Got a Dream Life?

[JPatrick]

Here's some light reading for your Labor day.
It's about people living their dreams, mostly extreme.
Like the 72,000 square foot house being built in our neck of the woods.
Actually, my dream is a bit simpler. How about a 20 X 20 workshop? Probably won't make next years article.

Dream Life - Forbes

 

[ziggy29]

The older I get, the less and less my "dream life" involves "stuff" and the more it involves owning all of my own time.

 

[Leonidas]

The older I get, the less and less my "dream life" involves "stuff" and the more it involves owning all of my own time.

I agree, but that's what the guy who moved to Venice did. He sold the cars, leased the family house and moved into a 2-bedroom apartment in Venice, and did it on the cheap. Food for locals is cheaper, so are prescription drugs, and vacations are just a short train ride away. Or, so he claims - but buy his book for the details,

 

[unclemick]

The older I get, the less and less my "dream life" involves "stuff" and the more it involves owning all of my own time.

I agree. Katrina saved on moving expenses. Just living it's amazing how fast junk er 'stuff' reaccumulates.

heh heh heh - I have a much different attitude toward physical items now.

 

[W2R]

I am living my dream life right now. Well, it would be nice if my house had a garage and a big fancy shower, but overall I have no complaints. I pretty much agree with Ziggy29 and UncleMick about time vs stuff, although if I had lost all my stuff like UncleMick did I think I would have been a basket case. Don't want to find out, that's for sure!

Thoreau agrees with you too, and I love this quote and try to emulate his attitude as much as I can:

"'My greatest skill in life has been to want but little." - - - Henry David Thoreau

 

[eytonxav]

Ziggie/Unclemick/W2R certainly have a 5 star attitude towards this in my mind, although a 20x20 workshop, adjoined by a 20x20 workout room would be nice and DW would love a 20x20 library, but alas, it ain't gonna happen.

 

[REWahoo]

Ziggie/Unclemick/W2R certainly have a 5 star attitude towards this in my mind, although a 20x20 workshop, adjoined by a 20x20 workout room would be nice and DW would love a 20x20 library, but alas, it ain't gonna happen.

I dream of having my 20x20 vision back - without laser surgery...

 

[W2R]

Ziggie/Unclemick/W2R certainly have a 5 star attitude towards this in my mind, although a 20x20 workshop, adjoined by a 20x20 workout room would be nice and DW would love a 20x20 library, but alas, it ain't gonna happen.

Here are some ideas:

Workout room: My house, like many built in the 1970's, has both a living room and a den. When we decided to stay here and not move, I turned the living room into a workout room. I think it's 13x22, not huge but big enough for me. I love, love, LOVE the fact that it has a ceiling fan.

Library: Get your wife a Kindle, a reading chair, and a bright light, and she won't need the 20x20 library.

Workshop: Maybe use a bedroom for that? With lots of thought put into design of the workbenches and so on, it might fit.

I dream of having my 20x20 vision back - without laser surgery...

My eye doctor says fuggedaboudit....

 

[eytonxav]

Here are some ideas:

Workout room: My house, like many built in the 1970's, has both a living room and a den. When we decided to stay here and not move, I turned the living room into a workout room. I think it's 13x22, not huge but big enough for me. I love, love, LOVE the fact that it has a ceiling fan.

Library: Get your wife a Kindle, a reading chair, and a bright light, and she won't need the 20x20 library.

Workshop: Maybe use a bedroom for that? With lots of thought put into design of the workbenches and so on, it might fit.



My eye doctor says fuggedaboudit....

I've thought about using our dinning room for the workout room, but DW is fed up with my man caves. I took over the playroom for my office and big screen, have my ham radio gear in the study, and the workout equipment is in our master bathroom.

I did get DW an ipad2 for her b-day, but hey she is a librarian and loves to turn the pages and have books on the shelves. In our next smaller house, I promise she will get her library with floor to ceiling book shelves, maybe not 20x20 though.

REW, I like your idea for 20x20, but my eyesight is more like 20x200, so I'm a lost cause.

 

[travelover]

...........I love, love, LOVE the fact that it has a ceiling fan...........

You might not believe this, but you can hang a ceiling fan in any room....... providing your head clears the blades.

 

[W2R]

You might not believe this, but you can hang a ceiling fan in any room....... providing your head clears the blades.

I think that was what I was hinting.... Anyone who has a home gym room and doesn't have a ceiling fan in it, might want to think about putting one in. It is so pleasant while working out.

 

[Moemg]

I dream of having my 20x20 vision back - without laser surgery...

