Just giving a shout out to my fellow old(er) Chapos out there. We survived the perils of a world with limited internet held hostage through AOL so you could all live in a better world.
Here's some interesting takes I have from now being slightly aged. Feel free to add yours!
-
4K movies only really make older movies look that much better. Jaws in 4k > Cape Shit in 4k
-
Most anything labeled collectible won't be worth shit in 20-30 years.
-
Most NES games aren't that good. Weren't that good then. Not that good now.
-
Never admit anything to cops, even if its just a speeding ticket. Every answer should be "I don't know."
-
Learn to cook for yourself - it's cheaper and healthier for you in the long run. I wish someone taught me how to cook when I was younger. Anyhow - you'd be amazed what you can get done for just a few dollars with dried lentils and a trip to the produce section.
-
For every good band you've heard of, there's at least 3 good bands you haven't heard yet that are similar.
-
Buy everything used.
-
Working out and staying in decent shape doesn't have to be about looking good, getting laid, getting swollen, or any of that nonsense; it can have immediate benefits on your well being.
Jesus. Yes x1000. Also, hold your union accountable. (Not) Shockingly there are union members, even high ranking members, who are ghouls. Don't assume they stand in solidarity with you.
I learned all this the hard way and ended up having to move cross-country and go into 10k of debt to start over with a new career. Fucking assholes.
Take a gap year and a half after high school and don't rush off to college just cause your parents want you gone. Find yourself first. Dick around at whatever job you can find and tuck away the money till you find your path.
Get a roommate or two when you decide to move out.
Learn to cook. It effects your health, wallet and mood. It's not as hard as it seems.
Be wary of boomer advice. Research shit yourself. Can't count how many times my grandparents were wrong about a lot of things.
Learn basic car maintenance. There are sharks ready to take your money for something that might be minor but they blow it out of proportion. :angery:
Jesus. Yes. My parents are boomers and were one.hundred.percent wrong about anything related to being a functional adult in the cruel world.
Old people might have life wisdom but they're bedrock just like the rest of us in the capitalist pyramid scheme. They don't know how anything works outside of, sometimes, minor auto repair.
A gap year isn't always necessary after high school. If you are really eager to go do more learning, that's cool, too. But at some point you're gonna want some time off from school. Take it.
For me, I had a gap between undergrad and grad school, and it helped immensely.
If you are really eager to go do more learning, that’s cool, too
This is a good reason to go to for more schooling if you live in a place that has free college.
A gap year also keeps you from making a mistake like applying to a university and picking a a random major cause "that's what you're supposed to do after school" like I did. It gives you time to learn more about what major you actually want to take, tuition, student loans, preparing to live on campus, if your guidance counselor was full of shit, whether a community college is more your speed or if you want to go to college overseas etc.
Credit is bullshit but you need it. I’m currently getting screwed because I didn’t start caring soon enough.
If you think you’re responsible enough, start building credit when you’re 18
Literally the best way to get credit is to just get a store card (I used Amazon) and put a charge on it with the 0% interest rate promo they will inevitably give to you
DO NOT MAX IT OUT
Keep it around 30% of your max and pay it off before the promo ends
You're gonna want to break down your payments yourself too, because they're gonna be sneaky and try to get you to do the bare minimum so you end up getting interest at the end.
Talent's not real. shopgoodwill.com is a good way to get NICE STUFF for cheap. I got a vitamix blender and a zojirushi rice cooker for significantly less than i'd pay new/used otherwise.
Be cautious on shipping
I can't figure out what my favorite cooking device is: my vitamix, my pressure cooker, or my outdoor smoker.
thank you for this, i have done nothing but look at sowing machines for that aren't even in my country for 40 minutes. fuck work :stalin-shining:
I got 2 tablets for $25 shipped off of there.
I'm learning how to play the flute because I got one one for $12 shipped off of there. It's great.
You cannot be an effective communist under capitalism without first finding a way to exist in capitalism.
aka get a job
I just use those plastic air bladders that come in Amazon shipping boxes.
turn them inside out first so you don't get someone else's cum on your dick
Don't be naive about the workplace, never consider it safe, never over-trust your work colleagues, never believe anything anyone above you says.
