A financial safety net is just that, a safety net. It's about being secure in your lifestyle. A financial safety net is easy to come by if your budget isn't fat. When you're secure in your lifestyle, any long shot opportunities you might try are no longer risks - you're secure - they're just alternative ways to spend your time and effort.

I've been an ass about my own finances, but concluded that I can live on a pretty thin budget and still live well. Most of what people spend money on is to maintain a lifestyle image to impress other people. Let that go and finances solve themselves.

The material goods I want that will make an actual difference in my life are limited, and if I buy them used, eminently affordable even for high quality. Ebay and craigslist are wonderful. Canadian internet pharmacies are handy too. I lived in Manhattan for a while, and looking back, the $8 dollar takeout dinners were usually better than the $40 dollar dinners. The $5 dollar lunches at the deli buffets were great.

Instead of trying to get rich, I'd rather bet on some long shots to do something I'd really like to be doing. Being rich would allow that, but there are likely easier ways to accomplish that.