Re:How I got wealthy without working too hard
by edanm on Thursday November 18, 2021 @10:23PM
(#29273443)
I mean, that depends. Equipment costs are certainly investments, and things like cooking utensils can be handed down...
But if you're a software developer like OP, then you need a computer. You probably want a second (or third) monitor. The computer probably needs to be replaced every few years, and you're probably getting a relatively expensive machine.
Add to that an office - desk, good chair, etc. If you're trying to save money, yeah, you might not be getting a fancy expensive chair. But if you have the money to spend, I'd argue it's still a good investment for your back. Etc.
Now you can consider all of these as investments, but then how much you make as a contractor has to take that into account.
(Btw, didn't get into this, but the article is missing a lot of things you need to think about as a contractor, e.g. there's often downtime between projects, sick days, insurance is usually a good idea, etc. I've been doing this kind of thing for basically 10 years, it's not as simple as OP makes it sound.)
But if you're a software developer like OP, then you need a computer. You probably want a second (or third) monitor. The computer probably needs to be replaced every few years, and you're probably getting a relatively expensive machine.
Add to that an office - desk, good chair, etc. If you're trying to save money, yeah, you might not be getting a fancy expensive chair. But if you have the money to spend, I'd argue it's still a good investment for your back. Etc.
Now you can consider all of these as investments, but then how much you make as a contractor has to take that into account.
(Btw, didn't get into this, but the article is missing a lot of things you need to think about as a contractor, e.g. there's often downtime between projects, sick days, insurance is usually a good idea, etc. I've been doing this kind of thing for basically 10 years, it's not as simple as OP makes it sound.)