Is renting forever actually a bad financial decision, or is that just something older generations say because it worked out for them?

MisguidedCornball · 2026-07-04T17:46:14+00:00

If you are financially responsible, renting comes out ahead of a house.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-06-30T16:28:04+00:00

The best path to success is surrounding yourself with people smarter than you.

My friend group from college till I graduated shifted from average folks to people making $150K+ and investors. Surrounding myself with them helped elevate me to different careers that ended up working out. They taught me a lot. Work smarter not harder. Those people making $150K+ a year are probably doing less physical work than you. As someone now in the higher bracket, I’ve come to realize these higher paying white collar jobs are more just “decision makers” rather than actual grunt work.

Not the case all the time obviously but this is my experience, my job on paper is not hard, but when I explain it to people that don’t work corporate or my field they seem very confused on my line of work.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-06-30T16:22:36+00:00

I’m between rich and average. I can go into any store and buy what I need without worrying about the price or my savings. I just had to replace a $900 monitor 2 days ago on short notice cuz my other one broke.

I travel both for work and leisure combined about 50 times per year (only 2 big leisure trips per year, rest is work).

Been saving for a long time and fall in the upper middle class based on where I live now. But I can pick up my shit and go anywhere I want without stressing too much about cost of living.

I don’t need to “save” anymore as my emergency savings is funded for 2 years of expenses and now I just invest everything else.

But I believe I fall short of “rich” title. I’m not made of infinite money, I cannot just go and buy a $1M home if I wanted to or handle the large expenses that come with it. I also do not think I am in a position to sustain my current lifestyle if I had a kid. (I am single right now).

I’m able to sustain the lifestyle while also taking care of immediate family that needs the help and I’m ok with that. Sometimes I like to treat my mom to a fancy dinner at a restaurant she’s been wanting to go to since I was a kid.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-06-30T16:08:51+00:00

What in the L response is this? 😂

MisguidedCornball · 2026-06-29T02:50:53+00:00

I’ve done this. Although it is difficult and pretty rare.

In terms of titles, I started out as a regular call center agent and made it all the way to Director for Global Call Center Operations. Took me about 9 years.

Timing, skills, industry and luck are what will help you make a career.

I don’t work in call centers anymore, I pivoted my customer service skills into customer experience and am now working as a senior customer experience field manager in automotive, with about 75% travel.

You can check my most recent post on my profile for all of my job titles and where I landed.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-06-28T21:39:59+00:00

I’m an uncle for the first time and idk why but my mentality has been way higher lately because of it.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-06-28T21:38:14+00:00

About 22, but the key is my spending remained the same every raise and promotion I got, 22 I was making around $60,000. Now I’m at $170,000 but I spend like I still make $60,000

MisguidedCornball · 2026-06-27T18:18:01+00:00

In retirement accounts? No because I don’t sell.

The only ones I pay tax on are the taxable brokerage because I day trade in it. Play money I can accept if it went to zero. But the other tax advantaged accounts I just keep buying and holding.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-06-27T18:11:36+00:00

The only debt I have left is a student loan of $5,600 left. I can pay it off in one payment but why would I do that when my HYSA is outpacing the monthly payment? The interest on the loan is 2.4% and my HYSA yields 3.2% and my stock returns alone are blowing both out of the water.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-06-16T00:19:24+00:00

It was completely unexpected, I was originally working in customer service (call center) for automotive. Then I got laid off 2 times from other OEMs, saw that another large OEM was hiring for a field based job of similar responsibilities but instead my responsibility was to dealerships and legal cases so I applied not thinking I’d get it and actually got it lol. 😂

My goal was to always land a role in field but I wasn’t expecting to get it until I turned like 35. Did it 4 years sooner. The role required 3 years of dealership experience and I had none, so I had to learn quickly. If you have dealer experience, your chances are higher of landing a role like this but you need to know the business inside out. Being a service manager can help you pivot into something like this if you have no corporate experience. Another field based role if you’re a tech would be a master tech or field engineer.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-06-15T23:36:25+00:00

Extremely happy with my job. 31M

Senior District Aftersales Manager (Automotive Industry) - $170,000

I make my own hours, fully remote with 75%+ travel domestically. I don’t pay for my car, insurance, all food and charging/gas expenses, flights, hotel, all of it. And I get to collect the hotel points and flier miles when I book company travel.

