daryl

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Time to Move On???…

Dear Reader,

I have decided to cease my regular bi-monthly posting at JumpToConsulting. I will also discontinue the free monthly teleconference for now.

Is this permanent? Don’t know yet, but after eleven years and 350+ posts, it is time to reevaluate. So we shall see.

I will post from time to time as the spirit moves. Still have some posts on the back burner (including a series on troubleshooting) but these will be intermittent.

As I continue to slink into retirement, there are other things I’d like to pursue. Those may include the long considered book, and recording my technical classes now that I have mastered on-line presentations. Also just goofing off…

To those of you who have enjoyed the blog and benefited from it, it has been a sincere pleasure to share my views on consulting and life in general, and to see several of you make your own JumpToConsulting. Bravo!

Finally, I greatly appreciate your support and camaraderie. Should you have questions or comments, feel free to drop me a line. The site and email address will remain active.

With warm regards,
Uncle Daryl


 

© 2023, https:. All rights reserved.

2022 Annual Review…

Time to look back on 2022… and look ahead to 2023. Got this idea years ago from The Art of Nonconformity, and have done it each year since.

As always, I’ll review three categories:


JUMPtoCONSULTING…

Looking Back.. The blog is now TWELVE years old with over 350 posts. What started as an experiment with blogging exceeded my expectations.

It has been great fun as I found I enjoy writing and sharing ideas. It has also been gratifying to help several launch their consulting careers. Just today, I have a Zoom call to help another engineering colleague make his JumpToConsulting. Exciting!

In November, supported a Consulting Workshop here in Phoenix. Sponsored by the IEEE Consultants Network, the goal was to reactivate the local chapter. Presented my one-hour intro, and listened to several other great talks. We will now see if the chapter takes root.

Blog posts were down, and the monthly teleconference and newsletter still on hold due to lack of interest. No progress on an on-line class or book.

Looking Ahead…Where to from here? Not sure. Maybe JTC has run its course — twelve years for a blog is a LONG time.

But I still enjoy it, and will keep the site up for those who find it useful, with new posts as the spirit moves. The on-line class still intrigues me, and I now have an account with Ruzuku, a popular training platform. The outline is done, so this may well happen in 2023.


EMI-GURU…

Looking Back…  I continue to slink into retirement. Only a couple of on-line classes and on-line consultations in 2022. Although EMI-GURU has been immensely satisfying, I must confess my interest is definitely waning. Time to let the younger engineers pick up the ball 🙂

Looking Ahead… All consulting is now referred. Still offering training, and still available for quick questions that can be handled in a phone/Zoom call.

Two multi-day public classes, to be offered on-line partnered with the Applied Technology Institute. For dedicated in-house classes, please contact me at EMI-GURU.

  • EMC in Military Systems – Offered since 2012 with over 2,000 past students.
  • Design for EMC – Offered since 1992 with over 10,000 past students

Considering an on-line series using the dozen or so short presentations done in the past.

PERSONAL…

Looking Back…  A few setbacks in 2022, but life is good. We lost Sami the rescue mutt, but found Priscilla to fill the hole in our hearts. Had some minor health issues, but now on the mend. Mary has fully recovered from her broken leg in late 2021.

Looking forward… Continue learning/implementing on-line programs; spend time reading/writing; and travel in our little RV. Fire up the ham radio, play with Priscilla the Shih Tzu, and just goof off.


Wishing you all the best in 2023 — and THANK YOU for your interest in both JumpToConsulting and EMI-GURU!  Peace… Uncle Daryl


© 2023, https:. All rights reserved.

Happy Holidays 2022…

Pricilla says —  Is Santa Here Yet???


Thank you for your interest in my work at both JumpToConsulting and EMIGURU.  Wishing you the joy, peace, and happiness of the season… and all the best in 2023!

From our house to yours — Uncle Daryl, Mary, and “Silly” the Shih Tzu.


Yes, we lost little Sami last year. She was about 13, and the loss was sudden and painful. But then along came Priscilla (who we call Silly) to fill the hole in our hearts.

