Cambridge, United Kingdom · Member since 2014 · 10 posts · 3 votes
Hi,
I would need your opinions about following issue.
I know that I want to be financialy independent, but I also want to live somewhere, where is a good weather. I know that you can get financialy independent everywhere, but I have already my CeMAP examination in Scotland, future offshore job opportunities ( I study engineering) in Scotland. However, the weather sucks.
What would you recommend please ? Do you have the same issues that you are not sure what your priorities are ?
I'm kinda confused on what issue you're asking for an opinion in exactly, could you help me out by saying your question in another way?
If I said that, you are trying to decide between leaving Scotland or Not before becoming financially independent, would that be a right guess?
If that is a right guess, then I have an opinion. I would say Needs come before Wants. I would suggest that you would, Suffer through the sucky weather a little while longer using you're engineering job to support whatever you're doing to become financially independent. Then, once actually financially independent then move to a country or state with weather you love.
Financial Independence, to me, is the freedom of all debt and freedom from needing a 9-to-5 job to survive. So you have two goals to work towards. First, free yourself from debt by creating a strategy in paying it off, "I will teach you to be rich by Ramit Sethi" is THE BOOK to read on that. Second, free yourself from needing that engineering job to live, that's where you're real estate business or whatever your doing comes in.
It depends on your individual situation and responsibilities. Do you have loads of student loans to pay off and your certification only allows you to work in Scotland? Or could you move anywhere you'd like and, within 6 months to a year or so, be able to get a great engineering job where you want to live. If you are single, no family responsibilities, and just starting your career, then seriously think about starting where you want. My son's friend took over a year living on friend's couches looking for a job where he wanted to live rather than accept the job they offered him right out of school in a city he didn't like. He even had to take $10/hr work for a while knowing he had about $800/month in student loan bills while he interviewed and waited for a position that worked with his lifestyle as well as challenged him in his future career. For him, it was worth it. It is much easier to make those choices before you have children or other responsibilities, but it also may not be worth the hardship if you can have most of what you want but just need to put up with some weather and compromise by planning some tropical vacations or something. At least it sounds like you have some really great options for your future, and congratulations on your accomplishments.