To afford personal education or a property? Where to allocate funds?

[hatshepsut93]

It brings the following question up: what is more valued in life: to be or to have? Does it make someone fulfilled to have while not being or being without having anything?

People have different priorities. Some value money above personal achievements, others have the opposite views. A person can be happier as a teacher with low income, instead of being a programmer, because they are doing what they love.

And even if trying to answer your question from a purely economic point of view, it will still vary from person to person. Sure, it can be highly efficient to invest the money while self-studying to become an IT specialist and earning more than people with a Ph. D., but think about long-term sustainability. IT work is not for everyone, many people burn out after a few years and don't want to work in that field anymore.

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[lionheart78]

I'll be prioritizing investing in my personal knowledge.  With knowledge comes the capability to be able to tap to more sources of income then when we have extra earnings we can buy the second option stated by @OP.  Learning is not only limited to getting a job as an employee, it will also give us knowledge about setting up own business or to become an entrepreneur.  The more we invest in our personal learnings the more we can have an option to earn more money.

[Iroh]

It actually depends on the preferences of the individual and what is perceived to be more important.
Having a higher level of education has for a long while been pursued with the notion that the degree gotten and only that, could land you a nice paying job that could set you up for life. Times have since changed and while having a formal education is still very important, they are good paying jobs that requires skills and expertise rather than a degree.

About what being more valued in life, it still has to do the choices of the individual. For some, possessions and assets acquired make them feel fulfilled which I find pitiful. Take away those possessions and their worth is gone.

[poodle63]

its relative to the person itself but i honestly will always allocate my money to something that could always grow in value and in this case is property, education you can get quite literally from anywhere nowadays.
reading book also sufficient enough to give you all the knowledge needed if you are committed and its near free.
but with property, you could hardly get it if you don't really allocate the funds, and if you see the trend, the value of property kept on rising, it will be great investment if you planning to own one.
meanwhile with education, there are more and more cheaper options that you could get, so I guess my decision would instantly be investing in property instead.

[Uruhara]

Let's suppose you have a limited budget which can be used only for one of the alternatives below:

What is the best investment, in your opinion? To use this money to pay for your education, so you can conclude a superior course and achieve a higher degree, having access to a wide jobs' market, or to use that money to acquire an apartment, house or piece of land, so you can make a passive income from this?

It brings the following question up: what is more valued in life: to be or to have? Does it make someone fulfilled to have while not being or being without having anything?

In fact, everyone knows that insight or education is a very important thing for everyone who hopes for a path to success in the future.

But remember that insight does not always have to be obtained from formal education which requires a lot of money. But it can also be obtained from absorbing insights from experience and also independent learning (self-taught).

Back to topic,
So, in a situation where I have to make a choice, whether to use the money to get a higher education (get a bachelor's degree or something like that) or instead use the money to buy property or something like that?

So I am very confident that I will choose to use the money to buy apartments, property or other things that can make me have income from it.

Because when I already have an income and have a lot of money, then after that I will use it to broaden my knowledge by entering the realm of education and getting the degree I want to support my business in the future.

That's the concept I chose. Earn money and then education. Because we have to realize that looking for work by relying on a higher education diploma nowadays will not be enough to be accepted. The fact that we have to realize is that to be accepted by a company, we also need more than a diploma, namely we need money, we need connections from people within and so on. So that many graduates end up having difficulty finding work. Because they lack relationships, lack money and lack experience.

Meanwhile, relationships, experience and money can only be obtained from business and direct work in the field. There are a lot of smart people out there who never even went to high school. But they become bosses in the company and employees are graduates. It's funny to see a boss who only graduated from elementary school but his employees are graduates with degrees.

[tabas]

Let's suppose you have a limited budget which can be used only for one of the alternatives below:

What is the best investment, in your opinion? To use this money to pay for your education, so you can conclude a superior course and achieve a higher degree, having access to a wide jobs' market, or to use that money to acquire an apartment, house or piece of land, so you can make a passive income from this?

A very tricky situation and question but if it's just me, considering the situation of the world where everything is becoming competitive. As much as I want to purchase the real estate and make an apartment out of it and because every year it appreciates, I'll still choose education.
Going with the first reason, the job market has been so competitive and that's why education and degree is what many companies are going to be impressed and get you an interview. But if we're going to talk about reality, if I can take and choose both I'd take them without any hesitation and I'll look for ways to pursue education while building that apartment now because sooner or later, the materials are going to be more expensive and the same goes with the labor and contracts, so all the cost will be more than next year than of today.

It brings the following question up: what is more valued in life: to be or to have?

To have, what you want to be is still not in your hands so whatever you have is what you need to take care of.

Does it make someone fulfilled to have while not being or being without having anything?

Looking at those experienced people, it seem to be a fulfilling thing when achieving something is what they prioritize. So, yes.

[noorman0]

-snip-
so you can conclude a superior course and achieve a higher degree, having access to a wide jobs' market,

In a life where the revolutionary fintech has opened up more job opportunities for people without a degree, is a degree really necessary or just optional? Education is an absolute necessity but it does not have to be pursued on a costly academic route.

