We Trade Our Lives For Money

[sealybobo]

I heard this on the show Alone last night. The guy who won because he was able to survive the longest in the woods said it. The winner gets $500,000. Each of the contestants said the money would be life changing. That they'd never have to work again. One guy who dropped out cried at the idea he had to go back to drywalling. One woman lived in her car. If she won she was going to pimp out her car so it had a stove, refrigerator, etc...

It is so true. We spend our best years 8-5pm plus the commute. Luckily I don't have a commute I work from home. And a lot of times I can knock off at 4pm. I can even take my laptop to the hunting property or Florida and work anywhere in the USA really as long as I have internet connection. And I make good money. Still, just like everyone else, in the end I will have spent 40 years working 9 hour days. Ever add up all that time? What a waste. But if you like/love what you do it isn't as bad. And if you make a lot of money. But even my friends who are rich want to retire early. They don't care about the big salary once they have enough.

 

[sealybobo]

I used to drive 1 hour to work and 1 hour back 5 days a week. Thank god I work from home. And even if they called me back in the office, my work is only 7 minutes away.

Americans spend over 100 hours a year commuting

I bet I spent 400 hours a year when I worked 1 hour a way. 2 hours a day x 5 days is 10 hours a week. That's an extra day of work! I didn't mind it because I listened to radio and smoked weed. LOL. Still.

 

[pknopp]

You noted the problem but not the answer. I retired at 58. My wife was 55. Being retired is easily the best job I ever had.

You don't really need as much as the experts all claim. Granted I live in a low COL area and the wife and I planned ahead and got everything paid off so we owe nothing other than a monthly small C.C bill. (I put my gas and misc on it)

 

[TNHarley]

You noted the problem but not the answer. I retired at 58. My wife was 55. Being retired is easily the best job I ever had.

You don't really need as much as the experts all claim. Granted I live in a low COL area and the wife and I planned ahead and got everything paid off so we owe nothing other than a monthly small C.C bill. (I put my gas and misc on it)

Thats close to my plans. I set a lot of money back. I still got a while to go, but i will get there

 

[sealybobo]

You noted the problem but not the answer. I retired at 58. My wife was 55. Being retired is easily the best job I ever had.

You don't really need as much as the experts all claim. Granted I live in a low COL area and the wife and I planned ahead and got everything paid off so we owe nothing other than a monthly small C.C bill. (I put my gas and misc on it)

I'm planning on 62. As soon as I can draw SS. So 11 more years. I have a great job in 11 years I might not even stop. Why give up almost $100K if they allow me to work from anywhere.

I've actually thought about telling my boss that I want to go down to 4 hour work days in 11 years. Tell him he can cut my salary in half but keep my commissions the same. It's funny when you can't yet afford to retire you want so badly to get there but when you get there, you realize working isn't so bad. This isn't true for a lot of blue collar who do physical work. I just work on the internet and phone. It's easy and I'm paid well. Life sucks for low wage workers. Not only will they never save enough to retire, when they start to get older it's harder to do that physical work.

I just upped my work 401K another 10%. I have this annuity that I guess will pay me something like $500 a month when I retire. Plus social security. Plus other investments. I know I'll be ok but my brother worried me. He said with my lifestyle it will be about $25,000 a year to live MINIMUM. I just want to be sure I'm set. Plus one of my best friends just retired at 52 and my brother will probably retire when his youngest is done with college. Or sooner. So while I'm ahead of most people, I have friends who are ahead of me.

Plus the only other thing I want is a place in Florida. That will be a minimum of $150,000.

Or I could buy one of these and stay at a RV park overlooking the Gulf or Atlantic

Store it up north Michigan and every January drive it down to Florida then back in April.

 

[TNHarley]

I'm planning on 62. As soon as I can draw SS. So 11 more years. I have a great job in 11 years I might not even stop. Why give up almost $100K if they allow me to work from anywhere.

I've actually thought about telling my boss that I want to go down to 4 hour work days in 11 years. Tell him he can cut my salary in half but keep my commissions the same. It's funny when you can't yet afford to retire you want so badly to get there but when you get there, you realize working isn't so bad. This isn't true for a lot of blue collar who do physical work. I just work on the internet and phone. It's easy and I'm paid well. Life sucks for low wage workers. Not only will they never save enough to retire, when they start to get older it's harder to do that physical work.

I just upped my work 401K another 10%. I have this annuity that I guess will pay me something like $500 a month when I retire. Plus social security. Plus other investments. I know I'll be ok but my brother worried me. He said with my lifestyle it will be about $25,000 a year to live MINIMUM. I just want to be sure I'm set. Plus one of my best friends just retired at 52 and my brother will probably retire when his youngest is done with college. Or sooner. So while I'm ahead of most people, I have friends who are ahead of me.

Plus the only other thing I want is a place in Florida. That will be a minimum of $150,000.

