Millionaire Challenge

Karmacat

That's great news about your childhood friend, LL :j

What motivates me? Freedom, and soon the chance to slow down a bit, to do what takes my fancy rather than think "I must ... ".

Dream purchase? I'd say a nice camper van, but I've never driven regularly, even though I passed my driving test in my 20s. A realistic dream? a little motor boat, maybe big enough to get across the Channel on a good day, but small enough to use canals in the UK and in France. I've done that on a canal boat

No idea if such a thing exists - but that would be the dream :j

droopsnoot

lessonlearned wrote: »

What kind of magazines are they.

I sold a batch of formula 1 racing magazines, at auction, 50's and 60's vintage. They attracted a lot of interest and fetched a good price.

I've never done very well with fiction books. I've tried specialist bookshops, dealers, auction houses, even car boots etc but never really got very far.

I don't buy them now and ended up giving most them away.

They're mainly car-related, though there are some eighties computer magazines, and some music-related stuff. I don't think there's anything special in there, I've seen people at car boots trying to sell similar stuff at 10p a go and still having them when I walked back to the car. It's just difficult to look at a pile of this stuff, still in basically very good condition, and just chuck it out. A mate is into cars as well, so I tend to pass them to him, and if there's nothing he particularly wants he'll read them and pass them to someone else, and so on. And the books, well, I tend to only pay 30p-50p each for them, so I'm never going to get rich on what I get for them, so they end up at Oxfam, and I think they turn their nose up at 75% of them and send them somewhere. They did say that it doesn't cost them anything to get rid of the dross, so at least I'm not worrying about providing a charity with a net loss.

That £150 was for an 8' x 4' unit, basically a space in a room, unfurnished. I didn't get as far as asking about sales commission, and a cabinet wouldn't really be suitable for books and mags - people want to look through them. With the amount of badly-arranged "tat" on display in some of them, I wonder how they can cover the costs. Some people go to a lot of trouble and are obviously interested in selling their things, others seem to just use it as a storage area and dump so much stuff in that I can't see how anyone can see what's there, never mind buy anything.

Kayalana99

Motivation is a hard one for me to answer, it's not so much that I want the money itself I feel like it's built in...I admire my Dad and what he has accomplished and I just won't stop until I have property under my belt...I think I am still finding myself and what I want out of life but for me it actually is about the chase...I don't think "When I have 10 houses I can do XXX" I just...want to be successful I guess? I feel like it's part of me, it's almost like a personality trait to run a business and make money rather then actually wanting the money? My dream purchase right now would be a house with a bigger garden and kitchen, then the B2L would come straight after lol.

Yes ofc, I could list of loads of stuff I want...but tbh I have a family and a nice little house...everything else is a bonus.

I guess when you put it like that my motivation is to be successful?

Kayalana99

Karmacat wrote: »

That's great news about your childhood friend, LL :j

What motivates me? Freedom, and soon the chance to slow down a bit, to do what takes my fancy rather than think "I must ... ".

Dream purchase? I'd say a nice camper van, but I've never driven regularly, even though I passed my driving test in my 20s. A realistic dream? a little motor boat, maybe big enough to get across the Channel on a good day, but small enough to use canals in the UK and in France. I've done that on a canal boat

No idea if such a thing exists - but that would be the dream :j

Is that by choice or illness you don't drive regularly? Go buy one on finance and rent it out to weddings at weekends...you'd make a killing and get to own the car of your dreams

lessonlearned wrote: »

He was quite modest about it and said "just a little plane you understand, just a 4 seater" ..... Bless his little cotton socks, my old playmate swanning around in his private plane.

Love it.

Karmacat

Kayalana99 wrote: »

Is that by choice or illness you don't drive regularly? Go buy one on finance and rent it out to weddings at weekends...you'd make a killing and get to own the car of your dreams

Good question! At first it was by choice - I lived in London anyway, and I was in the far left deep green movement (demonstrations ... tax withholding ... civil disobedience ... that sort of stuff). I moved out of London to follow a new career, and that was all-consuming for a long time, plus the city I lived in was actually even more crowded than most of London. Then by about ten years ago, when the convenience of having a car began to *really* dawn on me, I also realised I couldn't afford one any more

What an interesting idea to buy it and rent it out! People **love** the old camper vans in particular. Thats not for right now, I don't think, but its a really, really good idea for the near future. Thank you Kaya :j:j:j

lessonlearned

Lots of people like renting camper vans, camping trips, festivals etc. could be a nice "little earner".

