Author Topic: Life is Good.  (Read 8047 times)

Bikesy

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Life is Good.
« on: October 17, 2014, 03:21:20 PM »
It's 72* outside.  I'm sitting on my back porch, at a table I made with my own hands, sipping a glass of Tennessee Whiskey.  It's a perfectly clear evening and I can see the smokey mountains through the trees that have begun dropping their leaves for Fall.  I have a beautiful wife who is carrying our first child and a loving extended family.  We have no debt and no money stress to speak of.  We will be comfortably retired in 10 short years at the age of 39.  Life is Good.

Take a second to reflect on how good we mustachians have it.  What's good in your life?

shusherstache

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Re: Life is Good.
« Reply #1 on: October 17, 2014, 03:52:22 PM »
I passed my trial period at work this week, got a great performance review and am on my first day of telecommuting in over six months.  I was able to volunteer on work time earlier today in my neighborhood (I get some time during the week to do so). 

My SO and I recently made a game plan for our adoption timeline.  An exciting, and huge, step in our relationship.  We have a fair amount of time until we begin but damned if it doesn't seem like a blink of an eye at the same time.

And finally, our mortgage is almost paid off.  I estimate we're done by my next milestone birthday less than six months from now.

Retired To Win

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Re: Life is Good.
« Reply #2 on: October 17, 2014, 05:53:57 PM »
It's 72* outside.  I'm sitting on my back porch, at a table I made with my own hands, sipping a glass of Tennessee Whiskey.  It's a perfectly clear evening and I can see the smokey mountains through the trees that have begun dropping their leaves for Fall.  I have a beautiful wife who is carrying our first child and a loving extended family.  We have no debt and no money stress to speak of.  We will be comfortably retired in 10 short years at the age of 39.  Life is Good.

Take a second to reflect on how good we mustachians have it.  What's good in your life?


Very similar to you.  Except that I'm sitting on my front porch, my mountains are the Blue Ridge, my whiskey is Chivas Regal, and it's pets not kids for us.  And we're already FIREd.  Yep.  Life IS Good.

scottish

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Re: Life is Good.
« Reply #3 on: October 17, 2014, 06:14:32 PM »
I had a delicious steak dinner tonight and the weather forecast is perfect for my Sunday run in the Gatineau park.

Beric01

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Re: Life is Good.
« Reply #4 on: October 17, 2014, 06:36:04 PM »
I totally agree! Cooked myself a bowl of oatmeal, and I'm going to make some cornbread for our local MMM meetup tomorrow. The simple pleasures in life...

One thing I've noticed is how much my general satisfaction with life increased after starting to read MMM. I'm so much happier! I now:
  • Take pleasure in an evening bike ride home from work, rather than being stuck in bumper to bumper traffic.
  • Have clear financial goals which give me a regular sense of accomplishment.
  • Am happier and more productive in my job - and it showed in my latest performance appraisal today!
  • Am eager to cook my own food! It's a path to greater financial freedom and health, not just something I *should* be doing.

The list goes on and on, but overall I'm very satisfied with life lately. Hedonic adaption is really true - my previous desires for more material goods were holding back my happiness.

NV Teacher

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Re: Life is Good.
« Reply #5 on: October 17, 2014, 08:09:25 PM »
We are done with high temperatures in the 90's so the AC has been shut off until next May.  My students are starting to really use their skills and read more challenging text.  I splurged and got a sandwich and Redbox movie on the way home from work and I'm going to relax and enjoy my Friday night.

pachnik

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Re: Life is Good.
« Reply #6 on: October 17, 2014, 08:21:02 PM »
We went for dinner as we usually do on Friday night and came home and drank a glass of wine.  Tomorrow I am getting together with a friend who is visiting from the East Coast.  During my daily walks I have been really enjoying the fall colours. 

flamingo25

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Re: Life is Good.
« Reply #7 on: October 17, 2014, 08:32:07 PM »


My SO and I recently made a game plan for our adoption timeline.  An exciting, and huge, step in our relationship.  We have a fair amount of time until we begin but damned if it doesn't seem like a blink of an eye at the same time.



Congrats on the adoption timeline! My husband and I want to adopt as well.

It's cold and rainy outside, but we are cozy and warm inside. Dinner is waiting in the slow cooker, I'm drinking a cup of hot tea while wearing fuzzy slippers, and we plan to watch some TV on Netflix later. Yes, life is good.

UnleashHell

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Re: Life is Good.
« Reply #8 on: October 18, 2014, 04:05:35 AM »
my son was walking his bike over a crossing (its also meant for bikes as the road is pretty dangerous) when some dopey bint accelerated, slammed into the bike and knocked him over. he's got minor injuries but he'll be fine  - she drove off.

funny thing was that he walked home then when I got back the first thing he did was say sorry for the bike as it was mine he took to school!!  Bike is trashed - don't care - it took the brunt of it and the kid is ok. Enjoy what you have people for in the blink of an eye it can change.
we are going to all sit down sunday (wife isn't working that day) and enjoy some nice home made food in our mortgage free house and spend some time together. that's all that matters really. (I am gonna get that bitch in the car though...at some point).

