Afford Anything

You Can Afford Anything ... Just Not Everything. What's It Gonna Be?

Today is My 10-Year-I-Don’t-Have-A-Job-AVersary

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Today is My 10-Year-I-Don't-Have-A-Job-AVersary

Today is the 10-year anniversary of the day I quit my job.

More accurately, it’s the 10-year anniversary of my last day of employment. Exactly 10 years ago today, on April 4, 2008, I finished my final day as a salaried employee.

I have never been employed by someone else since.

The notion that 10 years have passed since that fateful day sounds crazy. Ten years isn’t that long. It’s one-third of a 30-year mortgage.

But volumes have filled the cavernous space between April 4, 2008 and April 4, 2018.

When I quit, I didn’t have any concept of financial independence. I had no intention of staying out of the workforce permanently. I assumed I’d quit for two years, enjoy a mini-retirement, and then find a job again.

I didn’t realize that once I had a taste of unemployment, the thought of returning to office life seemed unbearable.

Here’s the backstory:
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What if We Quit Setting Goals? (Seriously?)

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Set goals around your actions, not results

It’s an old familiar hum:

Every January, we kickoff the calendar year with New Years Resolutions: lose 10 pounds, make smarter investments, create an extra $1,500 per month on the side.

Yet by February, we’ve returned to life as usual. The discarded New Years Resolution has become a tired cultural trope.

We blame ourselves for these failures:

  • “I should work harder.”
  • “I should be more disciplined.”
  • “I should stop procrastinating.”

But what if we’re approaching this in the wrong way? What if goal-setting itself is the problem?
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The Incredible Power of 10x Thinking

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Inbox Zero. (Unfortunately, I don't see this sight as often as I'd like ...)
You should see my Inbox after I’ve left it unchecked for a few days.

The sheer volume of crappy pitches, press releases, “check out my infographic” and “could you link to us?” requests would make your head explode.

I leave my Inbox untamed for 2-8 days stretches on a semi-regular basis, and when I return, I discover that my Inbox has devolved into a feral, rabid animal, foaming at the mouth with spammy solicitations.
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The Cheapskate’s Guide to Kitchen Renovations (+ Rental Income Report)

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Some people are addicted to booze; others gambling.

Me? Home renovation.

Three months ago, we finished a $13,000 remodel on Rental House #4. To celebrate, we told our contractor to demolish a kitchen in a different house.

Call it a victory lap.  🙂

We’re renovating House #2, and we’re coordinating everything — from demolition to final clean-up — through email, phone and text messages.

We haven’t set foot on the property.
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A Backstage Peek at the Laptop Lifestyle – Tales from a Frequent Traveler

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how-to-work-from-the-road-frequent-traveler

Last month, I tracked my time in 15-minute increments for a week and published the humiliating results.

Afterwards, I opened this email from a reader:

“You gave me a realistic view of what life might be like when I become an entrepreneur -– I could potentially face some of the same challenges that I do now working in corporate America, even though I thought they’d disappear:

1) Wake up to an alarm (and hit the snooze button)
2) Get distracted and have time disappear into the “vortex”
3) Working 40+ hours per week

She asked me to describe a typical day of a lifestyle entrepreneur.
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I Don’t Know How to Invest and I’m Afraid of Making Expensive Mistakes

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Don't know how to invest? This article can help.
Almost a year ago — in March 2015 — I started asking new Afford Anything subscribers to answer two questions:

  • What’s your wildest dream?
  • What’s keeping you from getting there?

After reading through thousands of responses, I heard a theme emerge:

“I don’t know how to invest, and I’m afraid of making expensive mistakes.”

Let’s tackle that today.

As a disclaimer, today’s article is NOT about real estate investing. This article is targeted at people who DON’T want to be real estate investors.

It’s aimed at everyone who’s staring at their 401k in confusion, wondering what the heck they’re supposed to be doing.
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How Julia Makes $250 Per Hour as a Caricature Artist

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I'm featuring yet another unique success story - a caricature artist who makes $250 an hour who's disrupting the starving artist mentality. Learn how!

Five years ago, Julia Kelly earned $8.50 per hour as a caricature artist at an amusement park.

Today she charges $250 per hour for the same service.

“But … that’s just one or two hours a month, right?”

Guess again. Julia’s art business grosses more than $100,000 per year … and thanks to the power of hiring and outsourcing, she runs the company one day per week. Julia runs a part-time, six-figure business.

“Whoa.”

Yeah, dude. Double whoa.
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How Erin Saved One Years’ Worth of Expenses, Quit Her Job, and Enjoys More Flexibility

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how erin saved one year of expenses

“I only earn enough to make the minimum payment on my loans.”

“My boss doesn’t pay me enough, so I can’t save a dime.”

“I’d love to quit my job, but I don’t think that’s realistic.”

The Naysayer Brigade makes statements like the examples above — statements that give power to their bosses and the economy, while demoralizing themselves.
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