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....good food, good experiences, or anything else IF I really, really want it.
Luckily for me I don't want too many things. And I'm fairly practical, realizing I want to retire some day. So, I can't spend money on the best of everything, or I'd never save and be able to retire.
You sound like me maybe 10 years ago. Frugal but willing to pay for certain items while trying to maintain some amount of balance in life with a eye on savings and investments.
The good news? I'll retire on Friday and even though our advisor has told my wife that she can retire also, she'll keep working maybe another two years. That's two years of pressure taken off of our savings and investment. Add the two extra years that I worked and the financial picture is even better.
While I didn't necessarily follow Dave Ramey's teaching, we will get to live like no other....finally. lol Keep it up and you'll find your pot of gold at the end of the work trail too. Best wishes!
First congrats on retiring. I'll have to work until 65.....until Medicare and a pension that I'll get kicks in.
I don't know about a pot of gold. But, I don't think I'll have to eat dog food.
As with most people, I suppose, I have no interest in spending money on some things. Yet, others I would prefer better than run-of-the mill. For example when I travel, there's just a comfort level below which I'm not willing to experience....hotels for instance -- a certain number stars below which I'm not willing to consider. (I don't care how close it would be to a train station -- or the Eiffel Tower for that matter. Even when I was a student centuries ago, the thought of staying in a hostel was a non-starter.)
I know I'd eat out every night if I could afford it. And travel destinations would be far and wide across the globe. But I can't afford all of that. I'll just have to see how much of that -- if any -- I will be able to enjoy.
As for your retirement, I personally don't know anyone who doesn't LOVE it. My retired peeps are happy as a pig in slop and not even thinking about working!
I like puttering with things both cause I get frustrated with some badly engineered thing, or something too expensive to repair the factory way, and get bit obsessed and become a mini expert. This requires experience with alternative brands or parts to re-engineer what I have and experiment. So yea sometimes I will spend more for bits and pieces and parts rather than just going out and buying a new one for less. Thing is I would save time just buying a new one, but wouldnt learn anything, just be another mindless consumer. I guess I am an extreme backyard engineer at heart.
For example I still have maybe half bushel basket of thrift store kitchen knives as I was teaching myself to sharpen them. Same with my collection of old flashlights. Or lawn mower engines. Right now, skillets. To actually learn ins and out and what can be modified, I need one in front of me. course I mostly buy parts. Thank goodness for Ebay and Amazon. Before internet it was much harder with paper catalogs, especially since shipping always set high if you only bought one small cheap piece, was trying to encourage larger orders.
Far as most consumables, I just shop for cheapest prices on what I normally buy unless I have had bad experience with seller or product in past. If I run across a cheaper alternative that I have never tried before, might try it once, just to see.
I enjoy bourbon whiskey so I at least go middle shelf, sometimes top. I get new shoes as well. I got that from my mom who was the youngest of six sisters. Mom hated wearing shoes that were broken in to someone else's foot.
I enjoy bourbon whiskey so I at least go middle shelf, sometimes top. I get new shoes as well. I got that from my mom who was the youngest of six sisters. Mom hated wearing shoes that were broken in to someone else's foot.
I was a middle kid and I quickly grew taller than my brother. That said, a picture recently surfaced on FB from a trip my class took in the sixth grade and my sister and I both initially mistook me for my brother. No one ever made that mistake but on reflection, I’m guessing that was my last year of wearing his hand-me-downs.
1. Hotels. Nothing fancy but a good mid-range hotel. They are cleaner, more comfortable, and typically have a great breakfast.
2. Paint. I always go for Sherwin Williams mid-range paint and primer. And I get high quality brushes and rollers. Let's jus say I have learned my lesson by getting cheap stuff in the past.
3. Flooring. I'm a big fan of tile. It's expensive to install but it lasts a long time and don't have harmful chemicals.
4. Toilet paper. I find I use more of the cheap stuff so I get the good stuff and use less. And it is more comfortable.
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Even when I was a student centuries ago
