OT - Toy Money

[Robert Green]

Yabbut. How much money is reasonable to keep in a fast access, rainy day fund? I could only really start enjoying myself knowing that if something truly bad happened, I'd have some resources to deal with it. That makes the calculation a bit messy.

They say you should have at least 3X the mortgage payment tucked away, but trouble often hits much harder than that. I think 30X the mortgage payment is probably where you can start to feel comfortable enough to plan a Disney cruise with the kiddies. From what I've seen lately, people have 30X the monthly mortgage payment in DEBTS, not savings!! I guess the advantage there is that you can file for bankruptcy and make your fellow citizens eat the losses in higher prices. )-:

Fortunately, US savings levels, which were at all time lows are starting to creep back up as people realize how long they might have to fend for themselves if the breadwinner gets fired and can't find a new job.

-- Bobby G.

[aemeijers]

Amen, brother. I've been poor, as used to be traditional during and shortly thereafter college. Didn't care for it, gonna try like hell never to do it again. There were family financial dry spells growing up as a kid, although we always had a roof and food. Several siblings have been broke on and off over the years.

Net effect of all this is that I have turned into a bit of a cheap SOB over the years. I'll never be rich (too much of a mouth to ever play the corporate game successfully), but I have managed to hold on to a decent paying job for 30 years. I have enough in the bank to pay the mortgage for several years (small house, half of what they approved me for), as well as buy food, plus enough seed money to start over elsewhere if I had to, at a modest level. Never made a monthly car payment in my life, and buy my toys off the trailing edge. There are people with non-working spouses and rug rats that get by (and save regularly) on less than I do, and I have great respect for that, but the 1/3 pay cut I would take if I retire as soon as I am eligible scares me to death. If I could find a job that I actually enjoyed that would make up part of the difference, it would make the decision to go a lot easier.

[Kurt Ullman]

The general discussions on TV and in the books is a minimum of 3 months expenses (ALL expenses) and 6 is better.

[Stormin Mormon]

It's hard to explain. But, after quitting drinking 20 + years ago, all the little things I barely noticed brought pleasure. A job well done, being kind to others, finding wisdom in the scriptures. It was as though my senses had sharpened or something. Or maybe I'd stopped dulling my senses.

At the moment, my work horse flash light is a Mini-Mag with the one watt Teralux conversion. Gets used many times a day. Those chargable spot lights are fun, too. The internal lead acid batteries go dead after a while.

[Stormin Mormon]

And now, you can help out by providing information online.

[Stormin Mormon]

That's part of my worries. I'm not sure but what the world economy is about to collapse. Due in large part to irresponsible spending in Washingmachine DC.

[HeyBub]

Start your own business.

Many years ago, I decided that if was doomed to work for a fool, it might as well be me.

Never looked back.

[aemeijers]

You missed the line where I said I have 'too much of a mouth?' Running your own business means dealing with the public, including the idiots. I already have blood pressure problems. I'm also a soft touch- people who are good at BS stories prey on people like me. Not saying running your own business is bad, and I admire people who do. But with age comes wisdom, and I have learned that my skills (such as they are) lie elsewhere.

[Ed Pawlowski]

"aemeijers" wrote

The key is finding a job you like. I have no plans to retire as long as I have my health and my brains functions normally. I may cut back my hours in a couple of years though. I guess I'm in a small minority of people that actually like what they do, enjoy the people I work with.

I have no stress at work. I can come and go as I please. Things like oil changes, doctor visits, trips to the post office are all done during the work day. Vacation time? "Take whatever time you want"

When I arrive in the morning, my tea is brewed and waiting. I start my computer, then have my cup of tea while chatting with Sue for about a half hour. Then I head out to the shop to see what is going on, stop to greet every employee along the way. Some people enjoy a difficult crossword puzzle or Sudoku, but I'd rather put together a challenging production schedule.

If I was working on an assembly line putting knobs on the passing toasters or lug nuts on the cars, I'd want to bail out as soon as possible. For me, going to my job is not work.

[Kurt Ullman]

Depend, too, on the business. I am a freelance writer and 99% of my time is spent with myself. Most of the rest of the time, the interactions with clients last maybe 10 minutes tops and I can usually control myself for that amount of time. Perfect job for surly SOB such as myself (grin).

[The Daring Dufas]

Like me, you can fire customers. Some people are impossible to deal with. I'm always polite when I say, "I'm sorry, I can't do business with you anymore. Perhaps some other service company would be a much better match for you." I've had some real ding dongs as customers and when they open their mouths to me the wrong way, I'll bid them farewell and I'm suddenly no longer available.

TDD

[The Daring Dufas]

I'm glad your faith worked for you. It doesn't work for some people and there are those who think you're trying to proselytize and push your religion just because of your little sig which I don't think of as obnoxious. My Protestant cousins can be so pushy at times that I want to track down my first grade teacher, Sister Godzilla, the nun from Hell and turn her loose on them. She might be 100 years old by now but she could still grab them by the ear or worse. 8-)

TDD

[Stormin Mormon]

Being the owner is a whole different skill set. One friend of mine is out of work, and has been for a couple months. He is a great worker, but doesn't know how to manage, advertise, and so on. If you can start and run a business, that's great. Some folks can't.

With your own business, each customer you serve is your boss, for a period of time.

[Stormin Mormon]

Sounds like you're better in a punch clock or salaried job?

[Stormin Mormon]

I've done that, but only less than a dozen in twenty years. Two were used car dealers, one was a property manager guy. I told him of some major security problems in his master key system, but he didn't want to do anything about it. Probably a couple others.

Something I read years ago, and don't have the copy I read. A business, someone sat down with the books. Found out the sales force was practicing the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time courting 20% of the income. They shifted the sales guys attention and sales went up.

[Stormin Mormon]

I've met good people in a variety of faiths. I suspect that the powers of the universe will be more understanding of us than us people are undersanding of each other.

Well, when you find Sister Godzilla, maybe I can loan her a Book of Mormon and send her to a couple churches near me who need some tolerance training.

[The Daring Dufas]

She was an American nun, the school imported some Irish nuns when I survived the first grade and was sentenced to the second grade. Irish nuns believe in capital punishment for small children, that's why I have absolutely no fear of terrorists.

TDD

[Ed Pawlowski]

"The Daring Dufas" wrote

I have 12 years of paramilitary, ooops, Catholic education.

Overall, it was a good education and we were taught some values. It certainly has some high and low spots to look back on and even laugh about now. We learned organization, structure, respect, and to push to the limits of our abilities.

Of course, I think we'd have a better society if the draft was reinstated also. Some of our wayward youth were rechanneled to become respectable citizens by a couple of years in the military.

[The Daring Dufas]

At the Catholic Parochial Gulag we were subject to tactile reinforcement, a method of education that causes students to despise their teachers and some students to become serial killers and mass murderers. Some just go completely bonkers and sit in the corner mumbling but a few lucky ones survive and go on to become productive albeit slightly bizarre members of society.

TDD

[Oren]

I must of had a Catholic teacher at least once. I still have a scar perpendicular to my inside left forearm.

Oh! She took me to the Principles Office. Got my ass beat with a paddle from Mr Strange, the principle.