Like Sami, Silly was another rescue. But she brought some painful baggage as a puppy mill momma. Our first encounter with puppy mills – a learning experience. She is getting better every day as we work to make the rest of her life joyful.

If you find your self considering a furry companion, please DO NOT use a puppy mill. Find a reputable breeder, or better yet adopt from a shelter. There are millions of pets needing “furever” homes, and they make wonderful companions. Merry Christmas to all…


Join us in 2023 as we we continue to slink into “consulting retirement.”


 

© 2022, https:. All rights reserved.

Happy Thanksgiving 2022…

This quote struck me as particularly appropriate for these times. Best to cultivate at “attitude of gratidude.” Weary of all the whiners and complainers. Be happy instead.

“Be thankful for what you have;
You’ll end up having more.
If you concentrate on what you don’t have,
you will never, ever, have enough.”

Oprah Winfrey

Best wishes to everyone this Thanksgiving season!

© 2022, https:. All rights reserved.

Consulting Workshop – Phoenix AZ…

You are invited to attend a one-half day consulting workshop on the Arizona State University campus on November 12, 2022. Cost is minimal ($25) and includes lunch.

This event is sponsored by the IEEE Consultants Network, of which I am a long time member. This is a kick-off to reactivate the Phoenix chapter.

Everyone is welcome… you do NOT need to be an IEEE member… nor do you need to live in Arizona… (Come visit – the weather is great!) This should be of interest to both those exploring consulting, as well as those currently consulting – part time or full time.

CLICK HERE for details and registration

Three presentations by experienced consultants, representing 100+ years of experience. Come learn from those of us who have done it, and are happy to share our advice.

My talk focuses on how to start a small consulting practice. The presentation has been done for numerous professional groups, and has even helped launch a few new consultants.

Here is a summary:

  • What: Consulting Workshop – Emphasis on those new or exploring consulting
  • When: Saturday, 12 November 2022, 7:30AM – 2 PM
  • Where: Arizona State University Memorial Union – Cococino Room
  • How Much: $25, includes lunch

CLICK HERE for details and registration.

Hope you can join us! A first step to making you own JumpToConsulting… 

© 2022, https:. All rights reserved.

Four Pricing Rules…

Here are four pricing rules I shared as a comment a Blue Penguin Marketing, a favorite blog I follow.

–Always set your fees to make a profit — that way you can’t go broke
–Never cut fees — cut scope instead
–Don’t be greedy — a happy client will often come back for more
–If in doubt, quote the lowest price for which you would do the project — that way there are no regrets if you lose out.

More info on Blue Penguin Marketing in my blog post here. Michael is a guru of solopreneur marketing.


P.S. If you are serious about doing a newsletter, check out Create Exceptional Newsletters. Great on-line class — I did it myself a few years ago.

© 2022, https:. All rights reserved.

A Marketing Gimmick That Worked…

Although not a big fan of marketing gimmicks, here is one that proved successful for us. Beer was involved…




The back story. When I moved to AZ in 1996, I ended up with a 602 phone number, while my business partner in MN had a 612 number. Furthermore, we had an answering service (also 612), and we knew this would cause confusion. 

Particularly for the poor saps receiving our wrong numbers. We discussed an 800 number, but then things got interesting.

We had already jokingly declared our selves as “EMI-GURUs” (EMI = Electromagnetic Interference, our engineering speciality), and thought that would be a good number. But while the 800 number was not available, the newly opened 888 number was. So we jumped on it.

In addition the phone number, we then secured the URL www.emiguru.com for a planned website, launched soon after.

Being on a roll, we even had a button made. We took the button to a trade show, and had people clamoring for them. Even our competitors were sporting them — all in good fun.

We knew we had a winner!

We later handed them out to clients and students— probably 5000 or more. On one occasion I walked into a test lab with a new client, and stuck on a cubicle wall was our button.

Needless to say it gave the client great confidence. (I made sure he went home with one.)

