Retirement – Destination NOW

Our Big Beautiful Planet

Anyone who knows me, knows how deeply I care about Pachamama (that’s what the people of the Andes called our planet –it means “Mother Earth” in Quechua). It upsets me that future generations will inherit an environment with poor air quality, crazy climate changes, fewer birds, fish and mammals, and with plastic choking our waterways.

I compost, donate to environmental groups, “recycle, reuse and refuse”, but I realize that isn’t nearly enough. So, when I learned that my friend was rappelling off the roof of a 21 story hotel to raise money for the Highlands Coalition, I immediately emailed her asking if I could do it with her.

The view from the top. Photo by Tyler Tierney

What we looked like to the people on the ground. Photo by Daniel Canose

Mary Jane is the mayor of Bernardsville, so she was part of the “Mayor’s Challenge”, which took place on Friday afternoon, May 30th. The main event was scheduled for the following day. Although I am not a mayor, I was allowed to join my dear friend, as her “emotional support” creature (and #1 “fan girl”).

To create interest, and to motivate donors, I promised that whoever contributed the most could determine what I wore on the way down. That quickly morphed into dictating my entire appearance, which is how I ended up with pink hair, FIVE temporary tattoos, and a florescent shirt.

Okay, so it wouldn’t be the first time in my life that I was willing to look ridiculous and probably won’t be the last, but at least this time it was for a good cause. My goal was to raise money AND to draw attention to The Highlands Coalition, which not only protects our water supply, but also increases the odds that future generations will have access to recreational facilities and our beautiful forests. Riverkeeper, the other conservation Group, does similar work. How lucky were we that Riverkeeper sent Tyler, our skilled photographer to document this event.

While I’m at it, why not put in a plug for The Great Swamp Watershed Association? They weren’t part of the Over the Edge Event, but they offer fascinating workshops, most recently an educational and informative one about microplastics in our water supply.

I DO have a tendency to digress, but now it’s time to get back to the main point of this post: Although the event has passed, it is still possible to donate, if the spirit moves you. This link will bring you to my donor page. (Just click on the underlined word). For those of you who have already donated, THANK YOU so very much! I truly appreciate your support.

So what was it like? How cool is it to stand on the roof of a 21 story hotel in the Meadowlands and get a view of the NY skyline and the American Dream Mall? VERY cool and unforgettable.

4 Mayors, a fan girl and the hotel manager

Tyler continued to take wonderful photos from the top, and Daniel captured our descent on video, supplying commentary as we went. (clicking on the underlined word will bring you to the YouTube video)

My friend Jean urged me to write this post because she was hoping it would inspire women of our age (almost 76) to realize that regardless of what your birth certificate says, anything is possible. If anyone reading this post is dreading turning 40, (or 50, or 60) I want to assure you that the best is yet to come.

I also want to thank the instructors of the Somerset Hills YMCA who helped to get me in shape and KEEP me in shape with all their wonderful Yoga, Zumba, Barre, and AOA classes.

My arms were sculpted by the Somerset Hills Y Instructors

Okay, so I got a little carried away. It happens. What did I think I was doing? Giving an academy awards speech? If so, it’s time for me to be waved off the stage…

Car Buyer or Cult Member?

Am I having a midlife crisis? Or did I just join a cult? I’m way too old for either, but here we are.

I feel like I have done the car buying equivalent of bungee jumping, except I haven’t jumped YET. I’ve been strapped in, led to the edge, and am waiting to either jump or be pushed. My emotions keep swinging from exhilaration to terror. What have I done? The bigger question: Does every future Tesla owner go through this while awaiting delivery?

First, let me say that although I am still in shock that a car can cost almost as much as our first house, I didn’t buy one of the super expensive Teslas. And our little first house, bought decades ago, was in Ohio, a much cheaper area of the country. Still, for someone who views a car solely as a means of transportation, it’s a LOT of money, even for the Tesla 3, which is the least expensive model. (I DID spring for the mid priced 3–the one with the battery that lets you go a longer distance. The top of the line, the Performance 3 is DEFINITELY for those with a need for speed.)

