A Job Pays the Bills, but It Will Never Buy You Freedom

[uneng]

A job helps you survive, but business or trading gives you the opportunity to be free. Of course, there is risk—but not blind risk. Learning, understanding, and moving forward step by step is the wise approach. Because real freedom comes only when your income does not depend on a single source.

Excluding the concept of trading as day trading, I completely agree with you. In today's world it's foolishness to rely on a single source of income for a living, unless you are a Maharaja of the judiciary or political systems. It's simply not possible to have a comfortable and pleasant life with a single source of income, considering the prices of goods and services increasing too much each new day.

We have to be creative nowadays to develop new methods of making money, at same time we don't spend everything we earn, being necessary to invest a large chunk of it, if we really care about our future.

[Kelvinid]

A job mixed with a good side hustle create more profitable outcome. That is, if you can manage your time well, and gain more sustainable income even from your side hustle.

However, investing or creating a business is never a do or die. Of course, one can still stick to his job especially if that's giving a fair compensation. After all, we don't need to be rich in life, we just need a more comfortable and meaningful life, and one factor that could make it possible is having no financial issues or struggles.

[abhiseshakana]

I agree on some point such as job is stability foundation and hard to achieve financial freedom with single point income. Regarding financial freedom it must be realistic, as long as basic living needs and long term live purpose can be fullfill without depending on one active income source, i think it is quite enough. So no corelation with anti work, daily trading routine or must be businessman. Becuase trading and business only tools not automatic tools for financial freedom. If we take decision wrongly, both can be  destroy our financial freedom plan. So basically, financial freedom not leave job campaign but an effort to minimize dependence on one income sources.

[Darker45]

This is a sad reality. People are living the present to prepare for a future that's not even guaranteed. But perhaps this is just how life works today. Majority doesn't have the choice.

Perhaps the key is to develop yourself and your skills further and further, nonstop if possible. Make yourself a valuable asset. That gives you the opportunity for promotions. That puts you in a good position to ask for a considerable raise. That makes you coveted as an employee. That means your options grow wider.

Also, taking a job doesn't have to mean postponing your dreams. There's such a thing as a dream job. A job doesn't have to be something one hates. It could be loved, enjoyed, even missed. Perhaps what we have to do is develop, and eventually master, the skills that we're interested in and we'll get the kind of job that we'd willingly embrace.

[Reatim]

Because real freedom comes only when your income does not depend on a single source.

this one sentence summarizes everything you just said and what many has been saying in the forum for many times

having a job is good but even if it pays well you will need to eventually seek out other opportunities to let your money grow even further and to ensure your future or retirement plans

[LogitechMouse]

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A job helps you survive, but business or trading gives you the opportunity to be free. Of course, there is risk—but not blind risk. Learning, understanding, and moving forward step by step is the wise approach. Because real freedom comes only when your income does not depend on a single source.

I did a quick search of the term "financial freedom" and based on Google, this is what it says:

"Financial freedom means having enough money and control over your finances to live comfortably and make life choices without money stress, covering needs, goals, and emergencies through smart planning, budgeting, saving, and investing, allowing you to live life on your own terms, not being controlled by debt or constant financial worry. It's about security, flexibility, and peace of mind, not necessarily being "rich," as it can mean different things like being debt-free, pursuing passions, or retiring early."

Take note of the term "rich" because having financial freedom isn't necessarily mean being rich. Just by looking at the definition, there are some who are having misinformation on what financial freedom really is. I don't know why reaching financial freedom is kind of like "the ultimate goal" for some people. Yes, there's nothing wrong with it, but there are some who don't know what's "enough" for them.

I agree with what you said that business can give you the opportunity to achieve financial freedom, but also don't forget that not all people are born to become a businessman. There are some people who are born to be an employee, and what's important is that they're happy with what they're doing, and they can survive with it at the same time. Nowadays, a single source of income isn't enough anymore to survive. For me, having 2 source of income will help you survive plus you can allocate also a portion as well for your investments or at least savings.

[iBaba]

I agree on some point such as job is stability foundation and hard to achieve financial freedom with single point income. Regarding financial freedom it must be realistic, as long as basic living needs and long term live purpose can be fullfill without depending on one active income source, i think it is quite enough. So no corelation with anti work, daily trading routine or must be businessman. Becuase trading and business only tools not automatic tools for financial freedom. If we take decision wrongly, both can be  destroy our financial freedom plan. So basically, financial freedom not leave job campaign but an effort to minimize dependence on one income sources.

