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Just heard a dad tell his son to go the slow lane to get a Lamborghini

dknise

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I was just in Subway for lunch when an early 1990's Diablo rolled by eliciting a lot of heard turns and chatter. I couldn't help but overhear a son asking his dad at the table next to me how to get a Lamborghini. The dad's response epitomized what this community believes about the slowlane.

The convo went like this:
Dad: "Well son, a Lamborghini is a lot of money! If you want to get one you'll have to work really hard in school, get into a good college, and get a really good desk job at some place like Microsoft. By the time your my age you would be able to afford one. And that my son, is how successful people do it."
Son: "Why don't you have a Lamborghini dad? You work really hard and did well in school!"
Dad: "Hahaha, I don't care about material possessions like that. Even if I could afford one I wouldn't ever want a car like that. I just didn't get lucky I guess."
Son: "That's okay, money doesn't buy happiness anyway."
Dad: "That's right son!"

... 2 minutes go by ...

Dad: "MAN that was a sweet car! I would kill to just have a chance to drive one."

:smilielol:
 
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The-J

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For most people, the Slowlane is the best advice. Not everyone is made to be an entrepreneur.

Funny thing though: anyone who can save $3000/month can 'afford' a Lamborghini. That isn't most people, mind you, but you don't have to be a millionaire or even a 6-figure guy to do it. High 5-figs will do. Financing a Lambo can be done with good credit.

If you want a Lambo really bad and don't mind being slave to your prized possession, that's how it can be done!
 

OzGrinder

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For most people, the Slowlane is the best advice. Not everyone is made to be an entrepreneur.

Funny thing though: anyone who can save $3000/month can 'afford' a Lamborghini.

Yeah, exactly.

If my hypothetical son asked me how to get a Lambo I'd ask him 'why do you want a Lamborghini?'.

Too many ppl want a Lambo for all the wrong reasons ie. to show off, as a status symbol, to impress chicks, attention seeking etc.
Some people are genuinely passionate about cars and see a Lambo as the ultimate car, that's cool, in that case go for it, but fastlane isn't the only way to get one.
 
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The-J

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Yeah, exactly.

If my hypothetical son asked me how to get a Lambo I'd ask him 'why do you want a Lamborghini?'.

Too many ppl want a Lambo for all the wrong reasons ie. to show off, as a status symbol, to impress chicks, attention seeking etc.
Some people are genuinely passionate about cars and see a Lambo as the ultimate car, that's cool, in that case go for it, but fastlane isn't the only way to get one.

Entrepreneurship isn't the only Fastlane. What the Fastlane is to me is a belief system surrounding the power of money. The number one basic belief (or, rather, knowledge, because it's a fundamental truth) that Fastlaners have is that all money can make more money. The $20 in my wallet can yield me $1 every year in different money lending activities. Or I could use that $20 to purchase a broom and hire a neighborhood kid to sweep driveways, charging $20 and paying the kid $10, keeping $10 for myself. There are many ways to use money to make more money but the first step on becoming a Fastlaner is to know this simple truth!

This, unfortunately, isn't taught in schools (I was taught it by my folks as 'it takes money to make money', but they got it wrong: it takes VALUE to make money). If kids were taught the true power of a dollar, both the lending side (investing) and the value creation side (entrepreneurship), I honestly believe that we would grow as a species.

Funny thing, nothing here about getting a job...
 

OzGrinder

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Entrepreneurship isn't the only Fastlane...

Ok, fair enough... I don't really understand the relevance of that to this post though.

This, unfortunately, isn't taught in schools (I was taught it by my folks as 'it takes money to make money', but they got it wrong: it takes VALUE to make money). If kids were taught the true power of a dollar, both the lending side (investing) and the value creation side (entrepreneurship), I honestly believe that we would grow as a species.

100% Agree btw. Money management, money as value, creating value etc. etc. All topics that should be taught in school, and yes I tooo believe society in general would be better for it.
 

OzGrinder

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The-J you realise I was agreeing with you and then elaborating in my initial reply to your post right? I wasn't being sarcastic if that's how you took it... didn't really understand your reply or it's relevance, only thing I can think of is you thought I was being sarcastic or having a go at you.
 
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Kak

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I found like 3 excuses why daddy is fine with mediocrity in your post. I bet he isn't up at 4 am on a sunday.
 

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Son: "That's okay, money doesn't buy happiness anyway."
Dad: "That's right son!"

:

This to me was the saddest part of the whole discussion. Indoctrination 95% complete.
 

Vigilante

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I loved the fact though that the kid sat back and absorbed this... and then said "but why then don't YOU... have one?"

That could have been me and my Dad.

(my Dad is still sad that I don't have a college degree...I have come to realize that is more about HIM than it is about me. Rejection of old school thought process is a slight on the old school. You invalidate people's advice when you find success in opposite measure. Maybe some day I will buy a college and reward myself with an honorary degree.)
 
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The-J

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to Vigilante: Money doesn't buy happiness unless freedom makes you happy. Some people are perfectly happy living a life of working 9 to 5 until the day they die, and who are we to undermine that? Let them be happy as they make us rich.

