Now that I’m 3 months or so from my official retirement date, its time to do a little planning; to give a little thought to the few upcoming purchases / expenditures. It’s times like this where you suddenly feel free of all obligations, free to pursue the little things in life you have somehow left behind in the frenzy of success and failure.

Let’s just say the budget for the next 2 years is 2 million bucks. Distinguishing between the priorities of needs and wants, whims and fancies, I have settled on the following:

1) Condominium – 800k

I think it would be nice to settle my permanent accommodation before all else. After all it’s the one thing, if fully paid, that can count more as an asset than liability (I know this sounds fundamental but it’s true). Of course the whim factor plays a role too, since I just paid a visit to one of my folk’s friend’s house, and the interior design was just so cosy… makes you feel like getting one yourself.

The hall will be installed with a karaoke system (possibly the set from Party World with touch screen features and quarterly updates). A nice plasma screen and all-wooden furniture. Might want to get one of those Arabian carpets too. The sofa must be of velvet material.

My room shall have my king size bed, a smaller plasma and a brood of stuffed turtles. The walls shall be painted crimson red. The master bath shall have a Jacuzzi pool with a sliding door so I can watch TV and soak the day’s woes away at the same time.

A room will be specially set up for music composition and recording. The other will be my mini-gym (must have free weights). The last room shall be my study, I guess, where I store my library of books and a few computer terminals.

Wonder if I still have an additional room for guests?

2) Vehicles – 400k

I must get by Mercedes 4-seater convertible, CLK or SLK I can’t really remember. It’s what I promised myself as my first car. I should get another MPV for the family as well, so the 6 people do not have to squeeze during outings. I can take the Sunny as a spare vehicle.

3) School – 100k

This is quite a budget for a 4 year university course, but well, I can be living on peanuts, so I guess it can’t be helped. School itself is probably going to be boring, the curriculum repeating itself in stifling monotone. But well, it’s a part of my childhood I have missed.

4) Wandering – 500k

I will set this sum aside as contingency fund, go to the airport, pick a flight and get out of this country. I will spend 3 to 6 months at each destination; get a job and some accommodation. I can travel and write music at the same time. It will be a cool 5 years.

5) Business – 200k

This amount can go to getting the warehouse space and store equipment for the business. Not too much but sufficient. It will grow anyways.

The order of purchase should be:

Business – School – Condo – Cars – Wandering

School and Wandering will probably be some sort of either-or option.

And damn I have no more budget for the steward! Goes to show there’s never enough when it comes to human wants, hahaha... :)