[image:http://puesoccurrences.files.wordpress.com]Trying to shake off a recent downward spiral in my personal life I came to a rather strange conclusion earlier this afternoon:
I have too much money. Again.
I'M IN THE MONEY
If you recall, I drafted a preliminary budget about a year ago and decided to donate/give away any extra cash that I just didn't really need. At the time, I thought I was pretty conservative in assuming a decrease of 20% in my portfolio given the onset of what we are now calling the Great Recession. By the market lows of March/April 2009 I was down close to 40%, mostly because I'm all about long-term investing and wanted to catch the inevitable upside.
As of noon today my long-term investments are up close to 29% YTD and over 13% from my initial budget projections. This does not even take into account some pretty serious gains I made over the past couple of weeks buying short in the energy and financial sectors. In fact, I made enough mula over the past 10 days to pay for most of my upcoming trip through South America.
HAVING TOO MUCH MONEY BLOWS
Under normal circumstances this would actually be a good thing. After all, why would anyone bemoan having MORE money?
Fuck that. The truth is that having “too much” money corrupts the soul. It leads to unnecessary excess. It feeds the baser instincts of our nature. It certainly doesn't add substantally to our long-term “happiness.” The bottom line is that having “too much” money blows.
What's so beautiful about the simple living movement is the fact that “too much” is something that each one of us should decide for ourselves. My budget might be extravagant for some, inadequate for others. In fact, I have plenty of wealthy friends who currently lead a perfectly happy life on their own terms, but who would gag if they were forced to live on my budget for even a single day. Just as I would break out into a cold sweat if I was forced to live the life they seem to enjoy.
Don't ever feel guilty about having more money than others. But always be fearful that you might lose your soul if you have “too much.”
WHAT NOW
So, what now?
I don't know. I guess I could do another give-away. A couple of small donations to some VA hospitals and an animal rights organization might also do the trick.
On the other hand, maybe the thing to do is to keep investing and then dole out extra cash over time. I rather enjoy this investing racket and it would actually feel good to keep increasing the donation pie over the long term.
Ummm...maybe an Adventures in Voluntary Simplicity foundation is the way to go. :)
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58 comments:
The fun thing is, you can give some away now, sock some away for giving away later, and keep investing the rest.
Aside from giving money away, are you also donating some of your time to help others? Or are you keeping yourself at a distance.
How was that drink yesterday?
I would apply for a gift from the adventures in simplicity foundation! Out of work & panicking here in TX, where non-profits don't pay into the unemployment benefits system. :-)
I have nothing against giving away money you don't need, but it also doesn't hurt to have a VERY LARGE emergency fund. You never know what the future holds.
But anyhow, congrats! It's not a bad situation to be in. I certainly wouldn't mind it! I'm still working on getting out of debt. Then there's filling out the emergency fund and retirement. Sometimes it seems like I'll never get there, but as with many things in life, I've learned it's as much about the journey as the destination and becoming the person I am along the way has been worth the struggle.
Well, you will find no shortage of people willing to take your money - especially on the internet.
I promise that I will someday send you an "I met Jack" blog. Ha.
Jack-
Did I miss something? I seem to recall that you still had at least some debt outstanding at the time that you set off on this adventure.
Have you taken care of your mortgage and student loans and unsecured debt (if any)?
If you've settled all your debt, congratulations. If you haven't then why not use the money to pay down your debt?
Nothing made my life feel simpler than paying off the last of my loans and credit cards. I'm still chipping away at the mortgage.
oh hai! can you email some to me?
i'm saving for an upcoming trip to visit my family in the caribbean.
mallen33 @ hotmail.com
or donate some to the charity i volunteer for: www.worldlit.ca
either one would be GREAT! :D
Can you set up an endowment? Then your heap of money can keep paying out for a good cause year after year.
@Anonymous,
Drink was lonely and pensive. I'll let you know more about that when I can process. And funny you should ask about volunteering. Stay tunes for something pretty cool.
