Today is the 60th edition of our guest post series called 10 Questions. It also will be one of the last. Everything must come to an end and 10 Questions will bid adieu at the end of 2016. If you’ve already sent me your answers or told me that you’re going to be doing so, don’t worry; I’m still going to publish you.
Today, we feature Johnny who redefines the American Dream. Check out his manifesto to see what the New American Dream is all about.
What goals do you have for your blog, short and long term?
The long term goal for my site is to create a living journal that I can leave behind after I am gone. Right now I do not have kids however, I plan on having them sooner or later, and I would like them to have a record of me as I am now, still learning, still trying to make myself better.
For the short term is to start generating some cash from the site, easier said than done of course with this competitive niche but I have a few things in the pipeline to hopefully start generating some cash sooner than later.
Do you enjoy writing?
It’s funny, growing up reading and writing where by far my weakest things. Sometime after graduation I found a old program my dad bought called photoreading. It changed the way I viewed reading. I started reading two or three books week. With all that new knowledge I took to writing because I thought I could help people as well. Fast forward about eight years later and while I still think writing is my weakest talent I enjoy it a great deal and hope to write a few fiction and nonfiction books here in the near future.
1500 Days is about early retirement. Do you have early retirement dreams? At what age do you think you will retire?
My site is about achieving the American Dream as defined by the millennial generation – having the freedom to do what you want when you want through:
- Eliminating student loan debt, and consumer debt,
- By not chasing the old american dream of buying a house, and
- By finding alternate ways to travel to save money on car related payments.
For me and by extension my site isn’t about early retirement per se, but by approaching the New American Dream as defined by my site you will more than likely see early retirement as a real possibility.
If you are interested in learning more about the New American Dream please check out the NAD Manifesto.
When you are 90 and look back on your life, what do you hope you have accomplished?
That I did it my way. #Oldblueeyes
I want to have influenced my future kids and their kids on the ideas of how to make money work for you, on how to live your life to the fullest while giving up the consumerist lifestyle that plagues many americans. My pop ( pocket of people) that we target are around 21-29 currently they may be out of reach in terms of changing their mentality on money, however to reach their kids is my ultimate goal and hopefully within the next year or so I can start to reach them.
What is the best money management or investment tool you have come across?
To be honest, I don’t use many tools, I just signed up with mint about a month ago, it seems pretty cool so far. Outside of that I am “oldschool” with my heavy reliance on spreadsheets.
Did you grow up with money? How did your money situation growing up influence you?
Grow up with money? No not at all. We grew up middle class. While we didn’t go without and we had all the latest and greatest toys and what not we didn’t have a ton of money.
My parents ended up filing for bankruptcy when my dad got sick and had to quit working. They shielded us from that until a much later down the road. They wanted us to “stay kids” so growing up I didn’t care much for paying bills and budgeting.
It just so happens that one of my favorite cartoons was ducktales. Scrooge Mcduck was the greatest teacher a kid could have in terms of money. If you pay attention he would always give some sage advice on how to turn a dollar into two.
What is the best thing you’ve read lately.
Thats a good question, I can’t pick just one so i’ll give you a list:
These are a good mix of topics, some fiction, some nonfiction all really good.
What do you do for exercise?
Oh man you opened pandora’s box! The question should be what I don’t do for exercise!
Ill try to keep it to a list of things:
- Boxing
- Basketball
- BJJ
- Weight lifting
- Hiking
- Running
- Biking
I do some more than others for sure however these are my staples in terms of staying in shape. Fitness is a huge part of my life. I try to do some fitness related activity three-five times a week.
What post are you most proud of and why?
My site is still very young so I don’t have a ton of posts that I am super proud of, however Here are a few ‘must reads’ from my site:
- NAD Manifesto
- Principles of Investing
- Nature vs Nurture: Why I invest the way I do vs how I want you to invest.
- Living the New American Dream
We notice a lot of frugal people are into board games – what is your favorite?
Monopoly is by far my favorite. It defines what life is all about – using the cash you are given (your salary) to buy investments and use the money people pay you to buy and build houses and hotels. It’s the best game to play with kids.
For a while when people asked me what I did for a living, I said, “ you ever play Monopoly? That’s what I do… except in real life.”
Thanks Johnny for your answers today! Learn more about Johnny over at his blog. And Johnny, I hope your New American Dream comes true!
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Great interview. Sad to read that you don’t plan on continuing them. It has been a great way to get introduced to others with a similar mindset.
cd :O)
I’m sad as well, it is a was a great opportunity to for people like myself to reach as many people as we can.
Thank you for the kind words.
🙂
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Johnny, and I wish you the best in your pursuit of your New American Dreams. I’ve been reaching for my own NADs for years!
I was also disappointed to hear that this particular series will be winding down, but I know Mr. 1500 has got some new things in the works for us, so I won’t shed any tears.
I’ll be continuing to host my Christopher Guest post series, which is pretty much a carbon copy of 10 Questions, for those who might be interested and have a blog with something to offer a physician chasing FIRE or whatever her NADs may be.
Best,
-PoF