Also, OzGrinder: I understand what you were saying and 100% agree with you, I was just trying to clarify.
 

Rickson9

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"Money doesn't buy happiness." is an irrelevant comparison, similar to "Playing baseball doesn't help your cooking skills.". Money is money. Happiness is happiness. They're independent. If you want money, go for the money. If you want happiness focus on being happy. If you want both, then go for both.
 

1PercentStreet

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(my Dad is still sad that I don't have a college degree...I have come to realize that is more about HIM than it is about me. Rejection of old school thought process is a slight on the old school. You invalidate people's advice when you find success in opposite measure. Maybe some day I will buy a college and reward myself with an honorary degree.)

This is how it is with my dad and his family. Even though I've already proven that I can and am successful in what I do, they still believe I need to "earn" it.

Earning it to mean
Get a GED or Diploma, Go to College, Make "something" of myself like a lawyer or doctor because apparently I'm the "smartest" in my family

It really gets depressing sometimes the way others think. Can never change anyone but yourself!


@kak, haha I was actually up at 4 this morning because of some issues with my servers. Thankfully fixed them quickly and back in business.
 
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SBS.95

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Son: "That's okay, money doesn't buy happiness anyway."
Dad: "That's right son!"

I can't stand society's preconceived notion that money doesn't buy happiness. Obviously you can't go to Walmart and buy a box of happiness off the shelf. But the way that we are supposed to perceive the statement "Money doesn't buy happiness" is such a way that it is implied that financial success makes you unhappy. Not the case at all. As said in TMF , money gives you freedom. Personally though I prefer to think of it as money gives you opportunities to fuel the passions that make you happy. If your passion is your family life, then money gives you the opportunities to travel the world with your spouse and children. If your passion is cars, then money gives you the opportunity to drive whatever you like, whether it be a new Lamborghini or a classic 69 Stingray (or better yet, both). If your passion is graphic arts, then money gives you the opportunity to start a self-employed business associated with it during your spare time, without having to worry about whether or not the venture turns a profit.

It's sort of like the math equation if a = b and b = c then a = c.

a = money
b = the opportunities and passions you desire
c = happiness

The more "a" you have, the more "b" you'll be able to afford, and the more "c" you will obtain in the process.

Oh.. and one last note... I do believe you can be happy and poor. But I also believe that someone (or a family) that is happy and poor would also be happier if they were rich.
 

Maxjohan

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For most people, the Slowlane is the best advice. Not everyone is made to be an entrepreneur.
Well, it takes around the same amount of efforts to earn a lot more money if you go for the fastlane. And many people are stuck with jobs they hate, right? Do you advice them to get another slowlane job or do you advice them to go fastlane and reach for their dreams. If not fastlane, then at least they could try to make a living from something on their own. And with the Internet you can create a website and business in just a few days. They may just need a push and some help from the start. But I think everyone can make money in the fastlane or on their own.

Seriously, if you had asked me a few weeks ago, I had said the same thing as you and what I quoted on the top. But I just looked at a website business that made $10+ millions net profit a few years ago. And they did it by offering a platform to their niche and making joins as an affiliate. The internet is a goldmine and I don't see why you whould say that some people can't make it in the fastlane. Of course, if you love your job and are happy about what you make, then I'm not going to change you and your career path.

I read a few years ago on a forum about a guy that met a very wealthy guy when he was younger and that guy asked him which of these two checks where harder to pick up from the floor. The $100,000 check or the $1,000,000 check. They are equal hard to pick up from the floor. That says to me that making a lot of money may not be much harder than working a 9-5 job.
 

Maxjohan

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"Money doesn't buy happiness." is an irrelevant comparison, similar to "Playing baseball doesn't help your cooking skills.". Money is money. Happiness is happiness. They're independent. If you want money, go for the money. If you want happiness focus on being happy. If you want both, then go for both.
Well, if you are poor, then I'm sure that money can do a lot for your happiness. Don't you agree? And what about the kids in Africa that never had toys to play with, and barley got food on the table. Do money buy happiness for them? To me, money and happiness doesn't need to be independent from each other.
 
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SBS.95

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"Money doesn't buy happiness" :(

so being broke does??

Exactly! That's what I was trying to get across.

Slowlane logic makes it seem like buying/driving a Maserati doesn't give you happiness... but that Chrysler Town & Country exemplifies the epitome of living life to the most desired point?
 

Kak

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Money removes you from the enslavement of the rat race. That alone should make people happy.

I am of the mindset that more money can help me positively impact the world. I like extreme freedom and I am completely fine with admitting that I love money. I am in no way ashamed of this.
 
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OzGrinder

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I haven't been on this forum long, but one of my initial impressions is that there seems to be a general attitude propagated by some posters that 'fastlaners' are superior. Even though I get the feeling some of these people aren't even successful (financially or otherwise), it comes across as if they feel they are 'superior' because they have fastlane 'INSIDERS knowledge' and simply knowing what they do makes them better than, for example, a successful slowlaner. I'm not directing this at anyone in particular btw, just making a broad observation.

