A few weekends ago I went to my nephew’s wedding in Ohio. It was not so easy to get there. My flight to Dayton was cancelled, and in rebooking the flight, the closest airport I could fly into was DCA. My wife picked me up in Washington, DC and we headed west on a 9-hour drive.
Great article as usual Jared, as well as the music reference. Keeps my brain in the flow, so to speak. I have been in and occasionally out of the cake eating paradigm for many years, courtesy of the fed put. I definitely see the draw to have those comforts without worry about cash flow. Nice cars, clothes and fabulous food are my preference, but elite status is not something I have experienced to date. I currently live in an area where most of my peers grew up as cake eaters and certainly most have no idea how the majority live, or have ever struggled. They are out of touch for sure and the town I live in is the center of the bubble for the area. I grew up at the low rung of the ladder and have moved up on shear bullheadedness without benefit of higher education. I have slept in those crappy hotels, cars, under overpasses, and once spent a month in a camper shell that was on blocks, in a rural Ventura back yard. Recession in my current industry brings on extreme income changes so I will have to suck it up while creating a new income stream. Haven't had to do that for while, but it certainly is possible when you realize that the level you have achieved will change unless you do something about it. I better get to it, there is another Nascar race coming up...
I get your cake eating idea but we are wired differently.
Even though I've tried luxury (private jet + the rest), I don't particularly enjoy it beyond a certain threshold. So I have toned-down a lot because it's "not worth it".
In other words, my "happiness return" on marginal $ spent falls pretty quickly.
You might then ask, what to do with this dough? what's the point of having it in 1st place?
There's so much one can do with $ other than spend it in useless shit.
I definitely get what you are saying about how attractive it is to live in luxury if you can, but it does put us out of touch with what most people experience in life, and in some ways it puts us out of touch with life itself as luxury is a contrived veneer that is what appeases our egos and comfort zones. Life is growth and evolution, not being catered to and kept in our easy safe zone. Choosing to stay grounded economically and socially is important in staying connected to humanity at large, and also helps us to be more resilient for whatever interesting events unfold as this Fourth Turning plays out for the rest of this decade (and maybe a little beyond). I have managed to stay pretty middle class which I am happy with, having some friends who are cake eaters, and having dipped into levels of poverty and struggle as well after some bad decision making forced hard belt tightening on our family. I want the financial means to be able to step into cake eating experiences, but not live there, so that's what I am working on
Good one!!! I don't think I'm a cake eater as I have always been afraid to eat the whole of anything. I'm a wanna be cake eater but with no addiction to cake. Yes, we have a recession coming and it is imperative that we all stay connected to the bigger picture. Some people would dream of a cake or two and if a cake eater can provide cake to the cakeless that might help. Sorry, does this make sense?
Great article as usual Jared, as well as the music reference. Keeps my brain in the flow, so to speak. I have been in and occasionally out of the cake eating paradigm for many years, courtesy of the fed put. I definitely see the draw to have those comforts without worry about cash flow. Nice cars, clothes and fabulous food are my preference, but elite status is not something I have experienced to date. I currently live in an area where most of my peers grew up as cake eaters and certainly most have no idea how the majority live, or have ever struggled. They are out of touch for sure and the town I live in is the center of the bubble for the area. I grew up at the low rung of the ladder and have moved up on shear bullheadedness without benefit of higher education. I have slept in those crappy hotels, cars, under overpasses, and once spent a month in a camper shell that was on blocks, in a rural Ventura back yard. Recession in my current industry brings on extreme income changes so I will have to suck it up while creating a new income stream. Haven't had to do that for while, but it certainly is possible when you realize that the level you have achieved will change unless you do something about it. I better get to it, there is another Nascar race coming up...
Hey Jared. I really enjoy your posts. Thanks!
I get your cake eating idea but we are wired differently.
Even though I've tried luxury (private jet + the rest), I don't particularly enjoy it beyond a certain threshold. So I have toned-down a lot because it's "not worth it".
In other words, my "happiness return" on marginal $ spent falls pretty quickly.
You might then ask, what to do with this dough? what's the point of having it in 1st place?
There's so much one can do with $ other than spend it in useless shit.
I definitely get what you are saying about how attractive it is to live in luxury if you can, but it does put us out of touch with what most people experience in life, and in some ways it puts us out of touch with life itself as luxury is a contrived veneer that is what appeases our egos and comfort zones. Life is growth and evolution, not being catered to and kept in our easy safe zone. Choosing to stay grounded economically and socially is important in staying connected to humanity at large, and also helps us to be more resilient for whatever interesting events unfold as this Fourth Turning plays out for the rest of this decade (and maybe a little beyond). I have managed to stay pretty middle class which I am happy with, having some friends who are cake eaters, and having dipped into levels of poverty and struggle as well after some bad decision making forced hard belt tightening on our family. I want the financial means to be able to step into cake eating experiences, but not live there, so that's what I am working on
Super 8 piss or cargo shorts? Which is a harder line?
Good one!!! I don't think I'm a cake eater as I have always been afraid to eat the whole of anything. I'm a wanna be cake eater but with no addiction to cake. Yes, we have a recession coming and it is imperative that we all stay connected to the bigger picture. Some people would dream of a cake or two and if a cake eater can provide cake to the cakeless that might help. Sorry, does this make sense?