Sucker said:
That has always been MY dream also. However:
In 1989 I invested $150K of blackjack winnings in a small business venture. It went belly-up within a year. In January of 2000 I invested $50K in the stock market. A couple of months later it was worth about $2000. In '05 I put a down payment of $100K on a $400,000 house in Las Vegas. It's now worth about $325K.
I guess when it comes to money making decisions; I'm just someone who will always be trapped in THIS business.
P.S. I'm NOT proud of this......
Hey, no criticism intended. As I said, my skills are limited and I wasn't being modest! I have nothing but admiration for you and your ability to make it in this "business." You see, for you, this IS a business.
Me, I have certain business skills that I think would help me to succeed in a normal business, but no guarantee. First, I'm a CPA. Second, I know a particular business niche that I think would pay off. Third, I have a steady income coming in which would help tremendously while waiting years possibly for a business to take root and prosper. One of the major reasons for business failure is under-capitalization, which is short for not having enough money to wait it out.
So don't feel bad. If AP already is your steady income, then your investments in the market and in real estate represent wise decisions. You business venture was unfortunate to say the least, but at least you had the b$lls to give it a try. Most people I know in the "gambling" world, a word I am using loosely, don't have the sense to invest their money, and by going into business, that's all I meant. I know of numerous gamblers who have made good scores, only to wind up dead broke. I can count on one hand the number of gamblers who invested their good scores. What I have often seen is that wise gamblers in one venue, like blackjack, are suckers for other things, like betting baseball. I know of fortunes won at AP and lost at SP (sucker play).
Anyway, kudos to you and your success at AP. You're a champion in my book! :1st: