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Trading for a living

  • #1
  • First Post: Edited Dec 10, 2025 4:14pm Sep 15, 2025 10:59am | Edited Dec 10, 2025 4:14pm
Hey everyone,

I’m starting this thread for anyone interested in what it really takes to make a living from trading. No hype — just honest discussion, real experiences, and practical ideas.

Let’s share insights on:

  1. dealing with inconsistent income
  2. managing risk when trading is your main job
  3. handling drawdowns
  4. building a routine and mindset that supports long-term success
  5. strategies that actually hold up

What’s the biggest challenge you face on the path to trading full-time?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

  • #2
  • Sep 15, 2025 11:15am Sep 15, 2025 11:15am
That’s the harsh reality! There is no guarantee for your hard-work and commitment! I don’t know about your learning process! But for me, it was all about simulation for building my edge! It took more than 3.5 years, to understand the logic of multiple time frame based movements!

But believe me, after 1 year of back testing, I though; I learned everything; but the reality was diffident! I tried more and more and failed most of the time!

Till now the area of my improvement is huge! By the way, from my 1st day of trading till now only focus on only GOLD! Just only one pair; this trick helped me a lot to be a focused trader!
For Gold, NY session offers superior tradability compared to London.
  • #3
  • Sep 15, 2025 4:39pm Sep 15, 2025 4:39pm
Quoting Noisy
Hello, I'm starting this topic because I'm not really making any progress despite years of intensive effort and am looking for people who make a living from their trading, in the sense that they achieve a reliable minimum return on a monthly or at least quarterly basis without having to rely on other income streams to cover their living expenses.
Even great traders of ages that I know all of them trade stocks , not currency pairs
  • #4
  • Sep 16, 2025 1:20am Sep 16, 2025 1:20am
Most people fail because they want to trade everything. Focus on 1 pattern. That's all you need. Then, stick to it. Anything else is meaningless to you.
  • #5
  • Sep 16, 2025 1:33am Sep 16, 2025 1:33am
Quoting Noisy
Hello, I'm starting this topic because I'm not really making any progress despite years of intensive effort and am looking for people who make a living from their trading, in the sense that they achieve a reliable minimum return on a monthly or at least quarterly basis without having to rely on other income streams to cover their living expenses.

Trading for a Living is a book title ...

its contents and what you do that matters.

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Honesty is a very expensive gift. You wont find it in cheap people.WBuffett
  • #6
  • Sep 16, 2025 2:01am Sep 16, 2025 2:01am
Quoting Noisy
Hello, I'm starting this topic because I'm not really making any progress despite years of intensive effort and am looking for people who make a living from their trading, in the sense that they achieve a reliable minimum return on a monthly or at least quarterly basis without having to rely on other income streams to cover their living expenses.
am looking for people who make a living from their trading,

I do
  • #7
  • Sep 16, 2025 7:26am Sep 16, 2025 7:26am
Quoting starpyramid7
{quote} Even great traders of ages that I know all of them trade stocks , not currency pairs
The maximum leverage available in stock trading usually extends to between 1:2, and 1:5. There lies a big secret to trading profitably. Your risk is much less than with other instruments such as forex.
The hold strategy works in the long term, so long as you time the entry correctly.
Yes, is possible to trade for a living but it takes time.

Trade well!
  • #8
  • Sep 16, 2025 11:14am Sep 16, 2025 11:14am
Quoting zkchyo
Most people fail because they want to trade everything. Focus on 1 pattern. That's all you need. Then, stick to it. Anything else is meaningless to you.
That's what I'm trying to do, but so far, it hasn't shown that it's producing the desired results. It always sounds good in theory, but it should also prove itself in practice. I'm otherwise also a big advocate of keeping things as simple as possible so you can focus on one thing instead of trying to do everything.
  • #9
  • Sep 16, 2025 11:34am Sep 16, 2025 11:34am
Quoting T721
{quote} am looking for people who make a living from their trading, I do
How much money do you need to be able to make a living from trading, and at what intervals do you need to be able to rely on achieving this amount?

