, and buying most of my food in grocery stores--so my travel expenses were less than what many spend on vacations close to home. In short, life is good.
One thing I learned after getting the "adult job" after grad school, was that even though I had the ability to afford nicer things, the pursuit of getting that "thing" was way more rewarding than buying it. Obviously if you want something really badly and is within your means, go make that purchase, but on major purchases like a car upgrade or new watch was just something that seemed so much more attractive in thought
Free onions def counts as financial help especially if they were Yellow or Red onions and not Sweet or regular onions. #OnionFundBaby
😂
Hi Nicole. I just wanted to say that I really like the way you produce your videos. Instead of using stupid stock videos you're doing that all by yourself which makes your content so pleasant to watch (also it saves money by not needing to buy stock videos which is a clever move). Your content looks very professional but also honest and believeable at the same time.
Please do not change anything about it.🙂
As always, you make perfect sense.
I don't find that question offensive at all! Actually a compliment on how well you appear to be doing. You are way too wise to be offended by normal human curiosity. ❤
The white tee shirt works for you
I noticed the T-shirt as well
Highlights that sweet hair...
Looking fire!😘
Former Toronto resident: Ramsey's main benefit to me was two-fold, pay down home mortgage technique & optimize home ownership expenses (e.g., eliminate PMI), and in lieu of insurance use employer's life insurance plan or purchase term and plow savings into mutual funds or whatever so that 20-30 years later, in theory, your home is paid off and you've got a nest egg. Unfortunately, life is often chaotic, hence I decided to purse a non-"normal" financial lifestyle. For example, my 2 cars are 12 and 28 years old, long paid off, I live humbly and plow disposable income into savings. My neighbors may sneer at my cars, my clothes, or the fact I don't spend hours in bars and restaurants, the latter because I care about what I eat and I never drink. Advice to young 'uns, don't compete with each other, compete against time, against yourself! Invest in yourself first. Great video, Nicole, just discovered your channel. Cheers.
I have some friends that are really high consumers. They are constantly buying the next "cool" gadget. They like to talk about it and show it off but that doesn't last long and they are on to the next gadget or hobby. Its pretty crazy to me since I spend a lot of time thinking about a purchase to make sure it's something I will use long term. I go over to one of my friends house and he has sooo much stuff that is just sitting around becoming outdated or rotting. Such a waste of resources.
We may live through political changes in our lifetime where such a waste of resources becomes illegal, and your friend has pogrom thugs knocking on his door because they know how much plastic waste he is reponsible for.
@@DerHammerSpricht I doubt it unless the whole capitalist system collapses in the next 30 years.
@@DerHammerSpricht . ...as opposed to now, when people are suspicious if you are not a consumer, and conspicuous consumption is glorified in the media, and promoted by politicians as a way to 'grow the economy'. Wage slavery, and perpetual debt, is the best way to ensure the proles keep grinding away, earning profits for the capital owners.
When I was 25 I bought my first house (with a 3.25% mortgage). Most in the neighborhood were my parents age.
The first time I met each neighbor's wife at the mailbox, they asked very similar questions: "so... what do you do?" and "so... do you work?"
I think they thought I was a trust-fund kid. I was a little offended because I worked really hard and still lived like a college student!
Do what makes you happy, my biggest regret is not quitting drinking sooner and over paying the mortgage instead. waking up feeling fresh instead of being hungover priceless, spend some save some, today I refused to pay 2£ for a coffee out of the hospital vending machine, went back to the car to get bottles of water out of the boot still got stung 6£ for parking. The most important thing is you’re health. Look after you’re mind and you’re mind will look after you’re body.
Look after you’re pennies and the pounds will look after themselves.
Thank you for a great video Nicole! I am glad to say that I am not normal. One of the things that is not normal in my community is using our public library; I am still learning about the many different services that our library provides. Also, it is not normal to have a backyard and plant veggies/fruits. I can go on and on...Thanks again; I appreciate your videos.