Or I could buy one of these and stay at a RV park overlooking the Gulf or Atlantic

View attachment 528392
View attachment 528393

Store it up north Michigan and every January drive it down to Florida then back in April.

That has crossed my mind; sell my house and shit, buy an awesome rv and live wherever in the hell i want. Leave when i want. Then, when im too old to move around like that, settle in a nice senior village and prepare for death.

 

[pknopp]

I'm planning on 62. As soon as I can draw SS. So 11 more years. I have a great job in 11 years I might not even stop. Why give up almost $100K if they allow me to work from anywhere.

I've actually thought about telling my boss that I want to go down to 4 hour work days in 11 years. Tell him he can cut my salary in half but keep my commissions the same. It's funny when you can't yet afford to retire you want so badly to get there but when you get there, you realize working isn't so bad. This isn't true for a lot of blue collar who do physical work. I just work on the internet and phone. It's easy and I'm paid well. Life sucks for low wage workers. Not only will they never save enough to retire, when they start to get older it's harder to do that physical work.

I just upped my work 401K another 10%. I have this annuity that I guess will pay me something like $500 a month when I retire. Plus social security. Plus other investments. I know I'll be ok but my brother worried me. He said with my lifestyle it will be about $25,000 a year to live MINIMUM. I just want to be sure I'm set. Plus one of my best friends just retired at 52 and my brother will probably retire when his youngest is done with college. Or sooner. So while I'm ahead of most people, I have friends who are ahead of me.

Plus the only other thing I want is a place in Florida. That will be a minimum of $150,000.

Or I could buy one of these and stay at a RV park overlooking the Gulf or Atlantic

View attachment 528392
View attachment 528393

Store it up north Michigan and every January drive it down to Florida then back in April.

If you really like your job it's all different. I can understand why someone doesn't want to stop doing what they like to do.

Before I retired it was obvious where I worked was going to be short handed. I got out before they started really forcing forced overtime but I did make them an offer. I worked 12 hour rotating shifts. Basically 14 days a month. Myself and another guy said we would stay on but only work 7 each. They weren't interested.

Now they have been begging those retired to come in and work whatever schedule would work for us. I bought an inexpensive motorhome (a 1987 Nissan Odyssey). So I have gone in around 3 times a month and use that money for camp fee's and gas and etc.

 

[sealybobo]

That has crossed my mind; sell my house and shit, buy an awesome rv and live wherever in the hell i want. Leave when i want. Then, when im too old to move around like that, settle in a nice senior village and prepare for death.

I'm going to keep my condo on the lake here in MI. I only paid $58,000 for it in the 90's. I'll never move. Where could I go? But I need a place in Florida. So I can either buy one for let's say $150,000 and pay $5000 a year in bills for it, or I could buy an RV. I live in metro Detroit. My brother has a hunting property up north MI. So I can keep the RV stored there next to the barn from April-December. Live in MI from April-December. Why December? I hunt October to Jan 1. And if I shoot my deer early, maybe I leave in November instead of January 1. If I haven't shot a big Buck, I'll stay.

Thank God my brother has that property. If he didn't I would just hunt state land near by but man is his 65 acre spread amazing. He build a big lodge type home on it and put a cute red barn recently. He rich.

His wife also has a place in Greece. I can see myself going once or twice when I'm older but no more than that. I went in 1999 and it wasn't worth the $.

You're making me think the RV is the way to go. F250 truck and a RV. Not the kind of RV that is a car and RV all in one. I want to detach it and use the truck to get around.

It's nice to dream. Or plan. If you plan dreams become reality.

 

[sealybobo]

If you really like your job it's all different. I can understand why someone doesn't want to stop doing what they like to do.

Before I retired it was obvious where I worked was going to be short handed. I got out before they started really forcing forced overtime but I did make them an offer. I worked 12 hour rotating shifts. Basically 14 days a month. Myself and another guy said we would stay on but only work 7 each. They weren't interested.

Now they have been begging those retired to come in and work whatever schedule would work for us. I bought an inexpensive motorhome (a 1987 Nissan Odyssey). So I have gone in around 3 times a month and use that money for camp fee's and gas and etc.

View attachment 528394

My buddy just retired at 52. Next year his wife will retire. They are going to buy a boat and do the Great American Loop. I'm so jealous. So they will start here in Michigan, Great Lakes to the Mississippi to the Gulf to the east coast up to NY and the St. Lawrence river that will take them right back to Michigan.

 

[TNHarley]

I'm going to keep my condo on the lake here in MI. I only paid $58,000 for it in the 90's. I'll never move. Where could I go? But I need a place in Florida. So I can either buy one for let's say $150,000 and pay $5000 a year in bills for it, or I could buy an RV. I live in metro Detroit. My brother has a hunting property up north MI. So I can keep the RV stored there next to the barn from April-December. Live in MI from April-December. Why December? I hunt October to Jan 1. And if I shoot my deer early, maybe I leave in November instead of January 1. If I haven't shot a big Buck, I'll stay.