For me to be able to make a living from trading, I would need at least €5,000 a month, which I could transfer solely from my trading profits. Since I don't own any property and have a lot of fixed costs that all have to be paid monthly, a profit I make at the end of the year would do little to solve the problem.

I constantly hear professional traders talk/write, that a consistent minimum return is utopian/unrealistic, especially in the short term (every month). However, I then wonder how else one can live off pure trading profits, especially when, as in my case, these costs have to be covered monthly, regardless of whether I had a negative or profitable trading month. A large savings account to bridge one or more months of negative results is desirable, but what if you don't have one?

In my example of a required monthly cash flow of €5,000, I would need at least a constant 5% monthly return on a €100,000 account, 2.5% on a €200,000 account, or 1% on a €500,000 account.
  • #10
  • Sep 16, 2025 12:41pm Sep 16, 2025 12:41pm
Quoting Noisy
{quote} How much money do you need to be able to make a living from trading, and at what intervals do you need to be able to rely on achieving this amount? For me to be able to make a living from trading, I would need at least €5,000 a month, which I could transfer solely from my trading profits. Since I don't own any property and have a lot of fixed costs that all have to be paid monthly, a profit I make at the end of the year would do little to solve the problem. I constantly hear professional traders talk/write, that a consistent minimum return...
No point wasting my time going over theoretical figures with you... you prolly dont have a 100k, 200k account but 5% per mnth is more than achievable. Send me dm and i will go over a few things on zoom if you like and if i get time
  • #11
  • Sep 16, 2025 1:07pm Sep 16, 2025 1:07pm
Quoting T721
{quote} No point wasting my time going over theoretical figures with you... you prolly dont have a 100k, 200k account but 5% per mnth is more than achievable. Send me dm and i will go over a few things on zoom if you like and if i get time
I started this thread for an open discussion and to gather ideas and experiences on how people manage to make a living from trading. Not in the mood for Zoom calls right now.
  • #12
  • Sep 16, 2025 5:27pm Sep 16, 2025 5:27pm
Quoting Noisy
{quote} How much money do you need to be able to make a living from trading, and at what intervals do you need to be able to rely on achieving this amount? For me to be able to make a living from trading, I would need at least €5,000 a month, which I could transfer solely from my trading profits. Since I don't own any property and have a lot of fixed costs that all have to be paid monthly, a profit I make at the end of the year would do little to solve the problem. I constantly hear professional traders talk/write, that a consistent minimum return...
1. You need to own a property as your asset class to have a roof over your head and that can also generate you rental income.

2. You need savings of at least 36 months to sustain all your living expenses.

3. You need to develop a trading system that fit you which will help you generate the cash flow you need.

4. Plan your retirement early.

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a trading account deposit of Eur10,000 can take you a long way if you risk Euro500 per trade and achieve a Statistical Winning Edge over a series of 1,000 trades.

