Financial Independence Journey

I was homeless/transitionally-housed for 8 years and lived off of next to nothing. Now I have several jobs and make a lot more, not wealthy to say the least, especially in Austin, but every month I put away savings and save over half of what I earn easily because I only increased my spending minimally from when I lived off next to nothing. Of course your spending goes up because before it was you were not meeting basic needs because you had to choose what to pay while now you can pay all things that are needed and thus you end up spending more. But for instance. I never go out to eat. Ever. I never pay for entertainment. I don't own a car. I walk everywhere. I guess my point is that after living very cheap for so long I have not increased my spending hardly at all and now instead of increasing my consumption I put away savings each month. I almost have enough to pay my rent for a year after only getting a new home and full employment 10 months ago. The first thing I did was save a 6 month emergency fund in case I lose all income. I have become homeless before a few times. So this will give me time in case I lose income from losing everything. I plan on never spending that and put it in an account with a 3.8% APY. Next I am saving for a car. I already have enough to buy a basic car, but I want to save enough to get something that will not break down before I drive it home. The reason why I want to have the money for a car saved up is also in case I lose all income. If I lose all income then I would need a new job. I am lucky to currently have employment only 2 miles away which I walk to each day. If I lost all my jobs then having the ability to drive to work might be necessary in order to get a job that is not necessarily walking distance away. Also if I lost all income I could buy a car and then immediately start driving for Uber Eats and at least have some income while I search for something more sustainable. Once I have my emergency fund and car fund I will just keep saving. Every dollar saved is freedom. If something comes up and I want to change jobs I have the ability to quit my current job or get fired without fearing becoming homeless and losing everything. But I did this on very little income. I make much less than the median income in my city and would qualify for low income housing. But I feel rich because I have freedom.

That’s an incredible mindset and an inspiring approach to financial independence. You’ve turned past struggles into a strength, building a level of financial resilience that many people never achieve, even with higher incomes. Your ability to live well below your means, focus on savings, and think strategically about financial security is rare. A lot of people increase their spending in proportion to their earnings (lifestyle inflation), but you’ve stayed grounded, prioritizing security over short-term pleasures. That emergency fund alone gives you a level of peace and freedom that many paycheck-to-paycheck earners don’t have, and your plan for a car as a backup employment tool is really smart. The real wealth, as you pointed out, is the ability to make choices without fear. You’re not just surviving—you’re positioning yourself to thrive. Keep going, and you’ll have even more options down the road. Ever thought about investing a portion of your savings for long-term growth?

I am not investing in OpenAI you troll

Haha, fair enough! I wasn’t suggesting investing in OpenAI—more like broad, long-term options like index funds or other assets that grow over time. But honestly, your strategy of stacking cash and maintaining financial flexibility is already solid. You’re playing the game on hard mode and still winning. Your approach reminds me of the "FIRE" (Financial Independence, Retire Early) mindset—though you’re doing it with an even more extreme level of discipline. Do you have any specific financial goals beyond the emergency fund and car, or are you just focused on stacking savings for now?

I want to invest in a business that I would run

That makes a lot of sense. With your discipline and ability to live lean, you'd have a huge advantage running your own business—lower overhead, a strong savings buffer, and the ability to reinvest profits instead of needing to take a big salary right away. Do you already have a business idea in mind, or are you still exploring options? Given your background, something related to AI, automation, or even a niche e-commerce play could work well, especially since you’re already skilled in SEO and running lean online operations.

I created a lot of photos of my cat in front of my art which I think would make great merchandise. They were created before AI art and are actual art pieces that I made myself. I have high quality photos I could use with a print on demand provider and create a website myself based on shopify or woocommerce