When it comes to the issue of job, jobs is not an enemy , it is actually a foundation that helps you to pay bills , gives you the structure and in many cases provides you with the capital and mental stability you need to even think about long term plans and the problem only begins when a job is the only thing holding your life together. Let me give an example with an interview I was watching few days ago about a Canadian-Nigerian who was interviewed and talked about the four assets classes that truly creates wealth and he mentioned something like Business Asset, Paper Asset, Real Estate and Commodity Assets as the true assets to financial freedom.

If you do not have any of these assets, if you like be working with Shell, Microsoft and any other top companies in the world, you can not build a true generational wealth and if you check based on these 4 asset classes, the paper asset is the one that is associated with stocks, bonds, mutual funds and digital currencies. That is to say, if you want to gain a true financial freedom and build generational wealth, start investing in any of those assets classes and make sure you invest in more than one of them if not all so you can truly gain the freedom you are looking for.

Bitcoin is a good example of a paper asset you should start investing on especially if you have an highly demanding 9 to 5 job. I've also personally encouraged friends who work in companies and government parastatals that are highly demanding to always create their 5 to 9 job when servicing the 9 to 5 job. Your 5 to 9 job is the time you created for yourself to do other side hustles and build your life outside the life your employer has subjected you to, to build any, if not all of these asset classes so that in the end you will be proud to transition your life easily from a salary earner to a CEO of your own life.

[Youngrebel]

Another piece of advice on how everybody should have a business. Why are you people never realistic?
I'm all in on having multiple sources of income, having investments, business, passive income and all, but why do you people just talk about them like it's just something you can simply wake up and be successful in them? How did we get to live in a world where everybody must have a business?
Have you ever thought about people who are lawyers, and that is simply what they want to do? Why do you pressure people like that to start a business? Why do you pressure a nurse to have a business or something?
What is this unrealistic view about "financial freedom"? Less than 15% of the world can actually achieve financial freedom. Or do I live in a different reality from everyone else?

So if you have your own business, they time you spend running the business come back?
This idea you guys have in your head that once you start a business, you will be so successful that you have so much time for yourself and travel the world is a funny one. Wake up to reality. You may even have more working hours that people who have a job.

No one says its going to be easy starting the business and keeping it going.  Even the OP started it clearly in the context.  Its never easy trying to even manage your work and adding a business to it.
Being a lawyer or a nurse as you have stated doesn't give 100% assurance that he or she has attained financial freedom. Matter of facts those are just portfolios.  Most of them still struggle financially regardless of their pays at the end of the month..
It doesn't even mean that they have to have to be present while always in the business premises.  There are allot of people who starts businesses and are flourishing very well without them present always in the business premises.
There are allot of skilled people who are in dare need of minimal jobs out there. All you need to do is get them trained and employ them. With proper supervision and good structures put in place your business will grow with time amd start bringing in returns to you.
Earning a salary is good but its always not enough to settle all your immediate needs and keep for future needs or wven for life investments.

[MarjorieZimmermanGinger]

A job helps you survive, but business or trading gives you the opportunity to be free. Of course, there is risk—but not blind risk. Learning, understanding, and moving forward step by step is the wise approach. Because real freedom comes only when your income does not depend on a single source.

If we're in our comfort zone, perhaps working to make ends meet will be enough, but don't ever expect to grow your finances significantly, because staying in that zone won't lead to financial freedom. Business and investment are known to offer the opportunity to achieve financial freedom as long as one truly understands their methods and patterns. This shows how important knowledge is before we take either approach. The best step is to understand both business and investment well so we can pursue financial success from either. Taking risks without proper knowledge is the same as hoping for luck. There are many ways to learn both if we want, now it depends on our own mindset whether we want to take the chance or not.

[viljy]

I'm not sure if it's possible to get freedom from the average small business. And an independent small business is a very rare phenomenon. There are franchises everywhere, basically. Small business means endless checks, extortion, taxes... Of course, if a street food stall operates under the auspices of the diaspora, then all problems are solved with bribes. But this is not a personal business at all - it is a business of the diaspora.

If we talk about an independent successful business bigger than a stall, then with 100% probability at some point you will be offered a choice either to sell this business (inexpensively), or something worse will happen to you. In general, most people in the world do not want to be businessmen or merchants. Financial freedom is not given by business, but by money. Not the process, but the result. And business is not necessarily the only or best way to achieve this.

