I think buying $1M audio is safer that buying $1M in 5 bank stocks. Maybe Santa Claus will do something about all the cash printed in 2008 circulating around the globe.
An extra mil would mean I could walk away from work now instead of in the planned 2 years. The new house would start tomorrow instead of March of 21. Being a cheap son of a... I’d still build what I can of it myself. It would also mean we could move out to the new property pretty much as soon as electric and septic are in place - because I could afford to blow $40k on a trailer that’s not in the original plan.
Might spend up to $50k on speakers and such - upgrade my PA rig to double the size of the one that’s in progress being built, maybe a few FP14k’s, definitely more inventory for building some more of my own amps, go forward with some of the planned projects that are considered “optional”. I couldn’t blow a full million on audio if I tried. Might be able to get it up to 100k, but I’m not sure I have enough years left to use up much more than that.
Might spend up to $50k on speakers and such - upgrade my PA rig to double the size of the one that’s in progress being built, maybe a few FP14k’s, definitely more inventory for building some more of my own amps, go forward with some of the planned projects that are considered “optional”. I couldn’t blow a full million on audio if I tried. Might be able to get it up to 100k, but I’m not sure I have enough years left to use up much more than that.
1 mil in off the shelf equipment = just a couple speakers and some fancy wire.
1 mil in DIY audio stuff = you need a new house and workshop first buddy, gotta have room for the toys.
Personally, I'd pay my debt first, and then I'd take my time deciding. Probably buy a house to rent out, or get a nice cabin somewhere remote.
Remote cabin sounds nice too, somewhere up the coast of Norway.
Fell in love with the Stavanger region when working there for a few weeks at the NATO HQ.
Jan
To begin with, and being realistic, U$1M is not much
besides, there are two big qualifiers:
1) already mentioned, is *where* you spend it.
In an example pertinent both to Osvaldo and myself, U$1M means about U$2M here in Argentina
I mean buying power and cost of life adjusted.
2) "passive investments" suck.
I mean those where you just hand your money to somebody (an advisor, Bank, etc.) and you do not have to think at all.
In such cases, normal return on safe investments runs around 2% ... such as mentioned above $20k on $1M investment.
THAT IS SAME OR LESS AS INFLATION RATE !!!! WTF?
And simple Math says it will take 50 years to get same as you invested which is free to use.
Do you plan on living extra 50 years?
If you do not want to think and instead just enjoy, start plain **spending** that money today ... unless you are a madman you will not be able to spend it all.
3) and speaking from experience, not my own (thanks God) but from all of my friends around , they spent most of their life dreaming about the retirement day, when they would "do nothing" ...
After the first 6 months of bliss, now they are all bored to Death ... some literally, as to being plain depressed to having suicidal thoughts in the worst cases.
Some may find "do nothing" good, many quite the contrary; specially between people such as Forum members present here, I guess most will prefer to do "something they couldn´t do before" rather than hibernate.
4) personally I "retired" past December, but only "legally" so I can reap benefits offered to Senior Citizens here; actually working as before (manufacturing Guitar Amps, speakers, etc.), with new designs and projects, showing my new stuff at AES and Trade conventions, keeping Publicity working, etc.
Investments?: buying transformer wire and steel, aluminum sheet, PCB copperclad material, building yet another magnetizer, searching for a new Lathe (selling the old one was a mistake), probably buying a new punching press, mumbling about a large CNC router to cut complex cabinet shapes straight from MDF board, etc.
Any such investment yield immensely more than any "paper" one .. although all require "thinking" and "working" of course.
Which is FUN.
besides, there are two big qualifiers:
1) already mentioned, is *where* you spend it.
In an example pertinent both to Osvaldo and myself, U$1M means about U$2M here in Argentina
I mean buying power and cost of life adjusted.
2) "passive investments" suck.
I mean those where you just hand your money to somebody (an advisor, Bank, etc.) and you do not have to think at all.
In such cases, normal return on safe investments runs around 2% ... such as mentioned above $20k on $1M investment.
THAT IS SAME OR LESS AS INFLATION RATE !!!! WTF?
And simple Math says it will take 50 years to get same as you invested which is free to use.
Do you plan on living extra 50 years?
If you do not want to think and instead just enjoy, start plain **spending** that money today ... unless you are a madman you will not be able to spend it all.
3) and speaking from experience, not my own (thanks God) but from all of my friends around , they spent most of their life dreaming about the retirement day, when they would "do nothing" ...
After the first 6 months of bliss, now they are all bored to Death ... some literally, as to being plain depressed to having suicidal thoughts in the worst cases.
Some may find "do nothing" good, many quite the contrary; specially between people such as Forum members present here, I guess most will prefer to do "something they couldn´t do before" rather than hibernate.
4) personally I "retired" past December, but only "legally" so I can reap benefits offered to Senior Citizens here; actually working as before (manufacturing Guitar Amps, speakers, etc.), with new designs and projects, showing my new stuff at AES and Trade conventions, keeping Publicity working, etc.
Investments?: buying transformer wire and steel, aluminum sheet, PCB copperclad material, building yet another magnetizer, searching for a new Lathe (selling the old one was a mistake), probably buying a new punching press, mumbling about a large CNC router to cut complex cabinet shapes straight from MDF board, etc.