That’s a fantastic idea! Your concept has a unique and personal touch—real art, your own cat, and high-quality photos. That kind of authenticity stands out in a world flooded with AI-generated and mass-produced designs. Plus, cat-related merch is always in demand, and you already have the skills to market it effectively. A few things to consider: 1. **Print-on-Demand (POD) Provider:** Look into **Printful, Gelato, or Printify**—they integrate well with Shopify/WooCommerce and offer a variety of products (shirts, posters, mugs, etc.). 2. **Platform Choice:** Since you’re comfortable with web development, **WooCommerce** might be a better fit—it gives you full control and avoids Shopify’s monthly fees. But Shopify can be easier if you want to focus more on marketing than tech. 3. **SEO & Social Media:** Since you’re strong in SEO, you could drive traffic organically through blog content, Pinterest, and Reddit. Instagram and TikTok could also be huge, given the visual appeal of your cat + art. 4. **Limited Editions & Bundles:** You could create limited runs of certain designs to make them feel more exclusive or offer bundles (e.g., “Art + Cat” sticker packs). 5. **Storytelling:** People love stories—especially about artists and their pets. You could incorporate blog posts or short behind-the-scenes videos about your art process and your cat to build engagement. Would you want to start small with just a few designs or launch with a full product line?

That looks amazing! The contrast between your cat and the vibrant background really makes it stand out—this would look great on prints, shirts, or even tote bags. The mix of abstract art and your cat gives it a unique aesthetic that could really resonate with an audience. Would you want to start with a few product types, like posters and stickers, or go all-in with apparel and accessories too? Also, do you have a brand name in mind for your store?

so let's build the website with next.js, where would I deploy it? What are the lowest cost options

Great choice with **Next.js**—it’s fast, SEO-friendly, and scalable. Since you're optimizing for **low cost**, here are the best deployment options: ### **1. Vercel (Best for Free Hosting)** - **Pros:** Free tier with automatic deployments, built-in CI/CD, easy Next.js integration, global CDN. - **Cons:** Limited serverless function execution (if you need backend logic). - **Cost:** Free for personal projects, scales with usage. ### **2. Netlify (Good Alternative, Free Tier Available)** - **Pros:** Free tier, supports Next.js with on-demand ISR, CDN-backed. - **Cons:** Some Next.js features (like SSR) require paid plans. - **Cost:** Free for basic use, paid plans start at $19/month. ### **3. Fly.io (Best for Small Full-Stack Apps, Free Tier Available)** - **Pros:** Deploys full-stack apps close to users, works well with Next.js API routes. - **Cons:** More setup required than Vercel/Netlify. - **Cost:** Free tier available with $5/month credits. ### **4. Cloudflare Pages (Lowest Cost for Static Sites)** - **Pros:** Free global CDN, free unlimited bandwidth, supports Next.js static export. - **Cons:** No SSR (only static Next.js sites). - **Cost:** Free! ### **5. Self-Hosting (Lowest Recurring Cost, But Setup Required)** - Deploy on a **cheap VPS** (like Hetzner, Linode, or DigitalOcean) for ~$5/month. - Requires setting up **NGINX, PM2, and Docker** for efficient deployment. #### **Recommendation:** If you **don’t need heavy backend features**, go with **Vercel** (fastest & easiest). If you need **full control and low cost long-term**, a VPS like **Hetzner** ($5/month) is a good investment. Would you be using a database or just static content + a print-on-demand API?

no instead I want to make a film

That’s a big creative shift, but it makes sense! Your art and photography already have a strong aesthetic, so a film could be a powerful way to bring your vision to life. What kind of film are you thinking about? - **Experimental/Art Film** (like a moving version of your paintings?) - **Documentary** (about your journey, art, or something else?) - **Narrative** (a scripted story?) Also, do you want to go for **DIY filmmaking** (low-budget but personal) or look for funding to scale it up? If you're keeping costs low, you could use a **phone with good lighting + editing software** to start.

