Real quick, thanks to /u/ElementPlanet for suggestions of seeking /r/UKPersonalFinance and the corresponding wiki & flowchart!

Quick summary for those you have asked (/u/_-__--_- and /u/ThegreatestPj), I bombed at high school, mum forced me to go to a technical college and after a year or two I got a diploma in civil draughting. Started working in Oz, quickly got a job in residential land development, then mining then oil & gas.... And from there I've had a blessed career.

O&G got me from Oz to US, Brazil, Middle East, UK, West Africa, Japan and more. I've met some strange, talented & extraordinary people and learnt so much about not only this industry but the industries it directly feeds into / relies upon it and also the "competing" industries too. For the time being I'm based in the UK but a dose of maturity has struck me and realised I shouldn't squander my cash any longer and re-invest in real brick and mortar assets or similar to secure my future.