So, how did this happen? How did a non-car aficionado end up ordering a cool set of wheels? Simple. My son guilted me. He took the number of miles that I drove last year plus the amount that I spent on gasoline, and converted it into how much carbon I released into the atmosphere. Not as much as most, because for the last 11 years, I’ve driven a Prius. Even so, he calculated that in 2019, I was responsible for one TON of emissions. He’s an electrical engineer, so the odds are good that his calculation was accurate. But then again, he knows I don’t have the skills needed to check his math.

He knows my vulnerabilities. I am passionate about protecting the environment. For years, I’ve carried a reusable water bottle, reusable grocery bags (including reusable produce bags). I recycle, reuse and refrain whenever I can to minimize my carbon footprint. Because I love to travel, I figure I need to do whatever I can to offset my the carbon from the flights I take.

I also really liked the Tesla’s safety features, such as blind spot monitoring, and assisted cruise control. For an additional $7,000, I could have had the self driving feature. I didn’t get it, and not just because of the cost. Quite honestly, when I tried it out, I was terrified. What is REALLY cool, however, is that all of Tesla’s model 3’s (built after 10/2016) have all of the sensors, cameras and radar needed for self driving already built in. Should I become comfortable enough to add that feature in the future, all I have to do is pay for it, then download the software via wifi. And that’s another cool thing: Tesla updates the software regularly, so once you own a Tesla, you benefit from the updates that flow over your wifi network. Sometimes a blessing, sometimes a curse. Only time will tell.

But back to those safety features. Even if you don’t spring for the super duper self driving feature, you still get “auto pilot”. If you are like me, and get into your zen mode while listening to the radio, you know that sometimes your foot gets heavy and you lose track of space and time – or maybe just the speed at which you are traveling. Am I right? Auto Pilot KNOWS the speed limits of the road you are zipping along, and will limit you to a number that you choose ( like +5 MPH over the limit). You can override the limit, but usually my problem comes from going too fast, not too slow.

Anyway, I am 4 days away from picking up the car that I ordered 5 weeks ago. What have I done while waiting? I’ve been reading the manual. Mike has been busy too. He oversaw turning our garage into a charging station. His mission was accomplished today.

Meanwhile, I’ve been hanging out on the Tesla Message Boards. I wanted to find out things like, does it get hot in the car because of the glass roof? Approximately how far can you go on 1 Kilowatt of electricity? (And is it a Kilowatt or a Kilowatt hour? ) How much does it cost to use a Tesla Supercharger? Stuff like that. Instead I found posts like this one, chosen at random and cut and pasted:

I have a pair of Model S non-P caliper in my garage just for that purpose. However, I’m on the fence about it once I did more research. The big gain for the RB S caliper option is the increase thermal capacity of the larger and thicker rotor. On the other hand, the P3D pad is slightly larger than S pad. And there are already a number of track oriented pad on the market for P3D. Whereas the S pad is available in street pad only, the only other car that uses the same pad shape is Chevy Cruise econobox.

Did it scare me. You bet. Even though I am generally fluent in English, I had no bloody idea what that post was about! But then I realized that many of the Tesla buyers are engineers or car enthusiasts — most likely both. I am neither. I’ll stick to reading the manual. And keep my fingers crossed. Four more days, but who’s counting.

Small Town Love

Our family is like a little solar system. At our center is our sun, my sister Sue, radiating warmth and love that sustains her six siblings, who, like planets, revolve around her. Although she never had children of her own, she is a second mom (and now grand-mom) to satellite nieces, nephews, cousins’ and friends’ children.

Although four of the seven “kids” have moved away, Sue, our sister Sandy and brother Tom have all lived in the same area their entire lives, accumulating a glorious galaxy of friends. (See how you think after being married to an astronomer for four decades?)

Recently, Tom’s daughter gave birth to premature twins. Sadly, one died shortly after birth, but thanks to the wonderful medical team in Providence, his twin has grown from 1 pound 6 ounces to just under 4 pounds.

Modern medicine is truly amazing; it is also really, really expensive. Even with insurance, the high deductible, coinsurance, and uncovered expenses all equate to huge bills, as any parent with a sick child can attest. So, Sue decided to gather the troops to create a benefit dinner– “Pasta with a Purpose”.

