What is your day job and how do you apply it to your REI?

[Michael Seeker]

Just wanting to hear what part time investors do for their 9-5 and how they apply that to REI.

I'll start:

I'm an actuary with a large health insurer (please, no comments on how health insurers are the devil). I'm constantly creating, reviewing and updating complicated spreadsheets and databases. So when it comes to REI, I put a lot of emphasis on virtual filing and bookkeeping in Excel. The heavy math background also helps a lot with deal analysis and cashflow management.

Doing REI has really helped with my time and people management skills. Between the two, I've learned to focus my time helping others do the work and do it correctly rather than trying to do everything myself.

I'm really interested to hear some other perspectives on this!

[Matthew Robertson]

Great topic Michael.

I am a fellow investor south of you, in the Bowling Green/Nashville area.

My day job isn't like most. I deploy for 3 months at a time to Afghanistan for a major defense contractor flying on surveillance aircraft. It gives me plenty of time to read and do research on different markets or different investments. I like to think the attention to detail I use every day helps out too when it comes to deal analysis. And probably the biggest carryover is the large paycheck coupled with my low standard of living. I am 25 with no wife or kids and I am an owner/occupant of a 4plex back in bowling green, which I also share with a roommate. My only REAL expenses are water, electric, car insurance, gas, and food. All my other income goes towards my investment portfolio in hopes of growing it way faster than my increase in living standards. So the big paycheck is probably my biggest carryover.