What to do: have 6 figures in the bank. Buy shiity flat, buy expensive flat or just continue to enjoy number going up. No kids. No hope. Im leaning towards shitty flat because i’d pay it off quickly but if all goes to hell then does it matter?
Genuine question. Current living situation is irritating but cheap.
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buy shitty flat, wait a few years and pay down the loan as if the interest rate is and extra 2%, in a year or 2 sell the shitty flat and buy a better one. rinse and repeat
Welcome to the property ladder.
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The shitty flats have been the same price for a decade, plus the goal here is to stop moving. I’ve rented too many places, just want a home.
You interested in home improvement? Buy the shitty flat, slowly fix it up the way you like, and if you ever decide to sell, it’ll likely be worth a little more.
It depends on your needs. I’m in the same boat, and for now, I’m investing because I ran the numbers and decided my combination of factors (local real estate market, level of commitment to this location, job security) means I’m better off with market risk and renting.
I can totally be wrong. The future is uncertain. I decided that’s the risk I prefer over the risk of stagnant home values.
Still this is a very personal decision. I’d choose between a basic but solid flat vs. investing in other ways, but don’t buy real estate to invest IMHO you do it because it suits your lifestyle first, and only after that, as an investment.
As for your mental health struggles, I can only offer empathy. I’m not smart enough emotionally to help you there.
What do you want out of it? Owning adds responsibilities and costs. If you don’t have a reason to own other than you can, why take on those responsibilities and costs?
Owning a property is not just an investment, not just not paying rent, but a commitment. Some of us consider it well worth it. Some of us even like that part of it. But consider whether that’s you
Hi stupid but have money, I’m dad
Get a hobby that you are passionate about. All that money should disappear relatively quickly
just buy what would make you happy / comfortable
It sounds like op doesn’t know what they want. Ultimately, OP, I think you have to figure out that question.
When was the last time you were consistently happy? Are there any people in your lives of whom you’d wish to trade places?
I never compare myself to others. Interesting question. So no. Consistently happy? No, lifelong depression, the goal here is avoidance of misery, happiness is not an option.
Does traveling make you happy?
Hiking to a clear mountain view is one great way to start feeling better
Or idk, buy a sweet car and rent a circuit track to race it on. Maybe you’ll meet friends. Thats what id do.
If you’re depressed, avoid impoverished neighborhoods (i.e. shitty flats). Poverty is depressing, and as elitist as that might sound, it’s fucking true.
Go get yourself a flat in a bougie neighborhood, somewhere walkable, with plenty of greenspace, well-maintained infrastructure, and happy neighbors.
You might still be depressed, but it’ll be magnitudes less than if you move into the cheapest place you can find.
Ok then, skip Happiness for now, can you come up with anything that would feel meaningful? I do think you could benefit from therapy either way and/or anti-depreccent. There is no shame in needing a little help in your life. I’ve Been on anti-depreccent about 10-yeara and just recently stopped. It really helped me through a couple of difficult years, that and just talking to someone has made a huge difference. All love.
Im on anti depressants my friend :) yay drugs! It has improved things. Meaningful? I don’t even know what that means.
Ok forget meaning and happiness. Let’s talk utilitarian. What living space would best fit what you need? If you don’t need much, tuck most of that money in a relatively safe investment and buy whatever you could pay off the quickest. Life is long, you’re going to need that money someday.
How many bedrooms do I need to be a cat lady? Maybe I can find meaning here… I’m thinking 2, the second one is an extra 80k or so.
Then go for 2 ☺️ the extra bedroom can be split usage, maybe a spare bedroom for guests, a playroom for the cats, and a small home office. We have 3 cats and they definitely brighten the day. Wish you the best!
Talk to a financial advisor. The moment I was making more money than i knew how to confidently manage myself, i talked to a financial advisor and it was one of the better decisions i’ve made. Now i know exactly what i can spend on what and still be saving what i need to.
100% agree.
What if you think the whole system is going to collapse, or you hope it’s going to collapse, what is the financial advice for climate change meets trumpistan?
You know what I’m going to say something different and I hope it’s not too inappropriate.
The other commenters have done well so far. But have you considered using some of your money for therapy? I see you said you’re on antidepressants, but I wasn’t sure if you were already in therapy or not.
I don’t mean this as a cop out answer and I don’t mean that they will directly help you with your finances. But it might be a good idea to talk to someone about the “nothing matters because the world is going to shit” mentality. Even if there is merit to what you say, it isn’t exactly helping you feel happy or satisfied with your life. If you can learn to cope with this particular thought, you might find the rest falling into place a little easier.
All I know is in that situation, owning property outright with the means to defend it is the only safe bet. You should just turn it into a prepping hobby, there’s worse stuff to get into out there.