You will be getting that dream in a few years courtesy of cataract surgery !

 

[eytonxav]

I think that was what I was hinting.... Anyone who has a home gym room and doesn't have a ceiling fan in it, might want to think about putting one in. It is so pleasant while working out.

My local gym, although air conditioned, has plenty of wall mounted and free standing fans. It does make a workout much more comfortable.

 

[Sandhog]

You will be getting that dream in a few years courtesy of cataract surgery !

Won't it be better to just smoke a joint for cataract?

I'll be living a dream if I didn't have to work because I have to. I look forward to a day when I don't have to work and live a carefree life. Sleep when I'm tired, eat when I'm hungry, go fishing when it suits me, read books that has been collecting dust,...etc.

 

[Midpack]

The older I get, the less and less my "dream life" involves "stuff" and the more it involves owning all of my own time.

Here too. We've sold or given away a lot in the past few years, continue to do so, and enjoying it immensely - getting ready to downsize our home. I am most interested in learning and experiences, not stuff.

"The best things in life aren't things."

 

[FinanceDude]

I don't have a dream life yet, I am not retired. However, with 18 months or so to FI, I am getting mucho closer.........

 

[Free To Canoe]

Very interesting stories! I can't believe that I read the golf one 1st. I don't even like golf.

I found this blurb in the article about John Paul DeJoria uplifting and relavent.

What is the role of the American Dream in society?
I see it as very powerful, and I believe it is important that people don’t forget about it. When I listen to the news, I wonder why they are telling people that we’re in the worst economy and society we’ve seen since the Great Depression. In 1980, when we started our company, everything was worse than it is today: Inflation was 12.5%, interest rates were 18% or more, unemployment was 10.5%, our hostages were still held in Iran, and you had to wait in line around the block to get gasoline....

It was worse in 1980.

Life is good.

 

[bbbamI]

I don't have a dream life yet, I am not retired. However, with 18 months or so to FI, I am getting mucho closer.........

Wow....congratulations FinanceDude!

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DH covets things more than I. He drools a bit over fancy cars and motorcycles. But ask him if he would go back to work to buy said cars/motorcycles, his reply is a resounding "NO!"

 

[FinanceDude]

Wow....congratulations FinanceDude!

---------------------------

DH covets things more than I. He drools a bit over fancy cars and motorcycles. But ask him if he would go back to work to buy said cars/motorcycles, his reply is a resounding "NO!"

Time for the reset button, I mean 81 months.............

 

[Lisa99]

While I'm not yet retired, for a working person I have a dream life.

I work from home fulltime, have a manager that is there when I need her but doesn't meddle when I don't, learning new skills that are very interesting to me (about to certify as a Lean Sigma Black Belt), make north of $100k and have almost no stress.

Very different from a year ago when I first joined this forum and was ready to quit my job of 20+ years because of my insane manager and boring job!

Still looking forward to FIRE, but now not desparately obsessing about it.

 

[bbbamI]

Time for the reset button, I mean 81 months.............

Well you done sucked the air out of my souffle'.....

Just kiddin'....I'm still proud of you.

 

[obgyn65]

The American dream is not the only dream....

What is the role of the American Dream in society?

 

[palomalou]

Free to canoe, thanks for the quote. I was deep in grad school in 1980, but remember ironing (ironing? me??) and watching the Iran hostage thing every night on Nightline. I didn't realize unemployment was at 10+%, but I did feel fortunate to find a job coming out of school. It does put things in perspective.

 

[Walt34]

As I said to DW years ago, "we have everything we need and most of what we want". We tend to look around and be grateful for what we do have, not morn for what we don't.

We're in good health. That's huge. Ask anyone who doesn't have it.

We're not living on food stamps or in subsidized housing. We have two vehicles in good running condition. Later today we're going to the grocery store and can afford to buy whatever we want. We have a comfortable home. I'm married to one of the most kind, gentle, generous ladies I've ever met and for whatever reasons she still thinks I'm "the best thing that's ever going to happen" to her and she says so every day. Perhaps some would say I didn't set the bar high enough, but that's all I've ever wanted and that's what I've got.

We have discretionary income enough to buy some toys, be generous to others, and take the occasional trip when we want to.

Somehow I just don't feel deprived if I never own a 100-meter yacht, a Rolls, or Gulfstream V.

 

[Ronstar]

I feel that I have a dream life. Good health, great DW, fun travel and hobbies, lots of toys, nice house, workshop, condo, cars, truck, boat. More than everything i need. Not 100% retired yet, but have a work "arrangement" that my friends and relatives are envious of.