The Daily Rave

[rosarugosa]

I will powered myself to drop off a box of clutter to Goodwill. I took care of a couple other errands while I was out and about, so today I feel like I am a bit ahead of the game, and that feels good.

That is always a good feeling! We unexpectedly knocked off a couple of extra errands on Sunday and it felt really good.

[catherine]

This isn't a "rave" but definitely not a "rant" and definitely not deserving of its own thread, so I'm parking it here...

I have had recurring dreams during my life--and one of them is, I always have a recurring baby dream. The first one came about when I became a market researcher, in which my prospective boss literally delivered my baby, and IRL I became a market researcher, mentored by that boss.

In later years, whenever I was at a crossroads, I would have baby dreams...

So, I was intrigued when last night I had another baby dream, which I won't go into in detail because it's always so boring to listen to other peoples' dreams. But it leaves me wondering... why? The feelings in this dream ranged from interest, to fear, to desperation, to search for relief.

I'm connecting it to the fact that my work slowed down considerably this year. I always book 20 projects a year; I'm down 50%. I always average a certain revenue number; that number is down 60%. I am now worried about my future. I have lain awake nights pondering what I should do if the work totally dries up? Do I continue on this path, or do I "birth a new baby"?

I, unfortunately, am not ready to retire. So I'm searching for that elusive baby. I have already decided to update my webpage (my brother owns a website business and would do it for free) and do some active selling (I've always been the proverbial Honda salesman, who doesn't have to sell. The sales have just come). But I'm also exploring other income-generating ideas that may be more fulfilling, even if they earn me less... like searching for grants with environmental market research projects. I've considered writing a cultural/social history of life in the late 20th century, targeted to us Baby Boomers. (maybe that's the "baby"?)

I wish I knew what that "baby" was!

[iris lilies]

This isn't a "rave" but definitely not a "rant" and definitely not deserving of its own thread, so I'm parking it here...

I have had recurring dreams during my life--and one of them is, I always have a recurring baby dream. The first one came about when I became a market researcher, in which my prospective boss literally delivered my baby, and IRL I became a market researcher, mentored by that boss.

In later years, whenever I was at a crossroads, I would have baby dreams...

So, I was intrigued when last night I had another baby dream, which I won't go into in detail because it's always so boring to listen to other peoples' dreams. But it leaves me wondering... why? The feelings in this dream ranged from interest, to fear, to desperation, to search for relief.

I'm connecting it to the fact that my work slowed down considerably this year. I always book 20 projects a year; I'm down 50%. I always average a certain revenue number; that number is down 60%. I am now worried about my future. I have lain awake nights pondering what I should do if the work totally dries up? Do I continue on this path, or do I "birth a new baby"?

I, unfortunately, am not ready to retire. So I'm searching for that elusive baby. I have already decided to update my webpage (my brother owns a website business and would do it for free) and do some active selling (I've always been the proverbial Honda salesman, who doesn't have to sell. The sales have just come). But I'm also exploring other income-generating ideas that may be more fulfilling, even if they earn me less... like searching for grants with environmental market research projects. I've considered writing a cultural/social history of life in the late 20th century, targeted to us Baby Boomers. (maybe that's the "baby"?)

I wish I knew what that "baby" was!

so, when WILL you be ready to retire? What defines that event?

[catherine]

so, when WILL you be ready to retire? What defines that event?

When I have all debt paid, including the mortgage

When I have about $250k in the bank

When I can live solely on social security, which for DH and I would be about $60k a year.

This is like looking through a telescope at a distant shore.

[iris lilies]

When I have all debt paid, including the mortgage

When I have about $250k in the bank

When I can live solely on social security, which for DH and I would be about $60k a year.

This is like looking through a telescope at a distant shore.

That seems reasonable, an expectation to live on $60,000 (with no mortgage) plus $250,000 in the bank.

The rest of it…I have no idea if it is achievable. I don’t know how much your debt is and how much you bring in each year, but I am sorry your income is dropping unexpectedly.

