If you’re tired of working your butt off and can’t see a foreseeable end to your hectic lifestyle, it’s time to plan ahead. Who doesn’t want to be a lady of leisure? Lounging around in your comfy clothes all day while reading a book or maybe even hanging out in a hammock all day listening to ocean waves. If this sounds like your kind of lifestyle, here are some fun steps to get you there.
1. Get a second income.
While it may not be your favorite idea to add more responsibility to your life, getting a second income can be really relaxing. Your second income should be something you really like to do. If you can find a way to make money from the hobby or skill you adore, you’ll have ample energy to do it. For example, if you’re really good at making lavender pillows, then make a bunch. Sell them on Etsy or get a booth at a farmer’s market on weekends. You’ll spend less and make a bit of extra income that won’t be taxed.
2. Buy stuff and sell it.
This is similar to the first point but if you’re more of an analytical person than a creative one, you might like to buy for cheap and sell for more. This can be easily done on platforms like eBay. To get familiar with how things work on eBay like price points to start with and when people buy what, sell some of the things around the house you’re not using anymore. When you’ve got it figured out, you can start to buy things on eBay for a cheap price. For example, buy up snowboard jackets in the spring and hold onto them until the winter.
3. Be mindful of your expenses.
It takes dedication to become a lady of leisure so you’ll want to reduce your spending in order to put money away. It doesn’t have to be boring, if you’re creative you can still spoil yourself. Instead of spending a day at the spa, make your own natural products at home. Instead of going out for pricey dinner with your friends, invite them over for gourmet dinners at your place. If you love fancy coffees, invest in an espresso machine and make them yourself.
4. Develop your own business slowly.
The goal here is to create something that will give you recurring monthly income later on. For example, you can start your own blog, get lots of followers, and use Google AdWords to make money. You can also create your own ebook and sell that too (on your super popular blog). Brand yourself daily through Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and other social media sites. Do something that doesn’t cost a lot of money and work on it consistently.
5. Get someone else to take care of your thriving business.
If your business doesn’t self manage, you’ll want to find someone who can manage it at some point. When you’re ready to lay in a hammock for the rest of your life, find an operations manager to handle your business. Find someone bright and reliable and integrate them into the business at least six months before you’re ready to walk away from it. That way, they’ll know what they’re doing and can run your business effectively.
6. Work at a place that saves money.
If you love the finer things in life and don’t want to give them up, work in that sector. For example, if you can’t live without expensive clothes, work part time at your favorite design house. You’re already passionate about their clothing so you’ll probably make great money in commissions. You’ll also get decent discounts that will allow you to purchase your favorite clothes at a price you can afford.
7. Buy something that will increase in value later.
A good example of something that increased in value is the Cabbage Patch Kid. They were a big deal in the 80’s and today, the original doll is worth up to $50,000. Look around for the hot item of today in toys, cars that will become vintage in a few years, beauty products that don’t expire or jewelry. You can find random items at antique stores, second hand stores, eBay, and yard sales. Hold onto your investment for the next few years and resell them when they’re a hot item again.
8. Figure out which affordable tropical location you want to call home.
Unless you’re really lucky with all of the above, your lady of leisure lifestyle probably won’t land you an apartment in the middle of Manhattan. With that said, there are wonderful places all around the world that allow you to live a laid back lifestyle for much cheaper. Source out what time zone you want to live in, how much you can afford to spend monthly and start looking for a warm location to enjoy. The nice thing about being a lady of leisure is you aren’t tied down to any one spot.
Featured photo credit: Taz/flickr via flickr.com
