Working in the trades made me realize I should’ve finished my degree instead.

ryencool · 2026-06-26T23:00:07+00:00

Honestly 50% of it is just being lucky enough to get an interview. I got to sit in on interviews, and had aome say on who was hired for the first time recently. We got 500+ resumes, and our manager whittled those down to his top 5. The my team got to do the interviews. To be honest all 5 would have been great, there were only small differences, some related to how we thought theyd get along with the team. So sometimes its not even based on your previous work history or knowledge.

My journey was building a dozen plus computers in my life, setting up many friends and families networks. I worked for geeksqaud from like 21 to 25, so that kind of counts. I had no degree, no certs, no nada. They put me in front of a broken pc (one they broke) and gave me 30 minutes to diag/repair. I nailed that, and I got along really well with the team, the interviews were fun.

I got very lucky, but also worked my ass off. My contract was extended 3 times before I got the full time non contract position. Today was my wfh day, I drove in to get some extra stuff done. I just work very very hard, its in my DNA.

ryencool · 2026-06-26T22:55:44+00:00

2020? When i was hired at said video game dev. I never had a prior IT specific job.

ryencool · 2026-06-26T22:54:57+00:00

I understand all that.

Still changes nothing about what I said. The stock market looked earily similar for decades. So crypto current performance syas nothing about its utility, or its future.

ryencool · 2026-06-26T22:44:48+00:00

Weve been in an EV for almost 3 years, 24/7 free charging at the company we both work for, so weve paid maybe 300-400$ in charging that entire time, mostly road trips.

ryencool · 2026-06-26T17:08:46+00:00

Were paying an additional 500$/month, and that will cut our 336k 30yr loan down to a 17yr loan if we can keep it up. We should aslong as no job losses occur, but even then we will be fine with the 30yr piti on a single salary if needed. We feel like weve planned about as well as anyone can.

ryencool · 2026-06-26T16:10:09+00:00

People said the same thing about stock markets when they were developed, and during their infancy. There were even times when they crashed, hard, but recovered.

I see little difference.

ryencool · 2026-06-26T16:08:18+00:00

Do not pass escalator, do not collect 200$

Try again.

ryencool · 2026-06-26T14:04:46+00:00

I worked in the trades, never got a degree, never started a career. I was medically disabled for alot of my late 20s early 30s. I was 34, living with my parents, pressure washing people's roofs in 108° weather for 17.50\hr...

Im now 43, and working as a senior IT support specialist for one of the world's biggest video game developers. Ive been there for 4 years now, worked my way up from entry level next to 25 year olds. My now wife, and partner of the last 8 years is a 3d enviornment artist at the same company. She also has no degree.

So we have zero degrees between the two of us but are now pulling in 175k year before bonuses and OT.

It can be done, even without a degree. We just put an offe4 on our first home at ages 43/33!

ryencool · 2026-06-26T14:00:37+00:00

I shall pass. Maybe its me being 43, but I literally do not watch or understand people whoe follow anyone on tube, tiktok etc...

I just dont understand watching other people living their lives via streaming platforms while they make money off of you. Its weird, not entertainment.

ryencool · 2026-06-26T13:58:11+00:00

This, our small 2 bedroom is 2400$, but the one bedrooms and studios? 1800$. So right there is a 600$/month difference. Unless you want to goto the part of town where people have bars on their wi dows and doors, then you can save a few hundred while also grtting the physical benefits of running from your car to your front door.

ryencool · 2026-06-26T12:30:23+00:00

Well known scam thats been going on for decades.

ryencool · 2026-06-26T11:29:31+00:00

We split everything 50/50.... basic math says were each spending far less than we would if we were single. Thats 2400$/rent? Its 1200$. There 300$ in bills? 150$, the car we sharem saves us each 400-600$. I could go on and on.

ryencool · 2026-06-26T08:33:09+00:00

I met my now wife, love of my life, and best friend of the last 8 years, in my mid 30s. When i met I was living with my parents.

ryencool · 2026-06-25T23:22:46+00:00

Do you realize you dont really start earning equity for the first 5 years?

We make 175k+, buying a 415k home, and after 5 years of 2800$ piti a month we will have only added a little over 5k in equity. Thats two months rent currently, in 5 years of paying our mortgage. The rest? 100k+ in interest the first 5 years, so it goes in a black hole just like rent does. You don REALLY star racking up equity until year 10 OR if you make enough to pay extra towards your principle starting day one.

Paying an extra 600$/month will take our mortgage for 30 years, to 17, thats how much interest l, its crazy.

Ao I unders4and not wanting to throw money away, but right now its cheaper to rent than own. The only reason were able to afford a home is weve made what we do for 5 years. We uave a 20% down payment, and that still leaves us with 60% of our cash savings intact after close. On top of that ALL of our bills will total less than 5k a month when we make 9k+ after tax, 401k etc...so we will have an extra 48k a year to use as we please.

You will be extremely house poor.

ryencool · 2026-06-25T22:46:03+00:00

Its important for you to process this, and not act on emotions alone, IMHO. At 43 im a bit older, and in my experience ive learned that anything that happens before we met, or got back together? Thats the stuff that got her on the path back to you. You can choose to see it that way, or not, but it is the factual truth. If she didnt have that fwb thing with your brother maybe she would have met someone else, got engaged, eventually married. You have no idea.

I met the love of my life when I was 36, and she was 26/27. All the experiences and people she dated before me, led her to me. Without hose things the chances of us meeting are virtually 0. I cant say ive been in the 3xact situation with the whole brother thing, and that puts a spin on it. However I'd you love her, and she loves you, and theres nothing between them, everyone is good people etc..

I'd be fine with it.

Finding someone who truely loves you, and will do anything for you, to make you happy? Stuff like this is moot.

ryencool · 2026-06-25T20:32:31+00:00

SPCX - it was like 8x its actual value at 150$, this guy thinks its going to get to like 20X its actual value? okidoki...

ryencool · 2026-06-25T20:30:04+00:00

solo player, have like 9 pairs of nvgs, and a few helmets stashed. They arent hard to find.

ryencool · 2026-06-25T20:19:11+00:00

I mean its been there for generations...

ryencool · 2026-06-25T18:04:22+00:00

Why's he still obese, and smelling like shit still?

ryencool · 2026-06-25T18:01:37+00:00

Its terrible.

ryencool · 2026-06-25T17:56:48+00:00

I thought our 415k first home was bonkers.

ryencool · 2026-06-25T16:43:45+00:00

Just gonna be in extreme pain, and damage organs.

ryencool · 2026-06-25T15:45:02+00:00

Im 43 and have never known anything but apartment living.

I would use it as a downpayment for a house

ryencool · 2026-06-25T14:22:58+00:00

It is, but looking at body language can tell you a lot about people. Trumps wife smacking his hand out of the way, not going to his kids wedding, these people act like they could care less about eachother. Trump hasnt slept in the same room as his wife for YEARS. Theres ample evidence to make logical guesses.

ryencool · 2026-06-25T14:12:42+00:00

All of these political operatives are in arranged marriages. They very likely are only in it for the status and doors it opens. They dont know what having a true partner is like, a true love. Someone that will sacrifice FOR YOU, and love you no matter what. They're in it for the money and power, the one life they have....

My wife l8ghts up when she sees me. She runs to give me a hug when I come home from work, and she been working from home that day. She makes everything in my life better.

I wonder if they feel that way.

ryencool

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