Hey Guys
 

Whats going in here?

Been gone forever! I know I know most of you are wondering who I am :D

I've been pretty darn busy, went to work fulltime after getting thrown out of highschool... it was slow for a while, then this early spring we went to work putting up cell sites like crazy, doing lots of construction, and installing a lot of DSLs. In between all of that, I've been learning the ins and outs of being a telephone guy... its a pretty crash course, but I think Im getting a handle on it.

Went and bought a sled last fall, a Crossfire 7. Dunno if I shared that or not... Can't remember when I left.

Also replaced my dirt bike with a new 2006 KLX250S. Pretty nice bike to explore the trails and commute into work.

And above all else, I've been shootin:D

Whats up!?

Pics :

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../twofiffty.jpg

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...MkII/Cav15.jpg

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...II/KLX250S.jpg

I think most people will remember you. Glad to see you back on the board and hearing that you have been doing some shooting. It sucks that you got kicked out of high school, but it is great that you are working hard and learning something anyway. I know plenty of millionaires that didn't finish high school.

just to fluff up fabs's post, and a few words of wisdom from an old man.

get that paper that says you graduated from something, ged, associates degree, trade school, college, whatever.

i quit college when i was 18, it was a hormonal thing, my wife and i were young and we enjoyed each other,,,too much. that was in 1955, went back to school after i retired from the air force and i finally graduated in 1997. you can waste a lot of your life and lose a lot of money waiting for the "right" time.

my grandfather once told me,"son, lifes tough and it's even tougher if your stupid." get your education priorities lind up.

glad to see your back, wondered what happened to you.

good luck pardner and think about what i said.

Dittoes on the welcome rewturn, Ich. And bigger dittoes on Billy's words.

If you'll allow one more "preach" please listen to this one: buy fewer toys. Their value only shrinks. Invest at least 10% of what you earn in something that grows. You'll be staring at middle age and retirement sooner than you think possible. Along the way, life may well throw you a big curve - and you'll need the investments much more than toys.

Don't get me wrong, I think education can really help a person. Heck, I'm an attorney, a CPA, and now I am trying to take a two year course to become a CFP. It never hurts to know something. My dad taught me almost everything I know about home improvement and half of what I know about car repairs. Everything else I learned through reading books.

Knowledge is power. Period. My construction clients enjoy the fact that I know the intricacies about what they do and that I get my hands dirty every once in a while.

Perhaps I shall clear something up, I meant to say, I graduated... but they wont let me hang out there anymore;)

3.8 something GPA and 4th in the class.

well that makes me happier than a hog at the trough. congratulations. my faith in human nature is restored.

rocky gave some sage advice, if i were you i'd follow it.

don't let the signature "i made a lot of money in my lifetime, i spent it on booze and women and the rest i wasted" be your goal.

seek financial independence.

again, congrats on being papered.

Good for you Ich. Are you planning on heading to college? I would hope so with grades and a class ranking like that.

To hit upon what Rocky said, here are some examples.

Let's assume that you put $4,000 a year into a Roth IRA starting when you are 21 and ending when you are at retirement age at 67. If you get an average rate of return of 7%.

At age 67, that money will be worth $1,227,007.

Now, if you start just one year later it will be worth $1,145,997.

Start 10 years later at age 31 and it will only be worth $552,947.

See what the effect of waiting does. Now, if I were to increase the return rate to say 8% or 9%, the different would be even greater and this money will be tax free since it is in an IRA.

For those of you that own your own business, you can set up Roth IRA's for your kids at a young age. Pay them $4,000 a year for sweeping the floor when they reach age 5 and invest this money into some type of IRA. If you do this 14 times until they reach age 18, the amount they will have at retirement will be insane. Let's assume a 7% return. This will give them $967,257 at age 67 and that is just from an initial investment of $56,000 over 14 years. If they continue the contributions to the IRA over their lifetime, they will have just short of $4,000,000 (i.e., $3,999,249) at age 67. Now I could retire pretty well with that kind of money.

I do intend to invest money in the future (pretty soon). I still have a lot of reading, learning and research to do.

I once heard that some men work for their money, but the rich men let their money work for them.


With the current negative prognosis of the social security system, I do understand the need to have a personal retirement plan in the works.

I appreciate the clarification. I was hoping that was what you meant. Never met you and probably never will, but have followed your posts here for several years. For whatever it's worth to you, your clarification made my whole day.

Stay on the straight and narrow and keep up the good work. And yeah, Mr. Raab and the others are absolutely correct, but I'll save my lecture on that subject for another time.

Congratulations. Very well done.

Well, I understand the looks and comments about the toys... it gets some looks from people...


But, in terms of snowmobiles, they will last at least 10 years ( I sold my 95, and it was running great!) and the level of performance they offer, I really will be set until Im almost 30! During those 10 years, Ill have that much cash to start a family, and still have my source of winter recreation.

My goals were to eliminate these toys, get them paid off before I am starting a family, and I don't get to spoil myself anymore...

That was my thinkin' anyways;)

Hey guy, of course we remember...I have a few friends that work for the telephone-cable companies...these guys make a great living with lots of perks and a not too bad retirement...glad to hear you are doing well.....

Hey, Val.


Hows Florida been:)

"IT SUCKS" :(

but thanks for askin.....:D

Val,
So you ready to move to Wyoming yet? No gators, but there is always bears and such to wrestle. ;) :D

Ich,
Glad to see you back on here. Haven't seen you for a spell. Hope everything is going well.