Re:The Richest Countries in 2023
by 6bb32646d83d on Friday December 22, 2023 @09:11AM
(#38734265)
Same experience here.
Yes, my friends back home are on vacations 5 weeks a year. But I can do something in the US that almost nobody can do in Europe: put away >$100k every year and run toward financial independence and an early retirement.
Back in Europe, my friends don't even think about something like that. They all just accept that they'll be working until 63, 65 or whatever the retirement age will be when they're older.
And it's not just tech. My wife is in another sector and also makes a lot more than she would in Europe.
Re:The Richest Countries in 2023
by splintercell on Friday December 22, 2023 @09:24AM
(#38734379)
Replace "rich" with "secure" in OP's comment, and it will make a lot more sense.
I went from carefully budgeting each month, thinking about buying a house maybe in a decade (or two). And put away a few hundred for retirement each month. Job opportunities were ok, but options limited.
Then I went to the US and got a 100% pay bump. And pay has only increased after that. I bought a house 2 years after arriving in the US. I was putting away 10x in savings. Suddenly retiring before I was 65 was an option.
I went from being “ok” to a state where I didn’t have to worry if I had a major expensive. The mental load went away. I could think about retiring early. Not to mention the career opportunities. I had multiple employers and cities I could work in. Sure, healthcare is a hassle, but I didn’t have to be a 1 year waitlist for a primary physician.
Overall moving to the US was a huge life upgrade for me.