@Nickname,
Didn't even know they didn't do that. That sucks. I sure hope things pick up. I think as the private sector stabilizes, NPs will start to see increased viability.
@Meg,
That's a good point. Already figured into budget, to my satisfaction. And as far as the journey, little by little you will get there. There are so many other things in my life at the moment where I have taken that approach because that's the only way to perceive things...
@Diana,
Yeah, where is the guest blog I was promised! :)
@Weston,
House is being rented and the student loans are currently being paid out of an account that I funded through the end of the year. Work/law school assistance will cover them after that. At this point, I'm comfortable identifying "extra" cash not needed for the budget.
@Anonymous,
Ummm...I might only just take a look at the website:)
Give some away, but also don't feel bad about having a large nest egg. You aren't working right now, so making money via investments isn't a bad thing - you have to live off of something. Also, you never know what may happen. I'm guessing you don't have employer-provided health insurance right now, so also keep in mind what you might need money if you get really sick someday, get in an accident, etc. If it never happens, you just have that much more to give away again later.
yeah, i'm with fonk. a big safety net is good, and has little to do with how you live. and you always do have the option to give away later.....
i am very interested in hearing about giving your time! don't make us wait long!
i think a true test of my simple living will be when i have more money. my money has been substantiaslly claimed by oncologists and anesthesiologists and such for a couple years now. but i am so much better off today than last year, and my abundance grows. i have so much gratitude, and i am cancer free. and though i have yet to experience too much money, i can tell you i DO have too much joy. it makes me cry sometimes :-)
love ya, jack. you do good :-)
Jack... the fact that I'm even thinking of presenting a total stranger/blog buddy with my plea for my attempts at fundraising, shows my desperation.
Consider the "Mr. Burns" approach to giving away money. There are tons of people out there (like me) who really want to do good work and can use the help doing this. It's completely tax deductable (if done through an organization) AND it's good Karma.
For my plea... I'm moving to Guatemala in January, and am struggling with fundraising. If I can't raise funds, I can't live my dream of doing humanitarian work in a third world country. I have mailed over 100 letters to as many people that I can think of am coming up very short.
Think about it.
I've got to say, that while my family is having an incredibly hard time financially, the thought of giving money to the VA brings tears to me eyes. My Dad died last summer at a VA. It was an incredible depressing place that obviously didn't have enough money.
The thought of having too much money sounds good to me today, but really, I am so thankful and happy to have the live I have.Good luck figuring it all out.
Go for the VA! Please, please do NOT donate to animal RIGHTS organizations. If you really want to help ANIMALS, donate to each local shelter individually! Large organizations like p e t a and h s u s, really are political, not practical in helping animals These groups are focused on hurting people who raise them.
Please think of all the family ranchers and farmers that are hurt by large organizations like those. If you really want to help animals, help small shelters!
Jack
I don't think that having too much money corrupts the soul (although you seem to think it did yours). Sure, some of those who have come into fortunes have done stupid things, but I think people are basically the same people in their heart and soul with or without money. I know many people who don't have extra that are more generous than some of those who I know who have money to spare. Go figure!
So Jack, with or without your fortune, you are the same person - just make good choices and instead of just planning your life - go live it!
My best,
Suzanne
Since you don't know what the future holds, hang onto it for now. I like the idea of socking it away for now. Keep it separate from your life, maybe play investing as a hobby, or throw it in a high-yield account.
I've followed you for quite a while now. My secret hope for you is that you will find a way to re-direct your life to help others. In all honesty, I have never liked the "simplicity movement", because it seems all about me-me-me. It's about how you spend your time, how you budget your money, and what you are looking for in your life.
I think that life expands when it becomes (at least in some part) about 'what can I do, with the gifts I have, to make a difference in the lives of other people who need my help'? When and if you find that, you might find a wonderful home for your nest egg.
You could give it to me so I can go to grad school! Yay!
