If you won the lottery...
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...and had enough to retire comfortably, would you? I have often thought that the job I am doing is sufficiently interesting in its own right that I might not give it up straight away. On the other hand I am developing other software for fun so would have more time for that. I had also always wanted to travel the world (difficult at the moment) and have done a fair amount already having been to places as different as Tunisia, Hong Kong, Barbados, Crete, Corfu, Great Britain, most of Europe and a fair amount of the USA and some of Canada. Could I fit this in with sticking to my existing job? What would you do, money no object? (Within reason, no Moon or Mars trips, etc.)
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
A coffee machine at home like we had in the office. A bit more? Grant a wish to my (non-) kids. Any wish, except the moon or Mars. Outside that, I has all I can ever wants. No desiderata.
Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
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...and had enough to retire comfortably, would you? I have often thought that the job I am doing is sufficiently interesting in its own right that I might not give it up straight away. On the other hand I am developing other software for fun so would have more time for that. I had also always wanted to travel the world (difficult at the moment) and have done a fair amount already having been to places as different as Tunisia, Hong Kong, Barbados, Crete, Corfu, Great Britain, most of Europe and a fair amount of the USA and some of Canada. Could I fit this in with sticking to my existing job? What would you do, money no object? (Within reason, no Moon or Mars trips, etc.)
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
I don't code for money. I mean, money gets me stuff, and it can be important, but it's not why I code. I coded before I made money doing it, and I've continued to code even during times when I wasn't reliant on it for income. I code because I love the craft. I deeply enjoy it. I don't know if that will ever change. So for me retirement probably won't look that different than working from the standpoint of a casual observer. And in any case, I'd probably still find a way to monetize it here and there, so I guess I wouldn't really retire fully. Besides, I don't know what I'd do with myself. Not working is just the worst. Even when I don't want to, after I don't then I want to again. I need something significant in my life that isn't my own agenda, and I'm not really counting my husband here, because *our* agenda is my agenda, and part of my agenda is going along with his agenda (sometimes). :-D It's still an arrangement where I'm basically in control of things, and I need arrangements that I'm not in control of in order to find some sort of structure and therefore balance to my life.
Real programmers use butterflies
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...and had enough to retire comfortably, would you? I have often thought that the job I am doing is sufficiently interesting in its own right that I might not give it up straight away. On the other hand I am developing other software for fun so would have more time for that. I had also always wanted to travel the world (difficult at the moment) and have done a fair amount already having been to places as different as Tunisia, Hong Kong, Barbados, Crete, Corfu, Great Britain, most of Europe and a fair amount of the USA and some of Canada. Could I fit this in with sticking to my existing job? What would you do, money no object? (Within reason, no Moon or Mars trips, etc.)
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
I do what I do because I enjoy it. The fact some someone pays me to do it is an added bonus.
Nothing succeeds like a budgie without teeth.
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I've had some coding ideas in my head for decades, none of which would unfortunately pay any bill. If I didn't have to worry about money, then yes, I'd be quitting my job and work on my own fun little pet projects. I used to work on them evenings and weekends, but eventually I burnt out. It's been years I've written anything on my own time. I miss it, but no longer have the energy to do coding beyond "regular" hours.
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I miss it, but no longer have the energy to do coding beyond "regular" hours.
I have the same problem. The enthusiasm that kept me going, and enjoying it seems to have faded in the last couple of years. Maybe lots of money would reduce other stresses enough to enable renewed effort and joy in coding for myself.
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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... I'd stop believing in the laws of probability ... :-D
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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...and had enough to retire comfortably, would you? I have often thought that the job I am doing is sufficiently interesting in its own right that I might not give it up straight away. On the other hand I am developing other software for fun so would have more time for that. I had also always wanted to travel the world (difficult at the moment) and have done a fair amount already having been to places as different as Tunisia, Hong Kong, Barbados, Crete, Corfu, Great Britain, most of Europe and a fair amount of the USA and some of Canada. Could I fit this in with sticking to my existing job? What would you do, money no object? (Within reason, no Moon or Mars trips, etc.)
