How To Retire 6 Months Every Year
(Page 14 of 22)
May/June 1970
By Irv Thomas
I'm constantly telling myself that I must see this or that show, but I seldom get as far as the box office. When I do, the price almost always turns me off, and I have somehow survived without all the great epics I've missed.
RELATED CONTENT
The rented television was my original creative attempt to kill the theatre urge, and it worked very well, so I considered it a good investment. But eventually it, too, became a drag and I turned it in. If I had owned the set, I'd still have it, but now I'm in the unique position of living in a nearly non-advertising society (except for billboards) and it's really kind of nice and quiet. My head is less bothered without all that crap, and the tiresome breathless news reporting that goes with it.
After awhile, excess addictions begin to fall away freely, as you sense - on a deep emotional level - that you can live without them. One week in December, my smoking dropped from a pack a day to one-third that amount. I neither pushed nor fought it. After a couple weeks, I raised the nerve to try and go all the way, and it was easier than I had expected. But even there, I exercised a creative touch: When the urge became too strong, I filled a pipe. Now I smoke perhaps 3 or 4 pipefuls a week, and there is no guilt or strain involved. If you've ever added up the cost of cigarettes, you'll find that they're a considerable expense. A pack a day costs a week of work a year to support!
The whole trick to this business is to try not to drive yourself into the ground. Be alert to withdrawal pains and find a creative compensation. You won't always be able to, but each time you do, it gives you a lift and makes the whole trip that much easier. You're not out to prove the strength of your will, but the agility of your imagination.
No matter how well you fight the battle, there will be days during those first few months when everything seems to fall in on you. Here's a tip to remember: When that happens, sit yourself down in total privacy and quiet, with a notebook, and just write about it. A letter to yourself, with all the deep feelings you can pull out. I don't know why, but it takes the pressure off. It does more, but I'll leave that for you to explore.
FRINGE BENEFITS
By now, this might sound like a real monastic trip, and you're probably wondering if a few months to yourself each year is really worth it all. For my part it is, even if that were all there was to gain. And there is so much more. The release from work is only the piece de resistance.
First of all, let me make sure you understand very clearly that you are not expected to confine your spending to $250 per month, or whatever figure it is that you finally arrive at. My checkbook is full of things like $30 for a U course, $100 for a bicycle, $10 for an underground magazine, and so forth.
It may seem as though I am defeating my own purpose. Far from it! These are all discretionary purchases, not addictions, and they each enrich my life. The main difficulty with most budget plans is that they lump discretionary and supportive expenses together and kill all incentives by putting a clamp on both. The purpose of this program is to return your life to you. The benefits can be either six or more continuous months of free time each year or an equivalent amount of discretionary cash.
Page:
<< Previous 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 | 14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
Next >>