I agree with GreenRanchingMom. Be careful when donating to "animal rights" groups. I'm all for the ethical treatment of animals, but PETA has disgusted me on more than one occasion. Their "Save the whales" billboards calling obese people whales was just despicable. (Never mind that a vegetarian diet can be just as unhealthy and full of calories.)
Of course, so many organization misuse money, especially in large organizations where the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing. That's one reason I prefer to give to smaller groups -- or individuals -- and for very specific purposes.
I also agree with Suzanne. Money doesn't in itself corrupt. As the original quote goes, "LOVE OF money is the root of all evil." The problem is when greed drives people to do immoral things.
Seriously though, what if you gave money to deserving but underpriviliged highschool sr's? Could make a difference in their whole future.
I think you've proven you are not greedy, so keeping a nest egg for emergencies, and making it grow, especially since investing is something you like to do, makes sense. Buffet and Gates would even agree. If you know how to make it grow, there'll be more for good causes later. You won't be corrupted. I have quite a few well heeled people in my orbit that are not ostentatious or corrupted. It can be done.
Jack,
If you're living mindfully and with deliberation, it doesn't matter if you have excess money. Mindfulness is there in part to guard against corruption.
If you feel like giving some away, I'm organizing a fundraiser for the local food bank at the start of November. Shoot me an email at frugal (dot) zeitgeist (at) gmail (dot) com if you want details.
You seem to have a knack for investing. Is it something you can teach others? You could provide a nest egg to get them started using the "Jack Method". Over time, they repay the nest egg either back to you, or forward it to another person along with proper instruction.
Actually, this idea is probably not very practical and doesn't fit into your lifestyle.
@kipper,
Not sure it's economically viable at this point. The amount I'm eyeing at this point is rather small, but definitely a consideration, assuming the pot increases.
@Fonk,
Those are definitely good points. Still, I'm taking the same attitude about this that I did when I left my first: why wait? There is a need out there NOW so if I really don't need the cash, why not just be done with it? The only thing that is stopping me is the fact that if were to compound the investment, there could be more to go around. Plus I get to play the markets, something that I kinda dig at the moment.
@Kate,
I am glad for you and your family that you are better and that you can have the opportunity to see for yourself how you handle it. And you won't wait long on the giving time stuff...promise:)
@Kerry,
Will do, though this time I may stick with the recognized non-profits. I sure hope you get the funding you need. I will keep this in mind, but I need to think more comprehensively.
@Heart Rocking,
Veteran affairs is an issue dear to me, for many different reasons. Gave some stuff to the local VA hospital during my first give-away.
@Green Ranching Mom,
This just shows my ignorance. Could you educate me further on this? What are you referring to?
@Suzanne,
I think you are right to some extent, but I do think the propensity for corrupting your mind is higher with more $. Until someone can prove to me otherwise, I am ABSOLUTELY, COMPLETELY convinced that "too much" money is dangerous.
@Anonymous,
I find a great deal truth in what you are saying. This very personal journey of mine might just be leading me there. I hope you have seen some of this along the way a bit. If not, I think it's going to come into focus soon.
@Sara,
:)
@Meg,
Could you give me some background on this antipathy towards PETA etc...? I honestly just don't know the issues. Thanks.
See my response to Susanne regarding $.
@Sara,
There are so many causes. I will consider that as well.
@Frugal,
Will do. And I understand the mindfulness point. Still....
Why should *having* money corrupt you? In my observations, it's not having money but wanting money to an unreasonable extent that corrupts people.
Do you know any examples of people who were corrupted by money? Weren't they corrupt before? Is that perhaps how they ended up with the money?
I don't know that much about the issues involved with large animal rights organizations, but I can say that I've always given to local rescue organizations and find that extremely satisfying. I adopted my dog from one of them - they find fosters for these amazing pets for as long as it takes, and they usually save them from euthanasia in a county animal shelter.
