OK, so today Mike and I went to a couple of Display Homes and two ‘Open for Inspections’.
Being a lovely Melbourne day, we allowed ourselves plenty of time, and after seeing the totally gorgeous display homes had time for a McCafe and cake ($14) before the Opens.
On the way home, having parked near the first Open, walked to the second then back up along the beach to Ground Zero (where we watched our tenants playing basketball in the street to the sound of lots of boom boom music), so after a lovely afternoon out and about (approx 100 kms, = Tolls x $19, Petrol x $25), I suggested we call in to the local Thai for dinner.
Bottle of Margaret River sauv blanc, some curry puffs, a couple of shared curries and some lovely, fragrant jasmine rice ($65)
So what did our pleasant Melbourne afternoon cost? Somewhere about $125.
Centrelink provides an Age Pension of $335.40 per week for a Single person, or $252.85 each if a Couple.
Yes, I know there are other supplements, bonus etc. My point is:
If your only income was the Age Pension, how often could you afford to have ‘pleasant afternoons’ such as Mike and I enjoyed today?
Sure, we could have taken a thermos and a sandwich – and when we do build this new home, we intend to take the thermos to the end of the street, or across to the park, as a matter of course. Having these places of recreation so close by are certainly part of the appeal of the place.
The driving, tolls, petrol, coffee, cake and curry dinner are not the usual Saturday afternoon fare.
But for many older Australians, spending $125 when this was not a Special Occasion such as a Birthday, would be an unjustifiable – even distressing - extravagance.
Sometimes, people ask ‘why invest?’ or ‘why do you invest?’
Today is a good reason why we invest.
Mike and I intend to live a very long time. God willing, at least twenty to thirty years after we have left the paid workforce. That’s a very long time without curry puffs or the occasional bottle of sauv blanc.
While we in Australia have much to be grateful for – and the Age Pension is a particular blessing and not to be sneezed at – the Pension is provided to keep people off the street, not gallivanting about eating miniature cheese cakes at Maccas.
Many motivational speakers suggest putting up pictures around the house, clipped to the sun visor in the car, or stuck on your diary, of large houses, flash motor vehicles, yachts or other such trophies as goals to motivate us to work harder, earn more, save more, invest.
For me, none of the trophy goals have ever taken my fancy (although I am really looking forward to this new house by the beach, this has not been a ‘goal’ in the motivational sense).
Today’s experience and reflection lead me to this:
The greatest goal is that of freedom. To be financially free means being able to take that Saturday afternoon drive and to not worry or even think about the cost of the petrol. To be financially free means being able to enjoy an afternoon coffee, and to decide on the way home to detour via a restaurant with real tables and chairs and proper cutlery on the table.
To be financially free means that there is a purpose to all the work that Mike and I have done over what now adds up to 90 years of working life between us.
Every time I drive past the Mission Brown Wonder I remember the five years of mind boggling work I, and my staff, put in and which resulted in my purchase of that house. When we watched our tenants playing basketball today we were watching work in action – theirs, and ours.
So I know it sounds simplistic, but I ask you this:
At it’s most basic, in it’s simplest form, what does Financial Freedom’ mean to you?
When you really think about it, may be the answer simply is, Fourty-Two.
Lotsa love
Kristine
Being a lovely Melbourne day, we allowed ourselves plenty of time, and after seeing the totally gorgeous display homes had time for a McCafe and cake ($14) before the Opens.
On the way home, having parked near the first Open, walked to the second then back up along the beach to Ground Zero (where we watched our tenants playing basketball in the street to the sound of lots of boom boom music), so after a lovely afternoon out and about (approx 100 kms, = Tolls x $19, Petrol x $25), I suggested we call in to the local Thai for dinner.
Bottle of Margaret River sauv blanc, some curry puffs, a couple of shared curries and some lovely, fragrant jasmine rice ($65)
So what did our pleasant Melbourne afternoon cost? Somewhere about $125.
Centrelink provides an Age Pension of $335.40 per week for a Single person, or $252.85 each if a Couple.
Yes, I know there are other supplements, bonus etc. My point is:
If your only income was the Age Pension, how often could you afford to have ‘pleasant afternoons’ such as Mike and I enjoyed today?
Sure, we could have taken a thermos and a sandwich – and when we do build this new home, we intend to take the thermos to the end of the street, or across to the park, as a matter of course. Having these places of recreation so close by are certainly part of the appeal of the place.
The driving, tolls, petrol, coffee, cake and curry dinner are not the usual Saturday afternoon fare.
But for many older Australians, spending $125 when this was not a Special Occasion such as a Birthday, would be an unjustifiable – even distressing - extravagance.
Sometimes, people ask ‘why invest?’ or ‘why do you invest?’
Today is a good reason why we invest.
Mike and I intend to live a very long time. God willing, at least twenty to thirty years after we have left the paid workforce. That’s a very long time without curry puffs or the occasional bottle of sauv blanc.
While we in Australia have much to be grateful for – and the Age Pension is a particular blessing and not to be sneezed at – the Pension is provided to keep people off the street, not gallivanting about eating miniature cheese cakes at Maccas.
Many motivational speakers suggest putting up pictures around the house, clipped to the sun visor in the car, or stuck on your diary, of large houses, flash motor vehicles, yachts or other such trophies as goals to motivate us to work harder, earn more, save more, invest.
For me, none of the trophy goals have ever taken my fancy (although I am really looking forward to this new house by the beach, this has not been a ‘goal’ in the motivational sense).
Today’s experience and reflection lead me to this:
The greatest goal is that of freedom. To be financially free means being able to take that Saturday afternoon drive and to not worry or even think about the cost of the petrol. To be financially free means being able to enjoy an afternoon coffee, and to decide on the way home to detour via a restaurant with real tables and chairs and proper cutlery on the table.
To be financially free means that there is a purpose to all the work that Mike and I have done over what now adds up to 90 years of working life between us.
Every time I drive past the Mission Brown Wonder I remember the five years of mind boggling work I, and my staff, put in and which resulted in my purchase of that house. When we watched our tenants playing basketball today we were watching work in action – theirs, and ours.
So I know it sounds simplistic, but I ask you this:
At it’s most basic, in it’s simplest form, what does Financial Freedom’ mean to you?
When you really think about it, may be the answer simply is, Fourty-Two.
Lotsa love
Kristine