Any such investment yield immensely more than any "paper" one .. although all require "thinking" and "working" of course.
Which is FUN.
This is intriguing
£1M GBP?
To be Frank, I'm surprised and slightly taken aback that $1M US or Canadian, isnt considered by many as that impactful on their lives!
Heck $100k would change my life!
Pay off the mortgage, work for a few years and plough all my spare cash into the pension, so that I can actually feed myself, when I get to retire in 25 or so years.
For FWIW and perspective, I'm employed as an engineer and earn a low average wage for such a role. Housing and all living expenses are probably 85-90% my income.
I live in the manufacturing heart of the UK, and enjoy the cheapest house prices other than in the north, where I imagine, well paid jobs are less frequent and homes in less demand.
I could never afford to live in the Borough of London, where perhaps, £1M GBP would be less impactful, and £100k might pay for a single garage.
It's just a little crazy how much money people can have, and spend, and how desensitized to quantity one can become - whilst the have nots.... well....
And I'm quite fortunate, at least I earn above the national average wage
£1M GBP?
To be Frank, I'm surprised and slightly taken aback that $1M US or Canadian, isnt considered by many as that impactful on their lives!
Heck $100k would change my life!
Pay off the mortgage, work for a few years and plough all my spare cash into the pension, so that I can actually feed myself, when I get to retire in 25 or so years.
For FWIW and perspective, I'm employed as an engineer and earn a low average wage for such a role. Housing and all living expenses are probably 85-90% my income.
I live in the manufacturing heart of the UK, and enjoy the cheapest house prices other than in the north, where I imagine, well paid jobs are less frequent and homes in less demand.
I could never afford to live in the Borough of London, where perhaps, £1M GBP would be less impactful, and £100k might pay for a single garage.
It's just a little crazy how much money people can have, and spend, and how desensitized to quantity one can become - whilst the have nots.... well....
And I'm quite fortunate, at least I earn above the national average wage
The other boys had cars
I had a bike
Some had boats
I owned half a canoe
Others went to Paris
I went camping
Others dined out
I learned to cook
Saving all my life is the reason I have the freedom to do what I want, when I want now. It's nice to have a completely debt free life and have investments bringing in more than I spend.
But that's what I paid for in my early years. Not anymore. Your choice.
Last edited:
Someone brought up charity, but to me that's a very charged and polarized discussion, at least in regards to charity towards poverty and homelessness.
I grew up in one of the most liberal areas of Canada and now live in one of the most conservative areas of Canada, and the difference in attitude towards the homeless is even more stark than the obviously different political attitudes. Quite shocking depending on your background.
I grew up in one of the most liberal areas of Canada and now live in one of the most conservative areas of Canada, and the difference in attitude towards the homeless is even more stark than the obviously different political attitudes. Quite shocking depending on your background.
One million now - isn't that old warm tube million.
So it's just enough to a little increase in the standard of living.
Hey Cal, I was merely surprised that the $1M didn't seem all that significant to you.
It's quite easy to tell without really asking very much and being on the forum here for some years myself, that what you have, you have earned. I dont doubt you deserve every last cent.
That is to be credited in any self made individual.
I guess, in the end, much of what the OP brings up, is the relativity of cash value across nations and indeed the world, and the class structures within each, and their contrasts.
But that is verboten
I just cant imagine, if I were to succeed at a business venture, grow it through blood sweat and tears, as so many entrepreneurs do; that I would ever consider £1M as not being a life changing sum. It could be the fund that pays for my mothers elderly care, or for me to stop working to care for her myself, when the time comes. It could go to children in my will. It could go to charity if I wants or if I have noone to gift.
Whoever received it would certainly have their life changed. .
FWIW, I have no debt, no credit other than my mortgage, and never have. I save and pay cash where it'll save me money.
I also come from "nothing" but I wont elaborate...why does anyone need to know? It isnt even relevant.
It's quite easy to tell without really asking very much and being on the forum here for some years myself, that what you have, you have earned. I dont doubt you deserve every last cent.
That is to be credited in any self made individual.
I guess, in the end, much of what the OP brings up, is the relativity of cash value across nations and indeed the world, and the class structures within each, and their contrasts.
But that is verboten
I just cant imagine, if I were to succeed at a business venture, grow it through blood sweat and tears, as so many entrepreneurs do; that I would ever consider £1M as not being a life changing sum. It could be the fund that pays for my mothers elderly care, or for me to stop working to care for her myself, when the time comes. It could go to children in my will. It could go to charity if I wants or if I have noone to gift.
Whoever received it would certainly have their life changed. .
FWIW, I have no debt, no credit other than my mortgage, and never have. I save and pay cash where it'll save me money.
I also come from "nothing" but I wont elaborate...why does anyone need to know? It isnt even relevant.
Last edited:
Do you want to make a salad with them??? A little of salt, vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil, and glup!
Please don't give any ideas to the Chinese audio interests. They have already screwed us buying up NOS tubes.
You might want to at least use a few for a D Self style many-opamp-parallel power amp. Might get barely enough power for driving an electrostat.
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.