🧠 Is There a “dy/dx” Point in Life Where More Money Stops Adding Value?

[Mephist0pheLes]

For those who’ve been working for a while and experienced career progression and income growth:

Have you ever reached a point where earning more money either

a) brought diminishing returns to your quality of life, or
b) ceased to have any real or tangible utility?

In secondary school, we learnt dy/dx in Additional Mathematics — a way of measuring how fast something is changing. Think of it like this:

When you throw a ball into the air:

• It rises quickly at first (dy/dx > 0)
• Slows down
• Stalls at the peak (dy/dx = 0) — that’s the turning point
• Then starts falling (dy/dx < 0)

Now apply that analogy to money and life:

When you start earning more, everything improves — food, travel, lifestyle. But eventually, you might hit a plateau — a point where more income stops improving your life meaningfully.

That’s your dy/dx = 0 moment.

Examples:

• You hit six figures, but still eat cai png and take MRT.
• You save more, but don’t feel freer.
• You make more, but your time feels more “owned” than before.

Would love to hear from others:

• When did you feel this inflection point?
• What changed after? Did your mindset or priorities shift?
• How do you now think about wealth, time, and purpose?

Dy/dx jus show it is increasing/decreasing rite? to know if it is rising quickly or slowing, u need the 2nd derivative

 

[Zze121]

below, lvl 1, dxdy b4 hit 0, fulfil basic needs, 舍不得花
lvl 2, dxdy 0~1, above basic needs, 花得起
next lvl, 1~2 is 随便花
lvl 2~3 issh 花不完

 

[Mephist0pheLes]

For me it's not the income. It's the wealth level. Income helps accelerate net worth building. Once network reached a certain stage, my perspective on money kind of shifted. That figure is 1 mil for me. After hitting 1 mil, I changed from "saving more is better" to spending up to a budget.

 

[Sforthought]

For those who’ve been working for a while and experienced career progression and income growth:

Have you ever reached a point where earning more money either

a) brought diminishing returns to your quality of life, or
b) ceased to have any real or tangible utility?

In secondary school, we learnt dy/dx in Additional Mathematics — a way of measuring how fast something is changing. Think of it like this:

When you throw a ball into the air:

• It rises quickly at first (dy/dx > 0)
• Slows down
• Stalls at the peak (dy/dx = 0) — that’s the turning point
• Then starts falling (dy/dx < 0)

Now apply that analogy to money and life:

When you start earning more, everything improves — food, travel, lifestyle. But eventually, you might hit a plateau — a point where more income stops improving your life meaningfully.

That’s your dy/dx = 0 moment.

Examples:

• You hit six figures, but still eat cai png and take MRT.
• You save more, but don’t feel freer.
• You make more, but your time feels more “owned” than before.

Would love to hear from others:

• When did you feel this inflection point?
• What changed after? Did your mindset or priorities shift?
• How do you now think about wealth, time, and purpose?

This one la. i know what u mean. Good at first. Got even better. Then more = degrade.

https://ibb.co/SwbZHc7v

• When did you feel this inflection point? -> When i got greedy and want more. More = degrade
• What changed after? Did your mindset or priorities shift? -> I set a limit and try to stick to it. Once i set a limit, still got sometimes wanna go more but at least i got a reminder to pull back. Feel more relaxed.
• How do you now think about wealth, time, and purpose? -> v chim, need more think to process your qns.

 

[focus1974]

For those who’ve been working for a while and experienced career progression and income growth:

Have you ever reached a point where earning more money either

a) brought diminishing returns to your quality of life, or
b) ceased to have any real or tangible utility?

In secondary school, we learnt dy/dx in Additional Mathematics — a way of measuring how fast something is changing. Think of it like this:

When you throw a ball into the air:

• It rises quickly at first (dy/dx > 0)
• Slows down
• Stalls at the peak (dy/dx = 0) — that’s the turning point
• Then starts falling (dy/dx < 0)

Now apply that analogy to money and life:

When you start earning more, everything improves — food, travel, lifestyle. But eventually, you might hit a plateau — a point where more income stops improving your life meaningfully.

That’s your dy/dx = 0 moment.

Examples:

• You hit six figures, but still eat cai png and take MRT.
• You save more, but don’t feel freer.
• You make more, but your time feels more “owned” than before.

Would love to hear from others:

• When did you feel this inflection point?
• What changed after? Did your mindset or priorities shift?
• How do you now think about wealth, time, and purpose?

if you say like that.
most probably it's the point where you can afford at least the living standard of the top 1%.
so probably the point will be reached when you have a bungalow fully paid and still can maintain the lifestyle of your family at the top 1% level,

 

[jq75]

when u can go to sleep peacefully

Dy / Dx is differentiation

 

[NardinJohn]

Well, company bosses also "buy" their employees' time to manage company matters

lol your quote reminds me when my angered exboss said “then I hired you dor F use ah” haha

 

[khratit]

This one not financial leh

This one biological

 

[oncall-engineer]

There is, but depends.

I say single probably $100 pa. After that makes not much difference in life other than you pay back your house faster.