No, we did NOT copy the Staples business stores with their “Easy” button. I like to think they may have copied us 🙂

BTW it is red because I’m a graduate of the University of Nebraska — AKA “Big Red.”


Gimmicks can be tricky. As a professional, you don’t want to be seen as too silly. Overall, this was a great success.We were soon known across the US electrical engineering community as the “EMI-GURUs.” Easy to know how to contact us too. And people even pinned them in their cubicles for everyone to see.

For this and another successful gimmick, see Lead Generator #19 – Gimmicks. 


This post was inspired by the daily marketing letter from Graham McGregor of New Zealand. Been following him for years. Contact him here for more creative marketing ideas.


© 2022, https:. All rights reserved.

Happy Independence Day – 2022…


As you know, this blog is more than just about consulting — it is about IndependenceOcupational, Financial, and Locational.

Here is a clip from the 2014 movie, the Gambler, where John Goodman expounds on being in the position of  “F*** You.”  I could not say it better myself.

–WARNING —  If crude language offends you, do NOT watch this.

But if you want advice straight from the gut…   Click Here…

For what is worth, I live in a house with a 40 year roof, and drive two highly reliable Toyotas – a 1996 and and a 2005. I enjoy my “fortress of solitude” and the ability to say F-You — thanks to making my own JumpToConsulting 35 years ago, achieving Financial Independence, and living beneath my means.

Not bragging – just offering my thoughts and best wishes for you on this Independence Day!

Uncle Daryl

P.S. As a consultant, it is best to avoid crude language, but this video clip says it so well. John Goodman, who we usually associate with comedy, does an awesome job as a loan shark. I found the drama chilling.


 More Independent Day posts here:


 

© 2022, https:. All rights reserved.

Knowing when to say NO…

This post was sparked by two recent events — both resulting in happy endings…

Event # 1…

A firm I greatly respect recently announced they were seeking a part time coach for consultants. Eight to twelve hours a week, as part of a paid program to help struggling consultants take their business to the next level.

My immediate reaction was to respond. Not only did it sound like a good fit, but it also sounded like fun. So I submitted the on line application, and was pleased to be invited for further discussions the following week.

Due to our annual AZ to MN summer migration (our way of dealing with AZ heat along with grandkids in MN) we postponed the meeting by a week. This gave me time to really think about the potential commitment I might be making.

Upon reflection, I decided to decline. Why? At this stage in life, I did not want to be tied down to a long term regular schedule. Actually, this was one of the original motivations for making my original JumpToConsulting. Like many consultants, I thrive on new challenges, and routines quickly bore me — and eventually grind me down.

As Dirty Harry famously said in one of his movies, “A man has got to know his limitations.” Thankfully I recognized mine in time.

Event # 2…

This one was a bit more serious, from a post on a financial blog I follow. The author was a retired career Navy officer in the submarine service.

He shared a story from early in his career, when he was offered the “opportunity of a lifetime” for an immediate promotion and accelerated career advancement. But it meant long term sea tours instead of anticipated shore duty for the next two years.

The fly in the ointment was he had just married his fiancé after waiting for the opportunity to finally be together. From the pained expression on his face, his CO immediately realized what his answer would be – even before our hero did.

Yes, he turned the offer down, realizing it was not the best career decision. But as he explained, it was the RIGHT decision for his brand new marriage. He is still happily married almost 40 years later – now retired and living the good life in Hawaii – and with no regrets.

Some closing thoughts…

When faced with decisions like this, I often ask two key questions:

  • Could I do this?
  • Should I do this?

And then I trust my gut. These two questions have served me well. I hope they help you.

Peace — Uncle Daryl 


PS – Tomorrow marks 54 years of happy married life. Thanks, Mary, with all my love!


 

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A response to marketing SPAM…

Do you get unsolicited and unwanted canned emails touting how they can “help” your business? If so, here is a response I borrowed from fellow engineer and long time direct marketing consultant/copywriter Bob Bly.

Most of the time I simply delete the offending emails, but when Bob mentioned this in one of his email newsletters, I decided to have some fun.

