Engineering manager, former software engineer. Stay at home wife with 2 young boys. We live well below our means, save like mad, and on a rare occasion I’ll buy a machine. I’ve sold a lot of them too typically for a decent profit. Sometimes I’ll sell one and add a few thousand to get a higher end machine.

Prices have gotten insane though. It kills me to see EM machines in the $1,500 range. Makes me want to sell my nice Surf Champ just because I can get a premium for it right now. It won’t last...

Define out of debt? Literally no mortgage, car payments or credit card debt? How old are you?

Someone in my office has a saying tacked to a cork board: “rich people get rich by acting like they are poor, and poor people stay poor by acting like they are rich”. I firmly believe that and have seen both sides of the coin. Probably have lived both sides. I’m middle aged now and live humbly, all things considered...

Yeah, fixed my bad quote...

I’m pretty much in the same boat. I took a job in KY and had to move. The real estate market here sucks so I took on a mortgage. We could pay it off but I’m taking my chances in the market. Fingers crossed for the long term. Otherwise we have zero debt, don’t carry credit card balances and pay cash for cars that are a few years old - and then run them until rust or wear takes the life out of them.

I need to find a good financial / investing forum, as I’d say it’s equally as interesting as pinball. I’m a die hard S&P investor, as I’m notoriously bad at picking stocks...but it’s still fun to read about...

I think for most people, everything comes at a price. I’ve known my share of very wealthy people. Most of them work their butts off and have very little time - but lots of money. My favorite story is about the dad of my friend who worked 80+ hours a week at a GM plant. When my friend was a toddler, he cried at Xmas when his dad tried to hold him. They always said he didn’t know who his dad was. And I believe it. The man worked his ass off and fell over dead in his 60s. Sad but true story. But he had a lot of money. Hmmm...

I resent not saving more when I was younger. But then again, I had some awesome times living a crazy life in my 20s, burning through every cent I made. I averaged 60 hours a week back then as a controls engineer and killed it in overtime, often breaking 80 hours a week. I don’t have much to show for it other than some great memories. Had I saved all of that money, I’d probably be retiring in my 50s. How many 20 something people think that far out....not many.

I tried this theory once. I mastered "basic strategy", and then took it beyond basic. Then it came down to counting cards. What I found is that it was no longer fun playing blackjack. It became very mentally taxing sitting at the table, and sure the odds may have been a lot better, but in reality you still lose frequently. I never mastered card counting, it's just too mentally taxing - not to mention that you'll get flagged if they suspect you are doing it.

Blackjack is still my favorite game in the casino though. The characters you see at the tables, and the amount of money floating around. It's entertaining to say the least. I've watched people burn though a Wonka in an hour, look into their empty wallet, curse a little and walk away. God help the poor guy that did it with his lady friend behind him. She was pissed! =)

Off topic I know....sorry!

I guess a poll would be anonymous?

I’m sure there are many here that either make more than I do, or just burn through cash. Does anyone else think “what the f does that guy do?” when you see a lineup of a dozen high end machines in their collection? That’s always my first thought, mixed with a dose of jealousy. I guess I’m lucky to have what I have. Which is a wife who tolerates my hobby.