Money Diary #26

Morning: Wake up exactly at 7:30, brush my teeth, and drink a bit of tea. Get camera ready for my two video calls that go until 9 and then drink more tea. Hop on a 9:30 call that runs a few minutes. Afterwards, go shower and wash & shampoo my hair. Power through the large project which I complete (yay!!). Send a few emails and then get ready for my noon call. I also check grocery coupons and see that Albertsons has 29 cent bananas (which SO will love) and a free package of butter that my mom will like. Download both digital coupons and ask SO to do the same. Text him that I'll head back to his place late tomorrow afternoon. 

Afternoon: The noon call ends within an hour, and then lunch is Amy's pad thai. I hear emails come in, so I check and folder them. Lie down for a bit and apparently fall asleep for 10 minutes. After I get up, I feel so refreshed! Prep for one of my morning meetings tomorrow and keep an eye on my inbox. SO texts about a couple of digital coupons at Kroger for sports drinks that he is interested in, so I download them. Snack on fish sticks & tea and then do a hot oil hair mask.  

Evening: Read for a while and wash my face. As I'm washing, I realize I need to do a full-on facial at some point, so I mentally schedule to do that next week. Dinner is naan & egg stew, play on my phone for a while, and bed around 10 since I have a 7 o'clock meeting tomorrow. Here is what I learn:

• Ten years ago, this was my dream and today I'm living it: I spend most of my day with people I enjoy spending time with (SO and my parents). I never feel alone; rather, I feel so recharged, focused, and productive.

• Being wealthy should feel like a privilege and not an obligation: "When people say things like 'it feels like no amount of money is ever enough,' that makes me sad. When being wealthy feels more like an obligation rather than a privilege, I think you're doing something wrong."

• Something to remember: What seems like a good idea today might lead to regret tomorrow.

• On past and future income: They were talking about buying a $5 million house with an amazing view of the water. In order to afford the house, they need to keep working 70 hours/week (or, 140 hours/week combined). Someone asked, "How long have you been making $750k to a million per year?" Another person piped up with "And how much longer do you expect to be earning that much per year?" A third person mentions how someone making $1 million/year essentially could live paycheck to paycheck. A last person points out that "buying an expensive house with a new view to work 70 hours/week is like having nice wallpaper in your prison cell."

• On golden handcuffs: 

• At the executive level, there is lots of money along with equally intense peer pressure both to consume and to be a team player. An executive who lives paycheck-to-paycheck can be relied on to always toe the line and not to threaten the executive team, regardless of how outrageous objectives might be or how emotionally oppressive the environment might be. 
• The thinking is: "If you have a big house like the rest of us executives, then you won't call anyone out when things are a little off. For instance, being forced to manage a higher up's relative who may not be performing, or being forced to fire someone competent in order to make room for this relative's salary. With each small papercut, you are expected to turn your head when these expectations cross the line into a grey area."