IMG_5443 2.jpg — Just a small sample of the raffle items

Fortunately, Sue has a talent for choosing loyal and giving friends, that are just like her. Sheila, an elementary school buddy, has worked in the restaurant business for years, and like our brother Tom, is an amazing chef. Who expects benefit food to be good? It was at THIS benefit, thanks to a team of cooks.

But the real stroke of genius was making friends with Debbie, who like other elementary school teachers, is a force to be reckoned with. Teachers know how to create something out of nothing, how to get the unruly to behave and how to keep calm in the midst of chaos, and how to make great displays. Let’s hear it for the teachers!

Within three weeks, family and friends had secured the Knights of Columbus hall,

IMG_E5448 — The “elves” worked hard to get this all set up and orgnized

gotten food and raffle donations,

As the evening progressed, donations kept coming in– we were running out of space!

found a DJ,

sold hundreds of tickets, enlisted student volunteers to serve food,

These kids were “on it”, serving, clearing, and setting up for the next round of diners

and taken care of the hundreds of tiny details necessary to make the event a success.

And what a success it was! All to help this little guy and his loving parents.

With so much negativity and violence these days, it is heartening to see how people can come together to support each other in time of need.

Our family includes the normal mix of in-laws, out-laws, and sheep of all colors. If you were to chart us — along economic, political, and religious lines, you’d find someone on just about any point in the spectrum. But when it comes to things that really matter, that all gets put aside. It is family and friends, all the way.

So in addition to paying tribute to my amazing sister, Sue, this is a huge thank you to all you small town inhabitants with big hearts, who came out on November 5th to show the love for Haylie, Greg and Baby Spencer. Forgive me for not mentioning or photographing all of you who did so much to make the day so special. You know who you are, and so do we.

Could this be the start of another lifelong friendship?

Citizens of Planet Earth

The first time I visited our nation’s capital was in 1970, when I hopped on a plane (another first) to join with hundreds of thousands protesting the Vietnam War. My college roommate and I had no idea where we would be staying. and as typical college students, we had very little money, but somehow it all worked out. Like Blanche DuBois, we depended on the kindness of strangers, and we weren’t disappointed.

Fast forward 47 years. Sadly, so many of the issues we THOUGHT were being addressed are still problematic. Though we recite the pledge of allegiance, we still have to work to make “liberty and justice for ALL” more than just empty words. Surprisingly some of the truths that Tom Jefferson thought were “self evident”, today are not.

Yesterday, Mike and I arose at 4:30 AM to board a bus for D.C. with 50 like minded citizens to participate in the People’s Climate March. Spirits were high. On the drive down, Stacey, our efficient and amazing leader, reminded us of the rules of engagement established by the March organizers: No violence, verbal or physical toward anyone, be respectful toward all people and property, look out for each other, pick up after ourselves. Essentially, reminding us to behave the way we should every day. Got it.

It was not surprising that this year’s march had a bit of a political bent to it, given our current president’s assault on the environment.

Isn’t it hard to believe that it is necessary to demonstrate for clean air, clean water and the preservation of our planet for future generations? Who could possibly be against that?

Perhaps companies and innovators will view the masses of demonstrators as potential customers for their energy efficient products. Perhaps our legislators will recognize that they have a constituent or two (or a few thousand) that cares about our beautiful country. One can only hope.

I marvel that suddenly politicians are glorifying working in a coal mine. Is it worth defiling our nation’s waterways to allow miners the opportunity to get black lung disease? Loretta Lynn isn’t singing “Proud to be a coal miner’s grandmother”. Full disclosure. My knowledge of mining is limited to watching Loretta Lynn’s movie “Coal Miner’s Daughter”and reading the news, but I believe that miners are like the rest of us, wanting a good job, healthcare and a better life for their children. I also have a sneaking suspicion that Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell wouldn’t be thrilled to have THEIR offspring going down into the mines doing those jobs they are hell bent on preserving, but I digress. Back to the march.

How wonderful to see all ages represented, from babies in strollers to seniors carrying pictures of their grandchildren and great grandchildren. Despite there being marches throughout the country, many marchers traveled great distances to surround the white house. We encountered travelers from Minnesota, Ohio and Iowa. Now that’s what I call commitment!

