My eyes are now open.

[NC_Carlos]

Hello all,

My name is Nestor and I happy to be here to learn and contribute with the community. I have read TMF a few years ago and I just finished reading Unscripted .

During my working life (I am 37) I have been laid off twice and forced into a different role due to it being striped away from me (almost made layoff number 3).

After my last layoff my wife and I made an effort to get serious with our finances. We downsized by moving into a smaller condo, kept one car, and made sure we lowered our consumption in all areas of our life (we got rid of all credit card debt). This was not easy and took over 2 years to do. This was a blessing in disguise as I am now realizing I have moved form the sidewalk to the slowlane.

I have always told myself I am an entrepreneur at heart but in reality I am just a wannapreneur. Unscripted opened my eyes and made me realize I do way too much "Action Faking". I know see real examples of the script happening in real life - everything from my commute to work to comments being made about "Is it Friday yet?"

Now that my eyes are open I am looking forward to making mistakes and learning from them.

Thanks!
Nestor

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[MJ DeMarco]

This was not easy and took over 2 years to do.

Congrats man, this is an impressive step to making an UNSCRIPTED life possible.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[NC_Carlos]

Thanks @MJ DeMarco . The biggest challenge was sticking to the goal when everyone else around you "looked" like they were moving forward. There was always someone we knew getting another car, or traveling somewhere far, or buying a bigger home, or being promoted. I now know it was the script. When my wife would ask me "How could they afford another car so quickly?" I would just tell her "One word - Debt!".

 

[MJ DeMarco]

How could they afford another car so quickly?

They can't afford a $50,000 car, but they can just barely afford the $480 payments for the next 72 months.

That's how they tell themselves they can afford it.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[G-Man]

Thanks @MJ DeMarco . The biggest challenge was sticking to the goal when everyone else around you "looked" like they were moving forward. There was always someone we knew getting another car, or traveling somewhere far, or buying a bigger home, or being promoted. I now know it was the script. When my wife would ask me "How could they afford another car so quickly?" I would just tell her "One word - Debt!".

At the office with the folks that work for me:

Every single one has a nicer car than me.
Every single one has a nicer aparment/house than me.
Every single one takes nicer vacations than me.

They all also have student loans, mortgages, credit cards, and have financial stress if I'm late giving them their mileage reimbursements.

On the other hand, when I moved here 3 years ago I had a couple hundred dollars to my name and a little less than a grand in credit card debt. Fast forward to today and I have 0 debt and almost 100k banked.

3 more years from now they'll still have nicer houses/cars/vacations, but I'll be on my way to a liquidation event.

10 years from now they'll still be bugging some boss for mileage reimbursements. 10 years from now I won't remember what it's like to have a boss.

Keep your eye on the prize and remember that everyone around you is literally F*cking insane. Normal is insane.

 

[NC_Carlos]

Keep your eye on the prize and remember that everyone around you is literally F*cking insane. Normal is insane.

Well said @G-Man !

 

[c_morris]

I have always told myself I am an entrepreneur at heart but in reality I am just a wannapreneur. Unscripted opened my eyes and made me realize I do way too much "Action Faking". I know see real examples of the script happening in real life - everything from my commute to work to comments being made about "Is it Friday yet?"

Now that my eyes are open I am looking forward to making mistakes and learning from them.

Welcome. I can relate.

At the office with the folks that work for me:

Every single one has a nicer car than me.
Every single one has a nicer aparment/house than me.
Every single one takes nicer vacations than me. They all also have student loans, mortgages, credit cards, and have financial stress....

Same. It's important to not let these things bother you. As @MidwestLandlord says "People will judge. F*ck em!"

I used to be embarrassed driving my Toyota Matrix and pulling in next to a colleague 2 levels below me driving a Mercedes/BMW/Audi or whatever. Now I just shake my head because I know that they have car payments.... but I don't. Actually, all 3 of our cars are paid for and none cost more than $20K. I also know that their mortgage is $200k more than mine (if not more).

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[CareCPA]

Welcome.
In daily interactions, I find that the people who appear the richest have the most debt, and can barely make their payments.
Often, the people that look poor have all the money, since they didn't waste it on all the crap that they needed to look rich.

 

[Iammelissamoore]

Thanks @MJ DeMarco . The biggest challenge was sticking to the goal when everyone else around you "looked" like they were moving forward. There was always someone we knew getting another car, or traveling somewhere far, or buying a bigger home, or being promoted. I now know it was the script. When my wife would ask me "How could they afford another car so quickly?" I would just tell her "One word - Debt!".

Ha, SO true. In my country, SAME, we don't have much of the Benzs and Audis etc., cause, well, my country is small, we're in the middle of "experiencing a recession" and over-politically corrupt, needless to say, people are more concerned with looking good even if it means going hungry monthly, just to drive in those beauties, if only they were self-maintaining, then I guess we'd all fall into the trap permanently. I'd never forget reading in TMF the FACT that, whether someone makes $50/mth or $500 000/mth, the financial problems of debt pretty much dabble in the same area. That is definitely scripted life indeed.

Most def love TMF and Unscripted about highlighting the reality of such. Of all the biz books I've read, and trust me, I read A LOT, those 2 are my "For Life" books, it spells out bullshit and the whole 9 - gotta respect that.

Kudos @NC_Carlos for finding your way out and onto your greatness of the Unscripted Life.

 

[NC_Carlos]

Thanks @cmor16 @CareCPA @Iammelissamoore !

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.