Assume your coworkers are informants and your boss is a cop. Avoid talking politics at all costs, especially if you remotely line up with most Chapos here. Business 100% hates everything this place stands for. Never ever talk about casual drug use, even drinking. Assume everyone you talk to holds the view of your dickhead, right-wing uncle.
I would also shy from displaying any sexual identity that isn't WASP/missionary sex with your wife in nature. I know Gen X Fuckarelli over here grew up when hating on gays was the norm and in today's world no one cares. But I can tell you from being in behind closed door meetings with the white haired men who run shit: they still very much do care.
The guy who had my position before me is apparently a lush, I know this cuz the guy in the office next to me gossiped about it to everyone after seeing him at the bar. Also spot on with the old WASPs who run the show. My president and VP were so upset about the election they were ready to start firing people they think are libs, the one guy they know isn't on their side gets chewed out constantly.
I'm so glad I left the corporate game behind. Don't get me wrong, I'm still PMC (which I sort of loathe) but I no longer have to deal with do-nothing Directors and CEOs who fail their way up the ladder telling me how I'm just not right for management.
That's another thing. Most upper management are usually born into their position regardless of how capable they are or are not. Even if it's a small business. Even if it's a new business. Someone instilled that dipshit above you because of legacy and nepotism. Don't be fooled because it's a boutique company and not some conglomerate corporation with 10k employees.
I'm lucky to work for a small construction company and the corporate culture is not welcome here. You'd never guess how I got this job, the owner and myself are both 3rd generation residents from farming families! Guy probably tried to hook up with one of my aunt's back in the day. It's not what you know, it's who you know.
You’re in a cruel capitalist system that should be overthrown, but don’t opt out of it or you’ll only end up owning yourself in the long run. You’re part of the system and have to participate in it unfortunately.
It sucks but still invest wisely with the the stock market, your 401k, etc, if you are gainfully employed. Save money, try to own your own home, and all that.
Do that but still try to overthrow the system so following generations don’t have to get ground up in the gears of capitalism.
I'm always hesitant to bring this stuff up here because there is a segment of Chapos who like to project their idealism into reality. Its up there with revolution porn on here. The truth is, we're stuck here for a while and there's nothing wrong with gaming this fucked system a touch in your favor while we wait for the masses to unite.
Here's some other advice I have that is similar to what you're saying:
-
If you're a vet, wait until the system bottoms out every 5 to 7 years and buy a cheap house with your guaranteed loan. If you do buy a house, take on a roommate if it's within your means (as in, not for profit). I took in my buddy, barely charged him rent. He was able to get a leg up. Meanwhile we would fix broken shit around the house and I had someone to watch my dog when I went on vaycay.
-
Kiss ass at work. Lip service is the easiest way to make your life easier without actually doing any work. Most jobs are meaningless so why should you care if your boss thinks you like him when you secretly wish his death (by natural cause - like cancer). Don't expect a promotion or anything, but it can lighten your actual work load.
-
While you're at it, be nice to everyone at work. Solidarity starts with realizing the IT guy with the bad attitude who has to upgrade your monitor is just as miserable as you are.
-
Save money. Its easier to save up for an unforeseen expense than it is to scrounge credit or beg loved ones for a loan.
-
discarded pizza boxes are an inexpensive source of cheese
Also, regarding cooking for yourself, just about anything you make will be better than most restaurants, unless it's made by one of the best of the best of the best.
Well I dunno about that. Maybe if you live in a place with shitty restaurants this is true
To piggyback: what got me into cooking for myself was BBQ, low and slow. For 5 dollars in meat and some wood, you can mindlessly make a feast. Something you'd pay a whole lot more money for at some shack for a tiny portion. That kicked off an obsession with making good food for myself.
Protip: pressure cookers can make gallons of food for pennies that lasts for days.
Social confidence is like a ball of water. The tighter you try to grasp it, the more it slips through your fingers.
Don't let opposition to the system fool you into not following a good education or job opportunities. Material conditions matter, and a good salary can literally save your life, pay for surgeries and so on. Stay in school kids, but stay radical too.
If you choose to not follow this advice at least have a lot of fun in the process. Basically did this but lived the punk life, saw a lot of places, made a lot of friends, did a lot of cool stuff. Definitely scrambling for some degree of stability now, but eh, I'm not THAT old.