However, I will not argue that the bad work culture in some parts of the world still uses degrees as a consideration for higher level job placement.

[alastantiger]

Let's suppose you have a limited budget which can be used only for one of the alternatives below:

What is the best investment, in your opinion? To use this money to pay for your education, so you can conclude a superior course and achieve a higher degree, having access to a wide jobs' market, or to use that money to acquire an apartment, house or piece of land, so you can make a passive income from this?

It brings the following question up: what is more valued in life: to be or to have? Does it make someone fulfilled to have while not being or being without having anything?

There is no one answer to this question. What is more off more priority. For me, my education is of more priority. It is the key to success. That is how I see. I would invest in quality education because I can always build a house, buy a piece of land and earn passively through it but for education, there is always an appointed time for it...you won't always have the cognitive ability as you age so get it while you are young. It 10x your odds at succeeding in life.

This is my opinion and I know so people would have their too but when we look at it, there would always be more than one way to earn passive income. There will always be a better model of an apartment, a better situated piece of land and what have you. So choose wisely.

[sheenshane]

IMO this depends on your specific goals and financial situation.  So if your primary goal is to maximize your income potential and career opportunities, investing in education may be the right choice, and pursuing a higher degree can lead to personal growth and development, expanding your knowledge and skills which your education typically doesn't lose value over time, unlike some investments like real estate.

At the age of 30 onwards, should you have your own business for the long-term purpose, the skills that you have you can use in your business that suit your skills.

[xSkylarx]

Let's suppose you have a limited budget which can be used only for one of the alternatives below:

What is the best investment, in your opinion? To use this money to pay for your education, so you can conclude a superior course and achieve a higher degree, having access to a wide jobs' market, or to use that money to acquire an apartment, house or piece of land, so you can make a passive income from this?

It brings the following question up: what is more valued in life: to be or to have? Does it make someone fulfilled to have while not being or being without having anything?

This topic seems interesting because, again, we used to have education ever since that is where our mind was trained to go to school and do education. It is also highly debatable because, first, if you choose an apartment over education, there is a possibility that you will miss managing it because you don't have proper education, unless the choice is between continuing college or doing the real estate business. Though right now it is really practical to choose to own an apartment, we are not sure if this will be profitable for you because you are still not knowledgeable about it.

[Darker45]

Do you love your career path? Do you see yourself in the near future climbing up the career ladder? Are you happy with your profession and you wish to improve it? If the answer is yes, then use the money for further education.

But if you are kind of tired working and wish to quit and just focus on something else, then use the money to buy a piece of land and build an apartment.

In the options to be or to have, however, to be is always the answer. Even in your decision not to pursue further studies and use your money instead to start a business, that is still in relation to the to be option. That is still for you to be living a happy life.

[Afnan_faizah]

education is very important but make sure that we are serious about this. maybe if we have tittle or certificate then it will ease us to get job but the most important thing is knowledge and skill that we can use. I think knowledge or skill can change our life to be better.

[The Sceptical Chymist]

It brings the following question up: what is more valued in life: to be or to have? Does it make someone fulfilled to have while not being or being without having anything?

Those are two very separate questions you're asking, though they're somewhat related. 

My opinion is that if you're saving for something you're going to have to pay for in the medium-term (like tuition or real estate as you mentioned), I wouldn't invest your money in anything like the stock market or crypto--it's just way too risky, and with those expenses you need to be certain you're going to have the funds.  Something like a money market account or a CD at a bank would probably be the best way to go, because you'd at least be earning some interest while keeping your savings secure.  But I can only say that about my country; I don't know how trustworthy banks are in other countries or how much interest they're paying.

As to the question of 'being vs. having' I'm going to suggest that if you've got children that you might want to leave an inheritance to, being acquisitive isn't a bad thing--and that would also go for anyone who is even planning on having a family but doesn't yet.  But what's good for one's soul?  Being able to do something in your life that has meaning for you.  If that happens to be your career, all the better.  And boy oh boy that's been an issue I've wrestled with my entire life.  Eek.

[Smack That Ace]

IMO degree is worthless and you can always learn from free resources, but other options aren't about investing as well, since apartments & houses aren't a good investment compared to doing business or even putting your money in some investment plan. Don't forget that if you choose higher education, you'll still need to cover your daily expenses, books, clothes, etc. so it's worse than owning a house considering the costs along the way. You might be able to afford your daily expenses if you rent your extra house while learning by yourself and working to get some experience, but that option will vanish if you choose the formal education option. And the output? It's not guaranteed that you'll get a good job with the certificate. It's not worth it.