Here is the response I sent back for the next unwanted email:

Borrowed from highly successful direct marketer Bob Bly:

  • I don’t recognize your name.
  • I don’t know who you are.
  • I don’t have any evidence that you can help me.
  • I don’t know who your clients are.
  • I don’t know what results you have gotten for them.
  • I have no evidence that you are different or better than all the other firms sending me emails like yours every day of the week.
  • You don’t know anything about me, our business, our goals, our priorities, our needs, and our most pressing challenges.

Now… what was it you wanted to sell me?

Full disclosure: I “stole” … er, I mean adapted this copy … from a famous and successful ad McGraw-Hill ran many years ago.

PS – If you want professional direct marketing help, I suggest you contact Bob at www.Bly.com. But be prepared to buy his services, not sell yours.

I plan to continue. Is this unkind? Probably, but if it results in even one change, it is worth it.

BTW, do NOT send out unsolicited emails for your marketing. Rather, spend your time and money to understand both your target market and your offer, and then craft a focused approach. Use a rifle, not a shotgun!

And if you are a marketing consultant, do NOT suggest this to your clients. In a future post I’ll share my story of the “Put a Dollar in Every Direct Mail” fiasco from years ago. Not my idea, but forced upon me by a boss who was swayed by a local advertising firm. Don’t.Be.Stupid!


P.S. Here is another email option from this grumpy old engineering consultant 🙂


 

© 2022, https:. All rights reserved.

From the Mailbag… Final Reports and Security…

Here is a recent question from blog reader regarding client reports:

I’m looking at moonlighting, and have been enjoying digging through your blog. So far I have one quick question – did you have to deal with securing your data or reports?

Was it was ever a concern for you? Did you just send any documents you created as Word or something similar?

Here is my response:

While I sent reports in PDF, I never encrypted them. But not a bad idea to do so if sensitive data is involved. My accountant does so with any financial or tax information.

For security, both Bill and I shredded client files three years after filing taxes. Our lawyer advised this to protect both us and clients from legal “fishing” if lawsuits were involved.

If sensitive, we would immediately ship the files to the client upon project completion. The sensitive cases were for “expert witness” cases (very few) and medical devices,

When we started in 1987 (pre-Internet) we sent typed reports, which usually ran 5-10 pages. We had a cover page, a single “Executive Summary” page (for management,) followed by the “Technical Details” with as many pages as needed.

These reports were on our letterhead and spiral bound. We then placed them in a presentation folder, which also included our brochure and business cards.

We followed the same format with PDF reports, and used electronic letterhead. If the client requested, we would also send a bound hard copy. In recent years, reports were electronic.

Although many consultants do not enjoy writing reports, in my opinion this is a very important final step in any consultation. You charge for your time, of course, but the reports are a final touch in marketing. They often lead to repeat business, even years later.

Be sure your contact information is on every page!


 

© 2022, https:. All rights reserved.

Troubleshoot like a doctor…Differential Diagnsosis

This is the second in my new series on troubleshooting – a very important skill for all consultants.

The next several posts are from a magazine article for my engineering colleagues, which I have broken into several smaller easy to digest pieces.

Early in my electrical engineering consulting career, a client asked me to explain each step as we worked to improve ESD (electrostatic discharge) immunity on an existing product.

In addition to solving the problem, he wanted to better understand my thinking process. Fair enough, I thought.

At one point, I laid out a “fault tree” of possibilities, along with prescribing a course of action. As it was getting complicated, I apologized for any confusion. The conversation went something like this:

“Not a problem,” my client said, “you are doing differential diagnosis.”

“Stop,” I said, “ what did you just say? And where did you hear that?” Joking, I added, “I’m a consultant — we make our living with buzz words like that.”

Laughing, he responded, “It is a medical term. My brother-in-law is a physician, and we often discuss troubleshooting methods.”

A few weeks after my initial introduction to this concept, I struck up a conversion with a seat mate on a cross country flight. Upon learning he was a doctor with the Mayo Clinic, I asked about differential diagnosis and was treated to a most interesting lecture.