[Alpha Marine]

No one says its going to be easy starting the business and keeping it going.  Even the OP started it clearly in the context.  Its never easy trying to even manage your work and adding a business to it.
Being a lawyer or a nurse as you have stated doesn't give 100% assurance that he or she has attained financial freedom. Matter of facts those are just portfolios.  Most of them still struggle financially regardless of their pays at the end of the month..
It doesn't even mean that they have to have to be present while always in the business premises.  There are allot of people who starts businesses and are flourishing very well without them present always in the business premises.
There are allot of skilled people who are in dare need of minimal jobs out there. All you need to do is get them trained and employ them. With proper supervision and good structures put in place your business will grow with time amd start bringing in returns to you.
Earning a salary is good but its always not enough to settle all your immediate needs and keep for future needs or wven for life investments.

Easy or not, not everybody will own a business, and that is fine.
It's pretty obvious that a lot of you don't actually know what it entails to start or run a business. You want to do business from the ground up, and you think leaving it in the hands of others is the best way to go? Starting a business is like having a newborn baby. It needs your constant attention since it is still new. You can't start it and leave it in the hands of others. Most of the time, that never works.

All I ask for is for you people to be realistic when creating scenarios. A person who, according to you, is struggling financially is expected to start a business, how? With what capital? A loan? So if the business doesn't work, he is in debt? Its not like there are people out there that will fund the business of anyone who needs it.

As I said, I'm all in for people having multiple source income, but I just need you people to be realistic. It is even more realistic for people, especially young people, to have a skill that they use as a side hustle. A 9-5 worker can be a florist, baker, painter and many other digital and non-digital skills where they can sell when they're not working.
You guys say "it's not easy" and then proceed to talk about it like it's easy. Even the business doesn't guarantee financial freedom. For you to have a business that guarantees financial freedom, you need a relatively big and successful business and working on it part-time with peanut capital won't give you that. Be realistic, that's all I ask.

[Dynamite++]

A job is never a mistake. A job brings dignity and security. But in today’s world, relying only on a job makes it very hard to achieve financial freedom a truth very few people openly talk about. Yes, the salary comes at the end of the month, but the time never comes back. Dreams slowly get postponed to  next month. That’s why, alongside a job, it’s important to build something of your own whether it’s trading or a business. Maybe the next five years will be difficult, but the following fifty years can be lived in freedom. Not to become big overnight, but to slowly build a solid foundation for yourself.

A job helps you survive, but business or trading gives you the opportunity to be free. Of course, there is risk—but not blind risk. Learning, understanding, and moving forward step by step is the wise approach. Because real freedom comes only when your income does not depend on a single source.

Yes you are very right, a job is good and safe but it doesn't guarantee true safety or full time freedom compared to financial freedom. Most people get a job and there are relax and happy enjoying feeling like the job would last forever, but come to think of it, what will happen to you if you suddenly get laid off from your job ? , will you start looking for another safe job to take care of your self and maybe your love ones. So the main advice is when you have a job don't just relax, but aim for financial freedom because only them can you be truly free and fully secured.

[Zlantann]

A job is never a mistake. A job brings dignity and security. But in today’s world, relying only on a job makes it very hard to achieve financial freedom a truth very few people openly talk about. Yes, the salary comes at the end of the month, but the time never comes back. Dreams slowly get postponed to  next month. That’s why, alongside a job, it’s important to build something of your own whether it’s trading or a business. Maybe the next five years will be difficult, but the following fifty years can be lived in freedom. Not to become big overnight, but to slowly build a solid foundation for yourself.

The world is in an economic shape where you have to find fulfilment in your job. Unemployment is so high that finding another job is becoming difficult. So you have seek for means to be happy, engaging in a job you might not find fulfilling. Not everyone can start and run a successful business. But your advice is valid that we should get alternative sources of income.      

A job helps you survive, but business or trading gives you the opportunity to be free. Of course, there is risk—but not blind risk. Learning, understanding, and moving forward step by step is the wise approach. Because real freedom comes only when your income does not depend on a single source.

If you have been privileged to have a job that you like, money will be your secondary consideration. Some people are fulfilled doing a job that helps them survive because they derive fulfilment from doing it. Financial freedom is important but it is just as aspect of freedom.  

[davis196]

A job is never a mistake. A job brings dignity and security. But in today’s world, relying only on a job makes it very hard to achieve financial freedom a truth very few people openly talk about. Yes, the salary comes at the end of the month, but the time never comes back. Dreams slowly get postponed to  next month. That’s why, alongside a job, it’s important to build something of your own whether it’s trading or a business. Maybe the next five years will be difficult, but the following fifty years can be lived in freedom. Not to become big overnight, but to slowly build a solid foundation for yourself.

