A $3,000 DAY

Since I’m not working I really have no routine. I get up at all different times—mostly before 9 am…but last wk I actually slept till noon. I’ve been recovering from a broken shoulder and I didn’t really sleep for 3 months so I gave myself permission to “catch up.” I felt I deserved it.

Some mornings I go out and get food or a paper, but only on good weather days. If it’s raining, cold, gray forget it…chances are I’m staying in until something or someone gets me out of the house. That could be coffee or a cheap lunch with a friend who is also not working. For the past 2 wks a friend was visiting from out of town. He was here to hustle up work. I lived vicariously through him. If he had a pitch meeting I got psyched. If it didn’t go well…I was down. It was a roller coaster 2 weeks but it was more fun than the status quo. We talked about our careers, our futures, MONEY.

Everyone is talking about money. All my friends and family are worried about it.

I’ve didn’t want to checking on my 401 K, I guess I just didn’t want to know the damage. It’s not a great deal of money but over the good years it’s grown. I can’t retire on it but it’s certainly a lifeline. The first time, I went online to check my account I’d lost money but not enough to alarm me. Two months later, I'd lost 1/3 of what I’d saved. I still didn't FREAK OUT. Everything changed this morning. Between Fridays close of business and this morning—and remember no business over the wkend so we’re talking one day-- I lost three thousand dollars in 24 hours.

I have only spent $3k in one day once in my lifetime. It was for an Apple laptop when they first came on the market. I got ripped off but it was a present to myself after a horrific job where I got “beat up” daily. I felt I deserved it--kind of like sleeping in because of the broken shoulder.

I used that computer for 5 years. Not a bad investment in the scheme of things. Yesterday, wasn’t’ a shopping spree, I didn’t have a great time that I will remember forever. There was no vacation with family or a great purchase that will last for years. Yesterday was just another day except for one thing-- I lost more in one day than I’ve ever earned in the same amount of time…and I never even left my home office/bedroom.