After all, he was a teaching doctor and I was a very willing student. Those of us who teach love these situations.

He began by explaining the father of differential diagnosis was Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes.) Doyle was an MD who also wrote short stories. He had an idea for a detective based on a favorite medical professor who taught clinical diagnosis.

As we all know, the rest is history. It also explains the presence of Holmes medical sidekick, Dr. Watson.

The objective is “rule things in/rule things out” by creating two lists – high probability and low probability. The goal is to quickly narrow down a large list of potential causes to a smaller list, maybe even one likely root cause.

For example, if a patient presents with a red rash, there may be a hundred or more possibilities. Maybe it is the measles, or maybe it is bubonic plague.

The first step is looking at vitals (temperature, blood pressure, etc), which helps quickly eliminate possibilities.

The next step is the physical examination, along with detailed questions. Sometimes an immediate diagnosis can be made — other times additional tests may be necessary.

At that point, the prescription can follow — but not before.

As the Mayo doctor emphasized, “Prescription without Diagnosis is Malpractice.” As an aside, how many of us have thrown solutions at the problem without thinking it through?

Think like a doctor instead.

These chance discussions refined my approach to troubleshooting.  But the doctor shared more advice:

If there are multiple possibilities, address the simple ones first (Occam’s razor.) He shared another medical saying, “If you hear the sound of hoofbeats, don’t assume zebras.”

It is probably a horse (unless you are in Africa.) As consultants, we all like to sink our teeth into a juicy problem, but most problems are simple. On rare occasions, however, it well may be a zebra.

He pointed out the Mayo Clinic often deals with “zebras.” There may be a 100 possibilities, and 99 have been ruled out by previous doctors, making it simple for them to identify the zebra.

This is why it is important to ask what has already been done to address the problem.

I learned this lesson the hard way after chasing a problem for several days, only to then discover a very simple solution. It was a bit embassing, but my client was still happy to have the problem solved. But after that, I first looked for simple solutions, going after the “low hanging fruit” no matter what the probability.

This can give rise to a consulting miracle. If there is only a one per cent chance it will work, but it does, everybody thinks you are a genius. When that happens, it is quite a rush 🙂

In the next post, I’ll share a three step process for making the diagnosis dubbed ACT for “Aware-Critque-Act.”

Hope you enjoy this series…  


Interested in resurrecting the FREE monthly teleconference? If so, please let me know. 


 

© 2022, https:. All rights reserved.

Troubleshooting with common sense…

This post was inspired by a favorite story of my late business partner. It captures the essence of troubleshooting. 

As a young man, Bill’s nephew was a radio technician in the Air Force. Which was pretty amazing, as he knew very little about electronics. Nevertheless, he was quite successful as a primary troubleshooter.

When an aircraft radio failed, he was sent to the flight line as the first responder. He was able to identify and fix about 90 percent of the problems with the following simple procedures:

  • Check the power… Fuses? This was really easy in the days of vacuum tubes — did they light up?
  • Check the connections… Were all cables properly connected and seated. Antenna? Microphone? Etc…
  • Check the manual… If the first two did not solve the problem, go through the manual to make sure things were properly adjusted. Frequency? Squelch? Etc…

If these three did not fix the problem, he yanked the radio and took it back to the shop.

The net result: the shop technicians loved him as they did not waste their time on trivial problems, and the pilots loved him as he often “fixed” things on the spot. All saw him as a bit of a genius.

There is more to the story. Upon leaving the Air Force, he went to college and became a veterinarian, often using the same approach to diagnose his sick animal clients. Many times simple solutions solved their problems too.

The moral — Try the simple things first. We will follow up with a few more stories as we develop this thread on troubleshooting — a very important skill in consulting. So stick around.


Last November I announced my cutting back on regular posts. Moving forward I’ve decided to alternate between consulting-related posts and non-related “stories, observations, and the occasional rant.”

As a warning, if you don’t like the latter, don’t read the posts. Please don’t reply unless it is positive. I really don’t care to hear political or religious arguments as received in the past – and to which I never replied. Fair enough?

