Today we begin a new series, Guest Writer Wednesday. The series is a direct response to the outstanding interest in my request for guests posts earlier this week. On most Wednesdays, this series will be in addition to my usual daily post. Check back for my post later on in the day. Limeade from Fiscal Musings heard our request and responded. Not only was his response quicker than we anticipated, the quality set the bar high for all who follow. If you are up for the challenge e-mail me at: 
. Enough from me, here’s Limeade to tell you what motivates him:
I’m going to share with you the best piece of advice that I’ve received, and it’s what motivates me to keep striving for success. There’s a lot more to learn, but this is the quote that drives me:
“I’d rather live for a few years like most people won’t, to live the rest of my life like most people can’t.”
I heard this quote from a very wealthy presenter in my Entrepreneurship Lecture Series class back at school. It’s probably the one thing that I remember most from my five years in college (certainly not the things from my engineering classes).
Unlike most, I plan on keeping my living expenses as low as possible. It’s far too easy to let your spending habits inflate to the level of your income.
Unlike most, I’m always on the lookout for opportunities to capitalize on in order to increase my income. It’s really easy to become complacent once you’ve landed a “good job” instead of trying to continually push yourself to become better and better.
Unlike most, I’m looking for investments that will provide cash for me to live on. It’s easy to take your paycheck and look for the new car you always wanted, or take the vacation you say you deserve.
I could go on, but there’s a pattern here. I’m not advocating a lifestyle of deprivation, but one of carefully considered priorities. I can be just as happy on a picnic with my wife or watching a movie at home with her as I could be at an upscale restaurant or in a movie theater. I find happiness in spending time with those around me that I care about. It doesn’t matter where I am or what I’m doing. It’s the time that matters. That’s why ” I’d rather live for a few years like most people won’t”. I want to secure for myself what most people can’t have. And that’s “time freedom”.
I had feared that by yielding the floor, I’d be opening up this space for opinions that I’m strongly against. Happily, this is one I can fully endorse. Energi Gal and I prefer to spend time on a Saturday evening cooking a nice candle light dinner with a decently priced bottle of wine. I figure we easily save $50-$75 each time we do this.Once again, if you enjoyed this article read more like it at Fiscal Musings.
I see why there are successfull people in this world. I feel it’s all about the choices we make. Wealth and success are measured in so many ways. Great post.
I’m interested in knowing the timescales envisaged.
How long is the “live like most people won’t” section of your life planned to last?
I agree with this concept. Dave Ramsey talks about it in some of his books. Basically, if you live a few years like other people don’t, you can hopefully save up enough money to put a large down payment on a house, and to live without a car payment (unlike most people!). This alone will save you tons of money and will put a person onto a good financial path.
I don’t even see it as deprivation. Even if I was a multimillionaire, I’d still prefer picnics with my wife over expensive restaurants. Sure, we’d go to some restaurants occasionally, but the primary reason I want riches is for security.