Where do you fall into the money vs time dilemma?

[riverwed070707]

I've been sitting with more time than money since I left my W2 last fall. I'm doing contract work an average of 25 hours a week and have a few houses under renovation that keep me fairly busy but I still have more free time than I've ever consistently had. Really loving being home when DD gets home from school every day and never having to miss a soccer game, but personally, I'm having a bit of a hard time falling into a routine and getting back into all the things I said I would do when I had more time. Job burn out is intense and I've spent more days struggling to get out of bed and look like a human than I have enjoying my new found free time. It's almost a bit depressing how much time I'm spending alone since my spouse and daughter aren't here to enjoy the free time with me

[disneysteve]

I've been sitting with more time than money since I left my W2 last fall. I'm doing contract work an average of 25 hours a week and have a few houses under renovation that keep me fairly busy but I still have more free time than I've ever consistently had. Really loving being home when DD gets home from school every day and never having to miss a soccer game, but personally, I'm having a bit of a hard time falling into a routine and getting back into all the things I said I would do when I had more time. Job burn out is intense and I've spent more days struggling to get out of bed and look like a human than I have enjoying my new found free time. It's almost a bit depressing how much time I'm spending alone since my spouse and daughter aren't here to enjoy the free time with me

It definitely takes time to develop a new routine. Even when I switched from full time to part time last fall, it took me about a month to figure out what to do with the extra time. Once I go per diem in August, it will be another adjustment. Plus in my case, I'm going to be ramping up my ebay business further so I need to schedule in shopping for inventory, listing, packing, shipping, etc.

As far as being alone, I'm personally okay with that but if you're not, find something social to do. Maybe some volunteer work. Or see if any local friends are available to meet for lunch occasionally. Or join a gym if you're so inclined. Take a class or two at your local community college. I have a friend who after retiring started auditing a class each semester. He picks all sorts of topics, things that have nothing to do with his career or previous interests. Not only has he learned a lot, he's also met many people, and it kind of makes him feel younger being around college students regularly.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Being alone is subjective or objective and one’s perspective. Lifelong single guy and love my freedom and peace and quiet wouldn’t change it for anything. Beats complaining, nagging, disagreeing, compromising, etc.

[myrdale]

"If you do the things you need to do, when you need to do them, then later you can do the thinks you want to do when you want to do them."

Work, budget, plan, prepare, schedule, live within your means, set expectations that match your circumstances, and most of all set your priorities. Doing this, I manage to do all of then things I need to do, and I still can do some of the things I want to do.

With as many hours as I put in, I still have time in the evenings to mess around the house, go to the gym, or hangout with friends during the week.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Myrdal that’s great that you can do all those things but that’s different from not having to work and yet being able to do as you please and having the funds to do it like Corn’s everyday is the same with the freedom to do what he wants.

[rennigade]

Myrdal that’s great that you can do all those things but that’s different from not having to work and yet being able to do as you please and having the funds to do it like Corn’s everyday is the same with the freedom to do what he wants.

Some people actually enjoy working. Some are very fulfilled with their work. They manage their time and can do things on the side they also enjoy. Different strokes for different folks. There isnt a one size fits all.

[QuarterMillionMan]

I have a millionaire high school friend who is an entrepreneur with a few businesses which hardly needs him to be present who travels the USA and posts vacation spots on facebook daily of videos of himself at the beach, hiking mountains, visiting zoos, theme parks, casinos, etc. He doesn't seem to work a day in his life. I would love to live in his shoes and not have to work. Yes people might be fulfilled working but I would be fulfilled not working if I could generate passive income like him. Everytime he is in my neck of the woods we coordinate to meet in Tijuana for adult entertainment. I can only go on my days off. He is free any day of the week and stays extended nights when I have to return to Los Angeles to work. Work sucks but it pays the bills so I have to do it. I would love to extend my stays like him and not have to keep a work schedule which gets into the way of my free time.

[QuarterMillionMan]

More on him, he drives new Hummers & big full size trucks to pull campers & toy haulers with ATVs, dirt bikes, e-bikes, etc. He owns property across the USA. He pays for boob jobs for his special girlfriends (lol). Money grows on trees for him.

[james.hendrickson]

More on him, he drives new Hummers & big full size trucks to pull campers & toy haulers with ATVs, dirt bikes, e-bikes, etc. He owns property across the USA. He pays for boob jobs for his special girlfriends (lol). Money grows on trees for him.

How does one get to be a millionaire by spending money on uneconomical cars and cosmetic surgery for your "girlfriends"? The reality most millionaires drive economical american cars and have thrify spouses. This is the finding from Stanley and Danko's The Millionaire Next Door.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Everyone would you rather be fulfilled working 40 hours or more a week or would you rather live like him? To me the answer is simple, I’d want to live like him.

[QuarterMillionMan]

He owns a car dealership and an ATV/motorcycle dealership.

[ua_guy]

Everyone would you rather be fulfilled working 40 hours or more a week or would you rather live like him? To me the answer is simple, I’d want to live like him.

This is an easy answer for me. Unless it's my own business, I'd rather not work for someone else for 40 hours+ per week, given the choice. Being tethered to an office 5 days per week or more isn't a great way to live, IMO. Sure, it pays the bills. I guess I find it hard that people thrive on that kind of schedule or in a captive environment like most work is. There's so much more to life.

I would make enjoyable use of my free time if I had more flexibility. I don't think I'd be driving flashy cars or partying, certainly not in TJ. What kind of life is that, if you have to pay for sex?

[myrdale]

How does one get to be a millionaire by spending money on uneconomical cars and cosmetic surgery for your "girlfriends"? The reality most millionaires drive economical american cars and have thrify spouses. This is the finding from Stanley and Danko's The Millionaire Next Door.

There are definitely different scales of wealth. I think I am a little above average for most of America, but compared to most of the people in my home town (average combined household income $38k), I am filthy rich. Also there are people who look like they own a lot of really nice things, but in reality are in debt up to their eyeballs.

Car sales is one of those funny jobs where you can make just barely enough to eat, to blowing it out of the water on a daily basis.

I have a friend who works as a car salesman. I will say, she is built to sale cars. She has let it slip in passing that she averages $500 to $1,000 per sale. She post photos on facebook multiple times a day of her customers and their new vehicles. She averages 40-60 sales a month. I'm talking an income of $20,000 per week on the low end. She also had an expensive habit that involved her nose and blows the rest god knows where. If she had half the sense that she has good looks she could be a millionaire several times over by now.

As for QuarterMillionMan's friend, he very well may be independently wealthy being that he owns a car dealership. But I don't suspect that happened over night. Hopefully he saves and invest some in the off chance that his car lot ever goes under.

[QuarterMillionMan]

It’s cheaper to rent than to own.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

How does one get to be a millionaire by spending money on uneconomical cars and cosmetic surgery for your "girlfriends"? The reality most millionaires drive economical american cars and have thrify spouses. This is the finding from Stanley and Danko's The Millionaire Next Door.

That's the millionaire next door which I think the majority are. But then you hit $20M o $30M. you can't spend it fast enough. Maybe $10M you can just keep spending and still have more than you can ever spend.

We have more money than time. Granted we are bit low on funds considering how we live. but my DH constantly tells me well who knows when we are doing this again or have the opportunity.