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
I'd quit immediately, retire, and spend more time with my wife and family. It's not that I don't like what I am doing, just that I have been doing it for so long. Also, I have put my wife and family aside in pursuit of my career.
Money can't make you happy. It CAN remove most of the things that make you sad.
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...and had enough to retire comfortably, would you? I have often thought that the job I am doing is sufficiently interesting in its own right that I might not give it up straight away. On the other hand I am developing other software for fun so would have more time for that. I had also always wanted to travel the world (difficult at the moment) and have done a fair amount already having been to places as different as Tunisia, Hong Kong, Barbados, Crete, Corfu, Great Britain, most of Europe and a fair amount of the USA and some of Canada. Could I fit this in with sticking to my existing job? What would you do, money no object? (Within reason, no Moon or Mars trips, etc.)
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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...and had enough to retire comfortably, would you? I have often thought that the job I am doing is sufficiently interesting in its own right that I might not give it up straight away. On the other hand I am developing other software for fun so would have more time for that. I had also always wanted to travel the world (difficult at the moment) and have done a fair amount already having been to places as different as Tunisia, Hong Kong, Barbados, Crete, Corfu, Great Britain, most of Europe and a fair amount of the USA and some of Canada. Could I fit this in with sticking to my existing job? What would you do, money no object? (Within reason, no Moon or Mars trips, etc.)
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
I already have enough to retire comfortably, and I am still working until my wife retires.
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...and had enough to retire comfortably, would you? I have often thought that the job I am doing is sufficiently interesting in its own right that I might not give it up straight away. On the other hand I am developing other software for fun so would have more time for that. I had also always wanted to travel the world (difficult at the moment) and have done a fair amount already having been to places as different as Tunisia, Hong Kong, Barbados, Crete, Corfu, Great Britain, most of Europe and a fair amount of the USA and some of Canada. Could I fit this in with sticking to my existing job? What would you do, money no object? (Within reason, no Moon or Mars trips, etc.)
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
Turns out, I didn't even have to win the lottery. Just had a combination of decent skill in a pretty high-paying industry and a simple lifestyle. (Hint to the younger folks. It's not how much you make, it's how much you spend). The intention was to travel, but coronas. I hope to get back on that path after vaccination. For now, I'm finding enough to do around the house, fixing, cleaning, yard work, projects, etc. If I enjoyed my job, I would still be working. The last place I worked was populated by willfully ignorant consultants (branching too hard, MVC too hard, we'll just hard-code values, etc, etc). Plus, I hated the WFH/teams process COVID forced upon us. I don't recall what specifically caused me to do the analysis, but at some point last summer, I actually looked at my expenditures vs my resources, and concluded I'm never going to spend the money I already have. So, why go to a job I don't particularly like? I suppose it's possible I'll re-enter the workforce at some point. I'm not looking, so it would have to be some kind of coincidence to hear about the "right job" I'd be willing to take, seems pretty unlikely.
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I'm retired and have visited quite a few parts of the world; but there are still places I would like to see. I, and SWMBO, are fairly comfortable financially, but our children less so. If I won a lot of money it would mostly be shared out amongst them. Oh, and coding I still learn and do for fun. One day I might even be good at it.
Curious question... What is the difference in how you value money and how your children value money? I often find that people like you think of money in terms of effort required to acquire it, and people who can't seem to hold onto it seem to think of it as "a medium of exchange", meaning "something I must give up, in order to get what I want". I say all of this, because throughout my life, I can say that this seems VERY TRUE to me: The last thing a person with financial problems needs is more money! This is why most people who do win the lottery are worse off 5+ years later. The problem is usually their value system... That must be fixed first. I am proud to say my daughter values money like I do. "A storehouse of prior work effort", and at a young age has a retirement plan, owns a little BITCOIN, and only has a car payment to develop her credit after college. While using Covid as an excuse to live in as many states as possible, willing to pay that rent vs. staying at home for free (so, not being stingy, but extracting maximum value)... I hope your children find their footing. Dave Ramsey, The Wealthy Barber, FIRE are all things I would share with them. (I usually start by explaining Net Worth vs Monthly Expenses, LOL)
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...and had enough to retire comfortably, would you? I have often thought that the job I am doing is sufficiently interesting in its own right that I might not give it up straight away. On the other hand I am developing other software for fun so would have more time for that. I had also always wanted to travel the world (difficult at the moment) and have done a fair amount already having been to places as different as Tunisia, Hong Kong, Barbados, Crete, Corfu, Great Britain, most of Europe and a fair amount of the USA and some of Canada. Could I fit this in with sticking to my existing job? What would you do, money no object? (Within reason, no Moon or Mars trips, etc.)
