Safe, secure income
“Go and get a safe and secure job with a good company with great benefits.” That was the advice my grandfather gave to my dad when he was a young man.
This advice was a little strange coming from my grandfather. You see, he ran his own pharmacy and soda fountain on the west side of Atlanta. He had always provided for his family by being an entrepreneur. Yet here he was trying to deter my dad from doing the same.
Personally, I think he was trying to save my dad from the stress and anxiety that’s associated with running a business. I don’t think he wanted to see his boy go through the same challenges he faced. And besides, running a business is risky, isn’t it?
Through the years my grandfather’s advice of “Go and get a safe and secure job with a good company with great benefits” became commonplace. It has changed a bit now to “go to college so you can get a good job.” But is this good advice?
Let’s think about that.
I have a good friend who went to college and got a job with a good company with great pay and benefits. One day, he and I were having a conversation about the struggles of being a full-time real estate investor. He said he’d known very few people who were able to use real estate, for a prolonged period, to replace the kind of income he was making.
I agreed. His income was far higher than most of the full-time investors I knew. And most of the folks I’ve seen go full time do it for a short stint and then retreat to some other form of business to supplement their income.
My friend said he didn’t think he could be a full-time investor and make the kind of money he was making.
Less than a month later, my friend was let go of his job through no fault of his own and without warning. Overnight he went from making great money to no income at all.
I watched in dismay as fear and anxiety attacked my friend. And the only thing I could do was be there and pray hard for him.
He got through it and was able to get on with another company a few months later.
Working for his previous company was obviously not safe and secure. So, what is? Maybe working for the government? Let’s explore that.
When I was growing up in rural Georgia, the idea of having a government job seemed like one of the safest and most secure ways to earn a living. Not only were you working for an organization that had been in business for centuries, but the jobs generally paid well and had great benefits with the possibility to advance overtime.
Do you remember the recent government shutdown? It happened between December 22, 2018 and January 25, 2019. For a little over a month, many government employees didn’t receive a paycheck.
Within two weeks I personally saw Facebook friends who were furloughed pleading for financial help so that they wouldn’t lose their homes and vehicles. I saw other stories of people doing things like selling their plasma to make ends meet.
The government shutdown was no fault of the employees. And they had no control over it.
To me, when you have no control over your income, that’s the opposite of safe and secure. That’s risky.
Some people say being a landlord is risky. Tenants can trash the house and … you fill in the blank. I think those are preconceived notions.
You see, having rental property has been the source of a safe and secure income for us. For instance, when we were recently counting on money from selling a flip house, we lost the contract, and three months later, it still hasn’t sold. (Remember I said we were counting on that money?) During that time our rentals continued to provide us with a steady and stable income.
That’s what I call security.
So, if you are relying solely on a company that can let you go at moment’s notice for your entire livelihood, maybe you should consider diversifying your salary with some rental income. And if you are like us, you’ll be glad you did.
Joe and Ashley English buy houses and mobile homes in Northwest Georgia. For more information or to ask a question, go to www.cashflowwithjoe.com or call Joe at 678-986-6813.