I always had an idea of what a manageable debt would be a what a devastating debt would be. I was told, when young, to put the max into my 401k. I could (possibly) do that and stay in my room for my 20s and 30s.

I didn’t do that. I saw that was stupid. I saw I would regret NOT living to save for an old age that might never come.

I’m 65 now and I was absolutely right. The “experts” were ignorant assholes. The truth was, I would earn decent money and pay off the debt (which I did) or struggle with the debt for the rest of my life BUT STILL WASN’T TRICKED INTO WASTING MY YOUTH.

The most useless things I did were recommended by experts. My MBA, for example.

My best moves were roundly ridiculed. Move out of NYC to an affordable city—a city where I had no job or friends. (One of the best financial moves of my life.)

Play, instead of work. And not at something interesting—focus on the practical.

So, in 1994, when I couldn’t find work except temp jobs, I defied “wisdom.” I didn’t learn a new skill that was in demand. Instead, I played with the World Wide Web and building websites. Nobody knew what websites were—or cared.

Turns out my fun was the most profitable skill of my life. Still is.

I recommend that you listen to your own brain and heart. That works. “Experts” in anything but science, engineering and medicine are full of nonsense.