stub
HomePersonal FinanceEnergized and Focused

Energized and Focused

Last weekend The Wife and I went away for the first time without the boy and it allowed me to refocus on some goals and the reason for those goals.  Despite growing up and even going to school on Long Island I had never been to Montauk so when The Wife suggested it I jumped on the opportunity.  For those of you who don’t know your Long Island geography, Montauk is the very tip of the southern fork of Long Island.  To get to Montauk you literally have to drive through some of the wealthiest towns in the Country such as Southampton and East Hampton, but it wasn’t that extreme wealth that energized me.  It was actually the opposite.

Traveling to Montauk

We left Saturday morning.  Our first stop was at a Dunkin Dontus where we both got out of the car since we didn’t have to unload a child…completely forgot that feeling LOL.  Our second stop was at Publick House, a Brewery in Southampton.  I, of course, got the beer sampler and thoroughly enjoyed it with my steak and eggs.  Our second stop along the only road to get you to Montauk was at an amazing vineyard.  We sampled some wine and even joined their wine club.  We obviously made it to our place eventually, a structure that looks like a castle that has been catering to Montauk visitors since 1927.

Over the course of the next two days we:

  • Had an amazing dinner at a well known restaurant out there
  • Grabbed drinks at the Montauk Yacht Club
  • Saw the Montauk Lighthouse
  • Walked around East Hampton – stopped by a friend of a friend who owns a deli out there
  • Walked around the little town of Montauk
  • Grabbed drinks at a bar one block from the beach
  • Had a not so great dinner (recommendation by someone who had been partying pretty hard at the beach bar lol our bad for listening)
  • Visited a few more local places after dinner

I took off Monday and it wasn’t until that trip back that I realized why I was excited to get home and work on some of my projects.

I Don’t Desire Wealth for Wealth’s Sake

I won’t lie and say I wasn’t slightly dumbstruck passing some of the ridiculous cars while in East Hampton, but that isn’t what excited  me.  It was the fact for one weekend I didn’t consider any costs because I knew when I got home my vacation fund would take care of it.  The Wife and I have a pot of money that we both add to either weekly or monthly to take care of trips. It isn’t a lot of money per week, something inconsequential really, but getting home and paying off the trip without feeling it in our main checking accounts or saving accounts is fantastic.

As the “not thinking about money” wore off on the drive back I quickly realized that I liked it! I am not joining up with the Early Retirement movement anytime soon (although I recently discovered an amazing blog on the topic, Mr. Money Mustache), but the idea of not worrying about money all the time is really exciting.

Since everything dealing with your personal finances starts with your income and expenses it is about time to refocus on both!

*If you follow me on twitter (@MJTM) you would have seen some pictures of the trip – so follow me!

RELATED ARTICLES

6 COMMENTS

  1. This is exactly why those of us very focused on personal finance need a travel fund. I love not having to worry about $ when I travel with the family. I also love my Play account where I can buy whatever I want whenever I want with the funds I’m allocated each month. When every other expense is so examined and negotiated, it’s great to have saved the $ to really enjoy some spending.

  2. Everyone needs a break now and then. A weekend or a few days can rejuvenate you to deal with the everyday issues. A little planning helps releive the concern about a vacation.

  3. Thanks for sharing and am glad you and your wife got to relax a bit. This post also brought back a memory for me; my wife & I had visited Montauk for the first time when she was pregnant to our son, about 7 years ago… I was a weekend in the fall.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Related Articles

Recent Comments