I certainly don't suffer from a case of too much money, but I try to give as much as I can and I seem to end up giving an inordinate percentage to animal charities. I think this is probably because animals are stuck relying on us, and half the time we can't even take care of ourselves.
It's always a good thing to have money put aside. Why not use your simplicity platform as a way to get rid of your extra cash by giving it away on your trips to organizations and groups you meet along the way that promote education for the poor (and local) groups that are attempting to help communities grow stronger through self-reliance.
You could do your homework about the areas you visit and encourage those towns and villages to promote green living and health/wellness at a basic level that would make a difference. Read the book "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson. His advice through his life story is a humbling example of what a few dollars can do. I'm glad you're finding success, simplicity can free you from your financial woes. Giving is a great thing. Keep it up!
Re: PETA, take a look at the Wikipedia page if you haven't already. A lot of criticisms are written about there and they're fairly well documented. Of course, please feel free to check sources and look further into the criticisms. Wikipedia does have its problems, but it's a good starting point.
My big gripe with them is there "zero tolerance", "black and white" attitude towards many things. For one, I think it is naive to think that we can completely do away with animal testing now or in the near future. Secondly, I don't believe that vegetarianism is necessarily a healthy choice for everyone, nor is it always the greener choice. Furthermore, I think the group relies too much on shock tactics and publicity stunts. And if we're going to have a real debate on these topics, they need to stop comparing chickens to Holocaust victims, working animals to African slaves, and obese women in bathing suits to whales.
I'm with Meg. I don't think you have to be scraping by to be a decent person. There are many examples of people who are millionaires and live quite modestly. They know the value of money and don't squander it. They also know that buying more "stuff" just to buy it won't make them happy.
Frankly, having a big emergency fund could help you out in a pinch. (That's why they're called emergencies. You don't see them coming and, suddenly, the shit hits and you need support, etc.)
I'm not saying don't give any of it away. Just don't give it away out of misplaced guilt.
I could name several causes worthy of funding, but that's your decision to make. Just be sure to check out who you're giving it to and what they're spending it on. Plus, if you're going to donate your money, don't forget to pay yourself first.
BTW--I second the recommendation on "Three Cups of Tea." :)
Great thoughts, as always. I love how willing you are to be honest, even if it means sacrificing something that is pleasant on a surface level (like, say, having money).
If you have a moment, you have GOT to watch this video about a desert hermit that I posted on my blog a while back. I can't tell you how many times I've thought of him whenever I start feeling self-congratulatory about detaching from possessions and simplifying my life. REALLY inspiring stuff.
Can't wait to read more of your thoughts on the subject!
Too much money???
I can help you with your problem
:)
Sonja
Care to donate that money to this poor college student's paying back my student loan fund?
Think of it this way man, more money, more long bike trips.
I would be careful with the way you present these kinds of posts. I am completely sympathetic to your cause, as I too am weary of amassing to much money/stuff. I would live in a shack in the mountains if I didn't have a family to support. However, when you act like you are upset at making so much money, while planning trips to South America at the same time, you are effectively face-slapping those whose financial situations are not so voluntary.
There are millions of Americans who don't have enough money to take care of their families, for basic human needs. That is where your donations come into play and I heartily applaud that. But I would focus on that, and leave the slyness out of it.
Wow Ty.
Your comment seems more than a little harsh to me.
I wholeheartedly agree with Meg. How can we be corrupted by an inanimate/ unfeeling object? What corrupts us are our attitudes, and the attitudes of others that we wish please. IMHO (perhaps not entirely correct though, since I don't know you) your materialistic desires sprang not from the money but from wanting to demonstrate your "worth" to your peers.
Now that you have re-aligned your priorities and re-aligned your peer-group, you respond with a different attitude. That is, you want to do good with your money. That is admirable. All this, despite having "too much" money. Your new attitude is evidence that it is not the money itself that is corrupting.
