What exactly do I mean when I say You Save for a Sunny Day, Not a Rainy One?

The first 9-5 job I ever had was as bagging groceries at the local supermarket at the age of 16. I quickly recognized that exchanging my time for the money necessary to pay my bills was not the path to an enjoyable life. I continued to work odd jobs through college, which further cemented my view that I would value free time far more than expensive drinks, cars, or fancy clothes.

I decided I would do all I could to let my money do the work for me.

In order to make this reality I did two things.

I worked all hours of the night to bring in as much money as possible and instantly sent each check I received into a rising stock market, allowing the money to start compounding immediately. . I set aside my pride. I drove my beat-up car, I lived in a cheap, cheap, cheap rented room, and lived on tuna and pasta I made at home while my friends spent their money far more frivolously. I cut expenses to the bone to maximize the compounding process.

My goal was to get to the point that my money would work for me, making enough so that the investments themselves would pay the bills with the money They Brought in.

That in turn would free me from the shackles of working daily, giving me control of my time so I could do with it what I pleased.

So, on any given sunny day, I can choose to go outside for a hike, go to the beach, or go to a homeless center and to serve some food. I get to choose what I do with that sunny day, and many of those days I Choose to work on something I enjoy which might bring in some money.

And yeah, it takes a lot of delayed gratification, but if you can stand the pain of doing so, you’re more than just prepared for the rainy day when things go awry, you’re prepared to use the sunny ones as you see fit. Enjoy them as you choose.