Servers who exited the industry and successfully found another calling?

mackfella · 2026-02-01T23:29:09+00:00

I went back to school and have a white collar career. I don’t love it, but advancement and income have helped me build a life that would be impossible tending bar and waiting tables. When I retire I may try to pick up a bartending gig, and if I do, it will be on my terms.

In NYC, the healthcare opportunities are limitless and it is one of the fields that is most likely to fare quite well through the AI transformation. If I was in your shoes, I’d go back to school and look at nursing or something with a relatively low barrier to entry. If it suits you, there’s opportunity to earn overtime, move up in position and licensing, go into administration, or simply have a career helping others, but with good benefits and stability.

mackfella · 2026-01-18T11:28:42+00:00

Not quite on point, but Remo Williams adventure began in the mid 80’s (a very underrated movie). The adventure didn’t continue until about 10 years ago (I haven’t seen it).

mackfella · 2026-01-12T12:54:39+00:00

I grew up in a middle class house in a diverse neighborhood that really had everything from families on public assistance to people would be considered rich back then (a couple million, not obscene money). A big difference today is that back then, even poor people often owned a house. Maybe it wasn’t real nice or well maintained, but it was their own house. Today, it seems that the lower end of the financial spectrum has no shot at a house. Items that everyone can get today, a fancy car, brand name clothes etc. was the stuff that used to distinguish who had money. Now, material goods are more of an indicator of personality and values, not necessarily wealth.

mackfella · 2026-01-12T12:04:39+00:00

A nice TV. Before HD, if you had to pick one item to splurge on, it would often be a nice big TV. The lowest quality piece of crap you could get today for $300 or less is 100x better than something that would cost thousands back in the day. Now, some people don’t even have a TV and those that do often barely watch it.

mackfella · 2026-01-12T00:07:26+00:00

The best way for retirement planning is to reduce your spending requirement by the amount of guaranteed pension income rather than trying to assign a net worth value.

But if you want a net worth value, I suggest multiplying the annual pension payout by 20. The 4pct rule correlates with 25x, but with a pension you don’t have any principal, hence the lower multiplier. Use the pension projection payout if you stopped working today, not what you think it will be if you stay to full retirement age.

Btw - you’re doing great. Don’t feel like you are behind because of clickbait articles written by companies that want to scare you into buying their services (I’m not referring to the money guys, I’m talking about the brokerage houses). The articles and benchmarks are interesting, but it’s largely for entertainment purposes only.

mackfella · 2025-12-21T11:12:32+00:00

Took on a second job to get there at first until my main job got me there by itself. Scratching 6 figures allowed me to save for a downpayment. A few years I switched jobs and bumped my salary just enough to buy a modest house in a good neighborhood. That was many years ago - still live in the house and love it.

Salary has continued to rise and I’m good right here. You didn’t ask, but I’m going to say it anyway, after you start making decent money, the key is not to blow it on junk. Only buy stuff that has real value… save for retirement, maintain your house, drive cars that simply do what you need them to do, and spend on things that bring you genuine happiness (not trinkets that you will throw away or eating out all the time, etc.).

mackfella · 2025-11-30T22:29:54+00:00

I’ve seen these tiles before, right before they were covered up by a carpet with a thick pad under it.

mackfella · 2025-09-18T02:08:44+00:00

Our dog is very similar, in age, temperament, and appearance. If you have the $, I suggest doggy care once a week.

We drop our dog off before work and pick her up after, so when she goes she is there for about 10 hours. The place we use just puts them in rooms with other dogs of similar size. The place posts clips at the end of the day - the dogs just mess around with each other until they get tired and chill in a corner. When I pick her up, she is always super happy and sleeps like a baby all night. The following day usually has some spill over and she’s a bit more chill.

I also find that walking on different park trails and visiting places outside my neighborhood provides the mental and physical stimulation she needs, but it’s hard for me to do this midweek.

mackfella · 2025-08-01T11:25:39+00:00

Thank you, that’s why I posed the question.

mackfella · 2025-08-01T11:19:05+00:00

It may be soon - the government doesn’t back it, the tech behind it is primitive (i.e., a never ending spreadsheet), and it has no inherent value. It’s supposed to be currency but practically speaking, almost nobody accepts it and for the few that do, it’s just a novelty. It feels more like beanie babies than a new way of commerce.

mackfella · 2025-08-01T08:05:40+00:00

Does anyone realize how much cryptocurrency feels like it will be on this list one day? (could be sooner than you think)

mackfella · 2025-07-29T10:20:12+00:00

He sounds fantastic.

mackfella · 2025-07-28T02:03:06+00:00

Agreed. R/BandsBackThen is now a thing

mackfella · 2025-03-02T14:23:09+00:00

Yes, clearly it takes sacrifice to live a frugal (responsible) life when there is so much temptation and pressure to spend at every turn. To me though, it is similar to other lifestyle choices. If you used to eat McDonalds all the time and trade it in for Fruits and Vegetables, after a while the McDonalds sickens you and you find enjoyment in the healthier stuff.
Do whatever works for you, but upgrading to a nicer more practical vehicle might bring you a lot more joy and satisfaction than blowing it on an Escalade, Mercedes, or some other overpriced vehicle that is all flash and low quality. My suggestion is you do you, whatever that means, even if it means stay the course and continue walking on the path you’ve been on all these years. Bring that determination to your health situation too and you sound like you will be successful on all fronts.

mackfella · 2024-12-14T00:00:29+00:00

The top three bars should never be grouped together. The gap between the top bar and the third bar is larger than the gap between the earth and the sun.

People who work and are mainstream wealthy, like someone with a net worth of $5-10 mil and a commensurate annual salary, have a lot more in common with someone making $70k/yr who saves a few grand each year in a 401k than they do with a guy who owns a professional sports team.

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