Peace — Uncle Daryl 


Interested in resurrecting the FREE monthly teleconference? If so, please let me know. 


 

© 2022, https:. All rights reserved.

2021 Annual Review…

Another year has flown by, but I suspect many of us are happy to move on to 2022. Here is hoping better times lie ahead…

Got this idea years ago from The Art of Nonconformity, and have done it each year since.

As always, I’ll review three categories:


LOOKING BACK ON 2021…

Jump-to-Consulting – The blog is now ELEVEN years old with over 340 posts. Little did I know it would go on this long. But I’m now at a crossroads, deciding where to go next. So we will be taking a pause to regroup.

As such, the Monthly Teleconference is also on hold. Attendance has been hit and miss, probably a result of weak marketing on my end.

EMI-GURU – Has morphed into a part-time training firm. No longer consulting, I refer almost all inquiries to colleagues. Still available for quick questions (my way of saying thanks.)

All classes are now on-line. No more travel (yea!) This year saw a mixture of public and in-house classes. Thanks to being on-line, we had attendees from around the world (India, Brazil, and Germany along with the US.) Fun to do and classes also bring in “fun money.”

Teaching is a long time passion – nothing like seeing a student suddenly “get it.” And it adds great synergy to consulting. 

Personal —  Thanks to Covid shots, we made it back to MN this summer. We even had a grandkid reunion when the CT crew visited the MN crew – great fun!

Later in the summer, Mary broke her leg — weird accident, 911, ambulance, surgery, and three weeks in convalescent care. Thankfully now almost fully recovered, but that put a damper on the end of summer. Now back in AZ.

Sami the rescue mutt continues to bring joy as a “personal therapist”, along with daily exercise as a “personal trainer.”


LOOKING FORWARD to 2022…

Jump-to-Consulting – The blog and monthly teleconference are on temporary hold for now. More details here. 

Still planning a short multi-module class on how to start/build/operate a small consulting practice.  An expansion of the free webinar, and envisioned as five or six one hour modules. Details here. 

Thinking a pilot class with live webinars, followed by a recorded version on a learning platform. The pilot will be interactive, at a reduced fee. Attendee feedback and ideas will help refine the class.

Drop drop me a line if you are interested in participating in the pilot.

EMI-GURU – Future classes will be on-line. Both in-house and public offerings. No more travel, plus classes available to a wider audience. Two multi-day classes, reformatted for on-line:

  • EMC in Military Systems – currently partnered with the Applied Technology Institute
  • Design for EMC – currently partnered with inCompliance magazine.

Over 12,000 students have attended these classes. Planning some webinars, and a one-day “EMC Design Workshop.” The latter has been done for two mini-symposiums, and was well received. Watch EMI-GURU for more details, or contact me here.

Personal – Finally off HOA board, after shepherding a million dollar renovation as board president. I was happy to share my consulting skills and experience, but weary of dealing with a few self-centered “terminally unhappy” homeowners. Not sure I would do it again, but it was an interesting experiment in civic responsibility.

Plans are to continue learning and implementing on-line programs; spend time reading/writing; and travel again in our little RV. Fire up the ham radio; play with Sami the Shih Tzu mutt; and just goof off.


Wishing you all the best in 2022 — and THANK YOU for reading my blog.


© 2022, https:. All rights reserved.

Happy Holidays 2021…

Sami says “Hey, its Christmas…”


Thank you for your interest in my work at both JumpToConsulting and EMIGURU.  Wishing you the joy, peace, and happiness of the season… and all the best in 2022!

From our house to yours — Uncle Daryl, Mary, and Sami the Shih Tzu.


Please visit us in 2022 as we figure out where to go next…

See “Time to Move On?”


 

© 2021, https:. All rights reserved.

Any Regrets About Jumping???

Here is an answer posted to the question “Any Regrets About Retiring Sooner?” at a private financial forum to which I belong. I thought the question applicable here regarding making a JumpToConsulting.

When my business partner was dying from cancer, I asked him if he had any regrets about our business. He replied with an ironic chuckle, “Maybe one. Perhaps we should have started the business sooner.”

