How Is Everyone Doing Earning Conference?

[PampMomof3]

I made it to 1/2 off and am so thankful. I was not sure with this month that I'd make that so I'm thrilled. That online order for $297 made the difference! Actually all my online sales this month carried me... it was $785 total of online orders. Yahoo and Thanks you Lord! May looks more promising for cooking shows and catalogs ones as well so I'm excited.

Congrats on that much in online orders!! I had $597 and that's great for me!!

 

[BethCooks4U]

I earned half off too! Yippee!

 

[chefkathy]

Half off for me and my team did $4k again. Woohoo!

 

[Christ Follower]

I hit $3247 in April. Although I didn't get the whole thing free, I am very happy with my April sales!

 

[Mel5497]

RETIREMENT?? What??? You are far too young to retire!

Have you ever seen the old B&W Cary Grant-Katherine Hepburn movie "Holiday"? (Not affliated with the film that came out a couple years ago with the same name.) I first saw it my teens, and it generated a major "a-ha" moment for me. Despite it's light and breezy nature, it's essentially a movie about choosing between 'working to live' or 'living to work'.

Anyway, it's been my goal for over 20 years to retire before 50. We really don't need much, so living within our means isn't a stretch. (Had I been able to have children, I'm sure I would have a different timeline.) Anyone who knows me, knows I'm always pursuing a bizillion interests and causes (right, Debi?). That's what I want to keep doing, but with more free time.

I'm still engaged with PC, but on a much lighter scale than before. My focus is on helping my team and doing a few shows a month. I'd love to go to National (I am such a PC-product junkie), but it wouldn't be the best decision for us.
:chef:

 

[BethCooks4U]

Have you ever seen the old B&W Cary Grant-Katherine Hepburn movie "Holiday"? (Not affliated with the film that came out a couple years ago with the same name.) I first saw it my teens, and it generated a major "a-ha" moment for me. Despite it's light and breezy nature, it's essentially a movie about choosing between 'working to live' or 'living to work'.

Anyway, it's been my goal for over 20 years to retire before 50. We really don't need much, so living within our means isn't a stretch. (Had I been able to have children, I'm sure I would have a different timeline.) Anyone who knows me, knows I'm always pursuing a bizillion interests and causes (right, Debi?). That's what I want to keep doing, but with more free time.

I'm still engaged with PC, but on a much lighter scale than before. My focus is on helping my team and doing a few shows a month. I'd love to go to National (I am such a PC-product junkie), but it wouldn't be the best decision for us.
:chef:

Good for you!

That was my husband's goal too (retire by 50) but then he married a woman with 3 kids and had 2 more. Now we are just hoping to finish paying off the house before his job disappears.

 

[chefkugler]

I managed to get all but 2 of my April shows to close by the 30th. So I was able to earn FREE conference registrations. I'm so excited, I usually get 1/2 price every year.

 

[jwpamp]

Kris -- CONGRATS to you!! I am glad that it's working out the way you had planned!

Oh, btw, LOVE, LOVE Cary Grant & Katherine Hepburn (Spencer Tracy, too for that matter) and yes, I HAVE seen the movie!! So glad it motivated you -- great things are to come!

 

[baychef]

Good for you!

That was my husband's goal too (retire by 50) but then he married a woman with 3 kids and had 2 more. Now we are just hoping to finish paying off the house before his job disappears.

I am just hoping to have enough energy to work long enough to "break even"!!! I would need a lot of money to retire because I would have to travel to keep busy! Don't see myself ever fully retired. To some that may seem sad, but I just think I would be too bored.

 

[baychef]

i managed to get all but 2 of my april shows to close by the 30th. So i was able to earn free conference registrations. I'm so excited, i usually get 1/2 price every year.

congratulations!!!!

 

[Mel5497]

I would need a lot of money to retire because I would have to travel to keep busy! Don't see myself ever fully retired. To some that may seem sad, but I just think I would be too bored.

I don't want to hijack this thread, so I'll share the following and then step away from the topic.

Our situation is a little different than some, because DH and I both draw military retirement (and have the associated health care benefits). That said, I think retirement can cost a whole lot less than many people think. This is going to sound terribly cliche, but retirement communities are a great option.

Don't think rocking chairs and shuffleboard. Most retirement communities now are designed for active living. Ours is in a nature preserve with walking trails, over 150 different clubs and all kinds of sports. With just under 1000 homes, we also get to know each other. There is simply no lack of interesting things to do and interesting people to do things with. Because of this, we find we don't have to spend much to genuinely enjoy ourselves. (Picture being a kid again but with alcohol )

The whole thought process about money is different in a retirement community. Obviously, there is the reality of utility bills and medical costs, but the mindset here is pretty much that of Dave Ramsey. No one really cares what you did in your previous life and they care less about what you have. Over the past three years, we've become best friends with both sets of neighbors next to us. One couple lives on their joint pensions; the other only on social security. Neither couple have any debt and neither 'go without.' (All six of us though are skilled shoppers...we rarely pay full price for anything.)

As for traveling, there are all kinds of inexpensive opportunties out there (both age specific and in general). The nice thing is when you're retired you have the time to both research the low-cost options available and actually take advantage of them. (Low cost doesn't necessarily mean no-frills...I found a $5000 rack rate cruise for $900.)

I share all this only because we accidentally stumbled into the retirement community life. I hate to think what decisions we may have made otherwise. An off-hand comment about how much some great neighborhoods change for the worse over time, made DH and I start thinking about how to avoid retiring someplace we wouldn't want to be 20 years later. We did the research and found (to our surprise) that retirement communities offered the stability and neighborhood features we were looking for...at a reasonable cost. We give thanks every day for going this route. It isn't for everyone, but it is worth considering.