bigato's journal

[M]

@bigato - Out of curiosity - What are your plans after you achieve ERE and quit your job?

[C40]

PARTY EVERY DAY

[Marius]

Upvoting C40's suggestion!

(partying doesn't have to be expensive)

[rube]

Thanks Bigato. But I must say you used your motivation in a great way, in contrary to many other people facing similar issues.
I'll stick around and might start my own journal in a while. I would like to get some figures more detailed first though.

[rube]

Hi Bigato, why won't can't you move to your new house sooner?

[George the original one]

Bigato, all I can say is that it's been wonderful to read your progress!
What strikes me most is how much more relaxed you are now. Originally you had a lot of anxiety and were trying to go in 6 directions at once. Security is healthy!

[m741]

Agree with George, you really seem much happier and in control than you were a few months ago - with the possibility of the property purchase, earning some extra money doing something you're passionate about, your wife getting her degree, and more security in your job.

[m741]

Ah! I somehow missed that. Those pictures were great - I just thought you were already living there .

[GPMagnus]

Hey bigato
I really understand how you are feeling - I was once in a very similar situation and I was mad at my friend for about a month. What helped me was the realisation that he felt so bad he could not bring himself to tell me the bad news. Today we are still friends, but I will always remember this feeling.
In any case, congratulations to your wife on becoming a teacher and do not lose faith - you are living your life the way you want, and that is the only important thing, meu amigo
Looking forward to more pictures of your new place
Magnus

[m741]

Wow, sounds like things are really going well for you, bigato.

[GPMagnus]

Very happy for you bigato! You will have some expenses to rent out the big house to foreigners but even if you need to rent it out for 8 weekends a year that is still excellent.
I also agree that you should not sell capital assets such as land until their price is very high and you are sure you can get a better yield for a long time with another asset.
Cheers!

[Riggerjack]

Congrats on the your rural property!
I was looking thru your pictures, after reading through your full journal, and I was surprised by how dry it looks. You've talked about growing rice many times. I always associated rice with flooded fields in flatlands. Are you planning to terrace, or is there a different way to grow rice?
You were talking about a stream and carp, is that at this property? I didn't see any wet areas in the pictures.
I'm glad you found your place, there's nothing quite like owning your space, controlling how much your neighbors can affect your life.
Again, Congratulations.

[LiquidSapphire]

Sounds like you are content and that is the most important thing. Congrats!

[sshawnn]

Hang in there bigato on the JOB.Soon your plans will be realized.
I want to experiment with masonry. I agree with you that it seems easy and if some careful techniques are applied it shouldnt be that hard to create brick structures.

[Hottentot]

I know what you mean. A friend of mine saved enough money to leave his job at the bank, it was sucking his energy. And that was not the first person i saw doing that.

I never worked in a bank and my family keep telling me i should try because it's wonderful and bla bla bla. I just said that i will never, in my entire existence, do it. Never.

Everybody that is outside a job says the job is wonderful.

[sshawnn]

I can see how you would have mixed feelings about paying out the money for renovation. One third of the total cost for labor seems pretty good. It seems especially good that you are learning masonry, a trade that could certainly earn you some money in the future. (I'm jealous)

[m741]

Wow, that's great news. Congrats, bigato!

[George the original one]

Excellent!

[dot_com_vet]

Bigato, I think I consulting, whether FT or moonlighting, is a great way to make money.

The faster you can start charging market rates, the better. I used to nearly "give it away" to build experience, until a client told me that I did consulting for fun. It certainly was work and not a hobby.

[dot_com_vet]

I am doing only the initial research for free, as a way to attract new customers and build a name. I charge for the rest. It is a way that I found to advertise myself without paying money for it. Do you think it is a good idea? Would it be better just to pay for some ads? How do you get your customers these days?

I think it's worthwhile to give this a try! I've always seen consultants bill for planning and project management, but it could be a great way to get your foot in the door. The risk is that the client will take your plan to another consultant and have them implement it at a lower rate.

I always did FT IT work, and would get referrals for moonlight consulting from coworkers. There was always somebody with a side business that would need help with some technical part of a project.

Colleagues that consult FT all go through a tech firm, which take in a percentage of the billable rate. I've seen a few exceptions where the consultants become partners in the business itself, which is probably more rewarding.