This is not a sad story. We shared 28 years working together as partners in a small engineering consulting practice. We had a ball, and enjoyed the independence so much we often joked we were already retired. We both hit Financial Independence a few years after starting the business, but kept going just for the fun of it. BTW, we also took time off to enjoy life along the way.

Just suggesting you not wait too long to follow your dreams, retirement or otherwise. As the old saying goes, “Looking back, one does not regret what they did as much as what they did NOT do.”

The forum is an extension of a public blog esimoney.com (Earn-Save-Invest)  where readers share their goals and successes with financial independence. The blog includes over 300 interviews with millionaires, where we share what we did and how we did it. The 300 interview represent well over a half billion dollars of self made wealth. Check it out here.

While the blog is free, the forum has a fee and is currently closed, but it does open up once or twice a year. ESI has plenty of practical information for those interested in financial independence. Consulting is just one path.

Life is short… Have no regrets…


The FREE Monthly Teleconference is Back!

Join us with your questions – or just listen in learn

“Ask Daryl Anything About Consulting”

Register Here


 

© 2021, https:. All rights reserved.

Appearances Can Be Deceiving…a Humorous Personal Story…

Never judge a book by its cover, right? And never judge this consultant by what he is wearing – particularly on the weekend…

The more I thought about the following personal story, the more humorous it was to me. I hope you enjoy it too.

In my last post, I mentioned my wife breaking her hip. Happy to report she is now home and doing well.

In order to facilitate things, I decided to buy her a new set of wheels — a wheelchair. Not absolutely necessary, but it was a good move.

I first checked Amazon, but the model of interest would not be available for a week or more. On a hunch, I decided to check Craig’s list.

Lo and behold, there was the exact same model she was using in the transitional care facility — immediately available and about half price. And it was only four miles away. How much better could it get?

It was Sunday afternoon, I immediately respond, and yes, it was available. But it would be best if I picked it up right away. So I dropped everything and hustled over.

Not thinking, I grabbed my checkbook rather than the cash machine. Who uses cash these days anyway?

Here is where it becomes humorous. Not knowing the neighborhood, I arrive in my 25 year old Toyota and park next to a shiny brand new BMW in the driveway of a $1.5 million dollar town house.

Posh neighborhood on the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis.

The neighbors were having some sort of soiree of in the front yard, when this old guy (me) shows up. I was wearing ragged shorts and my free t-shirt with the motto “Life is Short – Do Stuff That Matters.”

Hadn’t shaved. Did I mention I’m missing a bunch of teeth awaiting dentures and eventually implants? The Beverly Hillbilly had arrived 🙂

The wheelchair was brand new, with a mileage of about 500 yards. When I whipped out the checkbook, the guy gets a pained look. “Did you not bring cash?” Oops.

I gave him a business card and assured him the check was good. He reluctantly took the check – probably not wanting to miss his sale. Turns out he was a realtor – and who knows – may have even needed the money.

As I left, I detected some “stink eye” from the neighbors. Pretty sure they told the seller he would never see his $250. In retrospect, I should have hit the cash machine, but doubt that would have changed the neighborhood reaction (which matters to me not at all.)

As I reflected on this, I found it more and more amusing. But then I also wondered how many of these young millennial “high fliers” were actually wealthy (net worth) or were just living a pseudo-glamoros lifestyle (aka “Keeping Up With the Jones.”)

This is not meant to be critical nor is it even my business, but I felt some sadness that the latter might be the case — at least for some of them. I remembered an early boss who was house poor (story #2) and trapped in his job.

Hope you enjoyed this, also hope it also provided some perspective. If you are reading my blog, you are probably  interested in becoming independent (occupational-financial-locational) just as I have. With rare exception, you don’t get there showing off and going deeper into debt.

PS – Shared this on a private financial forum (more details in the next post) and it generated many humorous responses. Many of us subscribe to a “stealth wealth” philosophy. This was the financial message of the Millionaire Next Door series by the late Dr. Stanley.


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