from Hacker News

Ask HN: Best Investment Is in Ourselves?

by easyalgocode on 3/10/22, 10:02 PM with 7 comments

I am a software engineer that makes around $20K/month, I am spending ~$2k on mentors from big corporations, $2-3K on courses, $1k on books (some of them rare) and $500 on my diet and nutrition. I decided that the best investment is in ourselves rather than in bonds, etc.. Is this the best way to go at it or am I just not connected to reality any more?

  • by rektide on 3/10/22, 10:20 PM

    You claim to be spending >$5.5k/mo on self-investments. What are you hoping to improve from these investments? Do you think your skills need improvement? I am highly highly skilled, but I've found the world is far more concerned about perception & position & being in the right spot at the right time. Good work, smarts, competence is not rewarded. Work attached to high profile efforts are rewarded. What kind of coaching/mentorship are you getting out of your $2k/mo? Technical or tactical/political? Have you found it helpful?

  • by jstx1 on 3/10/22, 10:24 PM

    > ~$2k on mentors from big corporations, $2-3K on courses, $1k on books (some of them rare) and $500 on my diet and nutrition.

    These numbers are crazy. The diet and nutrition is the only one that seems reasonable. Are you paying people $2k a month to just talk to you? What kind of courses cost $2-3k a month every month? You're not going through $1k worth of books in a month either.

    I kind of doubt that you're getting a good return. Maybe as a general statement investing in yourself is sensible and of course it's your money to spend but all of this seems a bit out there.

  • by Strawhorse on 3/10/22, 10:05 PM

    Can you expand on what you mean by "investment is IN ourselves" ...