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...
Honesty is a very expensive gift. You wont find it in cheap people.WBuffett
  • #13
  • Sep 16, 2025 6:05pm Sep 16, 2025 6:05pm
Quoting Noisy
{quote} How much money do you need to be able to make a living from trading, and at what intervals do you need to be able to rely on achieving this amount? For me to be able to make a living from trading, I would need at least €5,000 a month, which I could transfer solely from my trading profits. Since I don't own any property and have a lot of fixed costs that all have to be paid monthly, a profit I make at the end of the year would do little to solve the problem. I constantly hear professional traders talk/write, that a consistent minimum return...
I'm sorry to butt in, but I'm astonishing of monthly expenses of 5K month. I live in Indonesia, and your monthly expenses can cover a YEAR in here, well, maybe half a year since you became an expatriate and not a local. But just for 500-1k$ a month can cover all your daily basic (food, rent, clothes) but don't include expensive entertainment (also alcohol is mostly banned here).
  • #14
  • Sep 16, 2025 6:25pm Sep 16, 2025 6:25pm
Quoting Noisy
{quote} I started this thread for an open discussion and to gather ideas and experiences on how people manage to make a living from trading. Not in the mood for Zoom calls right now.
i think if you want make living from trading,
first you must have the skill first and be consistent,
discipline and patience to wait your edge.
secondly you must have a decent capital.
if you expect small capital,
like me now, it take time to build , and it may many years, one thing can improve is get a job,
deposit every month with certain amount that wont affect your life to make your capital more big.
i am part time trader , and i also hopefully one day can achieve make living from trading.
PA Return This Week: 39.2%
  • #15
  • Sep 17, 2025 3:30am Sep 17, 2025 3:30am
Quoting Noisy
{quote} That's what I'm trying to do, but so far, it hasn't shown that it's producing the desired results. It always sounds good in theory, but it should also prove itself in practice. I'm otherwise also a big advocate of keeping things as simple as possible so you can focus on one thing instead of trying to do everything.
Correct me if I guess wrong. You find a pattern and get in with a fixed risk-reward ratio and wait to be stopped out or hit the tp? That's not a good idea. I don't know why most people treat trading like this. Too many theoretically fancy models on Youtube. It makes you think you could predict every swing of the move which is nonsense.
  • #16
  • Edited 6:54am Sep 17, 2025 5:07am | Edited 6:54am
Quoting eltegar
{quote} I'm sorry to butt in, but I'm astonishing of monthly expenses of 5K month. I live in Indonesia, and your monthly expenses can cover a YEAR in here, well, maybe half a year since you became an expatriate and not a local. But just for 500-1k$ a month can cover all your daily basic (food, rent, clothes) but don't include expensive entertainment (also alcohol is mostly banned here).
Well, I don't live in Indonesia and I don't plan on emigrating there either.

The cost of living in Germany is significantly higher than in Indonesia, with an average monthly cost of around €2,846 for a household in Germany compared to approximately $559 for a single person in Indonesia.

This is, of course, for an employee, not for a self-employed trader like me who wants to make a living from it.

Means:

- NO state pension
- NO company pension plan
- NO employer's share of social security contributions
- NO continued payment of wages in case of illness
- NO holiday/Christmas bonus

In my prime years as a self-employed person, I earned 160-180k a year (before taxes), and that's actually where I want to return to, at least with "trading for a living." Otherwise, I might as well just get a job somewhere else and have less time and less risk. Makes sense, right? I am now 40 years old and no longer have the time or desire to change my time for pennies.

Here are my current monthly expenses:

3 room apartment energy, and maintenance: 1,025 €
Private pension plan (as there is no state pension): 500,00 €
Health and personal care: approx. 450,00 €
Other important insurances (dental insurance, liability insurance, legal protection): approx. 350,00 €
Food and beverages: approx. 400,00 €
Transportation (I drive a small used car): approx. 350,00 €

I think there's a lot more to it that I can't think of right now (Subscriptions, travel, etc.) but where are we now? That's over 3,000 € in expenses that I have to cover every month, and God knows, that doesn't equate to a life of luxury. I don't drive a Lambo or live in a villa, not even a house with a garden. No pets, no children (luckily you can say that). My friends work 10 times less than I do and earn 3-10k/month gross, so they don't have to worry about private retirement savings or loss of income in the event of illness, etc.

