All That You Can't Leave Behind

It is important, in any financial planning, or retirement goal setting, to think of One thing, namely Elevation. From that perspective, we can see all that you can't leave behind, instead of not seeing the forest for the Joshua Trees.

For example, we might have sky high dreams for retirement, but I say to you to bullet the blue sky. Pop! In the name of love, U2 can visit the playboy mansion. From there you may end up in a retirement home, but it is where the streets have no name. Who's gonna ride your wild horses then? Does your spouse say that they will go to a retirement home, with or without you? Do you think that he or she will be happy eating crumbs from your table.

Achtung Baby: A plan is better than the real thing. In this way, we address our desire, and at the same time, we avoid any war with the Gloria in our lives.

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Freedom from Credit

Here is an interesting lifestyle audit question: What percentage of your activities require the use of a credit card? For example, are their autopay type activities, such as my monthly health club membership fees, that require the use of a credit card? What if you got rid of them? How would your life change?

The Debt Free Lifestyle

What is our goal? What would it look like? Could it be a life where we pay in cash, incur no long term debt? Perhaps credit cards would be stored somewhere in the house, in a safe place perhaps, rarely used, like a passport.

The only cards we would carry would be discount cards, like a safeway card, and we would pay groceries in thick wads of cash. We would be like the Amish, but more worldly. Sort of like if the Amish had hot tubs and drank Cristal. We would not use gas, and drive by those stations in our horse and buggy, and go to the liquor store, for some Dom. Then we would ride back to the farm, and enjoy a home grown organic meal. We would retire to the hot tub in back, and enjoy some world class bubbly.

Good-by to Credit Cards

I am trying to use cash and not credit cards. My credit card information was stolen last week. The crooks used the numbers to buy $700 worth of stuff from Aveda. They will probably resell the stolen stuff on ebay. I think the credit information was taken from a charge at a somewhat seedy eating establishment. Since the economy is weaking, and times are tough, folks are resorting to crime to get by. Beware.

Confirmation of a Good Idea

I recently blogged on my cancelling of the Rocky Mountain News. Well, we have a few more issues to be delivered to the house. I glanced at the Business section. Todays Sunday section devotes about one third of its front page to a story about an 81 year old man who counts toilet paper sheets on rolls in his house, to see if he was short changed from the representations made on the packaging. There are pictures too: See http://www.denverpost.com/ci_8083336

L.L. Bean and Brooks Brothers

I've decided that I need to shop only at L.L. Bean for the majority of my clothes. This would be casual and business causal, as well as outdoor activity wear, such as flyfishing, if I ever take up that sport. I like the winter sales available online for the majority of my purchases. I am considering an L.L. Bean charge card to get the free shipping and handling feature.

For work, I get suits from the nearby Brooks Brothers outlet as well as dress shirts. This retail combination (L.L. Bean and Brooks Brothers) works well from a dress standpoint, as well as the normal human need to wear functional, well designed clothes, that do not go out of style, that are appropriate for your daily activities, as well as your pocketbook.

With instability in the world financial market place, political unrest worldwide, and a malise brought upon by a plateau of petrocarbon production, its nice to go to bed every night knowing where I will shop for a new pair of chinos.