Are you rich?

[Guest]

This may sound like a bullshit cliché but I hit it rich about 15 years ago on the dot-com industry. I don't have to work but I choose to for several reasons:

(1). I love doing freelance Systems Engineering work. There are a lot of companies around the world in need of someone who can drop everything at a moment's notice to help them out. The travel is incredible €“ especially when my customer pays.  

(2). It's the only way to get away from the wife to indulge in my "hobby".  

RW

[Naja Tom]

Ohnoriceagain, i grew up in Ventura County right above sucky LA. Moved back here in 2000.

Married and divorced 3 times, will NEVER have a western lady again. Still pay just under $1000 a month support to the second ex.. f'ing California laws!!!..retired from California, working on retirement #2.
My retirement pays for Thai GF's yoga training and living expenses and my trips to Thailand. Got my house, nice truck that loves gas, I do okay. Four more years and I plan to be outta here and probably living in Thailand.

[PigDogg]

(Naja Tom @ Jun. 01 2007,21:04) Thai GF's yoga training

Welcome aboard Tom!

Where's some spots for yoga training in Thailand?

[thaibound]

never married, so no alimony. no kids, so no child support. i have relatively inexpensive tastes and my only addiction is ladyboys, but even there i am sworn to never "send money". i'm about a decade away from a sweet pension. and more than enough saved to make it that far. guess that makes me spoiled rotten.
i checked 'don't need to work' but that's only in base economic terms. as ziggy said, work beats boredom. so when i'm not chasing down the lb's i'll take a bit of gainful employment to keep the batteries charged. but i'm more concerned with living than working.
yeah. spoiled rotten.
and trying hard to appreciate every damned minute of it. and trying even harder today.

[dummy_plug]

Great poll Stogie. I've always wondered about the demographics of my fellow admirers... I'm pretty amazed at the rich gents we have on the board. I wouldn't have figured that myself, but looking back, it does make sense. I think to really make the trips there and back at least once or twice a year can be a semi-financial burden. I mean, spending a few weeks away from home is never cheap, especially when your main goal is to have fun.

I voted for I'm comfortable and could always use more. I guess it is all about perspective, and I think, I'm luckier than most in my lot in life. I'm still fairly young and have a job that pays me low (very) six figures. I've been investing almost all my life so I have a sizable nest egg already and I own a home that I live in and have two rentors to chip in with the mortgage. I have two cars, including a luxury SUV that is also fairly new.

However, I have high expenses as well. Although my parents are retired and well-off, I help my two sisters through school - one in undergrad and one in law school. Additionally, I have a cousin I financially support because his parents were killed in a car accident almost ten years ago and on his other side his dad had no other family. I also pay huge sums of taxes and live in one of the most expensive cities in America. I did the math, I should just live on a shack in Thailand and I can have a great life like Stogie!

[nigel69]

financially well off, but still enjoy working for myself.I have about $1mil invested,earn approx $180,000 per year and own two business in music retail & dvd distribution.Have been selling all assets( houses & cars), over the past few Months, in order to start living in Thailand from Dec 1 07,three Months there ,then three Months back to Oz. Already have a large house in Issan and a parcel of land but love Hua Hin and many other regions of LOS.Possibly looking at a mini-resort, up in the Loei area, ( upmarket for rich farang tourists) as a future investment and to keep the wife busy so that I may get the opportunity to indulge my fantasies in BKK.