Talk to a financial advisor anyway.
I’d buy the shitty flat.
You’re 50. You don’t know how long you’ll be able to work to pay off the expensive flat, nor do you know what needs you’ll have as you get older. You can buy the shitty flat, pay it off quickly, and you’ll own it. If you lose your job, you won’t be evicted for not paying rent. Depending on where you live, you’ll still have condo fees, property taxes, or whatever, but you’ll still have more leverage and leeway than simply being a tenant.
Don’t just grab any shitty flat; think of what you want now, and what you’ll need as you age. You may not still be in the same flat 10 or 20 years from now, but make that assumption and plan with that in mind. I don’t know what you want now (lots of kids vs no kids around, etc), but some things to think of as you age:
- People hanging around outside: this may be difficult to notice this time of year (I’m assuming you’re in the northern hemisphere), but kids playing, a community garden, someone sitting on their porch smoking - anything that speaks to a level of comfort being outside. That generally means more neighborhood spirit / community involvement, and generally means less tendency toward future crime.
- Some neighbors younger than you, and at least a few kids. When you get older, you’ll occasionally need help, and asking younger people you know is the easiest way.
- A grocery store within reasonable distances that is accessible either by walking or public transit.
- Minimal stairs to get into the building, minimal stairs to get into the flat, and minimal stairs within the flat. Stairs become more of a barrier and more of a danger as you age.
Probably other stuff as well, those are just the first things I thought of.
No hope.
Weird thing to say. If you were looking purely for financial advice, that’s one thing. But if you have no hope, then I don’t see the point in having good finances.
if it all goes to hell then does it matter?
Again, weird thing to say.
Of course, this is no stupid questions, so you can ask whatever you want. But imo, we need a lot more context to help you, and your actual problem has little to do with where you live
if you have no hope, then I don’t see the point in having good finances.
Guess you answered my question.
Try to remember that real estate always has ongoing expenses like repairs, taxes, insurance.
so dont blow it all.
Fuck. I’m smart and broke
If you were smart you’d just pull yourself up by the bootstraps.
The secret ingredient, is crime.
(You could easily run for office and abandon all yout morals… accept bribes, get rich)
Buy stock
Which one?
Buy stocks in companies that you:
- Know and understand what they do
- Generally vibe okay with that kinda business
- See the appeal for consumers in a general sense
- Ideally don’t have a lot of other companies doing the same thing
Don’t take stock advice from strangers on the Internet
If you didn’t have to work, what would you do? Do you still want to work? Would you do something else? Do you have any hobbies?
I’m asking because I’m planning on taking a sabbatical from work because I’m tired of working and I want to enjoy some time away from work.
I wouldn’t do anything. Take your time away but don’t ask people like me, I have nothing to do. A hobby would be healthy but my bank account going up is my hobby.
I think that explains why your life is a hopeless void seemingly not worth living
Somehow your brain just wants to make meaningless number go up and that’s it
Should go buy some therapy or something with that money and have them teach you to do human stuff instead
Meaningless number go up = security and not being homeless ever again. Unemployment taught me that money is the only thing that matters. So I’m terrified of letting go of it. My bank account is the only thing that has ever made me feel safe. This is not inhuman.
Do you like working?
No, do you?
No, but I have things I like to do outside of work and my work funds those activities.
Based on your responses, it seems like the only thing you like to do is to see your net worth go up. Any reason why you don’t have any hobbies?
I like to cook and bake so those are kind of my hobbies. I cut everything out of my life when I was unemployed and that’s where the money obsession comes from. I don’t ever want to be homeless again. Money equals security to me. Plus lifelong depression means I don’t actually get happy about anything, except food. My goal is just avoiding pain.
If you didn’t have to work, what would you do?
Two chicks at the same time. But for real, 6 figures isn’t enough to retire on for a lot of people these days considering their age and lifestyle.
To me the most important thing is your living situation.
Fuck living in an irritating situation that’s just not worth anything.
Dude I’m almost 50 and only rented. Irritating living situation is the norm for me. Saving 3k per month is kinda fun.
It is. Keep at it then. Until you have enough to retire anyway.
Yyou know the score, You have to decide what matters to you. I was always able to save as much money as I wanted and live the lifestyle I wanted.
I’ve made career choices that have cost me money so I could have a better quality of life. I figured out long ago that if I don’t have a good quality of life or a quality of life that is to My llevel of satisfaction, then there ain’t no fucking point in all of it.
Well id plan a little bit for things to go to shit, but also have some fun. This world won’t last and we could be in ww3 tomorrow or wiped out by a global disease next year.
If that doesnt happen, you should buy some assets like a paid off house so when the economy crashes you won’t be homeless. Money don’t mean shit when a wheelbarrow of dollar bills buys you 1 potato.
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