After a mortgage, then what?

[scaredyclassic]

[quote=flu]How do I invest in a medical MJ joint?[/quote]

you need a lawyer.

[FlyerInHi]

[quote=spdrun]If I actually cared whether 99% of my peers lived or died, I’d be interested in keeping up with them.[/quote]

It’s kind of a game.

Lets say that the baseline to a good life, whatever it means, is 100. The country overall is at 130 and people are feeling good. You’re at 160 and feeling great.

So you leave the rat rate and stagnate at 160, or regress to 145. Meanwhile, years later, everyone moved forward and get to 160. You then got a problem. The products and services you need get more expensive (because other people have more money to spend), then you lose ground.

Wellbeing is in relation to other people around you.

I know a guy who got a windfall. He felt pretty good and left the rat race. The 2008 recession hit his portfolio hard, so that caused reevaluation. Plus because he’s planning on living off of his nestegg for the rest of his life, he comes off as cheap. And that makes it hard to build relationships with other “normal” people are used to earning and spending, and earning and spending, on and on.

A low interest rate environment does not make it easy to leave the rat race and feeling secure.

[Coronita]

[quote=scaredyclassic][quote=flu]How do I invest in a medical MJ joint?[/quote]

you need a lawyer.[/quote]

You volunteering? 🙂

[spdrun]

A low interest rate environment does not make it easy to leave the rat race and feeling secure.

If one has income from property which is essentially inflation-indexed, why not? That’s what flu seems to have.

If you have a nice house that’s costing you little, money in the bank, paid-off cars, money/time enough for hobbies/learning/travel, and a rewarding line of work (even if less lucrative), what more do you need out of life?

If someone doesn’t wish to associate with you because you don’t have the latest 4k TV, a brand new phone or tablet, or this year’s leased car, f’em. Greedy superficial asshats are not the kind of people whom you should be relating to. Best they show their true colors earlier vs later.

Besides, if you slow down and work reasonable hours, you’ll actually have time for human relationships. The smart ones might appreciate that.

[Coronita]

[quote]
Can you get a job with a decent amount of vacation time and travel with the family during school vacations? Or have more time for hobbies/volunteering/doing what you want to do?
[/quote]

I think short of working for the government, my current employer is as good as it’s going to get for work/life balance.

I start out with 4 weeks of paid vacation, adding 1 week for each year of additional service up to a maximum of 7 weeks.

Also, we are required to take a 2 hour “recess” (3 hours if you count lunch time) one day out of every week in the afternoon to do anything but work, with the condition that we’re suppose to try to use our products during that recess.

My work hours are basically from 9-6pm, though I do try to get in by 8:15am. I don’t see much email past 6pm and on the weekend, unlike at my previous employer.

I just hope this work environment lasts for another 2-3+ years.

[exsdgal]

might sound against the norm – with a free and clear primary take out a max loc, to purchase one or more rental properties. Use the expenses as an above the line deduction, and pay off loc principal with any extra income. Just my two cents.

[no_such_reality]

[quote=flu][quote=Hobie]come up with a kit you can sell someone to grow their own on their patio. much like the antfarm idea: buy the hardware and then the ants ( seeds) will be mailed to you. ie. grow your own ‘tomato’ plant and social media market it can be used for other plants too ;)[/quote]

You know that isn’t a bad idea.

MyWeedFarm.com

I can’t wait to appear on QVC[/quote]

Oh hell no, “shark tank”. They love samples!

[NotCranky]

Once someone on this blog said that having some amount of mortgage gave you home an extra layer of protection against lawsuits. I guess the idea is that the bank has a stake too. Maybe has something to do with some laws . Not sure really if it makes any sense at all.

I had a total fire loss on a primary property with no mortgage and plenty of coverage. I wonder sometimes if the low ball offer the insurance company gave, and the tremendous fight I had to put up to get what was due , had something to do with not having a mortgage. If I had had a big mortgage the insurance company might have made me (the bank)whole right away.

[FlyerInHi]

[quote=spdrun]

A low interest rate environment does not make it easy to leave the rat race and feeling secure.

If one has income from property which is essentially inflation-indexed, why not? That’s what flu seems to have.

If you have a nice house that’s costing you little, money in the bank, paid-off cars, money/time enough for hobbies/learning/travel, and a rewarding line of work (even if less lucrative), what more do you need out of life?

If someone doesn’t wish to associate with you because you don’t have the latest 4k TV, a brand new phone or tablet, or this year’s leased car, f’em. Greedy superficial asshats are not the kind of people whom you should be relating to. Best they show their true colors earlier vs later.

Besides, if you slow down and work reasonable hours, you’ll actually have time for human relationships. The smart ones might appreciate that.[/quote]

I was just addressing “leaving the rat race” in general, not anyone’s particular situation.

Most people have finite resources; and isn’t “leaving the rat race” another word for retirement, slowing down and spending less? Retirees become stagnant, start clipping coupons and finding early bird dinners because they need to conserve cash.

I’m not saying that it’s good or bad, but in reality, “normal” life is the “rat race.” The American way of life is about buying a house, a car; then moving up to bigger and better, then moving up to bigger and better again, on and on.

If you’re capable but don’t do your best, then you’re considered lazy.

Some people are OK with driving old cars, and having old stuff, but that’s not the American way.

My young cousin is very smart but always a slacker. He graduated from engineering school then went to work chopping wood on a farm in Northern California. That caused a lot of scolding from his dad.