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
It depends on the size of the lottery. I have a buddy with a charity to help "at-risk" kids get their hands on technology in after-school time! [Think Computer Camp, Daily until mom/dad can pick them up. Build Robots, Fly Drones, write software] I would fund that, and volunteer a bit. == Just big enough to cover the bills... I would keep doing what I am doing. == Really Large Lottery? I would work with KahnAcademy on virtualizing school even more. Using AI to mentor kids, change topics, repeat questions, develop their confidence in learning. Integrating Physical/Mental breaks into their days. == Massively Large Lottery? I would bring public attention to the Health Crisis, and the root cause of "Corrupted Feedback" in the system that keeps us Fat, Sick, and Tired. [The #1 cause of blindness is Complications from Type 2 Diabetes. A Disease that is caused by consuming excess carbohydrates. WRONGLY Described as TOO MUCH Glucose, but really "Too Much Insulin", and if you use the latter definition, you WOULD find it ~10 years in advance, and fix it with Low-Carb Lifestyle (the most studied diet, in history, FWIW)] The only reason I would bother to do this latter, isn't my passion, per se. It's because it's the leading root cause of MOST of our chronic diseases. If you have Arthritis, Joint Pains, Skin Conditions, you must look at processed foods in your diet. Instead we are being PUSHED to eat MORE grains (a clearly processed food), seed oils (inflammatory), sugar (makes it all taste great). Going carnivore. I've lost 100lbs, reversed my pre-diabetes, lowered my Blood Pressure, resolved my psoriasis, eczema, dandruff, joint pains, SNORING, sleeping problems, and cognitive decline. The word is SLOWLY getting out there. Lots of programmers/engineers in the groups that go Keto/Carnivore. Because we like things that work, and dislike Dogma!
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Curious question... What is the difference in how you value money and how your children value money? I often find that people like you think of money in terms of effort required to acquire it, and people who can't seem to hold onto it seem to think of it as "a medium of exchange", meaning "something I must give up, in order to get what I want". I say all of this, because throughout my life, I can say that this seems VERY TRUE to me: The last thing a person with financial problems needs is more money! This is why most people who do win the lottery are worse off 5+ years later. The problem is usually their value system... That must be fixed first. I am proud to say my daughter values money like I do. "A storehouse of prior work effort", and at a young age has a retirement plan, owns a little BITCOIN, and only has a car payment to develop her credit after college. While using Covid as an excuse to live in as many states as possible, willing to pay that rent vs. staying at home for free (so, not being stingy, but extracting maximum value)... I hope your children find their footing. Dave Ramsey, The Wealthy Barber, FIRE are all things I would share with them. (I usually start by explaining Net Worth vs Monthly Expenses, LOL)
Kirk 10389821 wrote:
What is the difference in how you value money and how your children value money?
They have the same set of values as we do. I think you made a mistaken assumption from what I wrote. When I said they were less financially comfortable, I just meant that they still need to work for a living. A lottery win would give them the freedom to choose whether to continue or not. ps Why the huge text? We are all capable of reading standard size font.
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Kirk 10389821 wrote:
What is the difference in how you value money and how your children value money?
They have the same set of values as we do. I think you made a mistaken assumption from what I wrote. When I said they were less financially comfortable, I just meant that they still need to work for a living. A lottery win would give them the freedom to choose whether to continue or not. ps Why the huge text? We are all capable of reading standard size font.
First, apologies... Glad to hear that. Second, thank you, I don't usually work with Markdown, and my "==" separator is some kind of MD to use a big font, not my intention, I fixed it!
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First, apologies... Glad to hear that. Second, thank you, I don't usually work with Markdown, and my "==" separator is some kind of MD to use a big font, not my intention, I fixed it!