There is plenty that can be learned from successful people, whether they are fastlaner or slowlaners (even sidewalkers, but probably not in regards to finance). Obviously this is the fastlane forum so the focus is (and should be) on fastlane techniques. However that doesn't mean we should actively attack anything that isn't considered fastlane. It creates a bad vibe, that will only result in driving successful people away.
 

Ãœbertreffen

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That's the greatness of deciding who to listen to and who to filter. Each of us have instilled core values from your roots which in time could change as your life impacts YOU.


Son: "That's okay, money doesn't buy happiness anyway."
Dad: "That's right son!"


Since this is the main topic of the thread, this is entitled to a person individually. Many who receive an inheritance or those who have won the lottery are miserable due to a variable of instant gratifications. Decisions that have to be made and changes they're not ready to make with impacts they're not willing to foresee let alone be physically or mentally ready for it. All of which can result negatively towards said individual.

Yet, the process is what makes many happy. The desire to do more, more than what must have been thought possible. You've set your bars to scale and they grow as you peak.

There's a reason why many who are free (I'll let you decide what free is to you) go back to what makes them most happy. Many will jump out of retirement and focus back on the process. Others may change gears and use their success to impact millions. Knowing that due to a process your results were used to send food/water/shelter and other basic needs to the most unfortunate sectors of the world can also be something positive that can bring a whole new meaning to happiness.

If your focus is on money and only on money, you may not become as happy as you thought you were once you potentially reach your end goal. Paper is weightless and as soon as those quit chasing it the better off they will be. Put it in the wrong hands and it can bring people from the top to the absolute rock bottom in a hurry. Sometimes that rock bottom is what some need. Often the fear is lost when you're stuck in a corner starving.

Visualize what that "thing" is that feeds your drive to do more and that's what you need to have a tight grip on. Then make it a process to get to your desired end result.



- Devin
 

The-J

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Money

Buys

Happiness

So the more money you have = the happier you are? Or is there a 'price' to happiness that once you hit that mark, you've bought happiness?

I don't understand your thinking here.
 

Kak

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The only thing worse than that money doesn't buy happiness quote is that it is the root of all evil. Whatever.
 

Kak

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So the more money you have = the happier you are? Or is there a 'price' to happiness that once you hit that mark, you've bought happiness?

I don't understand your thinking here.

Generally speaking more money would make most people happier. There is a point where it no longer matters, but it is different for everyone.
 
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You can be happy without money.

But generally, the more money you have, the happier you can be.

Who's happier, the bum living on the streets of Chicago, or the millionaire eating grilled Mahi Mahi on his private yacht anchored off the island of Lanai'i in Hawaii?

Would you propose the person with $10 in the bank and waiting on their next paycheck to go grocery shopping... would not be any happier if they had $22k in the bank and could go when ever they wanted?

Lack of money does not equal sadness.

But yes...

Money

Buys

Happiness

And most people that don't understand that have probably never had a hit of cash significant enough to realize that.

The world wants to believe otherwise. It makes people feel good, especially people with no money, to say that money doesn't buy happiness.

But give those people the option to take $100k free and clear, and they will all take it. Why? Why would they care how much money they had if they were perfectly content with zero? The answer is because money makes things easier.
 

The-J

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The only thing worse than that money doesn't buy happiness quote is that it is the root of all evil. Whatever.

The people who say that money is the root of all evil don't understand its power or how to use it for themselves.

Just like everything else in human history...
 

socaldude

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My philosophy is that money should first and foremost be used to alleviate pain(a shit job, debt, basic needs etc) THEN it can be used for pleasure(lambos, vacations etc). The problem these days is that the majority(sidewalkers) use money for pleasure FIRST instead of pain first :p. So then they find themselves in more pain(debt).

Money does buy happiness because it can alleviate pain. It can make you free. It opens the pearly gates to more pleasure. All things equal of course.

Money is the only thing that matters in life to quote Kevin O'LEary.

We all have our own DIFFERENT pains and pleasures. We should find them. Money can help us do that.
 
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Rickson9

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Well, if you are poor, then I'm sure that money can do a lot for your happiness. Don't you agree? And what about the kids in Africa that never had toys to play with, and barley got food on the table. Do money buy happiness for them? To me, money and happiness doesn't need to be independent from each other.

I understand your point of view. I used to share it. I'm also not a fan of having my beliefs contradicted. However, having said that, I am somewhat of an amateur psychology, philosophy and science nerd and for better or worse, I haven't come across any strong correlations between money and happiness. Assuming that one believes in the scientific method of course.

Now if you simply want to believe in a stronger-than-scientifically-published correlation between money and happiness (aka your opinion) then that is of course your right and privilege.

Obviously I'm not the most well read individual in the world so if there is a study that follows the scientific method (or another method if you prefer; religious, survey, etc.) that you are aware of that shows a strong correlation between money and happiness I would love to read it.
 

MMatt

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Not sure who originally said this but, "Money doesn't buy happiness, but lack of it buys misery." Obviously i am supportive that money and freedom will give you a better opportunity to be happy.
 

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