Finally Finished!
It has taken me forever to get those trainings done. I should get the stamp of approval to get the pay increase probably in another month. Now, I need to start working on my student loans. I checked my bank account and realized my savings were starting to dip. I guess between life, trainings, and paying back the loan I may have over extended myself a little bit. I do not regret any decisions although they can be painful and require a good deal of sacrifice.
I sat there trembling as I hit the OK button. It was finally done. What had taken me about six months of sleepless nights was finally over. I still have to get the work verified, but the heavy lifting has been done. I have learned the most given the circumstances and now my employer owes me. I did the math even if I work and scrimp and save. It will never be enough.
I did the simple math. A $50,000 lifestyle today will cost close to $182,000 in thirty years. This assumes a 4% inflation rate. The point is that it is more expensive to live than you could ever hope to invest and not work. You don’t want to get caught in your mid 60’s with no savings. Yet, there are so many Americans that have no savings whatsoever.
You know it also depends on your quality of lifestyle. My grandparents live in the village and between the two of them they bring in maybe $10,000 MXN or around $600 a month USD. They make it work. To be fair, they own their property. It doesn’t take that much to be alive. Most of use couldn’t do living in the village. Life there is too slow. The bugs get in and become your friends or foes. It is certainly a safe life, especially when you are retired.
What was the point of this article? Oh yes, the next phase of the plan. I have started looking for additional work. Technically, it doesn’t break my contact because I do it on my off hours. It is a sad reality that if you aren’t born into money, you have to work hard. I have been able to do it on and off for the last six years without too much trouble. I do feel that my body is starting to wear out. My arms are starting to cramp. My energy level is not as high as it used to be. I think the only thing that has actually increased is my mental fortitude. Maybe that will be enough to keep going.
Get Orion Miller’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
I have started to look at the problem as a problem of income today. If I could make $4,000 a month today, then I would be able to stay home and do what I want. Thus, how do we make that much with minimal effort? We’ll obviously that means investing. The problem with investing is that you need money to actually make a profit. As of now, I have no problem working.
I actually like to work long hours because I have gotten so used to it and it makes me feel safe. There is just so much nonsense associated with jobs that I wish I could step down. You always have the option to walk away. The problem with career positions is that they are just cushy enough that you wouldn’t want to walk away hastily — at least until you have the money.
You could theoretically find a partner. They call them DINKS (Dual Income No Kids) and work out a pact to work until your investments cover everything. Most people I have talked to are not willing to sacrifice 5 years for 20. And I totally get it. Sometimes I feel like I made the wrong decisions and then I look at my peers and realize my life choices are my own and they aren’t so bad.
I was hoping to see a little more progress on Medium. My production values are high. Maybe the topics aren’t super interesting, or maybe I haven’t hit the algorithm just yet. I really do like the freedom of being able to write whatever I want. It helps keep me productive when times are slow. Maybe it was a good thing I got some time to myself. It has given me time to plan and reflect. I am sure many people in my generation feel the same way.
It feels like we are all just moving forward without any end goal in mind. People talk to me about how they are happy with less, and then I see them struggle. I guess the reality is that you want to keep yourself busy and protected. I rarely go to the doctor because I am still young. I do feel safe knowing I have insurance. Maybe that is why we do anything. It is to give the illusion that tomorrow is assured. Unfortunately, there is no such thing. I mean there is a very high chance you and I will see the next 30 years, but you can’t overdo any commitment.
I still think it is smarter to plan for the future rather than do nothing. Right now, everything seems glamorous because my generation is still young. If anything, we are near the peak of our lives in terms of earning potential and life satisfaction. Those years, unfortunately, will soon be over and those who did not prepare will have to endure what’s left. I don’t blame them though. It totally makes sense why you would want to have fun now rather than at the end. In a lot of ways, I went and made a mistake. The reality is that I don’t have the money to be fooling around. Maybe that is actually a good thing. It keeps me in line. It isn’t even because I think I’m better than people. I simply want more control over what time I have left. If you feel the way I do, don’t forget to leave a comment.
