| From an economics point of view - We cannot say whether we are in a recession or a depression or none of that. Depression is supposed to be much longer. Probably we are in a recession and won't get into a depression unless some major geopolitical conflict occurs It is good that you have 1 year of backup. Others have already given good business or technical ideas, my comments below are more philosophical You should not target 1-1.5k. It may be enough today, may be better than nothing. But not okay, even for a 3rd world country. To begin with - you should target 2x of your job income at least. Once you have a figure in place, find out what you like to do (and that pays). It will be easier for you to filter opportunities as they come by. Believe me, opportunities come in truckloads and almost simultaneously. Everyone has just 24 hours and without a filter you will not be able to grab the right opportunity. If you lose the job, you could get into panic driven fire-fighting mode. With a job today, your fear of losing it might drive you into a half-hearted effort to do something. In the safety of your job, you can plan for your progression to become independent. Tech skills are just one small part of the progression. Read books (or watch videos or listen to podcasts) about entrepreneurship, sales and/or people. Learn about finance and good financial mindset - it helps in the long run too. Take a notepad or use boards like Trello and keep writing the ideas that come to you, what you want to do, how will you achieve it, what problem it solves for you and others. Then prioritize and do the practical stuff one step at a time. That list will never come to an end. Other than a house mortgage, stay away from debt and even the house mortgage should be low or reduced. Consulting for someone or some company is a good way to make yourself financially independent/safe sooner. But unless you enjoy it, do not stay with that too long. It consumes you and it is a different mindset. I've seen people (including myself) not able to leave consulting for a long time. |