It was difficult to get a sense of the size of the crowd while we were in it. Fortunately, photographers along the route were capturing images like this one ( grabbed from 350.org’s facebook page). Despite a late start, and April temperatures that should have made believers out of any climate change deniers, the crowd was focused, disciplined, polite and spirited. “This is what Democracy looks like” was a popular chant, as we made our way to the White House.

I offer photos from this inspiring day in the hope that you will join us, in whatever capacity you can, as we all continue to protect Pachamama (the name given to the earth, by the indigenous people of the Andes–a goddess indeed). It isn’t a march, it’s a movement! Remember–

THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE!

Confessions of a GrandAunt

We’ve all heard that being a grandmother is way more fun than being a mother. Well, the good news, for those of us with uncooperative offspring, is that being a grandaunt is equally thrilling. Luckily for me, two of my nieces chose to reproduce, so I now have 3 little girls and 1 little boy in my life. Unfortunately, 2 live in Massachusetts and 2 live in Virginia, so I’ve had to figure out how to make those magic moments together really count. And since I’m in a figuring mood, I figured, why not share what I’ve learned with any blog buddies who have important little people in their lives?

My most recent discovery is the Providence Children’s Museum. Here’s what you need to know:

It is open every day except Monday.
The parking lot is small, and there is construction next door that limits parking further, so arrive with lots of quarters to feed to the on street meters.
The museum offers the use of umbrella strollers for free.
There is no food service, so you need to bring your own snacks. These can only be eaten in the lunch room or outside.
Storage cubbies are free, and are easy to access so you can store your snacks and drinks there
The $9 per person admission was so very worth it, offering hours of entertainment. What better way to spend a rainy day?

Now that we have all of the ‘good to know’ stuff out of the way, how about the museum itself?
In a word, it is absolutely FANTASTIC! That place is perfectly sized for young children, with tons of fascinating, hands on activities.

For example, one whole room is completely dedicated to water fun. It’s even educational! “Let’s see what happens when you move those gray rectangles.”

The museum supplies aprons so kids can splash away. The blue aprons were a little large for the younger girl, so we downsized to red.

There is something to delight everyone, regardless of whether you want to paint with water, or scrape an ice like substance from a table. (No, I have NO idea what it was).

Notice the red and yellow circles on the walls? Those are notes to parents, in English and Spanish, explaining the educational purpose of the activities.

The museum is spacious, colorful and loaded with child sized spaces to explore.

Soft sculptures provide great photo opportunities for cell phone paparazzi (we are EVERYWHERE)!

There is something to delight the future cowgirl,

as well as the budding heavy equipment operator…

Her grandmother is going to put these gardening skills to good use!

The Final Ingredient for a Happy Retirement

Okay, so far, we’ve talked about sufficient financial resources, good health and strong personal relationships as being three essential ingredients for a happy retirement. What’s left?

Drum roll, please…

According to Viktor Frankl, the key is finding meaning in life. Some lucky individuals find meaning in their work, and are able to make a living following their bliss. They aren’t interested in retiring. And why should they? How great is it to get paid for doing what you enjoy? They will continue to “work” for as long as they are able. But this post isn’t about them. It’s about the rest of us, primarily motivated by the bimonthly love notes that appeared in our bank account via direct deposit, for whom retirement is a welcome change from the 40 to 60 hours we spent toiling away.

If “finding meaning in life” sounds a bit too lofty, how about this? Let’s call the fourth critical ingredient “oomph” or “pizzazz” or whatever term you bestow on that special something that makes you want to jump out of bed in the morning.

Some embark on a second career, working fewer hours, but because they are doing what they thoroughly enjoy, it doesn’t FEEL like work. When he retired, my husband started making violins. Although he has sold a couple, and given away even more, the end product is not the point. A researcher who loves learning and sharing knowledge with like minded individuals, he’s focused on decoding Stradivari’s secrets and reproducing the sound and appearance of a master violin.

