About Me

Enjoying the Key West Sunset

Me enjoying the Key West Sunset

What is your dream? Probably not living paycheck to paycheck and working at a soul crushing corporation for the next 40 years. Me neither.

Hi I’m Jeff!

This site is about my journey to escape the 9-5, and live the dream.  I am accomplishing this by doing two simple things: making money on the side, and saving money.  Living out your dreams, retiring early, or even becoming a millionaire is not rocket science.  We are just never taught how to do it.  We all suck at money, and we get easily sucked up into the typical consumerism lifestyle and “keeping up with the Jones’s”.  Well boy do I have news for you: the Jones’s are in debt up to their eyeballs!  Chances are, that nice couple in your neighborhood … you know, the ones that mow their own lawn and drive a 2005 Hyundais?  Chances are that they are millionaires.  Most millionaires don’t flaunt their wealth and that is one major reason why they are millionaires in the first place.  Those other neighbors that drive around so baller with their 2017 SUVs with three rows of seating that get 9 MPG?  They’re broke.

This is really about choice and what things are worth to you.   You can choose to live paycheck to paycheck, enjoying lavish Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattés at every turn.  You can stay in the rat race to maintain your $500 per month car loan and $250 cable bill. When you’re beyond retirement age but working at Walmart as a “People Greeter”, revel in the fact that it was your choice.  Or, you can eliminate some useless, expensive things from your life like cable TV, a luxury SUV, daily takeout, various subscriptions, etc.  It is the 20th century, you can watch any TV show you wan’t for free or cheap without a huge cable bill.

I am not telling you to become a penny pincher.  But being frugal where it counts will save you $1,000’s per year, which invested, will equal hundreds of thousands of dollars down the road.  I cut costs where it counts and spend money where I get the most enjoyment and utility.  I buy organic food and visit local craft breweries to buy beer every week.  I have a beautiful house and family.  I mow my own lawn and DIY as much as I can.  It makes life more fulfilling and

Enjoying a craft beer at the lake

Enjoying a craft beer at the lake

enjoyable because you don’t have to worry about how you’re going to pay for that next shiny object.

This isn’t going to be a boring “personal finance” blog where we talk about PE ratios and other rubbish.  This is real life, easy to implement stuff that with increase your wealth, health, and happiness many fold.  All while doing good and helping save the environment.

What is your dream?  Take a moment and think about it.  Mine is: Freedom of time and location. The ability to go and do anything you want, anywhere you want without having to worry about where your next paycheck will come from or being tied down to a job with little vacation each year.  That is worth a lot more to me than getting takeout for lunch every day or daily fancy coffee drinks.

I work in information technology (yes I still have a job at the moment).  The executive team consults with me regularly about projects and business issues.  My recurring answer to them is: we can do anything you want; it just depends on how much time and money you want to spend on it.  This is true in your life too: You can do anything you want, just decide what that truly is and how much effort and money you want to spend to get there.

What is important to you and what will make you truly happy? Are you willing to put some effort into improving your life through making a little money on the side and saving money in other areas? If so, you are at the right place.  If not, you can check out People Greeter salaries and job postings here.

I appreciate you stopping by and checking out Living the Dream Guide.   I hope you’ll join my mailing list and stick around for the journey 🙂

-Jeff

PS- Have a question or comment?  Feel free to shoot me an email.