A friend of mine had a hankering for a vintage jag, his wife was not impressed because they already had a small fleet of cars and vans (he's a builder). In the end she relented and said he could have it but it had to earn its keep. He did do a few weddings but then the novelty wore off and he sold it.

Lovely to hear your motivations and dream purchases.

My dream purchase, a house by the sea, perched on a cliff top with huge windows and panoramic views.

I'll probably settle for a penthouse by the river with views over the city. :rotfl:

I viewed one recently but I'm waiting for one coming up in the building next door, because it has better views.....

Kay - I so agree about just being successful. That's a powerful force.

It seems that for most of us it isn't just about money or things per se, it's more about freedom of choice and enjoying a lifestyle that suits us and makes us happy.

Just back from dads, the doctor has said that there is nothing medically wrong as such that requires intervention at this stage. The doctor felt that hospital was not a good option for him and I totally agree. He's not "ill" just shell shocked, grief stricken, tired and frail.

I know this might sound callous but once The doctor had confirmed that dad was essentially ok, I gave him a bit of a talking to, basically telling him he could either live or die it was up to him.

I sat him down and i told him about the physical effects of grief, that although his symptoms can be terrifying they are not life threatening, that he isn't at deaths door and that its up to him. He can pull himself back from the brink and ride it out, and get through it if he wants to or he can give up and fade away. I want him to live and find some peace and enjoy a few more years yet but I can't force him.

We then made him eat something and left him to get some rest.

I can't do any more. I'll make sure he has plenty of tasty nutritious food and I will keep an eye on him but I'm not going to beg and plead with him. Nagging will get me nowhere.

What I really need is to find him a project of some sort. Any ideas, anyone??

He used to be a really good salesman and I'm wondering if I can find something along those lines. I just wish I could get my gallery idea up and running. A couple of hours pottering about, chatting to customers and making the odd sale would be perfect for him.

joeyjimbles

Today I have sat and read through your entire thread. I do so admire your achievements, all of you, and you are all so inspiring. I am wading through some 'stuff' at the moment, but WHEN I am through the other side, and even before, I shall hope to harness some of this very potent stuff.

Thank you.

Buffythedebtslayer

LL xxx hugs and love to you, so sorry for your loss, my parents had been together 50 years when we lost my Dad and it all but destroyed my Mum and I. Funny enough, I realised today that I have basically forgot about two years of the grief. Your own grief is one thing to cope with but watching someone else is a special kind of hell I think, so I have massive admiration for you and how you are helping your Dad. I think you are right. He does have a choice.


You must take care of yourself. Your sons are lucky to have you XX

Karmacat

LL, that sounds like the right approach, I'm sure your dad appreciated the plain talking at some level - thats what that generation is used to; you're accepting he has his own internal timetable for this, and supporting him, and the rest really is up to him.

A project for him ... I wonder. Men are particularly isolated at that age, because its mostly elderly *ladies* that are left My dad was practically forced to go to a snooker club at one stage, they had a challenge competition for retirees, is there something like that? Bowls, no, you have to bend down too far ... maybe you do for snooker too, actually.

Bridge clubs? Chess? Even a form of voluntary work, helping with the accounts of a small local charity if he's a numbers man. U3A groups?

lessonlearned

Some great ideas there Karma - I'll definitely be asking around and will try and see what we can come up with.

My niece (his only granddaughter) is quite horsey. She is hoping to compete in show jumping this year. He adores her so we can perhaps get him a bit involved, going to watch her. He likes visiting the stables and we even got him on a horse last year:D perhaps we can get him riding some gentle old nag....:rotfl:

He's quite a daredevil so if we can get him physically healthy I'm sure we can engage him with something. It's just we gave to get his emotional health and well being sorted. He likes "being useful" and has a very strong work ethic which is why I'm thinking some kind of work.

First things first. Get him through the funeral, sort out his paperwork and finances and feed him up a bit.

Speaking of finances I need to do some banking and sorting myself today. I've been spending money like its going out of style. I'm way behind on my extra earnings target this month.

Must try harder.:rotfl: