Bret Favre stage...

You know what I mean, retired, un-retired, retired..  and now completely UN-retired.

I am beat.  I took this Friday morning kind of slow because I'm just whooped.  I am having trouble getting the amount of work I have scheduled done in the time frame I want because I'm out of shape, and it being 93 degrees with a 100 degree comfort index isn't helping much either.

As I was talking with a friend of mine who I often hire to help me out (laid off, 4 kids, decent sized home payment, 2 newer cars, etc) the subject of working less of course came up.  His wife is in a teaching type position where she works 9 months and is off 3 months, but gets paid across the summer.  He feels like she should get a summer job of course.. (And I'm the one single!!!  sheesh)

But finally the point..  Why not work every day like this and "get all the money".  Well, I don't want "all the money".  Also, something I think I've never mentioned, is that I have 2 friends who retired, one had a minor medical procedure done while still on his company insurance, and died of it, 5 days before retirement.  No telling where "all the money" went with him.   Another friend of mine retired.  He was pretty active for awhile, but slowly spent more and more time on the couch, and passed away 2 yrs after a 40 year career.  I know where "All the money" went in his case, I'm friends with his children and they inherited nicely, and I'm sure that pleased my friend.  But, I don't think 2 yrs on the couch was the plan.

My point..I have to resist these urges to hug the couch on my down time.   Which has a lot to do with the loads of work I put on myself in my Bret Favre stages of un-retirement because I put too much on myself.
See the balance problem?   So I guess my "system" does have its flaws but I don't intend to go back to a 9 to 5 anytime soon.  I think double scheduling jobs will be a thing of the past.. after I knock this one out.  I also think my retired phases need to have a hobby (paying or not) or some kind of activity planned.

I have a friend who is burning her candle at more than both ends.  I think she's got a hot spot in the middle as well!  It kind of made me realize my own balance.  My much sought after "personal time", or retired stages, don't have the quality they can if I'm always recovering from a huge surge of work after sitting on my ass for extended periods.

Options.  Well obviously I can be in better shape, and that NEEDS to happen.   Are you listening, ME?
Hobbies need to be re-ignited.  I have a vehicle I want to rehab.  I've considered getting back into the real estate game, get me a fixer upper home.
And I'm thinking of learning to fly.  Not in a plane.  More like a flying squirrel.. by jumping out of perfectly good airplanes.

And maybe I'll do NONE of that, because I'm already stressed over that like its a to-do list.  Or maybe I'll do some of it, and something else.. or some of it and nothing else.   Balance.

I tried to stand on a friends balance board.  Its a board slightly wider than a shoulder width stance, on a log like tube.  The object to balance by standing on the board on top of the log.  What I found out is you don't get up on it and stand there balanced.  You have to continually adjust.. a little this way, then a little that way, and when you can do it without over correcting one way or the other, then you were balancing. 

So thats my goal.. I need to swing a little more to the active side because I don't want to just die (hopefully metaphorically) while I'm retired.  But I don't want to over correct and work 2 jobs all the time either.

Fat checks though.  I do remember the consumerism trap!  What can I buy???  Burning a hole in my pocket!!!

The Man Owes you Less than Nothing...

A guest post on "Planting Dollar$"   I don't have a post ready but I liked this post today on a blog I follow in my google reader.

It's funny how you can say some things.. sometimes powerful things... secrets if you will (though really just another way of thinking) in big black and white letters on the free, world reaching web.. and still be in no danger of your market being flooded.

That's how strong preconceptions and assumptions can be.

Check out.. The Man Owes You Less Than Nothing on Planting Dollar$. 

Geo Arbitrage for us semi retirees.

I just saw the term recently on a blog I have followed for years.  I don't know how 'linking' is done properly so I'm not going to link, but the blog is titled "Early Retirement Extreme".  Anyways, that was the term and this is the following description...

4. Geo-Arbitrage

Geo-Arbitrage, loosely, is when you generate income in a country with a high-value currency and spend it somewhere with a low-value currency. To the business tycoon, this might mean purchasing goods in China to sell in America or setting up an Indian call centre to serve clients in England. My experience in geo-arbitrage was far more modest: I simply generated money in Scotland (through work) and moved to Canada, where British money goes a little further than the Canadian dollar. The C$450 I spend from savings per month took me only a week to earn in Scotland. I’d advise anyone to do the same thing: work somewhere lucrative for a while and relocate to somewhere vibrant and cheap, while maintaining a minimalist and frugal lifestyle.

