Live Like You’re Dying Day 16 – Thoughts

thoughtsWell it has been a awhile since I have updated, and it isn’t because I have actually died, but I have just been busy living life!  But that doesn’t mean this topic of living like I am dying hasn’t been on my mind.  When choosing to spend time doing something or planning something ahead (even those activities past November) I have wondered to myself “Is this something I would do if I am actually dying?”  If that answer is a yes, it is pretty easy to make that decision.

Some examples are a recent euchre tournament I participated in at my Aunt’s.  Got to spend some good quality time with family, and some of their friends.  Although I was soundly defeated at rank eight of twelve participants, it is a bit easier to forgo my competitiveness and just enjoy the moments.  I have also made plans to visit my friend in Ohio in November and to watch the Trans Siberian Orchestra this December with my parents.  I have also spent some time just chillin’ playing video games so I am not without an excuse as to not doing an update on this blog. Continue reading

Live Like You’re Dying Day 9 – Automation

automaticContinuing with this month’s theme of living like I were to die at the end of the month, I think it is important to try to setup your significant other for success.  And this leads me to think about automation and streamlining processes to help them.

Financially there are many things you can automate.  You can have automatic payments, automatic savings, and even automatic investing.  But you can use free tools such as mint to help track spending spending and growing their net worth when you are gone. Continue reading

Live Like You’re Dying Day 8 – Outsourcing

OutsourceHere we are on the eighth day of October already, 23 days remaining in this hypothetical scenario.  So back to some deep thoughts as to how to handle these final days.  Today I am thinking about outsourcing tasks.  You may wonder why I would outsource if I choose to work, but it is all about a return on time.  I would get over $400 an hour staying at work just for the group life insurance and I make no where near that amount of money now. Continue reading

Live Like You’re Dying Day 6 – The Weekends

LeisureOriginally I had intended to post every day throughout this month.  But I ended up not logging into the blog over the weekend.  It was nice just to spend time with my wife and enjoy our town’s festival which was going on that weekend in celebration of… red underwear… Not sure why they ever choose that, but I won’t say what they actually call it or it would be pretty easy to see what town I live in. Continue reading

Live Like You’re Dying: Day 3 – The Moment

tree colorBeing so busy with work and life in general, when is the last time you stopped to enjoy the moment?  I am constantly someone who feels like I must be doing something.  If I am waiting for dinner to finish cooking I am on the tablet or computer.  If I am eating I feel like I should be playing a card game with the wife or watching something with her.  I just feel like I need to be doing something.  I am not someone who just sits on a porch enjoying the moment.  I know that Jason at Dividend Mantra mentioned before, I don’t recall which post, but he is just happy being present.  Perhaps I should spend more time just being focused on what is now and enjoying it to the fullest. Continue reading

Live Like You’re Dying: Day 2 – Work

officeIn day one I talked about what how I believe I would take the news that I only have 31 days left to live.  Now it is on to making life decisions based on this news.  If I were actually dying in what, now less than 30 days, it would seem like the obvious choice to quit working.  But if I did so I could lose employer group life insurance coverage at just the wrong time.  Personally, my employer provides $40,000 in group coverage.  If I am dying because of a medical condition, I may be able to take all of that time off through the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and keep my coverage.  The worst case would be if I am still able to work and cannot take FMLA time off.  Well I still have two weeks of vacation and 22 works days left on the calender. Continue reading

Live Like You’re Dying: Day 1 – The News

Grave

Kirsten at Indebted Mom posed an interesting challenge.  It is for 31 days and it is to live like you are dying.  Now you can’t actually do everything you would do if you were actually dying, because I have to plan as if I am not.  But I am interested in seeing if this challenge will change my perspective on life. Continue reading

Frankly Frugal Finance: Weekender Edition #11

Bikes

Mrs. Frugalwoods was asking about a pic of the bikes we bought, here they are!

Hey it is still the weekend, so better late than never for getting the weekender post up, right?

It was a very busy weekend for me personally, probably the last nice weekend without any rain so I was working on staining my deck, one of the things I mentioned in my goals.  It is complete, but it took most of the weekend to do so.  I think it turned out quite nicely, thanks for asking! Continue reading