Degrees will become useless if your goal is to find ways to get a degree while your knowledge is still empty. Many countries are suffering from achievement disease in education, they not caring about the quality of education. Teachers and students are only passionate about pursuing degrees but forget about practical knowledge, making university degrees useless. But if you are serious about your knowledge then when you graduate you will never have to worry about a job. In my country, really good students are always sought after by top companies even before they graduate. There are people who graduate from school and are unemployed because they only pursue achievements with a degree but have empty knowledge. If you were a business owner, would you want to hire those useless guys? Don't blame education when that useless is of our own making. Education and degrees are never in vain, only those who do not know how to apply properly are useless.

[Don Pedro Dinero]

If you are in an education stage, the biggest ROI you are going to get is by investing in yourself, that is, in education, studying something that is useful in the marketplace. If what you want to study is something that you are not going to get paid for in the marketplace or you are not going to get paid well, it is almost better to invest the money and dedicate yourself to it as a hobby, without training.

If you train in something that you like and at the same time is useful and pays well, you will be able to buy property in the future with the money you earn.

[dothebeats]

Much like what most of the replies here have stated, the answer depends on the situation of the one choosing. For example, for me, I'd rather choose education specifically in a field that will give me many opportunities. An educational degree that can open paths for business, above minimum wage, and good investments is a good degree to consider. Moreover, education can be used in various situations especially if an opportunity presents itself to you, essentially with education, you will have the knowledge on whether or not you should pursue an investment, business, or job instead of going blindly into something. Additionally, if we are being real here, education affects our image; and how the public sees and treats us. Even during work interviews, business proposals/transactions, and investments, the people we interact with can base their judgment of trust and skill evaluation on our educational background.

However, as I stated earlier, this is my personal answer. I'm sure there are those that will choose to allocate their funds on other things such as businesses and investments.

[Ahli38]

I've made the wrong choice in my life.In the past, I spent a lot of money to get a higher education at university. I didn't think that I would run out of capital when I graduated from college. So if I had to do it all over again I would prefer to spend my money on a field where I can make more money. Because I realize that to get a higher education we must first have good enough finances. So I would prefer to build my finances first. Because isn't the purpose of higher education also to be able to get a better life when you graduate? But that doesn't mean education isn't important. Well that's important. Only if it is in the options as asked by the OP. So putting money first in the fields that make money would be better.

[LogitechMouse]

What is the best investment, in your opinion? To use this money to pay for your education, so you can conclude a superior course and achieve a higher degree, having access to a wide jobs' market, or to use that money to acquire an apartment, house or piece of land, so you can make a passive income from this?

It brings the following question up: what is more valued in life: to be or to have? Does it make someone fulfilled to have while not being or being without having anything?

TBH, it's very subjective question, and for sure, users here have different perspective when it comes to this topic.

There will be some who wanted to finish their school, and graduate from college so that they can secure themselves for many years to come thru having a stable job because what we believe is that, if you finish college, you will have a higher chance of getting a job as most of the companies are hiring college graduates. On the other hand, there are some people here who prefer doing business thus, acquiring an apartment/s, refurnishing it, then advertise it online, so they can get passive income thru rental income.

What will I choose between the 2? TBH it's hard, but I'm the kind of guy that don't value education that much. I've seen many people who didn't graduate from college, but now are successful in their life. I've seen people who are only graduated from secondary, but became rich. In terms of success in life, knowing how to multiply your money is far better than finishing your education. There are little to no schools out there who are teaching financial education to their students, and I believe that if you know how to handle money, you will be successful in life.

I don't disvaluing degree, because I still believe that it's still essential to one's life, but I'd rather have a money, then buy something and have a passive income from it, than spending too much money studying, and in the end, your chances of getting a job and earn is slim.

[HajiBagi]

I think it depends on where you are in life and what you want because that's going to be a reflection of who you are. If you want to help people and share knowledge on what you have learned, you would probably get a higher degree. If you only think about yourself and just want to earn money, then acquire assets.

Know what you value in life. Personally, I love to learn and knowledge is very important to me that's why I would want to have a higher degree.

Your plan is not bad, but it depends on the country you live in, as there are some where a higher degree is meaningless. I made that statement because in some countries you will study to the point where you will earn more than a degree, but at the same time you won't have a job or anything to do, which means that all the money you have been spending on your education is wasted. Despite the fact that everyone should value education, young men in particular should do so because no one can predict what the future may bring, I will decided that this time around I would prefer to put my money into an investment that will increase my income so that I may continue to enjoy my studies.

Getting a degree is not something you can do on your own because you will need to spend a lot of money on necessary items. In my opinion, it would be better to use that money to start a business that would allow me to make more money than I would need to start something good for myself since many young people in some countries still lack employment after receiving their degrees.

[Husires]

Age is a key player in such choices. If you are under 25 years old, education is very important to you because after a good education and about 6 years of experience, you will find the ideal job and good work. But if you are 35 or 40 years old, even if your university education increases, there are additional living burdens from family burdens or obligations such as marriage and building a family, helping your brothers, and so on.
Sometimes combining education with labor market skills is an option, as you can learn marketing, entrepreneurship, and digital investment while learning more about Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies and investing in them, as it is very likely that the price of Bitcoin will double over the next year, and it is easy to get double the amount if you decide to invest.