Well, it is not that easy a calculation, which explains why most people don’t do it. Such as the type of people who just do not learn as time goes by. In today’s photo, you see trees planted a few years ago at most. Directly beneath the electric and telephone lines. One learns to accept this creepy, unnatural stupidity as commonplace in Florida. As the situation stands, I will require a few years to get back on my feet. Never forget that having money is a way of life, not a job. I have two routes I could go here. One is to keep renting and have all the trappings, the other is to begin to save to buy a house in cash.
My leaning is the house, but that ties up an awful lot on one's money for what is basically a place to die in. I would far more likely go for another mobile home, something really nice. But I'd have to bite the bullet for a while, since in Florida, you cannot get a mortgage on mobiles.
If I decide to go for it, that means I have around two and a half years to replace $128.19 monthly income. Can I? Let’s see, a Eurobond at 8.5% would require an investment of only $19,228.50, call it 20 grand even. Put another way, less than the $22,000 I used to keep in my savings account before my first heart attack.
Yeah, I think I could manage that investment. I would not have to work or count on anybody and I’ve been longing for the time to get some real things done, like my live Karaoke show, publishing and riding that big old train to Chicago. Can’t do that when everyone around me is quibbling over $100 electricity bills.
The good news is that pension money is taxed differently, and in my case amounts to almost pure spending money. Should I opt for the pension or wait? I am of the opinion I am wasting my time waiting for others to do right, but early retirement means less. My original two-year plan to “practice” for my own retirement has stretched into its sixth year and I now have no fear of old-age destitution (something a few people I know should be terrified of). It is also plain that although I cannot work full time anymore, there is no legal cap on what I can make from investments. I should start being a lot nicer to myself so that I’ll take me along for the ride.
One of my first investments will be a holding company for that word puzzle. After months of dedicated research I am more enthused with that puzzle than ever. Strange how it takes weeks of research to patent something that took 15 minutes to invent. Either way, there is nothing like the puzzle anywhere and the patent challenge is no longer the paperwork, but rather figuring out the confusing order in which payments and such have to be made. That is another needlessly obscure area. I mean, exactly what is a “cover page to the letter for the request to the review of the application”?
The marketplace is full of shysters. One law firm advertises they will do the patent for $1,600. But the fine print says you must reserve another $1,500 for “other fees” and pay another $600 after the patent is granted. That’s $3,700. Shysters. Well, in a short time I may never have to worry about such trivial amounts again.
Last, let me confirm something about a trademark. There are two different versions, one looks like ™ and the other looks like ®. The first version can be used by anyone as an indication they are claiming an exclusive right, there is no fee or legal requirements. The second symbol is the exact same thing, but has been registered at the government office after a search to prove it is truly unique. Hence, Tales From The Trailer Court™.
Author's note: 2015-03-15: In the end I opted not to take my pension early. Don't confuse retirement and pensions, they are not the same thing for anything above the working class. That is an observation, not an insult. I decided to take the middle route, of getting a few things now to enjoy my time and slowly looking for a place with owner financing. And the puzzle proved too expensive to patent, shame on you, America.
In the end, I got a smaller place and started watching for a deal. As with most compromises, there are fewer spectacular times, for example I got a motorcycle and not a car. And I did ride the City of New Orleans, but only halfway to Chicago. Compromises.