You are totally right that too much money leads to corruption. When giving your money away you may want to think about where it could do the most good. Animal rights is okay, but people are literally starving or dieing from dirty water in other parts of the world. Ryan's Wells is an organization started by a young boy to raise money for clean water wells in third world countries. Pray for guidance also.
As you travel through South America, you will meet many people, poor people but good and inspiring people. There are many small, rural villages that need help. Perhaps you could leave "seed money" in your wake to help these people. Maybe something like micro loans, mini loans that could be paid back to "Adventures in Voluntary Simplicity Foundation".
You gave money away somewhat randomly before. Perhaps a little more directed this time?
Of course all of this would require more effort on your part -- and I think part of your "simplicity" is towards less complications in your life, not more.
So, as before, maybe I am thinking outside your lifestyle.
It is amazing what money can do. I remember thinking that if I ever made mid-6 figures, I'd just work for 2-4 years and retire!
Instead, I ended up with a closet of $1,000 outfits.
Sick.
(Illness -aka mental breakdown - means I now live off of owner's equity, which is not mid-six figures.)
Interesting post.
Jennifer
www.livinginmycar.com
Do you have health insurance?
If you don't have health insurance, you can never have too much money...
why not combine both causes and donate to the companion dogs for veterans?
Ya know Jack. This post both inspired me and pissed me off.
Inspired because you want to help others with the money you do not need. That type of generousity and charity is lovely in a world where many people who do have money do not help out.
I do not agree with you that "having "too much" money corrupts the soul". I will go back to a phrase that is oft misquoted, "Money is the root of all evil." That is not the actual quote. The actual quote is "the LOVE of money is the root of all evil." Having money doesn't have to be a corrupting influence. You have the choice to be the type of person you want to be whether you have money or not. There are more than enought people who are not the Bernie Madoffs in this world and who are enjoying the use of their money both for themselves and for the benefit of others.
HOWEVER, the reason this post pisses me off is that it smacks of another type of elitism. Much like the egos that many Big Law Attorneys have a tendency to get - that they are better than others because of the money, the corner office, yada yada yada - this is sort of elitism in reverse. 'I am better than you because I don't need this money'. I don't believe that you meant it this way and I truly enjoy your blog and commend you for the choices you have made in the past year or so because you have found YOUR happiness. But if you put yourself in the shoes of others for whom money is an issue right now - people who are involuntarily being thrown out of their houses because they can't afford their mortgages, the number of people who can't find a job or even ME - who hasn't been able to find a job for more than 2 years and is now getting to a point where the choice between eating or paying my heating bills is a reality (AND I too have a law degree) - this just becomes a hard post to chew on.
I still love the direction you are going, and very happy you are finding your bliss. I just had to state my aversion to this particular post.
I am confident that you know whether or not you need the excess money you have. If I could convince my wife to downsize our house, we could be enjoying the same "problem". I find that so many people give money for no other reason than a tax deduction so they have a hard time grasping the fact that someone doesn't want to keep excess funds.
I commend you for wanting to share some of your gifts with others.
I am in no way affiliated with this non-profit, but ran across it one day and have seen how they operate. Check out rideforreading.org if you get a chance.
What I like about them is that it is a simple idea of providing age appropriate books to children who do not have them. I like small organizations like this because they don't use a lot of money for fundraising and salaries. It is all volunteer based so every penny goes to the cause.
With the small amounts I have available to give, I like knowing that what I contribute is having an affect.
Like I said, I am not affiliated with them. I like what they do so thought I would let you check them out if you wish.
People who are accusing you of being elitist here or slapping the faces of the less fortunate, need to just admit what they're really feeling: jealousy.
You're not saying you're better than anyone for having more money. Quite the contrary. Nor are you burning dollar bills because you can - which would be offensive to the needy. No, you've minimized your lifestyle and are now looking for ways to HELP the less fortunate.
Bravo to you! I wish more people would do that.
So, haters, quit your whining.
