4 ms·

Many years ago when I took my current role I made a conscious decision to choose something that would grant me a good work-life balance. I wanted to check out a

Many years ago when I took my current role I made a conscious decision to choose something that would grant me a good work-life balance. I wanted to check out at 4PM, not have to think about work after that, and do whatever I wanted. Since making this decision I've become an expert in a number of hobbies, gotten married, had kids, and am now living a quite pleasant life. The financial freedom people aim for in retirement, the time, I have that already. I'm already living a care-free life, largely doing what I want. I have a family member who is a multi-millionaire and who owns multiple businesses. He has more money now than I'll have in my lifetime. But I have something that he doesn't have - time. In my estimation time is a much more valuable commodity to obtain than money. If you can work your career so you have enough money, but also time, that's a more valuable goal than simply 'being rich'. Money with no free time and boat load of stress is a shit life.

kadushka 1y ago
Your rich relative has more time than you – he chooses how to spend all his time while you can only choose how to spend part of your time. He chooses to work, you have to work.
- Desafinado 1y ago
  Nope, he has no choice but to work as well, but he works 7 days a week and 10 hour days to keep his businesses afloat. If he retired.. then what? I'm also going to retire, but in the interim I experience no stress, have plenty of free time, and enjoy what I do.
  - kadushka 1y ago
    If I understood you correctly, he can retire today because he already has enough money to live comfortably for the rest of his life. He does have this choice, and he chooses to continue working. Do you have the same choice? Can you retire today?
    - Desafinado 1y ago
      What you're not understanding is that he doesn't have the choice either. He could retire in theory, but his businesses are how he spends his time. If he retired he would have too much free time. So in practice he's in the same situation as me, he has to work. But I work much less under less stressful conditions. As I said, work life balance. He doesn't have that.
      - kadushka 1y ago
        Let's see: he must work because he would have too much free time if he didn't, you must work because you would starve if you didn't. Yeah, clearly you're under less stressful conditions.
        Desafinado 1y ago
        Yes, he has to work because he would have too much free time, and he still needs his businesses to survive, just as I need employment to survive. It's the same situation, but I work less hours and have a more pleasant life. If his businesses fail he has no other options, if I lose my job I go find another one doing the same thing, making the same amount of money. Is this really that hard to believe?
        deleted 1y ago
        [deleted]
        senordevnyc 1y ago
        I’ve read all your comments here, and as someone who has at different times been both the entrepreneur making big money and the employee working a chill job, I think you’re missing the point here. You started by making the point that he might have more money, but you have more time, which you conclude is ultimately more valuable. As many have pointed out, he can sell his business and retire, which you don’t have the option to do. Your rejoinder that he can’t do that because then he’d have too much time makes little sense, both because you’ve already setup the axiom that “more time = more freedom”, but also because he could at that point decide to do all kinds of things: start another business, buy one, get a job, work for charity, whatever. He’s quite obviously more free than you, although perhaps not psychologically, who can say. You don’t need to defend your life choices to anyone, but from the outside it looks like you’re making an illogical case because you can’t accept that he actually does have more freedom than you. Which is OK! There’s always someone out there doing better than us.
paulcole 1y ago
> But I have something that he doesn't have - time No, both of you have the exact same amount of time each day. But it seems like he has more freedom in how he spends that time? It's just that you don't agree with how he chooses to use it? The reason I say that is that you say spend your time "largely doing what I want." Doesn't your rich relative spend ALL their time doing what they want?
- Desafinado 1y ago
  Nope. He is still dependent on his businesses to survive. It's a job for him just like it is for me. I have a boss, his businesses are his boss. The difference is that I work far fewer, less stressful hours, and have much more time to myself. That's not to say that all businesses turn our like that, but the point is that having more money doesn't necessarily mean you have a better lifestyle. I can count a number of people who have more money than me but who have awful, stressful or tedious jobs.
  - paulcole 1y ago
    Yes. > I have a family member who is a multi-millionaire and who owns multiple businesses. He has more money now than I'll have in my lifetime Why can’t he sell the businesses or hire an operator to run them while he collects checks? > The difference is that I work far fewer, less stressful hours, and have much more time to myself. You both have 24 hours to yourself each day. You choose to spend yours one way, he chooses to spend his in another.
    - Desafinado 1y ago
      Because then he risks the businesses failing and losing his livelihood. On the second point, still nope. He took on the businesses for lack of a better option. It's true that it was a conscious choice, but my career path was actually harder to obtain, and more deliberate. Not that there's anything wrong with being a business owner, but hopefully I'm making the point clear that there is more to the life equation than the quantity of money you make.

kadushka 1y ago

Your rich relative has more time than you – he chooses how to spend all his time while you can only choose how to spend part of your time. He chooses to work, you have to work.

