I don’t want millions. I don’t want to be rich.
I don’t even want to earn $250,000 a year if it means that my life is literally put on hold for my career.
I just want to make enough money to be comfortable, pay my bills, save a little, have a healthy well-cared for family and to retire peacefully.
There is no point in getting that corner office, making pots of money, when your family is at home, waiting for you, spoiled by all the material luxuries of life that you’ve busted your butt to pay for, when all they want is to see you, have a simple dinner and go for a walk.
Mr. Jones, my brother is like that. He busts his ass to pay for private schools, a big mansion, two cars, for two kids, and works 20/7. I’m fairly sure he sleeps only 4 hours a day because he thinks sleep is a waste of time.
Me on the other hand, I guess if I really pushed it (maybe not now), I could earn around the same sort of money, work 2 projects at once and get to the level he’s at.
But I am so not interested in that lifestyle, it isn’t funny.
My basic, living expenses are around $700 – $800 a month, and that’s with eating good, healthy, organic food with lots of fruits, with the internet, a cellphone and a wonderful apartment that’s the right size for us without feeling cramped.
So my “comfortable” salary could even be as low as $20,000 a year (gross), but with a family, probably $45,000 a year (gross), assuming BF earns the same amount and continues paying his 50% of all the bills.
Luckily, I can make at least $60,000 a year, but I think my salary with a company would be around $90,000 a year. If I stay as a freelancer, I can earn around $250,000 a year if I am put on a good project.
With such low living expenses, and a minimal lifestyle that I am trying to minimize even further, my life just feels so much better with a smaller place to live in and clean, less stuff, and less obligations to go out all the time, do the fancy 2-week vacation thing, or to just spend money by the bucket.
I am seriously happy to just be in the apartment, enjoying the view, listening to some music, going on the Internet, reading a book, cooking a delicious, complicated meal, and talking with BF.
When the weather is nice, we go for bike rides, we walk, we browse downtown but don’t feel an urge to buy anything.
I would have to give this “do nothing and relax” lifestyle a rest if I wanted to make lots of money by the minute. I would be in Ontario, commuting back and forth to Quebec to see BF, just to hold down 2 or 3 jobs to make money.
Less really is more. I feel calmer in such a simple lifestyle, unburdened by riches.
Isn’t that funny? 2 years ago I never would have said that being too rich was a bad thing.
I think it was because I was $60,000 in debt, and I was channeling every ounce of energy, effort and money towards clearing it.
It was mentally and physically exhausting. I just wanted a fairy to swoop in and save me.
But I’m glad I went through that experience, because now I’m in a much better place, and I can better appreciate being and staying debt-free with solid assets coupled with very low living expenses.
Now, I’m starting to see that if you’re the one making the pots and pots of money for the family to enjoy, you never end up being the one who enjoys it.
Or you end up being the workaholic who loses said family.
Good food for thought.
- Why I rent instead of buying a home
- What have you eliminated that you do not miss?
- Are we better off without money?
- What is your lifetime income?
- In defense of the rich
- Everybody* has money
- A small space doesn’t mean you put your life on hold and whine
- Blaming anyone but yourself is the easy way out
- Radical Proposal: Simulate a job loss.
- FB Funds Revisited with some logic attached
- Letting debt rule your life is stupid.
- The Paradoxes of Money & Women
- Why the hell do guys have to pay for everything? :)
Don@Moneyreasons.com
on Nov 18th, 2009
@ 9:26 PM:
You are right on!
I love watching my daughter and son play soccer, basketball, etc. We also have dedicated night like movie night (and sometimes game night), that would be difficult if I were working too much.
Once a week, I tell my daughter a story before she goes to bed (usually about a princess in a castle)… It's a great time, especially since she's decided to add onto the stories, so it's a totally interactive story. Sometime, the addtions my daughter adds cracks me up
If I worked too much, these things would be hard to do.
Enjoying life while you are young is the key!… Of course, in a frugal, common sense way…
Nice post, I wish I read this back in July…
FABULOUSLYBROKE
on Nov 19th, 2009
@ 2:15 PM:
That's great that you spend time reading stories and having more time with your kids!
Kids can be very insightful and funny…
They're so innocent, that they're brutally honest.