Results Oriented Work Environment ROWE

I read in the 48 Days newsletter http://www.48days.com by Dan Miller how Results Oriented Work Environments or ROWE are becoming more popular and Best Buy leads in this. ROWE is where employees are compensated for results instead of time. In other words, you don't have to physically be in the office to get paid. You could be at home or anywhere and working, maybe with your laptop, on a conference call or making and taking calls. You don't have to keep track of your time and make sure you make it up when you leave early or come in late. You don't even have to go into the office at all.

I went to the Best Buy Website and then Careers but did not find anything on ROWE mentioned. I also searched on some open job postings. There wasn't anything there either.

I really like the results oriented idea but what I don't see happening is that you can live anywhere and work at Best Buy or another company that is results oriented. This appeals to me because I live in an area where there just isn't that much opportunity. I would love to choose work based on employer versus location. If one lives in a large metropolitan area, there are numorous oppotunities. Smaller more rural areas are very slow to change and opportunities are limited.

I will be looking for this attitude toward work to flourish in other geographical areas as well as expand in scope.

Investing in Antiques and Collectibles

I enjoy buying and selling antiques and collectibles. I'm not sure that investing in these versus other investment vehicles is the thing to do, though. It may be good to use them to diversify your investments. You know, financial experts are always telling you to diversify.

I would suggest you know about what you are investing in also and buy quality items and not just fads. One thing I've found with many antiques and collectibles is that what is hot today may not be hot tomorrow. I guess it's a lot like trying to time the stock market, you probably can't. As is usually advised for stocks, invest in quality at a fair price and not the hot picks of the day. Unless you really know what you are buying and you can sell them quickly and make some money, don't go for the fads.

What Does It Mean to be Wealthy

We hear about "the wealthy", "the wealthiest 1%" etc. What does that mean. Does it mean they are millionaires, multi-millionaires? Does it mean they earn a million or their net worth is a million and does that include one's prmary residence? As you can see, the definition of wealthy can be different, and depending on your own financial situation, it may mean different things to you. Merriam-Webster defines wealth as "abundance of material possessions or resources". Still subjective. Then there is the word affluent. Are the affluent wealthy? Are affluent and wealthy different?

What does it really matter, whether you feel wealthy may depend on your environment. It may depend on how you stack up compared to your peers, your geography, and whether you are doing better than them.

Those who don't feel wealthy may imagine the wealthy don't have any cares and live on easy street. In many ways, they do. One of the most important benefits of wealth is freedom. They don't have to stay at a job they hate or even work in a traditional job. However, they do have cares and in many ways their life is more complex. Someone who doesn't have much, life is simple in that their main concern is meeting basic shelter, food and clothing needs. For the wealthy, they are concerned about keeping and growing their wealth, making wise investments, estate planning, and if they own a business they may have employee and investor concerns.

Freedom to choose, though is the best reason to achieve wealth. You don't have freedom from cares, though.