Desafinado 1y ago
Nope, he has no choice but to work as well, but he works 7 days a week and 10 hour days to keep his businesses afloat. If he retired.. then what? I'm also going to retire, but in the interim I experience no stress, have plenty of free time, and enjoy what I do.
- kadushka 1y ago
  If I understood you correctly, he can retire today because he already has enough money to live comfortably for the rest of his life. He does have this choice, and he chooses to continue working. Do you have the same choice? Can you retire today?
  - Desafinado 1y ago
    What you're not understanding is that he doesn't have the choice either. He could retire in theory, but his businesses are how he spends his time. If he retired he would have too much free time. So in practice he's in the same situation as me, he has to work. But I work much less under less stressful conditions. As I said, work life balance. He doesn't have that.
    - kadushka 1y ago
      Let's see: he must work because he would have too much free time if he didn't, you must work because you would starve if you didn't. Yeah, clearly you're under less stressful conditions.
      - Desafinado 1y ago
        Yes, he has to work because he would have too much free time, and he still needs his businesses to survive, just as I need employment to survive. It's the same situation, but I work less hours and have a more pleasant life. If his businesses fail he has no other options, if I lose my job I go find another one doing the same thing, making the same amount of money. Is this really that hard to believe?
        deleted 1y ago
        [deleted]
        senordevnyc 1y ago
        I’ve read all your comments here, and as someone who has at different times been both the entrepreneur making big money and the employee working a chill job, I think you’re missing the point here. You started by making the point that he might have more money, but you have more time, which you conclude is ultimately more valuable. As many have pointed out, he can sell his business and retire, which you don’t have the option to do. Your rejoinder that he can’t do that because then he’d have too much time makes little sense, both because you’ve already setup the axiom that “more time = more freedom”, but also because he could at that point decide to do all kinds of things: start another business, buy one, get a job, work for charity, whatever. He’s quite obviously more free than you, although perhaps not psychologically, who can say. You don’t need to defend your life choices to anyone, but from the outside it looks like you’re making an illogical case because you can’t accept that he actually does have more freedom than you. Which is OK! There’s always someone out there doing better than us.

paulcole 1y ago

> But I have something that he doesn't have - time No, both of you have the exact same amount of time each day. But it seems like he has more freedom in how he spends that time? It's just that you don't agree with how he chooses to use it? The reason I say that is that you say spend your time "largely doing what I want." Doesn't your rich relative spend ALL their time doing what they want?

Desafinado 1y ago
Nope. He is still dependent on his businesses to survive. It's a job for him just like it is for me. I have a boss, his businesses are his boss. The difference is that I work far fewer, less stressful hours, and have much more time to myself. That's not to say that all businesses turn our like that, but the point is that having more money doesn't necessarily mean you have a better lifestyle. I can count a number of people who have more money than me but who have awful, stressful or tedious jobs.
- paulcole 1y ago
  Yes. > I have a family member who is a multi-millionaire and who owns multiple businesses. He has more money now than I'll have in my lifetime Why can’t he sell the businesses or hire an operator to run them while he collects checks? > The difference is that I work far fewer, less stressful hours, and have much more time to myself. You both have 24 hours to yourself each day. You choose to spend yours one way, he chooses to spend his in another.
  - Desafinado 1y ago
    Because then he risks the businesses failing and losing his livelihood. On the second point, still nope. He took on the businesses for lack of a better option. It's true that it was a conscious choice, but my career path was actually harder to obtain, and more deliberate. Not that there's anything wrong with being a business owner, but hopefully I'm making the point clear that there is more to the life equation than the quantity of money you make.