What is a good investment or purchase to make right now?

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
With age, you learn to separate the wheat from the chaff. Something that a lot of young people saddled with educational debt for their useless degrees had to learn the hard way. Not too many employers looking for PhDs in finger-painting as interesting as it may have been to pursue a degree in. C'est la Vie
My brother pursued a degree and actually attained a Master's degree. Unfortunately the only use for a Master's Degree in the arts is teach it. They are likely the lowest paid professors on any university campus. He boast his masters and is in debt over his head, not because his pay sucks but because he developed a champagne taste with his beer pocketbook. One day as he rambled on I asked him a question. When was the last time you called a plumber on a Sunday? You nailed it well, a degree is as useless as teats on a bull unless it is a degree in a field someone is willing to pay for. A few years ago the local paper ran a story about student loan debt. They interviewed a couple (married) who both graduated Kent State University. They were carrying $100,000 in debt. Their degrees? Physical Education.

Ron
 

justtrying

Joined Mar 9, 2011
439
My brother pursued a degree and actually attained a Master's degree. Unfortunately the only use for a Master's Degree in the arts is teach it. They are likely the lowest paid professors on any university campus. He boast his masters and is in debt over his head, not because his pay sucks but because he developed a champagne taste with his beer pocketbook. One day as he rambled on I asked him a question. When was the last time you called a plumber on a Sunday? You nailed it well, a degree is as useless as teats on a bull unless it is a degree in a field someone is willing to pay for. A few years ago the local paper ran a story about student loan debt. They interviewed a couple (married) who both graduated Kent State University. They were carrying $100,000 in debt. Their degrees? Physical Education.

Ron
This is why I did not pursue an academic route in life sciences. While you can still make a living, when I was looking to see if I want to go that route, it was at the time when our provincial gov't slashed funding to fisheries, wildlife management and all such projects living slim pickings for research. That coupled with PC climate turned me away from pursuing "higher learning". So after doing a bachelors I went into a 2 year trade program and fix things now. Luckily my bachelors was on a scholarship so only time wasted. It was educational in other aspects.
 

Thread Starter

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
This is why I did not pursue an academic route in life sciences. While you can still make a living, when I was looking to see if I want to go that route, it was at the time when our provincial gov't slashed funding to fisheries, wildlife management and all such projects living slim pickings for research. That coupled with PC climate turned me away from pursuing "higher learning". So after doing a bachelors I went into a 2 year trade program and fix things now. Luckily my bachelors was on a scholarship so only time wasted. It was educational in other aspects.
My own college journey was documented on this forum in real time (just received the 1 decade badge here :confused:) so if anyone was paying attention and has a corner of their brain reserved for permanent storage of other people's life stories, they might remember. For those who don't, here's the cliff notes:

I quit my job as a Machine Maintenance Technician in a wire & cable factory (making $60-70k/yr with overtime) to go to college full time. I had quickly worked my way past changing seals in gearboxes and was gutting control panels, designing new control systems to revive old machinery. I decided that was Engineering and I should titled and paid accordingly. I went to HR and asked to be placed in an Engineering role. They said no. They said company policy is you must have an Engineering degree. So I said "bye, see you in 4 years."

I was eligible for the Post-911 GI Bill but in order to avail myself of it I had to go to school full time. So I quit my job, moved myself, wife, and 2 kids into my mother's house, and went to school. While in school, I learned a couple of interesting things. Firstly, a rookie Engineer fresh out of school was likely to make less than I was already making as a tech, and probably while putting in even more hours. Secondly, 18 hours of community college is not the back breaking work load that most post-high-schoolers lament about. I was bored and disenchanted with the path I had set out on.

I asked my former employer about coming back as part-time employee and they were not interested in creating a part-time position for that role (they indicated they would just call in 3rd party service companies for sporadic needs), so I created an LLC in order to be able to continue my projects there as a vendor instead of an employee. I ended up picking up work in other plants as well. By the end of my first year in college i had enough business to realize that my LLC was earning me more than my previous tech job, and way more than a rookie Engineering job. So I didn't go back for a 2nd year.

