I was just thinking a little bit along these lines today. I have a decent retirement income but if I have a major emergency, it would wipe out my savings. I am a year shy of seventy and I am still working as an IT technician part time to help out with things. It has been an expensive year for us.
I had a small independent movie company from Santa Monica (so they told me) try real hard to get me to pay a few thousand dollars to create a 'cinematic trailer' of my book that they could pitch to some Hollywood movie investors, so he says. I didn't bite because I don't have that kind of money to throw around to be used as a sales tool and the whole thing sounded dodgy anyway. I told the young man that if I should fall into a major windfall, I would reach out to him. Yeah, right.
I wish I could sell my story to a movie company but, as I learned from my own research, if a movie company likes your book well enough to turn it into a movie, they will pay for whatever they need to make the movie. The seemed like a legitimate independent movie studio but small. They have a nice website though. No matter, I backed out as I don't have any money for things like that.
Money has never come easy for me and I doubt this would have been any exception. I am good with making money the old fashioned way with hard work. I may not get rich but I can at least stay ahead of the bill collectors. So many people these days can't say that anymore and this is likely to get worse over the next few years. At my age, I shouldn't still be out there installing and repairing computer stuff anymore but this is the new reality.
I'm also a realist — oops! — I mean pessimist. Almost 12 months ago, I had a story that did well on Medium. Although it earned 22 times less than yours, it still made a big difference. My outlook became more optimistic for a while. Isn't it funny how quickly things can change?
(My highest-earning stories usually come before unexpected car repairs. It's as though the car knows and decides it wants a treat.)
I'll never forget playing the Game of Life with my son when he was a young teen. He complained that every time he got a little money, he'd land on a space that forced him to pay for something. I told him that's pretty accurate. :)
Also a realist. I also call it common sense. We are foundational. However the weight of that labeling can be catastrophic. Wishing you success beyond your wildest dreams!
Thank you! It's made an enormous difference in my life! We made one big splurge -- a new patio we put in ourselves and a seasonal pool to go on top of it. We had the time of our lives in it last year and can't wait to put it up again this spring.
Hi, Michelle. I'm not much of an optimist either, as a rule. I prefer to expect the worst and be prepared, then be pleasantly surprised when the worst does not happen.
The luckiest break I've had lately was that I outfoxed Murphy's Law by NOT contracting breast cancer until the end of my first full year of pension payments. Phew!! I was able to go through all of this year, 2024, without needing to work at all, just rest and recuperate.
I am also super-lucky to be living in Canada, where my highest expense so far has been for stowing my car at the hospital parking garage, to ensure I got to my many appointments on time. There would have been many times a few years ago when I would have had a hard time covering just those parking costs... but not now.
I will continue to be a moderate pessimist for most of the rest of my life, however long it might be. I am in remission now so it may be longer than I anticipated, but probably not as long (to age 123) as I had planned for several decades ago. Thanks for your insights as always.
I was just thinking a little bit along these lines today. I have a decent retirement income but if I have a major emergency, it would wipe out my savings. I am a year shy of seventy and I am still working as an IT technician part time to help out with things. It has been an expensive year for us.
I had a small independent movie company from Santa Monica (so they told me) try real hard to get me to pay a few thousand dollars to create a 'cinematic trailer' of my book that they could pitch to some Hollywood movie investors, so he says. I didn't bite because I don't have that kind of money to throw around to be used as a sales tool and the whole thing sounded dodgy anyway. I told the young man that if I should fall into a major windfall, I would reach out to him. Yeah, right.
I wish I could sell my story to a movie company but, as I learned from my own research, if a movie company likes your book well enough to turn it into a movie, they will pay for whatever they need to make the movie. The seemed like a legitimate independent movie studio but small. They have a nice website though. No matter, I backed out as I don't have any money for things like that.
Money has never come easy for me and I doubt this would have been any exception. I am good with making money the old fashioned way with hard work. I may not get rich but I can at least stay ahead of the bill collectors. So many people these days can't say that anymore and this is likely to get worse over the next few years. At my age, I shouldn't still be out there installing and repairing computer stuff anymore but this is the new reality.
I would try to get an agent that can cut through the scams before paying someone.
I don’t think wealth breeds optimism but poverty certainly does wear it down.
That's true enough
I'm also a realist — oops! — I mean pessimist. Almost 12 months ago, I had a story that did well on Medium. Although it earned 22 times less than yours, it still made a big difference. My outlook became more optimistic for a while. Isn't it funny how quickly things can change?
(My highest-earning stories usually come before unexpected car repairs. It's as though the car knows and decides it wants a treat.)
I'll never forget playing the Game of Life with my son when he was a young teen. He complained that every time he got a little money, he'd land on a space that forced him to pay for something. I told him that's pretty accurate. :)
The makers of that game knew what they were doing!
Thanks Michelle...
Also a realist. I also call it common sense. We are foundational. However the weight of that labeling can be catastrophic. Wishing you success beyond your wildest dreams!
You nailed it again! Thank you for telling it like it is.
Such great news about your Medium money. Many congratulations all the way from London.
Thank you! It's made an enormous difference in my life! We made one big splurge -- a new patio we put in ourselves and a seasonal pool to go on top of it. We had the time of our lives in it last year and can't wait to put it up again this spring.
https://michelleteheux.substack.com/p/what-would-you-do-with-one-week-of
Good reminder, Michelle. Thank you.
That river goes a long way. I think also through Stuttgart where you can get Weisswurst too. Plenty of houses from which to choose.
I'll take another look when I have most of the purchase price scraped together, probably in about 699 years :)
Hi, Michelle. I'm not much of an optimist either, as a rule. I prefer to expect the worst and be prepared, then be pleasantly surprised when the worst does not happen.
The luckiest break I've had lately was that I outfoxed Murphy's Law by NOT contracting breast cancer until the end of my first full year of pension payments. Phew!! I was able to go through all of this year, 2024, without needing to work at all, just rest and recuperate.
I am also super-lucky to be living in Canada, where my highest expense so far has been for stowing my car at the hospital parking garage, to ensure I got to my many appointments on time. There would have been many times a few years ago when I would have had a hard time covering just those parking costs... but not now.
I will continue to be a moderate pessimist for most of the rest of my life, however long it might be. I am in remission now so it may be longer than I anticipated, but probably not as long (to age 123) as I had planned for several decades ago. Thanks for your insights as always.