@SF Kid,
I see your point. The way this is evolving, I may just have a separate brokerage account for this type of investing and maybe I can just set certain financial benchmarks, afterwhich I can set aside $ for distributions, provided there isn't a devastating emergency. Also thinking of setting up a separate trust that would own the account. It would just make me feel better about the whole thing.
@Jerry,
Yeah, don't think that's very practical. Besides, there are plenty of other people out there more qualified to give financial advice, believe me. I just find the process interesting and enjoy the challenge of understanding the markets.
@Meg,
“Why should *having* money corrupt you? In my observations, it's not having money but wanting money to an unreasonable extent that corrupts people.”
I don't think we are saying radically different things. It's not so much that money corrupts, per se. My view is that every person has a “too much” money cutoff; an amount that is just right for the kind of lifestyle they want to have for themselves and their families. By definition, desiring more than that this “too much” amount is reckless and invites an unhealthy excess that leads to many of the things I listed in this post.
Obtaining more than this “too much” amount by sheer investing momentum (as I did) is probably less problematic, but you ultimately have the same problems going forward: what will you spend your money on? Will you buy crap you don't really need? Will you keep investing it in order to make more? Will you choose to upgrade your lifestyle? And it is problematic precisely because, BY DEFINITION, you don't really need any more money to pursue the kind of lifestyle you want to live.
@Anonymous,
I'm getting the feeling that giving to local animal shelters might be the way to go. Not so much interested in the politics of the larger organizations. It just breaks my heart to know there are so many unwanted animals out there in need of some love.
@blinkingwoman,
Believe it or not, it was through your comment and that of others that an idea is starting to form in my head: donating while traveling on my bike. Thinking about it seriously. Just have to figure out how to make it practical...
@Meg,
Thanks for the info. Yeah, did W. when the issue first surfaced. Not having thought through all the issues, I think I agree with you wholeheartedly. See my response to Anonymous above. My focus is on unwanted animals, and pets in particular.
@Debbi,
See my response to Meg above. Again, I don't think we are far apart on this. The focus is on having “too much,” which, as described in this post, is very subjective. And don't worry, have my emergency fund all funded. See my response to SF Kid above for more.
@Jennifer,
Thanks for the link. I think I'm going to be starting a new blog series on stuff that inspire me. It sounds like this is one thing that inspires you. And now me.
@Sonja,
I can imagine. :)
@fatstupidamerican,
:) Let me think about it. And yeah, definitely thinking about it that way.
@Ty
“However, when you act like you are upset at making so much money, while planning trips to South America at the same time, you are effectively face-slapping those whose financial situations are not so voluntary.
There are millions of Americans who don't have enough money to take care of their families, for basic human needs. That is where your donations come into play and I heartily applaud that. But I would focus on that, and leave the slyness out of it.”
Never even thought about this before your comment. I don't know if this is going to sound wrong or not but while I am not really upset about having “more” money, the fact is that I AM actually pretty annoyed. I thought I had taken care of this issue last year, but I guess market appreciation is always a possibility.
I can't really control how people are going to perceive what I say on this blog. The past year and a half has taught me that. The best I can do is to be brutally honest about everything I chose to focus on and let the chips fall where they may. And the reality is that I was annoyed when I found out that I had "too much" money. And that is what I blogged about.
BTW, not sure any of those millions of Americans would want to go on the trip I am planning to South America. Six months of camping in the andes with a budget of $350 a month is not what any of them would consider extravagant.
@Weston,
I don't think so. I found it rather interesting, though I do think it should be clarified per my response above.
@Frithstool,
Please see my response to Meg and Debbi above. I don't think are not very far apart on this issue at all. And thanks. I appreciate your sentiment.
@EandE,
Thanks for the tip. I could have sworn I saw something about this a while back. I will think about it.
@Jerry,
As I said above, this is an idea that is starting to crystallize as I think about how to get this done. On the road, actively improving the lives of local people would definitely fit into the simplicity rubric.fit into the simplicity rubric.
