What if you could buy time?

This is another excellent article written by Dividend Mantra that I translated for you. I had already suggested one of these topics to you last September. The tone is still similar, very focused on time value (rather than money), just like my "  A day in the life of a rentier  ", my diary and my E-Book “Profession Rentier”. So take the time to read it...

What if you could buy time? Imagine a store where you could buy blocks of time... like a 12-month package, for example. What would you do? It would certainly be the most interesting product of all, the one you can buy but no one can sell you. What do I mean by that? Well, you can buy it... you can buy time with a retirement anticipated and exchange income for free time. But no one can sell you that free time. It's an interesting phenomenon that's constantly on my mind.

I've decided to buy time, with the firm intention of retiring at the age of 40. To do this, I'm giving away over a million dollars of future income in exchange. I'm actually making just over $40,000 a year right now. If my income remains static (which is unlikely due to theinflation), that's a million dollars in 25 years, without any capital gains. By retiring at 40, and continuing until 65, which is the usual retirement age, I will be giving up a million dollars.

What would you do if you could buy 10 years of free time for 400,000 $? Would you be willing to tighten your belt for a certain amount of time and then go to the store and proudly trade your money for time? I bet most people would. After all, you only live once. Once your time is up, and your eyes close for the last time, there's nothing else you can do. There are no more sunrises or sunsets. Nor will there be any first dates. Or late-night phone calls with a lover or friend. You'll never smell a freshly baked apple pie again. You'll never take a family vacation again. Everything we have today is just a short ride on the merry-go-round of Life, and I personally intend to maximize every minute of this post.

While I bet most people would pay $400,000 to get 10 years of free time, people generally do the exact opposite. Instead of saving their money for more free time, they usually trade their time for money and a host of other goodies. They work overtime, get second jobs, and continually update their resumes. Why? For a vacation home, a newer vehicle, food at a trendy restaurant, etc. I don't judge these decisions as bad. If that's what you want to do with your money, that's great. But if you could buy more free time, would you? If the answer is yes, then you're probably not doing yourself any favors by continuing to work to earn more and more money.

Time is a value that is difficult to quantify. We can place a value relatively easily on material objects, like a house or a car. But time is given to us for an indefinite period. We don't know how long we will be on this planet. I believe that most people are naturally optimistic when they think about their future. After all, who wants to think that they will disappear at 45? It's very depressing. But, with all the obstacles we face in life like car accidents, cancer, illnesses, etc., it's difficult to assume that we will necessarily live to 80 or beyond. So my plans are based on the assumption that I will not live to old age. If I do, great! If I don't, I won't have any regrets. I'm covered either way.

So, let's answer our first question: It is possible to buy time, and I intend to buy as much of it as I can. I'm even going to give a lot of money in exchange. My wallet won't be as big as it could be if I worked until I was 65. I'm not going to get a big house or a brand-new car every three years. But what will I gain instead? Freedom. The freedom to pursue my dreams and desires. I'll be able to spend an afternoon on a hammock in the shade reading a book, or lounging on a sandy beach listening to the waves tickle my toes. I can spend the summer upstate where my family resides, watching my nieces and nephews grow up... and then spend the winter in Florida where the sun shines forever. When my alarm goes off and wakes me up... I'll go back to sleep. I'll wake up a few hours later, have a late morning breakfast, manage my portfolio before going out for a jog.

What if you could save time? Well, you can. The real question is: do you want to? I'll leave you with a quote from Paul Tsongas: "No person on their deathbed ever said, 'I wish I had spent more time at the office.'"

Source : http://www.thediv-net.com/2012/11/what-if-you-could-buy-time.html