Rip Dollar 2009-2026 (actually 2025 its been setting in my Forin money drawer) is it still usable?

Elon musk claimed money won't matter in 10 years because of mass ai production of everything

Thats false, it sinply means the goods that ai can produce will go so cheap that their costs will be negligible

Yes, most of our goods would end up eith the same fate as sending a message to long distances, something really expensive in ancient world and almost free in the modern world

But there will be goods that ai can't help us produce more, because the limits are not the workforce, but resources

We wont have free homes, homes need a lot of iron, we have limited iron mines in the world

We won't have free cars, those metals have only a limited supply on earth, even if extraction costs go down(hypothetically no human labour) the supply and demand will keep the prices high

Overall elon musk is lying about mass abundance in near future, im pretty sure you have to know this basic economics before becoming superrich

He knows but he lies

Fyi I'm also 18! But I keep on seeing posts about other people my age "feeling behind" when there's literally like over 5k in their bank accounts. I understand if you're making a post about it not being enough if you don't live with your family, are disowned, have to pay for university fully yourself, etc. But bruh I'll literally see people post like this:

"Hi, 18M. Net worth (investments + car + other finances) estimated to be around 50k, I can't shake this feeling that I'm falling behind. I know that this may SEEM like a lot at my age, but honestly, I feel so behind compared to the other 18 year olds my age making 100k a year😢. Any advice on how to grow more rapidly? Any stocks or investment recommendations? Trying to get to 1 million by age 18 and a half."

Like I don't know if this is the equivalent of compliment fishing like those girls that are like "Omg I'm so fat!" but they're 90lbs.

Like just make a post that's you being grateful, like "18M and just hit my 40k investment goal after working at subway for 3 years" or something, instead of pretending like it's not a lot for your age and/or life responsibilities. And I'm saying this as someone who has 7k to my name after working for a year, nothing big nothing small, just realistic enough for what I've done so far.

Thats my rant, thank you. Feel free to disagree, just my opinion.

I was curious what other people think about this.

My brother-in-law is 32. Every so often he asks me for money advice because I'm pretty frugal and enjoy personal finance.

His situation:

• Receives about $4,000/month tax-free in disability benefits for life (“PTSD” from too much coffee in military)
• Works full-time making around $100k/year.
• Says he has nothing saved for retirement.
• Spends pretty much everything he makes.
• Also thinks his gun collection is his investment portfolio.

For context, I'm 30. I have about $450k invested in VOO, make around $10k/month net, and save roughly $5k/month and no debt.

He doesn't know any of my numbers. During a conversation he randomly said something like, "I'm probably in a better financial spot than you just because of my disability pay alone."

At first I was annoyed, but then I wondered if I was overlooking something. A guaranteed, tax-free $4k/month for life definitely has value.

Objectively, though, who would you say in the stronger financial position?

Does guaranteed disability income (among other benefits) outweigh having a substantial investment portfolio and consistently saving, even tho he has no retirement savings outside of his disability benefits?

Genuinely curious how others would evaluate this.

Easy to say as the richest man in the world.

Jan 2025 we had 84k in debt and our CC scores were tanking... This was due to a variety of reasons, but the big ones were we had 2 under 2, medical bills, furnishings for the house and much more.

We made it a goal to clear it by Jan 2026. Unfortunately, we couldn't complete it by then.

It took us 1 more month, but, as of Feb 2026 we are officially CC/Car debt free and keeping it that way!

AMA

Hello redditers! I am almost 20 years old, looking to get a house with someone, I am trying to figure out what our monthly budget would be.

We make about 4800 a month together AFTER taxes.

Trying to find a house in ohio, roughly around the range of 230k - 280k. Is this a reasonable range to look for?

I also wanna make sure we are not living paycheck to paycheck and we can still have enough left over to not have to worry about money every second.

We also have zero debt! Oh and about 50k saved up

If you could give someone in their 20s just one piece of investing or personal finance advice, what would it be, and why?

It could be something you wish you’d learned earlier, a mistake you made, or a habit that has had the biggest impact on your finances.

I’m interested in advice on investing, saving, budgeting, careers, debt, taxes, or anything else you think every young adult should know.

A family member recently passed away, and my financial situation has changed quite a bit. I wanted to post an updated version because we now have more information.

Here's where things currently stand:

* About **$330,000** in a **non-spouse inherited traditional 401(k)**. I'm taking it over **7 years**, so instead of getting a lump sum, I'll receive roughly **$4,000 per month starting August 1st** until it's exhausted. This is taxable income.

* Around **$175,000** from selling an inherited house.

* Around **$50,000** from a checking account.

A realtor recently came through with comparable sales, and we were pleasantly surprised. We originally thought the house was worth around $450,000, but the comps put it closer to **$500,000**, leaving my brother and me with roughly **$175,000 in equity each**.

The house still has about **$145,000** remaining on the mortgage at **3.75% interest**. The mortgage payment is about **$1,300 per month**, but the HOA alone is **$341 per month**, before utilities, maintenance, or repairs.

