[quote=scaredyclassic]I feel the biggest gains come from just not spending money and investing that. How much have I saved over 20 years by not having a cleaning person. It’s staggering! 100k? No dry cleaning shirts ever, iron myself, hmm, 30k? Eating just cabbage and oats for a month? Cheapest vodka? I think one can get almost rich just being ridiculously frugal.
[/quote]

How old will you and your wife be in 20 years? Will it really matter if you had saved that cleaning lady money? I have a feeling you’ve socked away quite a nest egg as it is.

[quote=scaredyclassic]
I did just break down and hire a cleaning person recently because my poor wife can’t take it anymore. Man, the place looks clean…but is it better to have money in the account or dust on the shelves?[/quote]

We must be going on 20 years of having a house cleaner come in twice a month. 2 women x 2.5 hours x 2 times = 10 hours/month. We also have a gardener – 2 hours x 4 times = 8 hours/month. We feel it is well worth it.

Our free time is very valuable.

My goal is not to die with as big a pile of money as I can gather. it is to have enough to live comfortably the rest of my life and still leave a little something to the kids, not make them wealthy.