@Jennifer,
That's precisely my point. Good example.
@Todd in Temple,
Yep, have basic health insurance. And yes, very good point.
@Louise,
That's a wonderful idea. Never even knew such a thing existed, but I guess it makes sense. Thanks for the heads up.
@Jay Bee,
“I do not agree with you that "having "too much" money corrupts the soul". I will go back to a phrase that is oft misquoted, "Money is the root of all evil." That is not the actual quote. The actual quote is "the LOVE of money is the root of all evil." Having money doesn't have to be a corrupting influence.”
Please see my response to Debbi and Meg above. As said previously, I don't think we are that far off from each other. The bottom line is that I wasn't quite making reference to the old adage (“money is the root of all evil”); I was simply stating that, by definition, having more money than what a person would need to live the lifestyle they want can generate some serious problems. To say that having more money is always good is just plain wrong, no matter who the recipient may be.
“HOWEVER, the reason this post pisses me off is that it smacks of another type of elitism. Much like the egos that many Big Law Attorneys have a tendency to get - that they are better than others because of the money, the corner office, yada yada yada - this is sort of elitism in reverse. 'I am better than you because I don't need this money'.”
Please see my response to Ty above. What you are describing is certainly not what was intended. All I can do is write how I feel as honestly as possible. And, honestly, I was pretty annoyed I had more money than I was expecting.
Thanks for the comment. Stuff like this keeps me honest.
@Anonymous,
Thanks for the tip. You know, you are totally on the right track. Since last year I have becomes much more focused on the smaller organizations. There seems to be a great deal more focus on the grassroots and they tend to be more efficient.
@Anonymous,
I sure hope you are wrong. Personally, I just don't see where they are coming from, but that's the beauty of allowing different perspectives to voice their views. Maybe the tone of this post is off. I just don't think so.
It's funny - I read several personal finance blogs (and know that you've met one of them - FZ), and many of those bloggers are extremely frugal, but squirrel the "extra" away for that rainy day or, more commonly, for their retirement. Same short-term approach towards life, completely different long-term visions/ goals.
I tend towards the PF spectrum myself: I'm truly fearful for the US economy, and cling to the probably naive hope that whatever I can accumulate in the meantime will temporarily shelter my family when/if my fears come to fruition.
You might think that having children would be the differentiating factor (and it is for me), but I also know that many of the PF bloggers are, in fact, childless, and mostly by choice.
So, yes, someone said that there is some amount of jealousy motivating the less-positive comments. I, for one, am definitely jealous. Life would be quite different for me if I wasn't so constantly paralyzed by fear.
Wow I've never met someone like you. Usually people who have money wants more money.
You're defitenly a different one. Maybe you could donate some of your money to help poor people?
God bless you, you're so rich! =D
Bravo!
Five letters, one word: P-A-R-T-Y!
@Kady,
Maybe that's a big difference then. Fear I mean. I'm the most risk-averse person I know, but I think I've gotten over many of my old fears thanks to what has happened to me over the past couple of years...
@Moneykid,
Thanks for the comment. Already formulating a really plan for some of this stuff.
@Stiffie,
My party budget is fully funded.
I am currently a freshman in community college, attempting to raise the money to pay for the very expensive private university that I will begin study with in the fall of 2010. I have already been offered a generous scholarship, and am pursuing every possible avenue to pay for my education. All donating parties will recieve email updates on the status of my education and my many adventures. Upon graduation from LIU's Global College, I will be joing the Peace Corps, after which I hope to work with NGOs, creating a healthier, more beautiful world. Even the smallest donation will help me reach my goals, and in turn benefit our earth. Please pass this on to your friends and family!
Even $1 will be greatly appreciated.
To discuss forms of payments, or even to give me an earfull please email me!
chrissy.f.a@gmail.com
@christine,
I admire your comment and your efforts. However, I´m probably going to focus on other ways to give.
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