Choices

A long long time ago, I taught English in Asia. The group I hung out with were all in our 20s and all intent on gratifying ourselves with excess booze, going through multiple sleeping partners, traveling, late nights, etc. There was one guy named Wayne, an American from a disenfranchised group, and his main goal was to work for a few years there to save up enough money to buy a house. His goal sounded absolutely alien to us at the time, in our hedonistic immaturity. I’ve never forgotten him and his clear-sighted plans for his life, while I’ve seen friends, colleagues, acquaintances all struggle to get an affordable permanent roof over their heads. One of the party ppl returned to my city and I saw her back here earning minimum wage. In hindsight Wayne was the smart one shunning all the boozing and partying! I wonder how his life turned out when he made such gains so early.

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Anonymous

Dec 8, 2019 at 2:40pm

I went to Korea to do this in 2007. At the time salaries were $2,000 a month and getting drunk was <1$. Now, 12 years later salaries are still $2,000 and everything else went up. I'm not sure how someone's decision to drink or not drink could massively change their savings when we are talking about such small numbers. The trick is to transition from ESL into other opportunities in Asia.

I also

Dec 8, 2019 at 8:17pm

Reflect back on the guy that worked really hard in high school ... never partied with anyone and bought himself a brand new Corvette Stingray for his graduation

15 7Rating: +8

Other people choices.

Dec 8, 2019 at 11:06pm

I knew a guy that saved $100.000 in Japan back in the salad days of English teaching. Long story short, he lived like an animal; his apartment was a festering sh!th#le, and he worked massive amounts of overtime to get there, but he got there. I saved $25.000 and spent it all doing all-nighters in the greatest cities in the world and travelling. Those were the best years of my life. It was a blast. I wish I could go back in time and do it again. I regret not leaving Vancouver as soon as I turned 18. So sure I wish I had more money but those memories are f#ck!ng golden. I think about them all the time while travelling between boring old blandcouver and god-awful Nanaimo.

Twenty years ago

Dec 9, 2019 at 5:24pm

I worked my ass off to buy a house for $450k on the West Side. Worked 3 jobs, drove $500 cars, didn't party, had tenants and room mates for many years.
Now I'm 42,and I sold my house last year for $5 million and retired.
EVERYONE else I knew partied, bought new cars, went on trips all the time etc and now they tell me how lucky I am.
No, it was taking a huge risk and working my a55 off.

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