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...and had enough to retire comfortably, would you? I have often thought that the job I am doing is sufficiently interesting in its own right that I might not give it up straight away. On the other hand I am developing other software for fun so would have more time for that. I had also always wanted to travel the world (difficult at the moment) and have done a fair amount already having been to places as different as Tunisia, Hong Kong, Barbados, Crete, Corfu, Great Britain, most of Europe and a fair amount of the USA and some of Canada. Could I fit this in with sticking to my existing job? What would you do, money no object? (Within reason, no Moon or Mars trips, etc.)
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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...and had enough to retire comfortably, would you? I have often thought that the job I am doing is sufficiently interesting in its own right that I might not give it up straight away. On the other hand I am developing other software for fun so would have more time for that. I had also always wanted to travel the world (difficult at the moment) and have done a fair amount already having been to places as different as Tunisia, Hong Kong, Barbados, Crete, Corfu, Great Britain, most of Europe and a fair amount of the USA and some of Canada. Could I fit this in with sticking to my existing job? What would you do, money no object? (Within reason, no Moon or Mars trips, etc.)
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
When I was younger, and was the most employable person I knew, I would have said no. I would have kept working and banked the lottery winnings. Now I'm closer to the end of my career than the beginning, and it's hard to get hired, and I've seen 30-year-old managers make the same rookie mistakes enough times to call the outcome correctly practically all the time, I would definitely retire.
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...and had enough to retire comfortably, would you? I have often thought that the job I am doing is sufficiently interesting in its own right that I might not give it up straight away. On the other hand I am developing other software for fun so would have more time for that. I had also always wanted to travel the world (difficult at the moment) and have done a fair amount already having been to places as different as Tunisia, Hong Kong, Barbados, Crete, Corfu, Great Britain, most of Europe and a fair amount of the USA and some of Canada. Could I fit this in with sticking to my existing job? What would you do, money no object? (Within reason, no Moon or Mars trips, etc.)
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
My wife's habits would probably change instantly, but I would keep working until normal retirement age. Then I would put together my woodworking shop, and make furniture until the day I die. Money makes the world go round ... but documentation moves the money.
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...and had enough to retire comfortably, would you? I have often thought that the job I am doing is sufficiently interesting in its own right that I might not give it up straight away. On the other hand I am developing other software for fun so would have more time for that. I had also always wanted to travel the world (difficult at the moment) and have done a fair amount already having been to places as different as Tunisia, Hong Kong, Barbados, Crete, Corfu, Great Britain, most of Europe and a fair amount of the USA and some of Canada. Could I fit this in with sticking to my existing job? What would you do, money no object? (Within reason, no Moon or Mars trips, etc.)
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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...and had enough to retire comfortably, would you? I have often thought that the job I am doing is sufficiently interesting in its own right that I might not give it up straight away. On the other hand I am developing other software for fun so would have more time for that. I had also always wanted to travel the world (difficult at the moment) and have done a fair amount already having been to places as different as Tunisia, Hong Kong, Barbados, Crete, Corfu, Great Britain, most of Europe and a fair amount of the USA and some of Canada. Could I fit this in with sticking to my existing job? What would you do, money no object? (Within reason, no Moon or Mars trips, etc.)
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
In my previous role it would have been a 100% yes I would keep working. Now that I've moved into management it now a resounding 100% no. I would be out of here in a heart beat. However, I am still at the same company so I might give them 2 weeks notice to find my replacement. Then I would start a brewery!!!
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... I'd stop believing in the laws of probability ... :-D
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
I would likely do more Open Source Development... Most likely some extensions that I have on the back burner that would tie into the product I currently develop for my employer. Perhaps also pull out some archived shareware I wrote long ago, update it and re-release it as open source, as I've not found anything like it available on the web, but I know that there is a desire for it in specific circles. I would also start up several (4 or 5) side businesses that I've wanted to implement, unrelated to software development, and specifically beneficial to the small community that I live in (I live way out in the country on forty acres). I'd also likely try to purchase some of my neighbor's land so that I could raise more cattle.
