The Dream Dean

Tuesday, August 17, 2021 (Day 229)

Relaxing Music for the week: Sound of Invisible Waters: Deuter (9:32) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NW6Gwx59FY

Question: What was your parents’ attitude towards money? How has this influenced you today?

Answer: My parents never spent more than they earned. I don’t think I remember them EVER in debt, although I’m sure they had debt in my early childhood. Money was just something NOT talked about in our house. My parents were very thrifty with money, never seemed to overindulge in spending. In my early childhood, we lived in the same small apartment building as my grandmother (there were only six apartments in the building). Around middle schools, we left and moved to South Orange, NJ, where they had better educational system. I had a very small group of friends, was very much an introvert, and collected sports cards. I remember my dad having pads of paper in different parts of the house, where he was always scribbling numbers (he was in accounting, so the numbers things made sense). When they moved to Florida (my guess for the tax advantages), they seemed to do really well because I think they paid for their two homes in cash (I know the second home was paid in cash). That was always impressive to me! I know that my dad spent most of his retired time working with stocks, checking over numbers, and working with a financial advisor (now our financial advisor) on a regular basis. I can tell you that for the most part, I’m very meticulous with my money, especially since the pandemic. As I’ve mentioned before, I have various accounts – cash on hand, emergency fund account, and two retirement accounts. I’m very focused on two things: (1) life after “retirement” (whatever that means), and (2) taking care of family once I’m gone. I think I’ve take care of the latter really well; working hard on the former. I want to make sure that when I decide to call it quits – at least in terms of formal work – that it’s on my terms, not on someone else’s terms.