He then got married and is now working for a university, making 1/3 what he could in Silicon Valley. But he bikes 3 miles to work everyday.
Lucky for him, he married a girl with a large trust fund (but modest earthy-crunchy tastes who likes guys like him) so they now have a cool, paid-off mid-century split-level (before that he was living in an old house with roommates). His salary takes care of all their needs since they have no mortgage, plus they have funds to travel around and enjoy.

Dad keeps his mouth shut because the son is now rich. But had he married someone with nothing, he could easily have been poor with kids.

I’m telling you, money makes a huge difference in how people perceive you and deal with you. Not that easy to leave the rat race.

[svelte]

[quote=flu][quote=Hobie]come up with a kit you can sell someone to grow their own on their patio. much like the antfarm idea: buy the hardware and then the ants ( seeds) will be mailed to you. ie. grow your own ‘tomato’ plant and social media market it can be used for other plants too ;)[/quote]

You know that isn’t a bad idea.

MyWeedFarm.com

I can’t wait to appear on QVC[/quote]

Obviously you guys didn’t read High Times back in the day. There was a guy on there who advertised “rose terrariums” in that magazine and made a mint. He actually bought a huge spread in Rancho Santa Fe and planted rose bushes all over his property…seems kinda tongue in cheek to me.

Anyway, the RSF neighbors threw a fit about all the rose bushes. They were working on making him take them out. I kinda lost track of the situation after that. Not sure if they were successful or what the final outcome was.

As I recall, the feds were starting to come after the guy for the “rose terrariums” also.

A well formed Google search would probably turn up several articles on all of this.

[svelte]

Found it.

Here’s the product:

http://www.cannabisculture.com/content/1994/12/15/939

Here’s the guy’s fight with RSF neighbors:

http://articles.latimes.com/1993-09-20/news/mn-37281_1_rancho-santa-fe

[scaredyclassic]

It doesn’t have to be a rat race. It could be a rat tour, or rat stroll. A rat nap.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=FlyerInHi] . . . My young cousin is very smart but always a slacker. He graduated from engineering school then went to work chopping wood on a farm in Northern California. That caused a lot of scolding from his dad.

He then got married and is now working for a university, making 1/3 what he could in Silicon Valley. But he bikes 3 miles to work everyday.
Lucky for him, he married a girl with a large trust fund (but modest earthy-crunchy tastes who likes guys like him) so they now have a cool, paid-off mid-century split-level (before that he was living in an old house with roommates). His salary takes care of all their needs since they have no mortgage, plus they have funds to travel around and enjoy.

Dad keeps his mouth shut because the son is now rich. But had he married someone with nothing, he could easily have been poor with kids.

I’m telling you, money makes a huge difference in how people perceive you and deal with you. Not that easy to leave the rat race.[/quote]

Your cousin married well, brian. His spouse isn’t ostentatious enough to go thru her trust fund and that is very smart. He can always apply for an engineering job in the future if he wishes as he will never lose what is in his brain. Your cousin is only “rich” by proxy. If he ever splits from his spouse, whatever remains in her “trust fund” is her sole asset.

Nevertheless, I think it is great that they both have choices on how to live their lives at such a young age. I say bravo to that.

And I agree with your last paragraph as well, although I believe you can’t necessarily judge a book by its cover. My mom (now deceased) retired from Coors Brewery in CO. She told me that the two Coors sons (ages 40-50 at the time) came to work everyday in Levis 501’s, a colored T shirt, a plaid flannel shirt over that (with quilted lining in the winter) and in their hard hats and carrying black metal lunch buckets with plaid Thermoses inside. When they had meetings, they “dressed up” in placket polos with a Coors logo and polyester pants (in that era, lol). They worked on the line every day and lunched on long tables with the minions but were/are members of one of the wealthiest, most philanthropic families in CO.

I have several relatives who are multimillionaires in their own right who do not even own a flat-screen TV or smart phone. LOTS of truly “wealthy people” are not big consumers. So I disagree with you on this point.

[spdrun]

Most people have finite resources; and isn’t “leaving the rat race” another word for retirement, slowing down and spending less? Retirees become stagnant, start clipping coupons and finding early bird dinners because they need to conserve cash.
…
Some people are OK with driving old cars, and having old stuff, but that’s not the American way.

Nope — leaving the rat race is another term for doing what you want to, finding a rewarding job with time flexibility (say teaching) vs working for big corp 60 hours a week. (Though flu seems to have the time-management thing down.)

As far as the American way, who cares? Though I’m not sure it isn’t. I know plenty of Northeastern Jews and WASPS who drive older cars, haven’t replaced their TV in a decade and a half, and still make good money. Priorities are just different than in CA. Less show, more go.

e.g. the somewhat well-known cardiologist who still has a kitchen straight out of the 60s and drives a 90s Volvo.

[FlyerInHi]

BG, my young cousin is the opposite of his dad. He was environmentally conscious before it was fashionable. His wife is very nice, kind and caring and naturally beautiful to boot. They like to eat organic food, picnic, etc… One of those rare matches made in heaven.

I think that nowadays, people need smart phones to do business. It’s a necessity.

I think that a smart TV are also a necessity (or a dumb TV connected to something smart). You can watch a lot of stuff on the Net without paying for cable. For example, since I got a smart TV, I watch at lot of YouTube videos. Some of the channels are quite good. My cooking skills are better.

I can watch the PBS Newshour anytime I want on youtube. I don’t need to pay for Tivo, DVR or anything like that.

[Author]

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