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Re: Life is Good.
« Reply #9 on: October 18, 2014, 06:00:00 AM »
I am less worried now than before I learned about Mr Money Mustache and YNAB. I am still far from being FI and I sometimes do still worry about some unexpected emergency, but my fear has gone down dramatically. I have cut my budget to the bone, saving more than 50% of my income and with YNAB's four method (especially rule #4 which is live with last month's paycheck with this month's expenses), this combination has really made my life more enjoyable. I don't think about money as much as I used to and I feel that in 5-10 years, money won't even be an issue for me anymore. I have never been this hopefull, I see life much better now. The future used to scare me because of the uknown, now it doesn't :)

jprince7827

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Re: Life is Good.
« Reply #10 on: October 18, 2014, 08:47:31 AM »
My fiance just spent about 2,000$ in the last couple of days putting down payments on things for our 30,000$ wedding. My net worth went down 1%.

(Yes, I know, that's ridiculous, and I've heard many people on this forum say to "ditch her," because she wants a ridiculous wedding, but I think that's a bit shallow, not the point of this post here.)

Point is, because I save 50% of my paycheck after taxes, absorbing this 30,000$ loss into my 140,000$ salary is no biggie. Yeah, my savings rate for this next year is going to be around 15% as a result, but it's one year and I get a woman who is as excited to pay off her student loans and get a high savings rate once she graduates from nursing school as I am. So what if she wants a beautiful wedding? (Yes, I know you can have beautiful weddings on the cheap, not the point..)

Thanks to MMM, I can take it in stride. Life is good. Financial calamities for most people are just some afternoon thunderstorms to me.

Oh yeah, picked up HackHands(www.hackhands.com) as a secondary income source to help pay for the wedding. Generates 800-1000$ extra per month before taxes for 4 hrs/week, so in 12 months it pays for half of it-ish anyway. ;)

2ndTimer

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Re: Life is Good.
« Reply #11 on: October 18, 2014, 08:56:27 AM »
It's grey and rainy outside, there is a fire in the pellet stove, the Hub is sitting next to me playing a stupid video game, we both have cups of coffee.  I had three root canals in the last three weeks and I am finally not in pain.  It is good to live in an era of antibiotics, anesthetics and modern dentistry.

Jon_Snow

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Re: Life is Good.
« Reply #12 on: October 18, 2014, 09:23:56 AM »
I've been meaning to post a one month ER anniversary post in the "Celebration" section - but to be honest, I've been too busy living my "new life". Which really is what it feels like. In no way does my post ER existence resemble my previous "working life". This is a VERY good thing.

Life is so good. Even better than I thought it would be, and my expectations were very high.

I have mentioned this on a few other forums that I post on - the past month has been the happiest I have been in my adult life.

ThriftyD

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Re: Life is Good.
« Reply #13 on: October 18, 2014, 09:37:09 AM »
Ever since I became aware of this wonderful Mustachian lifestyle back in January of this year, I began to truly focus more on how good so many of us already have it here in the developed world.

-I am intentionally thankful every time I walk to a sink in my home and just turn a knob to get plentiful clean, drinkable water.  Much of the world doesn't get that. 
-I get to sleep in a warm bed every night. 
-A food source is easily attainable outside at the farmer's market or down the street at the grocery store. 
-I was able to choose what career/vocation I would practice in life.  No oppressive government or caste system decided for me.
-I have a crazy machine called a car that I can hop in at any moment's notice and drive out and explore the beautiful landscapes of this country. 
-I have wonderful family and friend who are always very supportive.
-I realize that even my 'bad days' are not that bad relative to the greater problems many people face in this world

Life is always good to a Mustachian!

RichLife

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Re: Life is Good.
« Reply #14 on: October 18, 2014, 10:45:06 AM »
- I have a nice apartment to live in, and while there are certain issues with the finishing of the building (garages never got built) it is a good place to live. It's big enough to suit my needs but small enough not to be wasteful. It's warm inside and there is electricity and running water and I can take a long hot shower whenever I want. The fridge is stocked with good food and drink, all without breaking the bank, and none of it will go to waste.
- I have a small and reliable car that didn't cost me much but gets me around.
- My cat is great companionship. He genuinely loves his human. When I go to bed at night he'll sleep against me. He's a fascinating and often hilarious creature. I have the means to provide him with the best care, good food, and play.
- I am working on my own business. While this is scary in some ways, it is also very exciting. If this takes off I will no longer have to endure the 9 to 5 office grind which I so hate. I don't do well with office politics and I enjoy having some control over my days.
- Living in an age where especially as a woman I receive equal opportunities and can control my own life. I can choose to not have kids, or have them later in life. I decide if I wish to have a partner or marry. I can love men, women or both. But I don't have to do any of that if I don't want to.
- The internet and computers. Being able to be connected with people and events from all over the world. And just technology and science as a whole. We live in such an interesting time.

