rmonihan

It’s impossible to say you’ve quit, if you’re still drinking, right?

Wrong. I quit, for a variety of reasons. Weight, didn’t like what it did to me, wasn’t happy with myself when I drank, etc. But after I quit for over 6 months, I still wasn’t happy. Why? Because I was a drag at parties. I wasn’t as social as before.

Did I NEED a drink to be social? No. But it definitely makes it easier. So I started figuring out what I enjoyed about drinking, as opposed to what I didn’t like.

I enjoyed that I lost 15 lbs. when I didn’t drink, but that was more the result of OVER drinking. I enjoyed that I was more emotionally stable. But again, overdrinking played a role.
I realized I enjoy the taste of certain beers, and some wine, but not liquor. So I culled my drinking to simply drink what I liked, and stopped drinking when I started feeling “off”. I continued to lose weight, because I would mix one water or club soda after each beer or wine. I didn’t drink liquor. I haven’t gotten “buzzed” in about a year and a half. And I’m much happier than I’ve ever been.

Plus, I’ve reduced my spending on alcohol (which is very expensive) considerably…so I’m saving money AND calories.

If you just can’t control your drinking (assuming you’re not at the endstage alcoholic point), then you HAVE to stop. But I think that saying you can’t control it is a copout. You have to make the choice that you want to control it before it controls you.

Knowledge is key. I’ve known that alcoholism runs in my family (2 grandparents, 1 parent, several aunts/uncles). 1 grandfather died from it. I know drinking can be dangerous, and I have always respected the power of drink. But it’s also enjoyable, if you can keep things in perspective.

Of course, I did it 23 years ago…but not much has really changed. The wonderful thing about Europe is the hypocrisy. Seriously. Europeans, generally, have little good to say about the US, but meet an American, and they LOVE us! Except for the Frogs, who I have no time for, as they had little for any of us.
That said, it’s the sheer wonderful nature of Europeans (who really can be classified as one group, just as Americans can even if they’re from Kansas or New York) that makes this a goal worth doing. And if you think Bush has ruined things, then you should have tried backpacking when Reagan was President. It isn’t about politics, so these guys really don’t impact our ability to enjoy foreign travel (unless you let them).

Fact is, nothing beats putting on your backpack, sticking out your thumb, and hitching a ride through Germany, Ireland, or Denmark…or anywhere! Can’t hitch? Get a rail pass, too. Saves you time when you’re tired, and goes ALOT faster.

When you reach my age, and you’re no longer able to do this sort of thing in the manner you’d like, it’s nice to have the ability to look back and remember what great times those were, and what great sights you’ve seen.

Keep the politics out. Nothing real in life is related to politics. Politics were created to maximize divisions, not reduce them. The fact anyone thinks politics can IMPROVE anything is just an indicator of immaturity (I should know, I was remarkably outspoken as a young adult, but the one thing I had was copious amounts of knowledge to back up my comments…something sorely lacking in most young adults today! That said, knowledge is no substitute for experience. Which just goes to show how immature I really was.).

Travel for the love of travel. See Europe and see our roots (EVERY culture has roots in Europe. Just as EVERY culture has roots in Asia, Africa, etc. This isn’t a world with walls.). See some of the great architecture, the great historical hotspots, and above all LEARN what it means to be a citizen of the world.

It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. For one thing, it isn’t like I have a million dollars lying around. I’m WORTH well over a million. But it’s locked up in investments like real estate and 401(k)s.
The key to becoming one is having the goal first and developing a plan to go along with it. My plan was simple: better education, paid by my employer, and save, save, save.
Don’t buy prepared meals if you can cook them. It’s cheaper.
Don’t take expensive vacations. Rely on frequent flier and frequent stayer programs through hotels and airlines.
Don’t be cheap, either. Just don’t spend freely. Spend on people you enjoy spending time with, but also spend with others who can help you reach your goal (networking).
Maximize your 401(k) at an early age. I have a friend who is much wealthier than I am, but he founded his own business. For years, I was wealthier than him, and he always wondered why I put so much away. He was going on expensive vacations and not saving. Then he hit on a great idea and got fabulously wealthy. Good for him. How many of you will actually hit that idea, though? Not many. So save and maximize your 401(k).

Once you’ve reached your goal, it doesn’t end. You have to be even smarter. A million isn’t what it once was. I was a millionaire in 1999, then lost it all to the bubble bursting. I was back down to about $700k. But I’ve doubled that in 5 years because I STUCK TO THE PLAN.

You can, too.

SeoAnthony, with regard to it being depressing:
In a way, it is depressing. Think about it…you managed to get the money and now you want to keep it. Keeping it isn’t easy, and if you’re really ambitious, you want to increase it. You wind up focusing alot on ways to make it and keep it. It takes up alot of your time.
When you think of the richest people in the world, it’s a list of people committed to their money and doing things with it. Which means they can do things with it because up until now, they’ve been doing things to GET it.

Money, however, and its accoutrements are THINGS. If you can use those things effectively, like I pointed out in my original post, you can use it to connect with your friends and build your business/family. If you put a positive spin on its uses, building money CAN BE FUN. BUT, it’s also a burden, and you can’t ignore that it’s more of a burden if you really have to work hard to make and keep it, as most people do.

Emerson and Thoreau were right when they extolled the simple life. Buffett is probably the wealthiest “simple” man I’ve read about. That is the “plan” I choose to emulate. Don’t overdo it, keep it simple and easy.