"Dreams List"

Going through my file cabinet yesterday and came across a folder I'd forgotten about labeled "Financial Blue Print".  Over the years, especially around the my last few years in the military I read a lot of books on Finances and on Investing.  More than a few motivational books as well.  This is a few years before I stumbled across David Ramsey and his ideas.  One of the things many of them do is have you put your ideas on paper to give you a target(s) to pursue.   Well, there in the folder were two lists.   I apparently made them at different times since they overlap.   My hand writing is as shitty as it was back then ...... still ....  I'd forgotten about these. Rereading them all brings back of rush of memories.  They aren't dated but I'm guessing they were written in the early / late 90s based off a few items....   

The Dreams List

1. Beautiful House paid for
2. Nice Wardrobe
3. Corvette
4. Own my own business
5. Sharp car / paid off
6. Large retirement fund
7. Large college fund for daughter
8. Money to travel
9. Large piece of property
10. Cabin by the lake
11. Masters Degree
12. Boat
13. Motorcycle (Harley Davidson)
14. Officer/CMSgt

Looking at the above, I must have written this well before I moved to Texas ('95).  I was doing a 'lil investing in Mutual Funds, but stalled and quit adding to them.  I finished my bachelors degree back around '93 or so, and was debating on whether to pursue a commission in the USAF or not. And if not, the plan was to pursue the max rank as enlisted.  As I walk down that list, I can see how it helps one get the thought processes together.  Make some of it happen.  I don't remember having focusing so much on Corvettes back then but they have always tripped my trigger.  As it turns out, I'd own two by 2005 and have since sold them both.  I had a fascination for HDs but thought they cost too much; funny how things change?  Now I'm into Indian Motorcycles and yep... damned things are expensive. I ended up buying acreage, paid it off. Never got the house by the lake, but ... by the beach. Boats?  Have owned several since this list was created, and will probably never own another. As for 'officer' or 'CMSgt', I made the decision around '93 or '94 not to pursue getting a commission as an officer..  Around late '97 I made the decision to not pursue the upper ranks of the USAF but instead to punch out at the 20 year mark.  I didn't want to leave Texas and a promotion to E-8 would have all but guaranteed that.   Overall, I'd say that list worked and I achieved it all. The 'nice wardrobe' one cracks me up.  But with all the years in the USAF and tight on money, I didn't have a lot of 'nice' clothes per se'.  Just military uniforms and Jeans n' Tees for after work.  Lets just say I've gone off the rails since then, even though for the most part .. I'm still a Jeans and Tee shirt guy.  Education: I never did pursue the masters degree.  Back around '03 or so, I was debating on MBA or Masters in Computer Science.  I asked my boss at the time which he'd recommend which got me a " Huh?  Why?"  I told him I wanted his job after he got promoted.  His response was he didn't have a degree and none was necessary. Just skill, smarts and desire.  Whew, saved a lot of time and money on that one!

Further down that paper is :

Values
1. Good Health
2. Close relationship with family
3. Wealth
4. Free time
5. Personal possessions
6. Meaningful career.

Values... interesting to see this break out.  One that jumps at me is #5.  Not sure what I'm referring to there.  Maybe since I didn't have squat, I simply wanted 'more?'  have no idea.  Actually bothers me to see that; not sure how that's a 'value'.   Looking at #3 doesn't seem to be a value either, but with wealth comes the ability to choose one's path more easily; maybe that was the thought process.  Who knows.  

Second piece of paper had some similar lists.

• Pay off Debt
• Invest more heavily in mutual funds
• Purchase Investment Real Estate
• Do NOT purchase larger home
• Do NOT purchase new cars
• Open New business

•     Real Estate?
•     Gym?
•     Sell Investments (funds, insurance,etc)

This pretty much correlates with the first list, but I was obviously reading a couple of books that had me scheming on how to make ones' money go further (still have them).   Don't squander it on houses we don't need, or new cars that depreciate.   Sadly, I didn't follow my own advice.  I've purchased many a new vehicle since writing that.  At the same time, I've purchased many that were lightly used and great deals.  Still, I remember the chapter in the book I was reading on this subject.  If I could go back and change one thing... I'd have bought nothing but used cars! I was undecided what I wanted to do after the military and it shows here.  I was considering getting my real estate license back then and actually attended the school for it up in NE.  Simultaneously, I was intrigued by the thought of selling investments almost doing it part time for a company in NE; I think it was called AmeriPrime or something along that way.  And ....  part of me deep down REALLY wanted to open a Gym, but was concerned it wouldn't bring me the financial stability I was looking for.

At the very bottom of the sheet:

Own a Corvette and Harley

•     Auctions
•     Ads
•     Network
•     Buy at loan value

There it is again. What the hell is the fascination with Vette's and HDs?  I don't remember this phase much.  Weird that it keeps coming up.  But...explains to some extent my fascination with my bikes today.   And ... I still admire Vettes today and intimately familiar with them. I've just chosen to focus on Jeeps instead at this point in my life.

 

In that folder were also about a dozen various mailings from the Social Security Administration that show what we paid in and may get out. Earliest one is 1989.  Looking at those numbers will scare anyone into investing for their future.   Even scarier is .....  2 years from now...   I could start cashing it out?  

Well... tossed some of the paperwork out.. but ... kept most of it.. I'm guessing in a decade or two I'll stumble across them again .. and .. snicker all over