Dee18

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Re: Life is Good.
« Reply #15 on: October 18, 2014, 10:58:00 AM »
My daughter is at her high school this Saturday morning reviewing her college essay (that I have not seen, much less ghost written like so many these days) with her counselor.  She just finished the first quarter with great grades.  We have a plan in place for funding college and no debt at all.  This afternoon she will work a few hours at the ice cream shop.  I am finishing up a book chapter for which I will earn a tiny amount, but get a lot of credit for at work.  It is a beautiful day outside.  Later I'll take a long walk.

Thanks to the OP!  I so often focus on what I need to do: house upkeep, administrative duties at work that take time but don't feel satisfying, etc.  it's great to pause and appreciate the good life.

Catbert

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Re: Life is Good.
« Reply #16 on: October 18, 2014, 11:28:27 AM »
DH PET scan showed no sign of cancer.  One more chemo session on Monday, another PET in two months and life will be perfect.  Good health insurance is priceless...well pretty cheap anyway considering what chemo would have cost without it.

100 degrees are gone in Palm Springs (until next summer) so we are sitting under a lemon tree in the courtyard of our second home in PS.  For some reason PS is a rum and coke venue for me so that's what I was drinking last night while watching the stars. 

MoneyCat

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Re: Life is Good.
« Reply #17 on: October 18, 2014, 03:34:45 PM »
I am sitting in the kitchen in my beautiful home and reading a book from the library about building my own solar energy system.  The mums are finally blooming in the front garden.  I still have student loans to finish paying, but I am not concerned since I live on a tiny fraction of what I earn and my loans will be paid off completely in four years.  My retirement accounts are maxed out and I am not worried about money or the future.  It's a nice place to be.

UnleashHell

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Re: Life is Good.
« Reply #18 on: October 19, 2014, 06:11:58 AM »
I've been meaning to post a one month ER anniversary post in the "Celebration" section - but to be honest, I've been too busy living my "new life". Which really is what it feels like. In no way does my post ER existence resemble my previous "working life". This is a VERY good thing.

Life is so good. Even better than I thought it would be, and my expectations were very high.

I have mentioned this on a few other forums that I post on - the past month has been the happiest I have been in my adult life.

that's excellent. I wish you'd do that journal though :d  not pressure - you are probably very busy now you can live instead of working!

Jon_Snow

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Re: Life is Good.
« Reply #19 on: October 19, 2014, 11:18:40 AM »
Yesterday saw a group of about a dozen orcas swim by as I was barbecuing some burgers, a nice glass of red wine in hand.

Moments like this have always been somewhat diminished by the knowledge that I would have to return to my meat-grinder job. Since ER, I find I can enjoy my life and its wonderful aspects FULLY.

Now that I am more removed from my work career do I realize how much it degraded my life.

UnleashHell, I've mentioned it before, but I really don't want to start a Journal detailing how bloody great my life when most everybody is still deep in the trenches, slogging their way to FIRE. Maybe it would provide motivation for others to get there? Maybe. I will think about it more.

PtboEliz

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Re: Life is Good.
« Reply #20 on: October 19, 2014, 02:06:13 PM »
Loved reading these posts - very lovely stories!

This morning was our annual "Treasure Hunt in the Park" which my sister and I put on for our nephews and niece (our third year going). It was such a simple thing to do, but so much fun to watch the little ones running through the crunchy Fall leaves to find the next clue. After the treasure bag was found (pulleyed up into a tree!) everyone came to our house for hot cider and chocolate and the homemade banana bread my mom used to make for the kids. It's nice to think that she might have been smiling down on us :)  I am grateful to have the time and energy to help make simple and beautiful family traditions.

steveo

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Re: Life is Good.
« Reply #21 on: October 19, 2014, 02:47:40 PM »
I have mentioned this on a few other forums that I post on - the past month has been the happiest I have been in my adult life.

I'm jealous but its also good to hear. I'm more worried at this point of retiring and ending up bored only because I see this happening to some people and for instance I am just reading a story about this on ERE.

Life is also good for me but its Monday morning and I have to go to work. I really want to just stay at home.
« Last Edit: October 19, 2014, 02:51:19 PM by steveo »

Jon_Snow

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Re: Life is Good.
« Reply #22 on: October 19, 2014, 03:28:30 PM »
There is a thread on ER.org titled "What did you do today?" where early retired folks post in great detail how great their lives are without jobs anymore. For many years, while still neck deep in the rat race, I would torture myself by reading that thread. Extreme envy and jealousy on my part, trust me. But did it ever help fuel my desire to ER. And now I am a regular contributor to the thread! Life is strange - and wonderful.