Now if you want to see an extreme example of this I highly recommend George and Tioga. Again, google and you shall find.. but George lived in the high dollar state of California, and retired with very little income and means to support himself, so he bought Ms Tioga, his RV, and went on his vagabonding adventures.  He now mostly lives in Mexico, and blogs fully of his lifestyle.. right down to his income and expenses.  What a life he lives now, compared to retired and near destitute to maintain a 'life' in California.

But back to me.. because really, this IS all about me, right?  :)  I live in what is probably the most expensive part of the state of Kansas. But don't get me wrong, in most cities there are still affordable places to live.  And forget for a moment that I own my "building" and rent pays most of my overhead.  Even assuming it did not, with my room mate, and the going "rent" I would still be able to live here fully for under 600 per month.

So my "geo arbitrage" was more of a Situational arbitrage.  I created a situation where I already was that I could live how I wanted.  My formula works more in the way that I've created a VERY inexpensive way of living, and I make a VERY high income relative to my expenses.  Would my income cover your expenses or be considered high to you?  That doesn't really matter, it more than covers mine, even if I only work 4 or 5 days a month.  Was it easy?  No way.  In fact, in certain ways it was forced. (which I shall touch on very soon in a new post)  But it can be done, and it can be done about anywhere.  But if you can really take advantage of the GEO part... and why couldn't you in this world of the far reaching internet..  how bad would it be to sit on the beach in Mexico every winter spending dollars made in the US or some other high overhead country?  Ask George, american money still goes a long way in Mexico.

Working less... Semi Retired.. need to Live more

I have 2/3 of the title of my blog down.  I'm definitely working less, which is basically semi retired so I do realize the redundancy.   What I'm not doing much of is living.  I  mean sure, I have my interests and I pretty much do what I want.. but I'm also a worrier. 

I worry about my money and remaining in my semi retired state.  Like I had posted earlier, I got back down to one car, and made a pretty good deal on another, so my "stash" is back up to mostly healthy.  Also I have secured an amount of work that would take me OUT of the semi retired status for a month or two.  All of this will combine to stuff my bank account, at least for the foreseeable future, so why do I worry so much about spending a little on living?

Well, the fact is, you can have a pretty good life without spending a ton of money.

Some things I'd like to do more of revolve around just getting out of the house and out into nature, nature not always being the forest or the lake, but just out into human nature as well.  And that doesn't have to tap into your savings.   I can go to the local swimming pool for just a few dollars.. and who doesn't know about the wildlife you can often view there?!?!  I have three dogs, and I admit taking all three can be a chore and next to impossible, but I can take turns, and get them out for walks, trips to the dog park, the lake, and even over to the pet store when its time for supplies.  They would dig that for sure.

I am dipping into the stash for a poker tournament this weekend.  I love poker but consider the expense unjustifiable even though I occasionally win and have some decent skills.  But I've abstained for several months and I feel like I'm due.  I will keep you posted on the results.

So those are some of the things I'd like to do more of.  What do you do on a budget that makes life enjoyable to you?

Terms like retirement or employed don't have to be permenant.

Right now I have a load of work coming on that is probably going to last the rest of the summer.
And that's ok.  We all know the story of the squirrel and the grasshopper... and I prefer to be the squirrel.
I need to get some "nuts" stored up for the long cold winter.. and starving or freezing has never been the intent of my semi-retired frugal ways.

My point today is that people tend to look at phases of their lives as definite.  I'm retired. I don't work. Or on the other hand.. I'm a ________. Fill in the blank.  But you are defined by your status.  

I just don't agree with such hard and fast lines in my life.  Right now I'm going to be fully employed.  And it's healthy, as I need to get functioning, in better shape, fatten up the bank account.. and  just generally change the gears of my life right now... keep it fresh!   Those of you sitting in the same cubicle, waiting for one of your four weeks of vacation, or at least the weekend, know what I'm talking about.   How nice it would be for a change.. something FRESH.

Well, I was mostly retired all winter.  I've been semi-retired all spring as I dealt with some medical issues.  And now I need to work, for the winter will be here before we know it and in my line of work and skill, work is just not as readily available.

I will say this.. I don't know what field you're in, or skills you possess, or your desire to live a life of more change..(change sucks sometimes)..  but back to my point.  I basically ran a few craigslist ads, put the word out to my social circle that I was looking for a little work, and within weeks I am booked for the summer with some jobs possibly becoming recurring maintenance contracts.

The bottom line, I'm in control of my life.. in as much as the levels of work, the length of work, and even the work I decide to take.   Does it scare me in between times of such income, and times of semi-retirement? 
Yes.. it still does.  But my confidence grows over time,  just like with anything.

So what are you doing today?   I'm going to replace a shower door, and work on a remote controlled entry gate to an apartment parking lot.   Its a nice sunny day.   Not bad.