As for ME, my favorite things happen to dovetail nicely with ingredients 2 and 3. I’m now doing all of the things that I wanted to do during my work life, but rarely had enough time for: Exercise, book clubs, social events, travel, spending time with my family, Global Volunteer projects (The photo atop this post is from my time in the Cook Islands. Who could resist those beautiful children?), cooking — the list goes on and on.

My guess is that we all have different “oomph” factors. What’s important is to start thinking about what your special something is LONG before your last day at work. How you plan to structure your days during this wonderful stage of life’s journey is almost as important as financial planning. In fact, the two are directly linked. If you have expensive habits and desires, then you’d best be building a BIG nest egg. If you are a minimalist, however, then you don’t need as much.

So, there you have it. Simple to say, harder to execute–but SO worth the effort. Happy trails to all you current and future retirees.

Please feel free to share what is working for YOU!

“All You Need Is Love” The Beatles

“Love is all you need”. Turns out, those four British boys were definitely on to something.

This blog post is about that THIRD essential ingredient for a happy retirement — strong personal relationships. Nothing new or revolutionary about that. Erich Fromm’s book, “The Art of Loving” published more than 50 years ago, informed us that the key to a happy life is love and work. (We’ll address the “work” part in the next post)

Fast forward to 2016. Robert Waldinger’s excellent Ted Talk describes findings from a 75 year Harvard study on adult development. Guess what? Researchers discovered the most important factor in determining whether someone is happy is not fame or wealth, but the quality of their relationships. Not only were people with strong, positive relationships happier, but they were healthier–both physically and mentally.

During the 30+ years I was in the workforce, I was lucky enough to have jobs that paid me for establishing positive relationships with other people. (Which, of course, is very different from being paid to have relations with other people. Not that I’m judging…) So, when I retired, I was not only saying goodbye to my co-workers, but also to customers that, in most cases, had become friends. Unfortunately, most of them are long distance friends. And are still working.

Although I still think of my husband as my “boyfriend”, I don’t expect him to fill all of my companionship needs. Perhaps part of the reason we are still going strong after 4 decades together is we both understand our mutual need for other interests and for time apart. Our relationship is very much like a Venn Diagram–my interests – his interests, with a nice big intersection of OUR interests. Surprisingly, I have encountered people that find this a bit strange. So, when I read this Wall Street Journal article shortly after retiring, I was pleased to find that there are others out there like us. Why I find it gratifying to discover that we aren’t so different is probably a subject for a therapist, or at least a future post. But I digress. Which happens a lot.

Anyway, I have spent the last four years figuring out how to exchange “work mates” for “play mates”, and I’m happy to share what I learned with you, my newly retired, soon to be retired, or hoping to one day be retired readers.

Here’s what’s been working for me:

Meet-Ups This on-line application allows you to select by geographic area and areas of interest. After you make your selections, you get notifications of gatherings of like minded individuals. You can get even more specific, narrowing it down by age or marital status. I’ve made friends via book club, biking, and boomer dining meet-ups–and there are lots of other options. Plus, if you are so inclined, you can start your own meet up group.
The Local Y It is indeed fun to go to the YMCA! But don’t just hang out on the treadmill. Join classes, and attend regularly. And don’t worry about being out of shape. There are no mean girls here! The women (and most of the class attendees ARE women) are friendly, welcoming and caring. In many ways, the Y “family” has been a wonderful substitute for my workplace “family”.
Volunteer I’ve made some incredible friends during my Global Volunteer Projects. See the world, make new friends, learn about another culture! Check out that wonderful organization!
If you prefer something local, AARP offers an on-line application designed to link retirees with nearby organizations in need of their skills, and aligned with their interests.
The Local Library Mine offers an array of programs, including book clubs and educational seminars.
Welcome Wagon Yes, I know, this is supposed to be for newcomers. BUT the local contact can be a great resource for area clubs and gatherings. It took me 32 years before I stumbled across our Neighbors and Newcomers Club, but I’m so glad I did!
Reconnections Maybe you have been too busy to stay in contact with friends from high school or college. Why not reach out? I attended my first college reunion five years ago, and am looking forward to the next one this spring. It was a wonderful trip down memory lane, an opportunity to reconnect with old friends and a chance to make new ones. Ditto for high school.
Travel Okay, so this probably isn’t going to help you with day to day connections, but we met some fantastic, fascinating people on our trips with Road Scholar, OAT, and Grand Circle. In 2016, our new Zealand friends will be visiting us and we will be taking a trip with friends we met in Peru and on a Global Volunteer experience.
Virtual Buddies I put this one last, because a computer relationship is no substitute for face to face, hand to hand connections. Still, email, facebook and blogging can be wonderful ways to complement your other relationships. I loved having pen pals back in the dark ages when I was a child. My Blog Buddies to me are the 21st century version of pen pals. The best part, however, was when I met a blog buddy when we both happened to be in San Francisco, visiting our kids. With luck, she and I will be able to synchronize travel again.

