It's weird how a long weekend can throw your schedule off. We working slouches work for the weekends and when a long one comes we are in heaven.
I didn't get to chance to relax all weekend, but did get some good BBQing in and a great day with the family along the beach. The rest of the time was home reno work and dragging my feet. Enjoying the slower pace.
I meant to post yesterday, but i feel a little off because of the weekend or something. There is still a lot of work to do at the house, we seem to keep running out of things we need, groceries, etc. Rushing around at lunchtime and not finding what I'm looking for is getting to me. There never seems to be enough time to get things to done.
This brings me to the value of free time. Making six figures and working long hours unless being a work-a-holic turns your crank of course... just doesn't cut it in my book if you have to time to do the things you value. Right now I value time with my family. One day I will get the bulk of my home reno work done and I will be able to play more with my daughter and hang out with my wife. The renos are a necessary evil to get the house finished in the way we want to live, just as working for a paycheck is a necessary evil to pay for the renos and mortgage.
I do so look forward to getting rid of the dependance on a job and getting large reno projects finished.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
The youth of today
I was young once.
Yes, that is a strange way to start a post but it is true. I've been pondering the talk these days going round that the youth of today have it harder. I wouldn't exactly say the youth of today have it harder, I would say that youth have always had it hard. It takes hard work to succeed and to make a living.
I read with interest Rob Carrick's article which published the cry for help of a 29 year old. I then read an interesting interpretation from the Financial Post.
I was in some ways like the young writer. When I started my working career, I made under $30,000. Now 15 years later at the same company I have managed to double that thereabouts. I felt underpaid then and still feel underpaid now. I think everyone feels the same way. There needs to be some objectivity about what your work is worth in an industry at a certain time. When i graduated from College, due to a slow economy I decided to may a diversion in careers. You do what you must to make a living you know! While the work was different from my chosen field, I did get to use some of the similar skills I learned. The work was even interesting and enjoyable.
My point is that you have to make your way and adapt to get through life. To complain like the world owes you something is pointless.
To feel helpless that you can't marry and so forth is just defeatist. Getting together with someone else is one of the best financial decisions you can make. It not just romantic reasons you hitch up with someone. I know we don't think of it that way usually, I certainly wasn't thinking of my wife as part of my financial plan when I fell for her. Your combined resources, not just the financial ones will make you bother stronger and wealthier in every sense of the word. How did this post get so profound? The point is, I never realized that when I felt so poor 10 to 15 years ago, I was not that bad off and I think the young writer needs to realize this. We put off things like buying a house and having children because we felt like we could not afford it. perhaps that caution was warranted, but I now feel we could have moved faster. Regrets? No, just live and learn.
I wish the young writer good luck, they will find their way as long as they don't despair and look for easy answers.
Yes, that is a strange way to start a post but it is true. I've been pondering the talk these days going round that the youth of today have it harder. I wouldn't exactly say the youth of today have it harder, I would say that youth have always had it hard. It takes hard work to succeed and to make a living.
I read with interest Rob Carrick's article which published the cry for help of a 29 year old. I then read an interesting interpretation from the Financial Post.
I was in some ways like the young writer. When I started my working career, I made under $30,000. Now 15 years later at the same company I have managed to double that thereabouts. I felt underpaid then and still feel underpaid now. I think everyone feels the same way. There needs to be some objectivity about what your work is worth in an industry at a certain time. When i graduated from College, due to a slow economy I decided to may a diversion in careers. You do what you must to make a living you know! While the work was different from my chosen field, I did get to use some of the similar skills I learned. The work was even interesting and enjoyable.
My point is that you have to make your way and adapt to get through life. To complain like the world owes you something is pointless.
To feel helpless that you can't marry and so forth is just defeatist. Getting together with someone else is one of the best financial decisions you can make. It not just romantic reasons you hitch up with someone. I know we don't think of it that way usually, I certainly wasn't thinking of my wife as part of my financial plan when I fell for her. Your combined resources, not just the financial ones will make you bother stronger and wealthier in every sense of the word. How did this post get so profound? The point is, I never realized that when I felt so poor 10 to 15 years ago, I was not that bad off and I think the young writer needs to realize this. We put off things like buying a house and having children because we felt like we could not afford it. perhaps that caution was warranted, but I now feel we could have moved faster. Regrets? No, just live and learn.
I wish the young writer good luck, they will find their way as long as they don't despair and look for easy answers.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Banking mobsters
Is this really how lame our discourse on banking the financial problems we are currently in has come to? Victoria, I feel is just a puppet of her marxist parents.
How does anyone take a child seriously talking about complicated international financial topics? The article writer does a good job setting the record straight. Unfortunately I fear the viral crazed masses may find this sort of catchy bit of fluff interesting!
How does anyone take a child seriously talking about complicated international financial topics? The article writer does a good job setting the record straight. Unfortunately I fear the viral crazed masses may find this sort of catchy bit of fluff interesting!
The road to retirement
Today I start a journey to financial freedom at 45. I did not start this journey literally today, but I have decided that I will journal my thoughts, prognostications, theories and other miscellaneous financial missives as of today.
I will say that 45 was not my original retirement goal, but a decision between my wife and myself to start a family changed the calculations I slaved over. Obviously we now have to make allowances to family spending now, so I am hopeful that 45 will be doable.
I should make it clear my definition of retirement. I consider it the ability to leave my current place of work and to spend my time as I see fit. I want to be able to see my children grow up and have more actual day to day input in their lives. That does not mean I will not work ever again, but I may find something to do that I find more of a pleasure or hobby that can generate some income.
Now I will go into my a brief description of my plan. I call it a passive dividend strategy. For a few years now I have been changing my investing strategy to a primarily dividend stock approach to generate income for the future.
I will get into more detail and analysis about my journey to financial freedom as this blog progresses. Please join me if you wish.
Cheers,
James
I will say that 45 was not my original retirement goal, but a decision between my wife and myself to start a family changed the calculations I slaved over. Obviously we now have to make allowances to family spending now, so I am hopeful that 45 will be doable.
I should make it clear my definition of retirement. I consider it the ability to leave my current place of work and to spend my time as I see fit. I want to be able to see my children grow up and have more actual day to day input in their lives. That does not mean I will not work ever again, but I may find something to do that I find more of a pleasure or hobby that can generate some income.
Now I will go into my a brief description of my plan. I call it a passive dividend strategy. For a few years now I have been changing my investing strategy to a primarily dividend stock approach to generate income for the future.
I will get into more detail and analysis about my journey to financial freedom as this blog progresses. Please join me if you wish.
Cheers,
James
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