I quit FREE college after 1 year with a 4.0 GPA because it wasn't worth my time. That probably sounds like a grand boast, maybe it is, but it's also the truth.
 
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SamR

Joined Mar 19, 2019
5,031
Yeah, my brother first got a Masters in Marine Biology and learned that the jobs being offered, which were few and far between, were asking for PhDs. He eventually went back and got a Mechanical Engr. degree but by then was too old for most jobs with no job experience. Instead of eating beans, he burned through our mother's retirement investments.
 

justtrying

Joined Mar 9, 2011
439
My own college journey was documented on this forum in real time (just received the 1 decade badge here :confused:) so if anyone was paying attention and has a corner of their brain reserved for permanent storage of other people's life stories, they might remember. For those who don't, here's the cliff notes:

I quit my job as a Machine Maintenance Technician in a wire & cable factory (making $60-70k/yr with overtime) to go to college full time. I had quickly worked my way past changing seals in gearboxes and was gutting control panels, designing new control systems to revive old machinery. I decided that was Engineering and I should titled and paid accordingly. I went to HR and asked to be placed in an Engineering role. They said no. They said company policy is you must have an Engineering degree. So I said "bye, see you in 4 years."

I was eligible for the Post-911 GI Bill but in order to avail myself of it I had to go to school full time. So I quit my job, moved myself, wife, and 2 kids into my mother's house, and went to school. While in school, I learned a couple of interesting things. Firstly, a rookie Engineer fresh out of school was likely to make less than I was already making as a tech, and probably while putting in even more hours. Secondly, 18 hours of community college is not the back breaking work load that most post-high-schoolers lament about. I was bored and disenchanted with the path I had set out on.

I asked my former employer about coming back as part-time employee and they were not interested in creating a part-time position for that role (they indicated they would just call in 3rd party service companies for sporadic needs), so I created an LLC in order to be able to continue my projects there as a vendor instead of an employee. I ended up picking up work in other plants as well. By the end of my first year in college i had enough business to realize that my LLC was earning me more than my previous tech job, and way more than a rookie Engineering job. So I didn't go back for a 2nd year.

I quit FREE college after 1 year with a 4.0 GPA because it wasn't worth my time. That probably sounds like a grand boast, maybe it is, but it's also the truth.
Yes, i remember your posts. In my field (biomed eng tech) in the States 90% of people I see when I go there for training are all ex military. The training is a bit different than in Canada but ultimately your training is on the job. It is an easy transition for anyone with background in electronics or mechanics or power control.

Yeah, my brother first got a Masters in Marine Biology and learned that the jobs being offered, which were few and far between, were asking for PhDs. He eventually went back and got a Mechanical Engr. degree but by then was too old for most jobs with no job experience. Instead of eating beans, he burned through our mother's retirement investments.
I recently heard from my cousin that she is an "intellectual" so as she is in need of a job, she will not do work that is beneath her... She lives off my grandmother, who is quite poor herself. People make different choices in life I suppose.

As an "intellectual" myself, i sometimes wish I was a plumber - we have a shortage where I live, the 2 companies are bad and need some competition!
 

Chris65536

Joined Nov 11, 2019
270
I took a few programming courses at a local community college, and I never even saw my final grades. But the knowledge was in my brain, and that was all I wanted anyway.
 

SamR

Joined Mar 19, 2019
5,031
Even after graduating from college, I went to the local community college/trade school and took a few courses I was interested in. Not for any grade credit but just because I was interested. Then we started having kids! Even then I still spent quite a bit of time studying and haven't ever stopped. It keeps me busy especially now that I am retired.
 

Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
7,853
Invest in cardboard boxes. My wife will insure you're rich. Cardboard boxes - and land.

Something that may loom on the horizon is water desalination.
 
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