What about YOU? What has helped YOU make the social transition from workto retirement?

“Get On Your Feet” Gloria Estefan

No, this post isn’t about Gloria Estefan’s Broadway musical, although that may be a future post, if I make my way into NYC to see it. Nope, this is about that second essential ingredient for a happy retirement: Good Health.

Yes, we all SAY we want good health, but what do we DO? We overeat, and what we are stuffing into our mouths is usually the worst possible choice. We smoke (well, I never did, but I am related to people that still do. Yeesh.) We act like The Cat in the Hat children. “All we could do was sit, sit, sit, sit”. We keep on electing NRA sponsored candidates that refuse to do anything about crazy people owning weapons of mass destruction, also known as assault weapons. (Whoops, got carried away by current events–that too belongs in a different, possibly future, post.)

Yes, it helps to be born with the right genes, but research continues to uncover the very strong link between lifestyle and good health, which is something that we “lifestyle managers” believe and preach enthusiastically to anyone that will listen.

About those genes: If our parents’ lifespans are any indication, there is a strong probability that Mike and I have inherited “longevity genes”. His made it into their ’90s. Mine are close to that milestone. But what about the quality of those later years? I’ve seen first-hand what lack of exercise can do to a person–both mentally and physically, and it isn’t pretty.

So, why wait for the calendar to flip to do something wonderful for yourself? Who says resolutions can only be made on New Year’s?

Full disclosure. I hate the thought of exercising. During my college years, I cut more of the required gym classes than I attended. Lucky for me the gym teacher sucked at taking attendance. So, when even an external requirement couldn’t get me into the gym in my younger days, how do I now get my sagging butt out the door? Major psych up. I tell myself I’m doing my part to keep Medicare costs down. (You’re welcome, Gen X, Y, and Millenniums). I remind myself of the places that I want to visit and the things I want to do once I get there. (Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet in the spring. Yeah baby). I look at what the total absence of exercise has done to my mother, and realize that I wouldn’t want my one child to have the responsibilities for care that are currently being shared by me and my siblings.

During my work years, I had a community of co-workers and a structured week. By joining the YMCA, I discovered the retirement equivalent of both. The variety of classes offered provides structure, and the friendly and welcoming attendees (mostly women) have become part of my community.

Notice I didn’t mention six pack abs in my reasons for exercising. Truth be told, if those three words appeared in a sentence about me, it would be this one. “Check out her abs–looks like she drank a whole six pack in one sitting”. No, at my age, exercise isn’t about looking better. It’s about staying the same. And that’s a great goal for someone who will be 70 in 4 years!

How about you? Wanna join me? I’m off to zumba right after I push the publish button.

Mix These Four Essential Ingredients to Cook Up a Happy Retirement

Recently I attended a colleague’s retirement party. It was the first time I had seen many co-workers since I left the workforce four years ago. I was surprised that so many of them were surprised by how happy and relaxed I appeared. Several asked me what “my secret” is. I didn’t have an answer then, because I hadn’t given the matter much thought. But given my current abundance of free time, I’ve been able to ponder the subject deeply and have come to the conclusion that the “secret” isn’t so secret at all. It all boils down to four really simple ingredients. I hope you are enjoying the cooking analogy–after years of “on my radar, teeing things up, drilling down, hitting the ground running, and pushing the envelope”, I figured it’s time for a change.