But if you suddenly windfall earn $500 pa, then yeah, the difference come back again but it depends u wanna upgrade or not.

U see I young time think want condo, want big house, want big car etc. But when it came to buying house. Taking into consideration cost, maintenance, and quality of life. Maybe a shoebox condo really enough le. Like house so big who clean for you? So many things for what?

So again, there is, but it depends. As you upgrade your life, you will spend more de, but nothing stopping u from earning more and stick with cai png and mrt. At least ur bank fat fat no scare.

But job wise, definitely there is a limit where you see diminishing returns. I feel that is usually 2 levels below director. Never go general manager level, not worth it de... if u still want to enjoy your life.

What’s with General manager level that is undesirable?

 

[RinoaX]

Yes there is

 

[mcylo]

with income, both salary and passive, the quality of my life become x^2

 

[Tiny Shrimp]

When your needs, and wants, are small, you can stop chasing money

 

[Tiny Shrimp]

For those who’ve been working for a while and experienced career progression and income growth:

Have you ever reached a point where earning more money either

a) brought diminishing returns to your quality of life, or
b) ceased to have any real or tangible utility?

In secondary school, we learnt dy/dx in Additional Mathematics — a way of measuring how fast something is changing. Think of it like this:

When you throw a ball into the air:

• It rises quickly at first (dy/dx > 0)
• Slows down
• Stalls at the peak (dy/dx = 0) — that’s the turning point
• Then starts falling (dy/dx < 0)

Now apply that analogy to money and life:

When you start earning more, everything improves — food, travel, lifestyle. But eventually, you might hit a plateau — a point where more income stops improving your life meaningfully.

That’s your dy/dx = 0 moment.

Examples:

• You hit six figures, but still eat cai png and take MRT.
• You save more, but don’t feel freer.
• You make more, but your time feels more “owned” than before.

Would love to hear from others:

• When did you feel this inflection point?
• What changed after? Did your mindset or priorities shift?
• How do you now think about wealth, time, and purpose?

Want to join moi tank?

 

[cranthir]

Yes there was such a point for me. Had over $800k cash. After satisfying some needs, the money just went inside a bank account and became a figure to look at, thats all. Any more of it didn't satisfy or add value.

very wise , agreed, same feeling

 

[neutralph]

Well money can buy time. Drive instead of MRT. Hire a domestic helper instead of doing the chores yourself.

It's more like saving one's time to something more "financially impactful" stuffs than the mundane ones.

If money can really buy time, then the rich practically can live forever?

 

[zzangiefzz]

For those who’ve been working for a while and experienced career progression and income growth:

Have you ever reached a point where earning more money either

a) brought diminishing returns to your quality of life, or
b) ceased to have any real or tangible utility?

In secondary school, we learnt dy/dx in Additional Mathematics — a way of measuring how fast something is changing. Think of it like this:

When you throw a ball into the air:

• It rises quickly at first (dy/dx > 0)
• Slows down
• Stalls at the peak (dy/dx = 0) — that’s the turning point
• Then starts falling (dy/dx < 0)

Now apply that analogy to money and life:

When you start earning more, everything improves — food, travel, lifestyle. But eventually, you might hit a plateau — a point where more income stops improving your life meaningfully.

That’s your dy/dx = 0 moment.

Examples:

• You hit six figures, but still eat cai png and take MRT.
• You save more, but don’t feel freer.
• You make more, but your time feels more “owned” than before.

Would love to hear from others:

• When did you feel this inflection point?
• What changed after? Did your mindset or priorities shift?
• How do you now think about wealth, time, and purpose?

dy/dx=0 can also be when someone is retrenched also,
the only way to ensure u keep making more money and still be happy is when u define your life correctly

 

[Dracky]

The utility of money is monotonic increasing. If you can't use it, donate it to your favourite cause or political party.

 

[tatsit]

The utility of money is monotonic increasing. If you can't use it, donate it to your favourite cause or political party.

i'm at the point where money was taken from me to fund political party

 

[Ubi-Warrior]

For those who’ve been working for a while and experienced career progression and income growth:

Have you ever reached a point where earning more money either

a) brought diminishing returns to your quality of life, or
b) ceased to have any real or tangible utility?

In secondary school, we learnt dy/dx in Additional Mathematics — a way of measuring how fast something is changing. Think of it like this:

When you throw a ball into the air:

• It rises quickly at first (dy/dx > 0)
• Slows down
• Stalls at the peak (dy/dx = 0) — that’s the turning point
• Then starts falling (dy/dx < 0)

Now apply that analogy to money and life:

When you start earning more, everything improves — food, travel, lifestyle. But eventually, you might hit a plateau — a point where more income stops improving your life meaningfully.

That’s your dy/dx = 0 moment.

Examples:

• You hit six figures, but still eat cai png and take MRT.
• You save more, but don’t feel freer.
• You make more, but your time feels more “owned” than before.

Would love to hear from others:

• When did you feel this inflection point?
• What changed after? Did your mindset or priorities shift?
• How do you now think about wealth, time, and purpose?

Powerful!

 

[oncall-engineer]

i'm at the point where money was taken from me to fund political party

Wow. You must be financially free now.