A job helps you survive, but business or trading gives you the opportunity to be free. Of course, there is risk—but not blind risk. Learning, understanding, and moving forward step by step is the wise approach. Because real freedom comes only when your income does not depend on a single source.

1.Not all people around the world have a "business mindset" and would be willing to work 5 times harder to build a business.
2.Trading won't make you rich and financially free, unless you are come kind of "trading genius". More than 80% of all traders end up losing money.
3.We waste our time on this world in one way or another. Some are wasting their time working in jobs they hate. Others are wasting their time building businesses, that eventually go bankrupt. Some people are wasting their time with porn, videogames and gambling. Others waste their time by doing nothing. We are all going to die at the end of the day and none of this really matters. It doesn't matter if you are going to die as a poor person or as a millionaire. You can't enjoy your wealth while being dead.

[EarnOnVictor]

-Snip-
A job helps you survive, but business or trading gives you the opportunity to be free. Of course, there is risk—but not blind risk. Learning, understanding, and moving forward step by step is the wise approach. Because real freedom comes only when your income does not depend on a single source.

I like your concluding part that talks about multiple source of income, but I do not agree with the fact that a job cannot make you financial free. It depends on the kind of job you are talking about. Some jobs can impact you and your generation, while some could pass poverty down the generation.

Also, trying to be financially free if you are not satisfied with your current earnings, shouldn't make you do it desperately or carelessly, some people have regretted it. I mean those who are doing very well in banking but decided to move out, believing things will be better by building their own business. This looks good, but it didn't work as planned. Their mates are now bank directors, doing far better than them.

Our choices in this context is sensitive, by virtue, serious care and thoughts are needed.

[ancafe]

A job helps you survive, but business or trading gives you the opportunity to be free. Of course, there is risk—but not blind risk. Learning, understanding, and moving forward step by step is the wise approach. Because real freedom comes only when your income does not depend on a single source.

There is also a saying that says this, it is better to have a permanent job even if the compensation is small because at least we can plan how to live our life. Such as meeting life's needs or setting aside a little money to save before deciding to do business because for those with small incomes, they definitely need to think specifically about how to save that money. An awakened mindset should be able to underlie a person's ability to live life and when they have the thought to act more financially, then a small salary is not an excuse but rather a way to find a solution.

Slowly we learn to understand the impact of risk on the decisions we choose, but before that we know what to do based on correct knowledge. Don't decide to do business but we don't know how to do business properly and this doesn't solve the problem but adds new problems to life.

[Agbamoni]

Many are now aware of the importance of having a business rather than having a job. However, there is a start to everything. For you to have a business, it must gather capital. A job can be a good way to stack capital for your business. 15 years is the maximum time I give for anyone under a job payroll to set themselves free. Within those years, it is enough to gather funds for a good business or trade, and at the same time, learn what they want to go into before starting it. Job is good for starters, to be financially free is for those who strecth their hands into other source of making money.

[michellee]

Relying on our job is not easy to achieves financial freedom. We can do other things to make more money. Investing can be a good solution but we need to allocate some amounts from our salary and invest in Bitcoin. We can searching for other jobs to makes money so we can use it to invests more. Many people wants a better lives in the future but not many of them wants to change and try hard.

You can do many things to makes money and having multiple jobs. Achieving our goals is a dream that we wants so we must realize that we need to works smart and hard. No time to stops especially we are not yet achieves our dreams.

[DYOR+BTC]

The joy of every man is the be able to provide for himself and his family, achieving that goal one needs a job be it good paying of small paying jobs, only for the provision of his needs. Getting the job is never the automatic access to financial stability or freedom, so salary jobs only helps in solving the needs of a man and never keeps him financially stable, to gain stability or freedom financially, one has to get involved in other activities like good paying business that helps in maintaining the little salaries we received while working keeping it available till one can be able to stand with or without that salary job

[tygeade]

Starting your own business is not something for many people, and the sooner you accept that, the better your life will be. I used to believe the same thing, in fact I do agree with the statement OP makes, you are never going to be rich by working for someone else.

But the truth is that, if you are the type of person like me, who is not set for a business life, then you are going to go start your business, and then fail. In which case, a failed bankrupted job is worse than working for someone else. I did try it once, I worked for myself, and then I lost all of it. I am happy where I am now.