Stop and smell the coffee

[Sum Dum Gai]

Jun 20, 2014 14:43:54 GMT -5 teen persuasion said:

Jun 20, 2014 12:46:19 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

Everyone spends roughly a third of their life asleep.  Most adults spend another third at work, getting ready for work, or getting back and forth from work.  That remaining third is the part where people need help.  I see way too many people that mostly waste it worrying about work/bills while staring at a TV.  People need hobbies.  Something that makes them happy, that they enjoy thinking about, planning, doing, and talking about with others.  There's nothing wrong with watching some TV now and again, but you can't spend your whole life asleep, working, and watching shows about people with TV perfect or interesting lives.  It will make you feel like your life sucks in comparison, because it actually does.

Hobbies don't have to be expensive, although there are some cool options for those with a decent income.  They can be simple, fairly cheap, and solitary.  Like knitting/sewing.  Or they can be something that requires a lot of interaction with others, like team sports.  People need something more in their lives than working and watching stories about others.

I thought that the problem was that people were too busy working to pay bills to have time to do things that they enjoy,  not that they had too much time to kill.

I will agree that hobbies are preferable to vegging out in front of the tv, but you must have better tv choices than I do.  I can't think of any "tv perfect lives" in the shows I see advertised, just the reverse - the characters all seem dysfunctional and have crummy lives.  I've given up on most tv, since that stuff is NOT entertaining to me.

TV lives are dysfunctional in a compelling way. Everything works out in the end, the drama is funny, interesting, or heartwarming. They always live in a way nicer place than their occupation should allow. They dress well. They take interesting vacations. Their friends are all good looking, witty, and interesting. None of it is real, and very little of it is even interesting. There's so much product placement these days some of the shows are like one big infomercial. If all I did was sleep, work, and watch TV while subconsciously comparing myself to the characters I'd probably be seriously depressed.

[8 Bit WWBG]

...:::"There's so much product placement these days some of the shows are like one big infomercial.":::...

I've been re-watching the Starz Spartacus series.  I didn't see a single can of Pepsi, or an Acura or anything.  The rebels did live in way nicer places than they could afford, but it was mainly due to having slaughtered the owners!

[tloonya]

Jun 20, 2014 21:44:11 GMT -5 @pinkcshmere said:

Jun 20, 2014 9:46:44 GMT -5 tloonya said:

Completely understand. No passion about anything. Food maybe. All the rest are not for public disclosure...
However when I am retire I think I will find so many things to do and I won't do them! Will watch all the shows
and read all the books but it is all when retire.

I want to know what does person have to do to be not carefree but enjoy life?

Like sitting in a park on the bench is cool IF your head is free of thoughts about how to pay your bills...

I was looking for more financial take on this like how do smart people structuring their bills, savings
and 'me money' so they can LIVE and BREATHE?

Loony, I make a little more than the 50k you mentioned. Here's how I can sit on a park bench and chill out without worrying about bills.

I decided I'd rather stay in my "starter house" than upgrade and have a $1k or more monthly payment. Once I paid my car off, I decided to keep driving it until the wheels fall off. Its an 03.

I opened a savings account seperate from my EF and have automatic transfers go there for irregular and unexpected expenses. When something comes due or something unexcpected happens (as long as its not astronomical) I don't have to scramble to find the money.

Because I keep my fixed expenses low, after I take care of the important stuff, I do have to buy food and gas but I have enough money left to also do/buy some things just because I want to. As long as I'm spending money from that particlar pot, I don't feel guilty. Its set up to BE my spending money.

My plan works for me and has given me peace of mind. That's how I get to enjoy my life and breathe.

Thanks, Pink. If you could tell me how much is that you are putting into EF and saving.
And sorry I do not recall if you are single and about kids.

[tloonya]

Jun 21, 2014 2:46:19 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

Jun 20, 2014 14:43:54 GMT -5 teen persuasion said:

I thought that the problem was that people were too busy working to pay bills to have time to do things that they enjoy,  not that they had too much time to kill.

I will agree that hobbies are preferable to vegging out in front of the tv, but you must have better tv choices than I do.  I can't think of any "tv perfect lives" in the shows I see advertised, just the reverse - the characters all seem dysfunctional and have crummy lives.  I've given up on most tv, since that stuff is NOT entertaining to me.

TV lives are dysfunctional in a compelling way. Everything works out in the end, the drama is funny, interesting, or heartwarming. They always live in a way nicer place than their occupation should allow. They dress well. They take interesting vacations. Their friends are all good looking, witty, and interesting. None of it is real, and very little of it is even interesting. There's so much product placement these days some of the shows are like one big infomercial. If all I did was sleep, work, and watch TV while subconsciously comparing myself to the characters I'd probably be seriously depressed.

If I had opportunity to sleep, work, and watch TV (with all of my bills being paid) - I wouldn't compare myself to stars in the shows and be happy.

I think  

[teen persuasion]

Jun 21, 2014 2:46:19 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

Jun 20, 2014 14:43:54 GMT -5 teen persuasion said:

I thought that the problem was that people were too busy working to pay bills to have time to do things that they enjoy,  not that they had too much time to kill.

I will agree that hobbies are preferable to vegging out in front of the tv, but you must have better tv choices than I do.  I can't think of any "tv perfect lives" in the shows I see advertised, just the reverse - the characters all seem dysfunctional and have crummy lives.  I've given up on most tv, since that stuff is NOT entertaining to me.

TV lives are dysfunctional in a compelling way. Everything works out in the end, the drama is funny, interesting, or heartwarming. They always live in a way nicer place than their occupation should allow. They dress well. They take interesting vacations. Their friends are all good looking, witty, and interesting. None of it is real, and very little of it is even interesting. There's so much product placement these days some of the shows are like one big infomercial. If all I did was sleep, work, and watch TV while subconsciously comparing myself to the characters I'd probably be seriously depressed.

Seriously, Dark, what are you watching?  That description does not sound like any of the tv shows I have seen lately, in fact it sounds like stuff from the 70's: Brady Bunch, Patridge Family, etc.  

I avoid "reality tv" like the plague; most of the shows I've seen recently are dystopian YA stuff, or crime shows of some type, or reruns like House (talk about dysfunctional).  Oh, and we've started on Game of Thrones on DVD - that one makes me feel like I won the lottery to NOT be living there!  It does drive some interesting conversations with DH, though.

[Sum Dum Gai]

Big Bang Theory, Cougartown, Modern Family, etc.