What Do You Hope To Achieve By Investing? What's The Point Of It All For You?

[queenisis]

I want to make enough money to eventually build a new home, a bigger home for my growing boys! I live in a 2x1 and my "lively" kids are near on 3 and 8.

I would love to eventually have no mortgage. It would be nice to just spend any spare cash on holidays and travelling and enjoying life.

My other goal is to eventually not have to work in a paid job so I don't have to deal with the whole working parent juggling act. It's tiring and I miss my boys terribly during the day. I also want to be a more supportive wife on the home-front. My husband works hard and studies hard (MBA) and then takes on his share of domestic duties, too.

We will be buying our first IP soon, I'm hoping it can make a difference to our lives in the long-term.

PS - You can get fat-free salads from Macca's now... Diet coke is hereby justified!

QI

 

[WBG Redcliffe]

Why do I invest?

I want choices
I don’t want to work for someone because I have to.
To fund the needs of my daughter who has a disability.
To pay out all personal debt. (done)
To turn the family wants and dreams into realities.
To have a focus or hobby that creates income.
Its exciting, interesting and educating.
To get good enough at to someday be able to educate others

Wayne

 

[rastus2]

In order of importance.

1 - Security for myself and my family.
2 - Freedom to work/play as I wish and not as money requires.
3 - Enjoyment of playing the 'investment game' and feeling like a 'winner' on good trades.

We tried the farm lifestyle for a while 4 years ago. (Bought a 10 Acre Organic Herb Farm in Tasmania with lovely running creek, water pump shed, and 5 other large and small sheds... a few Alpaca's, chooks, etc.

At the time we still had 1 IP in Townsville and 1 on Gold Coast ... loved it, but timing was wrong and moved back to Qld to be closer to our young children's grandparents in order to keep the family unit happy ... can you sense some regrets on my part ?

We'd like to move back down the track, perhaps when we've convinced the grandparents are ready to make the move also.

 

[voigtstr]

...or...figure it out whilst riding around on one of these.

I think I'd prefer my v-twin Moto Guzzi.

 

[1974Angela]

I can totally relate to the "simple life" desire. We are working hard and investing so we can return to our Tassie dream also (where we will have more family support) - Kalgoorlie definately doesn't have the same appeal!
We have no desire for new cars and plasma tvs etc, in fact I have found the more money we get, the less we desire the material things in life - the next ppor we build will probably be a very basic "shed " house.
Previously I have had that "second class citizen experience" of standing in a Centrelink que or going to the Salvation Army for food vouchers, and the desire to want to break that poverty cycle for your own children is very strong.
To watch your grandparents struggle on a pension (even though they own their own home), and your parents lose businesses and assets from divorce, reinforces the idea that you need to do things differently if you stand any chance of getting ahead - and you need to instill into your children that materialism is a "trick" of the consumer society in which we live - our needs are very basic, but our wants could be endless.
Sometimes it can be hard on the kids, when they want a new outfit or shoes etc, and you have to say no, because you have had too many IP repairs/vacancies that month. But they have to learn about priorities.

 

[bernly]

What's the point of it all for me?

Sustainable retirement. Choice. I'm not sure about "freedom" as mentioned by so many others. I'm reminded of the Kris Kristofferson lyrics in "Me and Bobby Magee" - Freedom's just another name for nothin' left to lose, Nothin' ain't worth nothin', but it's free." Owning stuff brings responsibilities and commitment but for me the upside is being able to choose where I want to live, how I live, which doctor I see, when and where I travel, being able to share etc etc. My experience with property investing is that you need to have your finger on the pulse all the time and REA's etc should be treated as employees who need to be supervised. I want as much "freedom" as possible so I'm thinking that my property investing is coming almost to an end as I want as little responsibility as I need to achieve the aforementioned goals. I might envy a buddhist monk's freedom but I ain't prepared to have nothin' left to lose.

Cheers