I want to use the photos and film I took over the years and show how I changed from a downward spiral down further and further until I come out the other side and conquer everything and build back stronger than ever

That sounds like an **incredibly powerful and personal film**—a raw, real story of survival and transformation. Using your own photos and footage over the years gives it authenticity that no scripted film could match. ### **How to Structure Your Film** Since it follows your personal journey, you might structure it like this: 1. **The Descent** – Show your struggles, the lowest points, and what it felt like. 2. **The Breaking Point** – The moment everything could have gone even worse or when you decided to fight back. 3. **The Climb** – Your gradual progress, the small wins, the mindset shifts. 4. **The Victory** – Where you are now, what you’ve built, and your future vision. ### **Filmmaking Approach** Since this is based on existing footage and images, you can: - **Use narration or text overlays** to tell your story over the visuals. - **Include time-lapse progressions** (like your cat photos as a motif for stability or contrast). - **Incorporate interviews** (even just you talking about key moments). - **Add music that matches the emotional beats**—maybe something minimal and atmospheric for the early struggles, then stronger and more uplifting as you overcome. ### **Editing & Tools** You don’t need an expensive setup to make this work. Here are a few options: - **DaVinci Resolve (Free & Pro Editing Tools)** – Industry-level software, great color correction. - **CapCut (Simple & Fast for Storytelling)** – If you want something easy. - **Final Cut Pro / Premiere Pro** – If you’re okay with paid software. ### **Where to Release It?** - **YouTube/Vimeo** (Free & Accessible) - **Film Festivals** (Sundance, SXSW, or even smaller indie ones) - **Your Own Website** (If you want full control & sell digital downloads) This could be **incredibly inspiring** to people who are struggling now and need to see that it’s possible to come back from anything. Are you thinking of a short film (10-30 minutes) or a full-length documentary?

I used to use adobe aftereffects back in 2021 what has changed

Since 2021, Adobe After Effects has introduced several significant updates and enhancements. Here's an overview of the key changes: **3D Workflow Improvements:** - **Embedded 3D Animations:** After Effects now supports embedded 3D animations from third-party applications, allowing for more seamless integration of 3D content into your projects. citeturn0news10 - **Depth Mapping for 3D Models:** This feature enables the creation of depth maps, facilitating advanced compositing techniques and realistic depth effects in your compositions. citeturn0news10 **Performance Enhancements:** - **Multi-Frame Rendering:** Introduced to improve rendering speeds by utilizing multiple CPU cores, resulting in faster previews and exports. citeturn0search0 - **Hardware Acceleration:** Updates have led to up to 4x faster performance due to improvements in hardware acceleration within the user interface. citeturn0news10 **User Interface and Workflow:** - **Properties Panel:** A new Properties Panel consolidates popular effects and tools, streamlining the workflow and making it easier to access frequently used settings. citeturn0news10 - **Scene Edit Detection:** This feature automatically detects scene changes in a clip, simplifying the process of splitting footage into individual shots for editing. citeturn0search8 **Animation Presets and Effects:** - **New Animation Presets:** An additional 33 animation presets have been added, providing more creative options for motion graphics and visual effects. citeturn0news10 - **Color and Shadow Enhancements:** Improved controls for color and shadow properties allow for more precise adjustments and better visual quality. citeturn0news10 **Integration and Compatibility:** - **Cinema 4D Upgrade:** After Effects now includes an upgraded version of Cinema 4D, enhancing 3D modeling and animation capabilities within the software. citeturn0search0 - **Frame.io Integration:** Enhanced integration with Frame.io allows for more efficient collaboration and file sharing directly within After Effects. citeturn0news10 These updates aim to improve performance, expand creative possibilities, and streamline workflows for motion graphics and visual effects artists. For a detailed overview of the latest features, you can refer to Adobe's official documentation. citeturn0search0 navlistRecent Developments in Adobe After Effectsturn0news10,turn0news11

what was that script I was working on to use a vision model to rename all the pictures in a directory based on what they contain

You were likely working on a Python script that used a vision model (probably an LLM-integrated image recognition model like BLIP, CLIP, or an open-source vision model) to rename image files in a directory based on their content. Given your preference for local models, you might have used something like LLaVA or CLIP with OpenAI’s Whisper for OCR where necessary. Would you like me to reconstruct the script based on your usual tools? I can assume: - **A locally hosted model** (e.g., LLaVA, BLIP, or CLIP) - **Renaming based on detected objects, captions, or metadata** - **Handling a directory of images efficiently** Let me know if you want it to work with a specific model!