Thank God my brother has that property. If he didn't I would just hunt state land near by but man is his 65 acre spread amazing. He build a big lodge type home on it and put a cute red barn recently. He rich.

His wife also has a place in Greece. I can see myself going once or twice when I'm older but no more than that. I went in 1999 and it wasn't worth the $.

You're making me think the RV is the way to go. F250 truck and a RV. Not the kind of RV that is a car and RV all in one. I want to detach it and use the truck to get around.

It's nice to dream. Or plan. If you plan dreams become reality.

Or a bed camper. Those are nice.
I like those converted 4wd vans too. I love to overland lol

 

[fncceo]

 

[Woodznutz]

What you do for a living is a big part of who you are. Jes' sayin'.

 

[Brick Gold]

My plans are in motion and should resolve themselves this year as far as reaching my financial and income goals during this phase of my life. I havent traded my life for money but I continue to inch my way towards earning my money in a manner that makes me happy. If I can hit $100,000 a year before I'm 45 I will definitely be where I want and I wont be making personal sacrifices either. No stress work

 

[Brick Gold]

That has crossed my mind; sell my house and shit, buy an awesome rv and live wherever in the hell i want. Leave when i want. Then, when im too old to move around like that, settle in a nice senior village and prepare for death.

I looked up the RV park down the road here, $900.00 a month for a standard lot. Looked up used RV prices, $5000.00 to start. So, altogether, $16,000 a year sounds like a deal if you like camping. Thats cheaper than my rent right now.

 

[braalian]

The most important jobs in any society will never be able to be done from home on a laptop.

Police officers? Fire fighters? Doctors? Nurses?

Remote teaching of children has been a complete failure.

Houses can’t be built remotely, or roads fixed.

The hoopla about some sort of shift to working from home is overblown and tiresome. It’s a fad.

 

[WinterBorn]

I'm going to keep my condo on the lake here in MI. I only paid $58,000 for it in the 90's. I'll never move. Where could I go? But I need a place in Florida. So I can either buy one for let's say $150,000 and pay $5000 a year in bills for it, or I could buy an RV. I live in metro Detroit. My brother has a hunting property up north MI. So I can keep the RV stored there next to the barn from April-December. Live in MI from April-December. Why December? I hunt October to Jan 1. And if I shoot my deer early, maybe I leave in November instead of January 1. If I haven't shot a big Buck, I'll stay.

Thank God my brother has that property. If he didn't I would just hunt state land near by but man is his 65 acre spread amazing. He build a big lodge type home on it and put a cute red barn recently. He rich.

His wife also has a place in Greece. I can see myself going once or twice when I'm older but no more than that. I went in 1999 and it wasn't worth the $.

You're making me think the RV is the way to go. F250 truck and a RV. Not the kind of RV that is a car and RV all in one. I want to detach it and use the truck to get around.

It's nice to dream. Or plan. If you plan dreams become reality.

I prefer a towed RV, because I like having my truck for transportation. Right now the market for RVs is shit. Everyone went and bought one for the covid quarantine. In a year the market will be flooded with cheap, used RVs. We are looking at another A-frame pop-up or a bigger travel trailer.

 

[WinterBorn]

The most important jobs in any society will never be able to be done from home on a laptop.

Police officers? Fire fighters? Doctors? Nurses?

Remote teaching of children has been a complete failure.

Houses can’t be built remotely, or roads fixed.

The hoopla about some sort of shift to working from home is overblown and tiresome. It’s a fad.

There are a lot of jobs that cannot be done remotely. But there are tons of them that can. So much office/computer work can be done from anywhere. It may be tiresome to you, but it is ushering in a new chapter in the working world.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

What you do for a living is a big part of who you are. Jes' sayin'.

That is very much an American thing.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

The most important jobs in any society will never be able to be done from home on a laptop.

Police officers? Fire fighters? Doctors? Nurses?

Remote teaching of children has been a complete failure.

Houses can’t be built remotely, or roads fixed.

The hoopla about some sort of shift to working from home is overblown and tiresome. It’s a fad.

Not a fad, but as you point out not everyone can do it.

But the companies that can will save a lot of money allowing it to happen. A buddy of mine is a CS rep for ATT. He is now full time remote along with 50% of those working for ATT out of St Louis. Now ATT saves money on rented office space that they have found was not necessary.

My brother is an architect. When COVID hit they were sent home to work. During that time he sold his house in the city and moved 75 miles out into the country. Last Aug his company said it was time to come back to the office. He told them if they did that he would find a new job. They said "where can we ship your office chair to". Now he only leaves to go to the worksites for the hospitals he designed.

This "fad" as you put it is here to stay.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

There are a lot of jobs that cannot be done remotely. But there are tons of them that can. So much office/computer work can be done from anywhere. It may be tiresome to you, but it is ushering in a new chapter in the working world.

I am just glad I am not in the commercial real estate business right now