My (as usual) unsolicited advice is to put every damn penny, and every life action, toward reducing the debt at this point. Your time is running out. You may not be able to achieve the nicety of $250,000 in the bank. And please god let there be no ideas of giving children money as part of this plan. Once you achieve the $250,000 and no debt, THEN give kids $ if you still have contracts rolling in and you are not 85 years old.

I personally would be embarrassed if my mother was a senior citizen and slogging along in a tiring job just to give me money.

[catherine]

That seems reasonable, an expectation to live on $60,000 (with no mortgage) plus $250,000 in the bank.

The rest of it…I have no idea if it is achievable. I don’t know how much your debt is and how much you bring in each year, but I am sorry your income is dropping unexpectedly.

My (as usual) unsolicited advice is to put every damn penny, and every life action, toward reducing the debt at this point. Your time is running out. You may not be able to achieve the nicety of $250,000 in the bank. And please god let there be no ideas of giving children money as part of this plan. Once you achieve the $250,000 and no debt, THEN give kids $ if you still have contracts rolling in and you are not 85 years old.

I personally would be embarrassed if my mother was a senior citizen and slogging along in a tiring job just to give me money.

I am with you... My intention at this point is, if I am not earning money I'm going to work actively to save aggressively via more home cooking, mending, deleting subscriptions, paring down to the bone, pulling back on the "Mom and Dad gimmes." Honestly, though, any money we've given our kids isn't their fault--it has been all on DH and me. Our kids are not moochers. A couple of kids in particular are always asking us how we're doing financially--not out of self-interest, but out of concern.

Even BIL didn't come up to my son's birthday party yesterday because he only has 2.12 in his account until payday, and he never asked for the money. I did offer to give him gas money, but he declined.

[iris lilies]

I am with you... My intention at this point is, if I am not earning money I'm going to work actively to save aggressively via more home cooking, mending, deleting subscriptions, paring down to the bone, pulling back on the "Mom and Dad gimmes." Honestly, though, any money we've given our kids isn't their fault--it has been all on DH and me. Our kids are not moochers. A couple of kids in particular are always asking us how we're doing financially--not out of self-interest, but out of concern.

Even BIL didn't come up to my son's birthday party yesterday because he only has 2.12 in his account until payday, and he never asked for the money. I did offer to give him gas money, but he declined.

oh, I completely agree, I see your kids as being very good kids, independent and not expecting handouts. We all know why they get handouts. And they are appreciative of what you and your DH have done for them.

And frankly, they are smart to be asking about your financial situation because that could blow back on themselves having to support you. Just saying, it does does happen.

[catherine]

oh, I completely agree, I see your kids as being very good kids, independent and not expecting handouts. We all know why they get handouts. And they are appreciative of what you and your DH have done for them.

And frankly, they are smart to be asking about your financial situation because that could blow back on themselves having to support you. Just saying, it does does happen.

Thanks, IL... true.

[Tybee]

IL, I needed to read your posts tonight. Was talking to my son tonight who just blew an engine and here I am thinking, oh gosh, can we spare a thousand dollars, and oh gosh, maybe I should give him my car. YIKES! Insane thinking on my part.

You never get over being a mother or father, I think. My dad was still trying to give me money two months before he died. My mom was still offering me a place to live, saying I could move into the nursing home with her.

My recurring dream is my mom is showing me a house that she had forgotten she had, and leading me through it, and giving me this house, out of the blue. It's slightly different every time but always very familiar. Or, the other recurring dream is that I get back the house that I lost in my divorce, and various things have happened to it, but it's mine again.

[Tybee]

Catherine, I agree that your dream of living on 60,000 social security money, with 250,000 in the bank and no mortgage, is imminently reasonable. It is a solid plan. I also think the more you can relax about the work, the more creative you will become in figuring it out, either getting more clients or morphing the business into something else. You are extremely good at this and an excellent planner. Maybe things are slowing down so that you can have the energy and time to go in the new direction.