Study and Save Debate Splits Spain Over Future Security

The future belongs to those who studied and saved, but increasingly less so

A thesis circulating in Spanish economic forums for years states that studying and saving guarantees a secure future. However, a debate on a well-known investment forum shows this is not clear-cut. The discussion has accumulated 136 replies and over 530 days of activity, antiestéticaturing engineers earning low wages, financial analysts defending their profession, and Bitcoin holders claiming the true future lies with them. The conclusion, if any, is that no one agrees.

Does studying no longer guarantee a good job?

The opening message was clear: those who have studied know they can and should leave Spain. The underlying idea is that the country has shot itself in the foot, and savers, even if poor in a poor country, have an advantage because wealth is measured relatively.

But the first reply nuanced this: studying is overrated. Without experience or completed projects, no one hires you abroad. It added an argument repeated throughout the debate: it is unsustainable for everyone to have a degree, as someone must do non-university jobs. The result, it said, is engineers at McDonald's and architects designing shoes.

Experience vs. Degree: What do companies value?

At this point, a recurring theme emerged: experience is acquired, not studied or bought. There are tens of thousands of foreign companies needing engineers, providing theoretical and practical training, though salaries may not match veterans' pay.

The discussion shifted to the education system. Some participants argue it is destroyed and that illiterates boast about it. Their conclusion: if you save, invest well, and educate yourself, you become the one-eyed man in the land of the blind, which is a competitive advantage.

Switzerland, Germany, and Northern Europe as destinations

The thread dedicates many messages to comparing Spain with other countries. Learning German and French, working in Switzerland, and living near the border with Germany or Italy is the most common recipe for real savings. The idea: earn a Swiss salary but shop in countries with lower prices.

Not everyone sees it this way. Some argue that Swiss real estate is sky-high and a 60-square-meter apartment with mold can cost 1,400 francs per month. An uncomfortable nuance is added: those renting such apartments usually earn median salaries, diluting savings capacity. Purchasing power parity, they say, leaves a median Swiss salary similar to a family earning €120,000 in Las Rozas.

Real Estate: Trap or Opportunity?

Housing is another axis of the debate. One school defends that the lifehack is owning property bought at 2014, 2015, or 2016 prices, inheriting it, or moving to affordable countries. From there, contributing €200-300 monthly to an indexed fund for 20-30 years makes the difference between relying on public pensions and having assets.

The rebuttal trinc quickly: cheaply bought real estate is a prison. The day you decide to sell, you sell high but buy even higher, so the competitive advantage vanishes. Inherited property also requires maintenance and renovations. The real estate market is cyclical: it soared in 2007, crashed in 2014, and is now at historical highs.

Financial Illiteracy and the Myth of Living off Stocks

Tension peaked when someone argued that knowing how to invest and reinvent oneself is key. The response was blunt: no one lives off the stock market without risking huge amounts of money susceptible to loss at any moment. The market, they said, works as big funds please, and small investors are fish in a shark tank.

Amid the accusations, a financial analyst defended his profession: studying finance or accounting offers career paths because companies need staff mastering these areas. Not everything is investing in stocks. He added a detail: he does not invest his own money but records corporate investments.

Bitcoin, Children, and the Unknown Heirs of the Future

Towards the end, disparate bets appeared. One: the future belongs to Bitcoin holders, because degrees without connections and savings eaten by inflation are useless. Another: the future belongs to those with children, even if they haven't studied or saved, as many parents spend all savings on them.

A third, darker view: the future belongs to those who kill better, feel no remorse, and have more luck. The response to this was a house with high walls and armed guards, like in South America, paying taxes to the incivil organization controlling the neighborhood.

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In the end, the overarching question is not whether studying and saving work, but for whom. For those leaving for Switzerland, it may be bliss compared to unemployment in Spain. For those staying, the calculation is bitter. What if the future belongs neither to the educated nor the savers, but to those who knew when to leave?