Most of the people I see/read here seem to have absolutely no idea what it means to be able to make a sustainable living from trading or to be self-employed in general. That's why I started this thread. I'm actually looking for people who KNOW and can PROOF how they make a living from trading or at least give really helpful tips (not people surviving and living in third world countries or having X other sources of income on the side e.g selling Courses, EAs, Advertising, A retirement check, etc.) and call themselves „full-time“ traders doing this for a living.
  • #17
  • Sep 17, 2025 6:06am Sep 17, 2025 6:06am
Quoting emmanuel7788
1. You need to own a property as your asset class to have a roof over your head and that can also generate you rental income. 2. You need savings of at least 36 months to sustain all your living expenses. 3. You need to develop a trading system that fit you which will help you generate the cash flow you need. 4. Plan your retirement early.
That's nice and makes sense. Owning property is better than paying rent, but unfortunately you have to be able to afford it first. Real estate prices here have exploded over the last 20 years. Back in the DM era, my parents had built a small house (where I grew up) and paid 120,000 DM (around 60,000 EUR today). My younger sister has been looking for affordable housing for her small family with 2 children for a long time and she can't find anything decent under 500k. She earns quite well as a lawyer in the public service. About 8k gross per month and so does her husband. They can't afford this. How long should they pay off a loan like that? This is ridiculous.

In case you don't believe me. Here is a small townhouse near where I live currently for sale: https://www.immobilienscout24.de/expose/155365634#/

Cost: 879.000 €. Fun fact. Not much bigger than my current 3 room apartment...

Having 3 years of your annual expenses as savings. In my case that would mean at least 150k, which I definitely do NOT have. I currently have maybe 3 months of my monthly expenses in savings and a maximum of 25k for a personal trading account that I could still raise "somehow". One of the reasons why I look for prop trading companies is because there seems to be no other way to get the necessary trading capital (which is what it needs) in a relatively short period of time. I am not surrounded by rich family & friends or other investors who could help me out.

A trading system with an edge - Yes, that's right, that's probably the prerequisite for everything if you want to make a living from trading, but it's also anything but easy to find. I've been looking for this for 10-15 years...

I'm currently testing a very rigid and objective mechanical trading system around the opening range breakout theory (since that's what I'm most interested in instead of discretion or should we say "gambling style" of trading).
  • #18
  • Sep 17, 2025 6:15am Sep 17, 2025 6:15am
Quoting zkchyo
{quote} Correct me if I guess wrong. You find a pattern and get in with a fixed risk-reward ratio and wait to be stopped out or hit the tp? That's not a good idea. I don't know why most people treat trading like this. Too many theoretically fancy models on Youtube. It makes you think you could predict every swing of the move which is nonsense.
No, not quite right. See my last post regarding my current trading approach that I am testing. I also have a few Trade Explorers. The system currently trades several indices (DAX, FTSE, DOW, NAS, S&P500) in one account. I'm still unsure whether this makes sense since they are all very positively correlated and in the case of days where they all go in the same direction, this brings great profits, but in the case of all of them losses, this of course leads to higher risk / drawdown. The “pattern” (entry signal) is relatively “fixed” and the trade management is based on a volatility filter (ADR), trailing stops/profits, partial profits and a few other aspects.
  • #19
  • Sep 17, 2025 8:57am Sep 17, 2025 8:57am
Quoting Noisy
{quote} Here is a small townhouse near where I live currently for sale: https://www.immobilienscout24.de/expose/155365634#/ Cost: 879.000 €.
That is a nice place. Homes are costly there! You can get a fixer-upper in US for 100k USD or even a bit less if you have connections (many of those properties aren't listed), or a nice move-in ready place for 300K or less, provided it is outside of a metro area.

Regarding a trading system:
John J Murphy's book Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets (Formerly 'futures' markets). Won't help you with building an EA, but it will help you trade profitably.
Much of what is out there in print or online is a rebranding of what he covers in this book. While somewhat expensive, it is the best investment you can make, even if you don't pursue trading full time it will still pay for itself if you can bear reading it (it is lengthy).

Edit: EAs can not match a human's ability to recognize patterns. Discretionary trading need not be gambling in it's approach and execution, in fact, it is necessary to be profitable in varying market conditions (range-bound, trending).
"Wisdom is proved righteous by its works"
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