You ready? The essential ingredients for a happy retirement are:

Strong personal relationships
Adequate financial resources
Good health
Oomph

I told you it was simple, but hey, Tom Jefferson got a lot of mileage out of stating ‘self evident’ truths, so let’s see how it will work for me. Besides, ‘knowing’ and ‘doing’ are two very different things. I think we all know that family and health are important, but how do we behave? I certainly was guilty of letting the work day spill over into family and friend time. I skipped exercising and ate far too many fast, easy (and less nutritious) meals. So, today’s post will start with the ingredient that has a tendency to crowd out the others:

Adequate Financial Resources
Isn’t that the reason we put in all those hours–to ensure that we have “adequate financial resources”? Over time, I learned that the most important word in that phrase is “adequate”.

Although I benefited greatly from working for insurance companies that regularly flooded me with information about financial planning, saving, & pensions, what was probably most helpful was a wonderful book by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin, “Your Money or Your Life”. This easy to read book helps you become aware of the trade offs that you unknowingly make by overspending. My favorite quote:

Rich only exists in comparison to others, but financial independence means that you have enough and then some.

Without trying hard, I’ll bet we can easily think of someone that has greater financial resources than 95% of the world’s population, but they always seem to want more. They haven’t quite grasped the concept of enough.

Two of my closest friends have traveled all over the world on very little money. For example, they managed to spend a month in Greece and two weeks in Ireland on what they had saved from two years of Peace Corp salary! They know what is important to them, and their spending reflects what they value.

When I was growing up, my dad used to tell me “Your wants are many, but your needs are few”. He was so right.

So, for all you young ‘uns out there, before you slap down your credit card, you might want to take a minute to think about to how you are allocating your dollars and your “life’s energy”, as Dominguez and Robin put it.

How did we get those resources?
I’ll admit it–we have been lucky. We haven’t had any major illnesses or financial catastrophes. And, although we both were impacted by mergers and acquisitions, we were able to find other employment relatively easily.

We also decided to give Lady Luck a helping hand. As our incomes rose, we didn’t increase our spending. Instead we opted to increase our contributions to our no-load mutual funds. We didn’t run up credit card debt, only charging what we could pay off by the time the bill arrived. We saved so that we could pay cash for our cars, maintained them and kept them well past their first decade. Instead of a monthly car payment, we made those “payments” to ourselves, so we weren’t paying interest, we were earning it. And guess what? We never felt deprived.

It all goes back to knowing what is important to you, and making sure that your behavior aligns with your objectives. Simple in concept, sometimes challenging to do. But SO very worth it!

Next post–Good Health!

Just what exactly does a Lifestyle Manager DO?

On December 1, 2015 I started my fifth year as the CEO of Destination Now, a Lifestyle Management company. In honor of this milestone, I thought I’d create what in the business world might be known as an annual report. Except in THIS case, there are qualifiers: I didn’t do one for the past four years –so much for annual–I and don’t expect to do another one ever again. Plus it is REALLY, really short. You ready?

Mission statement: To make the most of every day, occasionally to enjoy both walking down memory lane, and peering into the future, but to stay fully focused on and present in the PRESENT.
Number of Employees: ONE (that would be me)
Customers: One MAIN customer (my loving husband), plus a very select group comprised of family and friends (who are willing to let a control freak take charge)
Revenue: Cash: $0.00;
In Kind: Caboodles of wine, dinners, memories and friendship (all tax free!)

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Okay, so that’s a long winded way to say that I’ve been retired for 4 years, and am having a fantastic time planning and executing fun, food, and travel for my husband, my family and friends. It’s just that occasionally, when asked the inevitable question “what do you do”, I feel compelled to get creative. Be honest–which version did YOU prefer?

More free time has allowed me to become more self aware, and I have to acknowledge that I do better with goals and objectives. Before I retired, I took to cyberspace to see what I could learn from those that had trod that path ahead of me, and I benefitted greatly from their words of wisdom. So, over the coming weeks, as a way to ‘pay it forward’, I have set a goal to post more regularly, sharing what I have experienced/learned over the past 4 years, in the hope that doing so will help others more easily transition to this new life stage. As a bonus— we will ALL learn whether I can emulate the discipline shown by some of my favorite bloggers who post regularly.

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