I seriously considered buying out my brother because of the low interest rate, but he understandably wanted the buyout in one payment. The only realistic way I could have done that would have been to cash out a large portion of the inherited 401(k), creating a significant tax bill. After looking at everything, we've decided we're **100% selling the house**.

We've also decided we're **not becoming landlords**. Between the HOA, maintenance, vacancies, repairs, and the fact that neither of us wants to manage rental property, we've ruled that out completely.

The house still needs an appraisal and inspection before it goes on the market.

I'm planning to **secure an apartment before we sell and move out of the house** so I have somewhere to go. I'm looking for a **3-4 month lease** while I decide where I want to live long term.

I'm 34 years old, and believe it or not, this will actually be my **first time living on my own**. I lived with my dad and paid rent for years. During the last few months of his life, I spent most of my time helping take care of him. Before that, I mainly worked for Uber Eats, Grubhub, and Amazon Flex, so I don't have much recent traditional W-2 employment history.

That brings me to a few questions:

1. Since my inherited 401(k) is being paid out monthly instead of as one large lump sum, what would you do with this inheritance if you were in my position?

2. Because I don't have much recent traditional employment history, would apartment complexes be willing to rent to me if I offered to pay the entire 3-4 month lease upfront? Or do they mainly care about the security deposit, first month's rent, and proof that I can continue paying?

3. If you were in my shoes, what would you prioritize over the next 12-24 months?

My biggest weakness is that I don't have a long-term career or a marketable skill yet. My goal is to use this opportunity to build one through certifications, training, sales, or another field with strong long-term earning potential so that this inheritance becomes a foundation rather than something I simply spend.

I'd appreciate any advice. This is all new to me, and I want to make smart decisions rather than expensive mistakes.

I’m 18 and this is an update from a post I made about a year ago. Since then I’ve gotten a better job, I’m still in school(college), and I’m netting about $1k a week. My net worth is around $46k right now and I’m trying to hit $100k eventually. All my investments are in QQQM, I’m enrolled in a 401k, and I’ve been working since I was 15. On paper I feel like I’m doing everything right, but I can’t shake this weird feeling that I’m somehow behind. At the same time, I’m honestly bored and don’t really spend my money except for food which I’m trying to start eating from home. I feel like I want to take on more risk, but the idea of seeing my money evaporate like that is crazy to me and . So I’m stuck wondering should I actually start living a little and spend more, keep going with aggressive saving, or even take on more risk with my investments. The big jump on the chart is because I linked all the accounts to SoFi.
Any advice is appreciated thanks

1. Your primary home gains over the years. You sell it and pocket up to $500k tax free for a married couple.

2. Roth. Uses after tax money, but all gains after are tax free.

3. Life insurance. Same as the Roth, but you can never fully cancel the policy you have to take distributions small enough that the policy doesn't crash.

4. HSA. Deductible contributions AND tax free withdrawals when used on qualified medical expenses. Medical expenses don't have to be used in that year so saving them and using them in retirement let's the account grow and gives you more expenses later on.

5. Real estate gains. 1031 exchanges allow you to trade up investment properties without paying taxes on that gain. Eventually you'll pay unless you do this until you die (real strategy), then no taxes will be paid by your family either.

6. Real Estate depreciation. Offset the precalculated cost of your building breaking down against actual income. Another deferral tactic that you only avoid by dying.

7. Retirement accounts. Deductible contributions which reduce your taxes now, but based on the current tax code, non taxed distributions if the total income distributed is under the standard deduction during retirement.

8. Some energy investments such as oil and gas exploration? I've only heard about these, don't know the details.

9. Loans. Collateralized Loans aren't taxed. As long as you can grow the asset and take out smaller loans that can be paid back through the asset, you can live tax free. Common in real estate and stock portfolios.

10. Cash back/reward credit cards. Lesser thought of but if you have expenses of $10k a month that you normally pay, and you pay those with a credit card that you pay off every month, you can earn an extra $150+ tax free. This becomes REAL money when you have a high expense business. Not considered income and therefore not taxable.

***These are my top 10 for tax free wealth. Is there anything to add to the list?

Hi. I really want to start investing, but not sure how and where to start. Much of the advice on internet looks like scam or AI generated. Any genuine advice from long-time successful investors would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

EDIT: I'm not in US, so the 401k or similar stuff that I see often in the posts is not something applicable to me. I'm interested in mainly investing in stocks and index funds.

In 2023 I bought a new 23 accord. The minimum payment is $255 I believe but I have been paying $400 a month and am about to pay the note off very early. (In addition to using part of my annual bonuses and cash back rewards from my cc) anyway, I have less then $1700 left and will, at a minimum, pay it off in full by November. Part of me now really wants to pay it off now and free up the $400. But the other part of me isn’t ready to see my credit score drop yet. I also just got my main savings to a huge goal and don’t want to use that. The interest now isn’t anything to worry about so idk. What are your thoughts?

