Pay up or take the bus 2721

So you're happy with lots of money just kinda pbutting through your hands on its way to others while your time just kinda leaks away? That's what happens when you work in the "big city" and live in the 'burbs. BTDT.

I gave up the mid six figure lifestyle about 12 years ago when I escaped the big city. I made all that money but I never seemed to have time nor the money to do anything. Any meaningful saving was impossible, as there was nothing left at the end of the month after all the bills were paid. I was always exhausted and was always very stressed out even though my company (obviously) was doing quite well.

I now operate a small restaurant and live in a nice apartment in the other part of the building I own free and clear. I've probably never made more than $30k a year in this biz. Yet somehow I'm living better than I ever have. I have more toys AND the time to play with them. Instead of arriving home exhausted after fighting the traffic and after fighting the clients and employees at work, I close my doors at quitting time, walk to my apartment and start having fun.

It's 4 minutes after three in the afternoon right now. I closed for the day 4 minutes ago. In another 10 I'll have closed up the place and will have started my leisure time. I'm thinking I might drive up to the Ocoee River and have a cookout. What will you be doing? I'll come back up to the restaurant at 10:30 in the morning after having awakened 15 minutes earlier. How many hours will you have been awake by then?

I filled the tank on my car about 3 weeks ago right before the hurricane and it's still on F. I commute around my area on an electric scooter when the weather is nice and in my little electric car (about $2k, paid for) when it's not. Because I put under 5kmiles a year on everything except my motorhome, my insurance is very cheap. I have 5 vehicles including a commercial deliver truck, comprehensive on the newer ones and my total bill is under $1k a year.

I've owned my main car about 5 years now (bought used for cash) and it still has the tires it came with. How many tires have you bought in the last 5 years? I change the oil once a year whether it needs it or not.

Notice I mentioned a motorhome? I bought it used for cash about 6 years ago. I have the time to use it almost every weekend. Because I don't have to commute and can set my own hours, and because I have sufficient disposable income, I can usually stay over an extra night and amble in just in time to open up the restaurant at 11 AM.

Oh, did I mention the cabin in the mountains? I built it years ago but I literally never used it until I downscaled. Now I time-share between it and my motorhome, one or the other every weekend just about.

In Atlanta the property tax on my home was almost $6k-yr. Here, my 6800 sq ft building in downtown Cleveland costs me less than $1k. That's 5k more I have for toys or retirement or investing right there. Residential electricity was 11.6cent-kwh (much higher now) in Atlanta. It's 5.2cents-kwh for commercial power here. I have lower energy costs for my entire building here than I had for just my house in Atlanta.

Right now I'm looking to move to an even smaller area. I'll open another restaurant that should net about the same money from a smaller sales volume. The reason is that property, taxes and energy are so much cheaper there. That means I'll have to work even less to maintain my lifestyle.

Or I might just retire again. Because of the lack of commuting and the low cost of living here, I've been able to tuck away enough money so that as an early 50-something, I don't really have to work now. OTOH, I love what I do, so can that be called work?

I'm curious, do you have any debt? I don't. I just kinda thumb my nose at the bank when I drive by. Remember that I've never made more than $30k a year in this business, a bunch less last year, so I'm not some arrogant rich dude thumbing his nose at the mbuttes.

I'm REALLY glad there are so many people like you out there to populate the big cities. That keeps my area open and uncluttered for the most part. It is nice to drive to Atlanta or Knoxville every few months to shop and to remind myself of what I'm missing! With the net, shopping has lost its allure so my trips have become pretty much annual ones.

Why don't you sit down and do an actual budget and a personal cash flow analysis? I bet you never have, or you wouldn't be fooling yourself about your quality of life. See just how much it is costing you to live in one place and work in another. You might just see the light. Or not.

John

--- John De Armond See my website for my current email address Cleveland, Occupied TN