Diary of a Network Geek

Yes, I’m a little obsessed with money this month.

No, it’s not because I can’t pay my bills.  Rather, it’s about work.  Now, for the most part, I enjoy my work.  I find it challenging, but not too challenging, and interesting and the pay is pretty good.  Also?  I have a ten-minute commute.  Hard to beat that!  But, the reality is, at heart, I’m a lazy bastard.  If I could skate by without working another day in my life, I totally would do that.  For real.
The problem with that, of course, is paying all those bills.  So, how to do it?  What kind of money do I need to be able to tell the world to, essentially, and pardon my language, “Fuck off”.  (Yes, what I’m talking about is commonly referred to as “Fuck You Money”.)  So, what would that take?  I don’t need to live like a king, but, to not work, I will need to keep getting money somehow, like through investments.  But, the question is, how much will it take and what kind of investment do I have to make to keep it coming steadily enough to pay the bills?

Luckily, a smarter gentleman than I, Nilesh Trivedi, has posted an Excel spreadsheet that will help you calculate just how much you need to start with and how good your investment needs to be so that you never have to answer to another boss again.  Download that, and read his explanation, here: How Much Is Enough? : A Formula for FU Money.  (And, if  you’re like me, you’ll start by saving the money you might have spent on Microsoft Office and open that spreadsheet in LibreOffice instead!)

So, there’s a little something to think about while you wait for the weekend! Enjoy!

Advice from your Uncle Jim:
"Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes."
   --Oscar Wilde

So, if you’re like me, last week when you were thinking about setting a couple New Year’s Resolutions, you were thinking about money.

No, seriously!  Ok, granted, I was thinking about money that I don’t have, but, still, money seems to be on everyone’s minds these days.  Between the economy, which has tanked, and Christmas, which most of us will be paying off for a couple months yet, a little extra cash would be welcome, wouldn’t it?  Well, a great step would be to cut things out of your budget that you don’t really need.  Of course, that would mean having a budget, wouldn’t it?

Fear not!  The Consumerist has just the tool for you!  Yes, now you, too, can download the Consumerist’s Free Easy Excel Budget Spreadsheet and make your very own, personal budget!
Of course, the real trick is [amazon_link id=”0553382020″ target=”_blank” ]sticking to that budget[/amazon_link] once you make it.
Well, at least it’s a start!

Advice from your Uncle Jim:
"Our devotion to truth may bring us into conflict with those around us. What we need to remember is that we are not responsible for convincing anyone else of what we believe to be true."