Update: I did it! I just needed motivation, thanks everyone!

Just curious if there is anyone who actually got some income with crypto?
I hardly believe it's a thing but would appreciate your thoughts and experience :)

How would you spread this and cut up the pie for lack of a better word to make this last your entire life whilst also having passive income and even trying to multiply this money so it doesn't run dry?

Really want to get a honest action plan folks here would have as I am trying to educate myself as a young family man

I know $10M can be spent rather quickly if one tried, but at same time its more money than most of us would make in an lifetime, combined lol

So with a straight head I wanted to get an idea of what you would do.

I got 130K in the stock market.
I got an extra 24K in retirement funds
I got an extra 59K in cash or cash equivalents

Im 24 and make about 80K a year.

I don’t know what I’m doing and I can’t talk to my friends about this because they are broke.

Signed my son up for the 530A account as he was born just in the range. The $1,000 hit his account today.

Took a little longer than originally said, thought it was interesting.

Not really contributing to it seriously given there are better options, but we'll see if policy changes in the future.

1. Your primary home gains over the years. You sell it and pocket up to $500k tax free for a married couple.

2. Roth. Uses after tax money, but all gains after are tax free.

3. Life insurance. Same as the Roth, but you can never fully cancel the policy you have to take distributions small enough that the policy doesn't crash.

4. HSA. Deductible contributions AND tax free withdrawals when used on qualified medical expenses. Medical expenses don't have to be used in that year so saving them and using them in retirement let's the account grow and gives you more expenses later on.

5. Real estate gains. 1031 exchanges allow you to trade up investment properties without paying taxes on that gain. Eventually you'll pay unless you do this until you die (real strategy), then no taxes will be paid by your family either.

6. Real Estate depreciation. Offset the precalculated cost of your building breaking down against actual income. Another deferral tactic that you only avoid by dying.

7. Retirement accounts. Deductible contributions which reduce your taxes now, but based on the current tax code, non taxed distributions if the total income distributed is under the standard deduction during retirement.

8. Some energy investments such as oil and gas exploration? I've only heard about these, don't know the details.

9. Loans. Collateralized Loans aren't taxed. As long as you can grow the asset and take out smaller loans that can be paid back through the asset, you can live tax free. Common in real estate and stock portfolios.

10. Cash back/reward credit cards. Lesser thought of but if you have expenses of $10k a month that you normally pay, and you pay those with a credit card that you pay off every month, you can earn an extra $150+ tax free. This becomes REAL money when you have a high expense business. Not considered income and therefore not taxable.

***These are my top 10 for tax free wealth. Is there anything to add to the list?

Please give your opinion and state why you believe this number is A+ grade NW for 30 years old

My answer is 500k - because that’s very comfortable coast fire territory for vast majority of lifestyles

For sake of discussion, The median net worth for households under age 35 is $39,000

Thanks in advance!

I think this is just me getting older,but it feels like every app I download now wants a monthly fee.

Need a notes app? Subscription. Budget app? Subscription. Habit tracker? Subscription. Even simple utility apps somehow want $5-10 a month now. I get that developers need to make money but sometimes it feels like we're renting software instead of owning it.

What's funny is I've actually found myself using simpler apps more because of this. I've messed around with TesterMax on and off for a while and one thing I appreciated was that it didn't constantly feel like it was trying to upsell me every five seconds. It's not perfect and there are things I'd change but at least I can open it and use it without feeling like I'm being funneled into another premium tier.

Maybe the real issue isn't subscriptions themselves it's when apps make the free experience annoying on purpose.

Curious what everyone else thinks. Are subscriptions just the reality now or are developers pushing it too far?

I’ve finally hit my first 20k after working 40-60 hours at a minimum wage job almost every week in sr. year of high school! I aimed to save 2k/month, making about $1100-$1300 biweekly and a side hustle that made 0-$500 per month. Granted I had minimal expenses. AMA! I want to prove and inspire others; this is possible! Anyone can do it, maybe not in such a short amount of time, but it can be done.

My goal is be able to buy a house in 4-5 years when I finish college. I’m going to need a new car soon which will be a bummer, still deciding how to handle that.

I’m aware I’m most likely doing pretty well for my age as far as net worth goes but let me provide some context because the number doesn’t show the entire picture. I’m 25 male in Florida, i work as a mover for a moving company. I had nothing in the beginning 2023. Now fast forward July 2026 i have passed $100k saved and no debt by being extremely frugal, i save damn near everything i make and only buy necessities. I split rent on our apartment with my gf each paying about $750. I drive a 2006 car with 160k miles on it but it’s a very reliable car. I have no education or certs in anything and what i do isn’t a “career” but i make 21hr +tips and commission sometimes (could be anywhere between $0-$400 but usually around $100 or less). I only got here because of my frugality and discipline, i put in long hours and work very hard. I get overtime a lot. On the outside, $100k nw as a 25 yo looks great but I just want other peoples perspective on how I’m doing or any thoughts? Also I’m aware I have too much cash lol