DISQUS

Steve: I agree with you on Manhattan--no place better in my mind either! But I'm really looking forward to reading all about your new life and new adventures in Florida, sunny Florida.

I hate it. If I wanted to listen to that kind of music I would already be listening to the GAZILLIONS of stations that already cover this music. Now there's NO jazz on the radio except KCSM, which is more traditional in nature--I only listened to these 2 stations before anyway, so now I'm down to one . . .

That does make it tougher, for sure.

I have some friends that moved to Singapore and lived a life exactly as I described above (only it was one kid and one big dog). I used to look at the pictures they posted with such longing. They loved the slower pace of life. Eventually they moved back, but they really are glad they did it.

I am really identifying with your last few posts--so much of what you are going through is exactly the same as the transition into retirement. So many choices. It really is overwhelming. Everyone lusts after freedom, but no one realizes how overwhelming freedom can be.

If I were in your shoes, I would be thinking about this: After a long day of writing (or going to work at a more traditional venue), you get home, pack up the kids and take the family for a beautiful walk on the beach each night. Maybe you bring a picnic dinner. No TV, no distractions, just the sheer joy of hanging out with the family, listening to the waves, enjoying the longer days.

If I were in your shoes it would make me very happy just to be thinking of taking them off and waling in the sand.

Wow, lots of good reading here--thanks so much for including me!

Very good advice. It's so easy to be in denial about those "unexpected" expenses that you really should be accruing for. By setting that money aside you don't have to go down the road of charging that big bump in the road on your credit card. Very good advice.

I saw that Jon Stewart show also, and loved it too. It helps to see the absurdity of the talking heads predicting the ups and downs of the market in a humorous light. I admit, I'm addicted to CNBC. But the reality is, they, like most market commentators, scream buy, buy, buy when the market is rising and sell, sell, sell when the market is tanking. Talk about the bandwagon effect! I have to remember it's entertainment, not respectable advice!

On another note, I have to open my big fat mouth here on the subject of "irresponsible homeowners over extending themselves." I think people should be very careful here with the finger wagging. I purchased my first home in 1991 in much the same manner as these "irresponsible buyers," with 10% down, a variable rate mortgage, and a hefty mortgage--the most the bank would lend me.

The last 18 years have been very good for the real estate market and I was able to upsize homes many times while increasing my equity over the long run. But it could have just as easily gone the other way, with, say a job loss, catastrophic health problem, or tanking economy. Then Rick Santelli would be calling me irresponsible for doing it that way, but right now he just thinks I'm savvy.

"Irresponsible" homebuyers pushing it to the limit are nothing new, it's just that in the past the market and the economy just worked to make them (us) look like brilliant real estate investors when it could have just as easily gone the other way.

Hmm, I haven't really seen media coverage saying saving is BAD, must have missed that. I have seen articles explaining basic Econ 101, as demand decreases, the economy shrinks. That's just the way it is, it's not a judgement against savers, I wouldn't take it personally.

In the long-run, saving is great for the economy because eventually when you have a bunch of money in your bank account you will spend it (buy a house, furnish it, buy food, whatever). I doubt very much you are just saving to die with a bunch of money in your bank account. In the end, money is a way of buying the things you find valuable.

In the short run, though, it does effect the economy by contracting it. Something that is probably necessary to squeeze out the excesses caused by excessive credit spending over the last several decades. It's not a call for people to go out and spend irresponsibly when commentators try and explain the causes of recession. They are simply pointing out how a dollar spent works in the economic machine.

I myself spent my working years saving a bunch of money (not really doing my full part for the economy!) so that I could retire at age 44 last year. Now, I inadvertently do my part for the economy as I use that money to buy things like food, shelter, and entertainment. It's got to last a long time, so I must spend responsibly, but it's just the other side of the saving coin, so to speak.

I saw that the other night, loved it! Not just that segment but the one following it about how obviously America thinks Obama is failing--forget the polls--just look at the Dow!

It's nice watching someone else say what I'm thinking, especially someone that can make me laugh so hard.

I actually think there's a #3 to be successful: be someone people like to work with. I always thought ANYONE with basic accounting/finance/tax skills could have done my job at least as well as I did, but the thing that ultimately made me successful was that people WANTED to have me around. I was fun to work with. And if you can have a skilled person that's fun vs. a skilled person that's a pain in the ass to work with, that's what really sets you apart.