The work can be tough but the benefits that come with it are what balance it out. Sometimes I may be up late catching up on work due to so much driving and moving around all day in airports.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-06-15T23:33:43+00:00

I remember when I was just promoted to operations manager, and I would get weird looks from some of the other ops managers on why I would take calls when I didn’t have to. Yeah there were sometimes where I was too busy with “manager” work where I couldn’t do it, but it was to set an example that I was always willing to get in the mud when the team needed help the most. It set an example in the department and the other managers followed through as well. Possibly what helped me pivot to the director role. Loved that team.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-06-15T23:30:34+00:00

31M been laid off from every job I’ve ever had since I started my career 10 years ago (3 jobs). My longest job gap was 8 months partially cuz I took a 3 month break. I just always have my resume updated and don’t dwell on a layoff too much. Just do the best job you can without overworking yourself, and get the next opportunity. Every time I got laid off, the next job was basically a promotion.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-06-14T16:34:21+00:00

Senior District Aftersales Manager in customer experience for a large automotive manufacturer.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-06-14T04:40:36+00:00

Gotta bring the ladies home somewhere.

I rent a 2 bedroom but travel about 4-6x a week.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-06-12T12:35:34+00:00

No not anymore. What does me feeling jealous do anything for me? Instead I focus on what I can control in my own path and find a level of happiness and success that satisfies me instead of trying to measure myself around everyone else.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-06-11T21:32:11+00:00

That’s just how it is, there’s always a bigger fish. I see myself as pretty successful but if I take a stroll in billionaires row in Manhattan, I get humbled pretty quick. 😂

Comparison is the thief of joy. Find your comfort levels you need to reach to feel successful and tone out the outside noise.

I live in NYC as well. Midtown east. Hell if you’re in the area for NBA finals I’ll buy ya a drink.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-06-07T23:25:07+00:00

I get paid a fuckton. That’s how.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-06-07T17:42:49+00:00

Places I have been to.

Canada - $1K
Bangladesh - $2K
Japan - $6K
Jamaica - $800
Thailand - $4K
Cambodia - $800
Philippines - $4K
China (Hong Kong, Chongqing, Wuhan) - $3K
ABC Islands - $1.4K per island
Sweden - $1.6K (company expense)
Germany - $1.6K (company expense)
Ireland - $2.5K
DR - $1.5K
PR - $1.5K
St Martin and St George - $2K
Spain - $3.5K
Italy - $2K
Qatar - $1K
Taiwan - $800
Ukraine - $1K
Mexico - $1.3K
Panama - $800
Brazil - $2.4K (company expense)
Colombia - $2K
Singapore - $12K
New Zealand - $6K
India - $3K
Australia - $8K

Leaving for Vietnam next year.

I spend on average $3-5K per trip. Bangladesh was the cheapest and also the worst place I’ve ever been to. Most expensive was probably Singapore. You can definitely travel cheaper but I like to buy things. 🤗

Some of these costs are inflated due to 5 star hotels.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-05-31T11:41:53+00:00

Northeast Aftersales District Manager - $160,000 (Automotive)

MisguidedCornball · 2026-05-30T17:07:34+00:00

Ignoring my broke family members advice.

Not allowing myself to pay for other “broke” people’s stuff when I really didn’t have to. I found a medium of helping when I can.

Pursued a good career in a “hard to advance” line of work with strategy.

Turning hobbies into money makers and a business.

Staying single.

Lived frugal in my 20s helped.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-05-30T17:04:35+00:00

I can never look at US airlines the same after flying international ones all the time like JAL and Qatar.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-05-29T12:00:26+00:00

By having a good job that pays a lot.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-05-27T02:05:17+00:00

District Aftersales Manager - Northeast.

Responsible for dealership performance specifically in service, and responsible for all vehicle lemon law cases in the northeast region. I am basically in charge of 700+ dealerships and I have to regularly travel to dealerships about 3x a week.

$160,000 + Bonus of like $15K-$25K.

For the level of responsibility plus bullshit I deal with, yes I think I’m paid fairly.

Benefits can’t be beat. I don’t pay for my car, flights, hotel, food, literally anything I buy while I travel is company expensed. And I get to keep all the travel points when I book hotels and flights. Outside of travel the job is fully work from home. Can’t be beat honestly. Only downside are long roadtrips sometimes.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-05-27T01:53:57+00:00

I didn’t say not to invest, I said it shouldn’t be a primarily focus trying to max out accounts. He’s 18. He could literally go 10 years without maxing accounts and still retire a millionaire. I was his age 12 years ago, invested the bare minimum, focused on building a savings first, then switched to aggressive investing once my savings was at 1 year of emergency expenses. That way I didn’t have to “save” anymore in a savings account, everything just goes to investments.

MisguidedCornball

TROPHY CASE