QuoteBasically, he's done just a little better than you, another Boomer who got the Amerikan Dream.

A piece of it.  As in a rising tide lifts all boats.  I absolutely claim credit for my accomplishment because it was my good sense to cultivate my skills and take advantage of opportunities.

How many did I have?  When I had an average wage I saved next to nothing, but I did not go into debt.  When I had an above average job I saved the excess.  All of it.  The 'good' jobs only accounted for eight years in my working career.

Mrs. Dog has a shopping Jones as most women do.  Packages arrive all the time and I have had friends who have asked, is this ok with you.  I then explain that most of what she orders is returned.  So much so that the Home Shopping network banned her years ago.

Above average frugality and making the choice of a career that paid above average made my success.  I don't claim it was 'hard work' and I earned it.  I worked as much as an average American drone and capitalism gave me my share of unemployed days too.  When I was unemployed getting paid by the state was a HUGE help.  Unemployment comp got me through until I got back on my feet.

The 2008 crisis almost did me in but I got lucky and Mrs. Dog was working.  Again we stayed out of debt, and the money we have saved we pretend we do not have.  I was one of the lucky few who were not forced into retirement and found a 'good' job that paid a little better than what Bill Gates paid his minions.  That job is where I was able to save up.

An unskilled person (In America) who only made an average wage could easily have what I saved if they never had to be unemployed and ALLWAYS lived within their means, stayed out of debt and were frugal.

Many who made a more average wage who participated in the right investments have done far better than I.  If you worked for Fed Ex for 25 years, and put all you could into their investment program you would have a low seven figure net worth in retirement.  My investments are always made so the possibility of losing money is zero.  This means they don't pay as well. 

To be clear,  I am not rich.  I earn enough from my savings to augment my part-time McJob by about one third.  I am however 'solid' and from a Stoic point of view I am as rich as a king.

Contentment comes not so much from great wealth as from few wants.  If I don't do it every day I can eat expensive food.  Good food is often expensive.  Mrs. Dog likes to put good clothes on me.  Our home is paid off so we only have to worry about tax.  This makes our 'rent' reasonable. 

I am in a situation where my wants are satisfied enough to be on the top.  Or if not the top, close to it.  Where everyone should be.


And as to achieving the American dream, I realize that saying I got only part of it would make no sense to someone living on a runway in a tent, in freezing weather, bussed up from the Texas Border.

To them I am the dream.