First I am changing my thinking about what is income. This is the hardest area for me to change how I think. Since 10 years old I have made money by cutting lawns, shoveling snow, delivering papers & yard work, held my first “real” job at 16 and have continued to be employed or self-employed since. But early on I knew that by getting money through work I could get the bike I wanted, the album I wanted, the new fishing pole. Conventional thought is income is money, but is it money I want or is it what money will get me? Then I recalled how I got my first car a 1967 red VW Bug my neighbor was selling. I couldn’t afford it, it was $400.00 and I just did not have enough cash and my dad was not kicking in. (One of the best things he ever did for me). At this point in time I was doing yard work and snow blowing neighbors driveways and sidewalks. So in the fall I approached the neighbor selling the car and asked if he (single guy) was interested in having his snow removed for the season and he became my 3rd customer for that season. When it came to negotiating the cost of my services, I offered him an on-call by the storm rate or a seasonal rate of $250.00. He chose the seasonal rate but I had another idea. I said I would like to buy the VW Bug for $300.00, $50.00 in cash and one year of seasonal snow removal. He agreed and signed over the car.
So I didn’t really want the money I wanted what money would buy and being reminded of my 1st bartering experience is helping me figure out what I need income for and what I can do to get it.
The retirement refugee lifestyle is as much about reducing your expenses as it is maximizing your various incomes.
Posts