What you said about Ramsey is spot-on, according to most professional investors.
Google searches of Dave Ramsey come up with things like how multiple times he’s been sued. Like the single woman working for Dave Ramsey’s company who got pregnant and then she got fired after Dave learned that she wasn’t married. I don’t remember if it was that situation or another in which Dave said “I can freaking fire anyone I want to”. If I myself owned a company and I found out that a single woman employee of mine became pregnant I’d respond with “hey Nancy, when is the baby due”? Then I’d have a gift for her baby shower. I’d put Dave Ramsey in the same category as Donald Trump, VGNF as in very gifted, noticeably flawed.
I could argue that being poor keeps you normal
lol @7:44 that’s my type of analogy 😂 anytime you include death, people see the severity of the situation
your hair looks nice! I was trying to figure out what was different about you in this video.
your videos help me stay on track.
just so you know you're out here inspiring people.🤩
I had my hair cut like 3 weeks ago. I’m not sure why people are just noticing now 😂
But thank you 🙏🏼
@@AccordingtoNicole 😂
Why does everyone talk about her hair now on here lol. It looks like a normal hair that's long for females.
I feel so blessed in my life, that now, I can afford small emergencies when needed. This wasn't always the case. When I was younger and raising a family, I was definitely living g paycheck to paycheck. So, I really appreciate this freedom.
In 'real' terms UK house prices have not increased in 15 Years, however their nominal value has increased plenty compared to salaries - how does this compare to Canada? FYI UK houses are very expensive compared to averages salaries.
I don't know about Canada but I'll.tell you that's mostly the case in the US. For the last 50+ years, wages have only grown about 1-2% per year while our primary inflation metric, the consumer price index, has grown about 3-6% each year and actual macroeconomic inflation has been more like 6-8%. Buying power has gone from where the median wage would take about 3 months and 3 years, respectively, to buy a house and a car when my parents were fresh out of college to around 6 months and 11 years when I graduated and in the 20+ years since that, it's up to around 11 months and 15-20 years now. Reported I.elation the past 4-5 years via CPI has been stated to have been around 10% a year while actual inflation has been 12-16% growth of wages has been between 2 and 3%. You're considered to be doing well if you earn over $100k which is about 1 standard deviation above the median wage. But if you adjust median wages from the mid 1970s to today, it would be around 150-200k.
Just a thought: I agree with this video completely!!!! The people here think like me!!!
However, there was a time when I literally was NOT making enough money to survive. Whenever I tried to express this to anyone , they assumed I was spending too much, or I could just make a few changes......
But the reality was that I needed to make enough money to survive & struggled to find a better paying job to do it.....and all the suggestions I was getting weren't helpful.
Just something to keep in mind in case you meet someone struggling. While I agree most people spend too much; there are now too many jobs that don't pay enough.
1K for a new phone, and $141 per month for the service seems ridiculous to me. See, I have an IPhone SE. I bought it new 6 years ago for $230, and it's never let me down. It's small, it's sturdy, and it works! I also use Tracfone, which costs me per year what most people pay per month. Using the calculator function (on my IPhone SE, ironically enough), it looks like my phone plus the six years of usage have totaled slightly over $1,000. Had I bought a new $1K phone 3 times, and been paying $141 per month, I would have paid over $13,000. That extra $12K has proven itself to be more useful in my index funds.
So not to diss you on the phone there. I have an Iphone 7 myself. Generally the newest iphone is a lot better though. That's why people buy them. Me however don't care about the iphones that's why I have the 7.
I have the SE as well and love it. It does exactly what I need it to do.
My IPhone is 13 years old this fall. And service costs 9.90 per month.
Best video of yours I've seen yet. Including the sponsor, whom I already use.
I don’t really see anything wrong with that question, It should be taken as a compliment, actually.
As a parent I would be extremely proud of my children if they turn out to be like Michelle, Im working on that though!
Keep up the great work!
Too nosey
@@annanajduch5201 Yes, maybe, but no big deal.