Comments on: My 4 hour work week http://earlyretirementextreme.com/2009/06/my-4-hour-work-week.html --- make your investment cash flow higher than your expenses! Sun, 21 Mar 2010 05:19:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jacob http://earlyretirementextreme.com/2009/06/my-4-hour-work-week.html/comment-page-1#comment-8499 Jacob Sat, 02 Jan 2010 06:41:01 +0000 http://earlyretirementextreme.com/?p=1667#comment-8499 @FS - I tried (admittedly not very hard). See here for the results http://earlyretirementextreme.com/2009/11/the-ad-show.html Since I am offering somewhat unique content, my hope is to be able to sell books and ebooks and make some dough that way instead monetizing by advertising. Judging by the numbers, I have one of the most dedicated readerships of the pf-world (something I'm somewhat proud of): The average time on site is around 5 minutes. Compare to TSD (because he shares his numbers) ... if we both thought of our blogs as a stadium with people coming in and out, he would sell 25 times as many tickets as I do, however, the TSD stadium would only have 3 times as many people in the seats as I do. IOW, people stay more than 8 times longer here, so perhaps they'd prefer to read content instead of eyeball ads, I'm hoping :-) @FS – I tried (admittedly not very hard). See here for the results http://earlyretirementextreme.com/2009/11/the-ad-show.html

Since I am offering somewhat unique content, my hope is to be able to sell books and ebooks and make some dough that way instead monetizing by advertising. Judging by the numbers, I have one of the most dedicated readerships of the pf-world (something I’m somewhat proud of): The average time on site is around 5 minutes. Compare to TSD (because he shares his numbers) … if we both thought of our blogs as a stadium with people coming in and out, he would sell 25 times as many tickets as I do, however, the TSD stadium would only have 3 times as many people in the seats as I do. IOW, people stay more than 8 times longer here, so perhaps they’d prefer to read content instead of eyeball ads, I’m hoping :-)

]]> By: Financial Samurai http://earlyretirementextreme.com/2009/06/my-4-hour-work-week.html/comment-page-1#comment-8497 Financial Samurai Sat, 02 Jan 2010 06:24:32 +0000 http://earlyretirementextreme.com/?p=1667#comment-8497 Jacob why not just throw some ads on this site and earn several hundred bucks a month this way, since you publish regularly anyway? Jacob why not just throw some ads on this site and earn several hundred bucks a month this way, since you publish regularly anyway?

]]> By: yuhan http://earlyretirementextreme.com/2009/06/my-4-hour-work-week.html/comment-page-1#comment-6600 yuhan Sun, 06 Sep 2009 05:47:29 +0000 http://earlyretirementextreme.com/?p=1667#comment-6600 Jacob, as you already can guess, it's all about getting thru the degree and onto something else (qualifications for a job, better job, change job, advancement, etc). The interesting thing is that you get a lot of moms, some grandmas, quite a few military -- even some on active deployment, so it's not only your typical 20 year old in the class. At any rate I just wanted to mention online teaching as hypothetical possible work, not that you should actually do it -- for us who still need to. But back to education: it is actually an idea of mine to start an online school truly devoted to "education" ie for "life-long learners". I think it is a great idea, I just wonder if there will be any takers (if you have any suggestions along these line, I'd be interested to hear them). Physics problem? Sure I'd be happy to see what it is that you have. I warn you, my physics is rudimentary (need to read Goldstein and my Dicke-Witte QM book). Also mathematicians notoriously cannot calculate anything! Technical proficiency? All vanished! Since all this getting rather long, you can just email me. Jacob, as you already can guess, it’s all about getting thru the degree and onto something else (qualifications for a job, better job, change job, advancement, etc). The interesting thing is that you get a lot of moms, some grandmas, quite a few military — even some on active deployment, so it’s not only your typical 20 year old in the class. At any rate I just wanted to mention online teaching as hypothetical possible work, not that you should actually do it — for us who still need to.

But back to education: it is actually an idea of mine to start an online school truly devoted to “education” ie for “life-long learners”. I think it is a great idea, I just wonder if there will be any takers (if you have any suggestions along these line, I’d be interested to hear them).

Physics problem? Sure I’d be happy to see what it is that you have. I warn you, my physics is rudimentary (need to read Goldstein and my Dicke-Witte QM book). Also mathematicians notoriously cannot calculate anything! Technical proficiency? All vanished!

Since all this getting rather long, you can just email me.

]]> By: Jacob http://earlyretirementextreme.com/2009/06/my-4-hour-work-week.html/comment-page-1#comment-6588 Jacob Sat, 05 Sep 2009 07:26:42 +0000 http://earlyretirementextreme.com/?p=1667#comment-6588 @yuhan - I suspected it was something like Phoenix. I didn't realize that they had pre-existing programs though. I know it's possible to develop courses for the local community college and even "adult education" like 6 Saturdays of informational lectures. It would be something different, but I got so much going on already. Also, I'm a bit afraid that teaching would be too much like what I was trying to avoid. Are the typical student gunning for a degree or an education for instance? ;-) I fully sympathize with the lack of motivation --- for me the problem is learning while not doing anything useful, like learning to program and doing textbook exercises without making a program that is actually good for something. If you're interested, I have a problem in electrostatics with the non-profit. It's pretty simple though. Also consider that it's been a long time since I was at peak technical proficiency. These days I could tell you what the Schroedinger equation means, like the physical interpretation of an operator like the Hamiltonian, but I probably wouldn't be able to derive it right away. @yuhan – I suspected it was something like Phoenix. I didn’t realize that they had pre-existing programs though. I know it’s possible to develop courses for the local community college and even “adult education” like 6 Saturdays of informational lectures. It would be something different, but I got so much going on already. Also, I’m a bit afraid that teaching would be too much like what I was trying to avoid. Are the typical student gunning for a degree or an education for instance? ;-)

I fully sympathize with the lack of motivation — for me the problem is learning while not doing anything useful, like learning to program and doing textbook exercises without making a program that is actually good for something.

If you’re interested, I have a problem in electrostatics with the non-profit. It’s pretty simple though. Also consider that it’s been a long time since I was at peak technical proficiency. These days I could tell you what the Schroedinger equation means, like the physical interpretation of an operator like the Hamiltonian, but I probably wouldn’t be able to derive it right away.

]]> By: yuhan http://earlyretirementextreme.com/2009/06/my-4-hour-work-week.html/comment-page-1#comment-6586 yuhan Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:32:33 +0000 http://earlyretirementextreme.com/?p=1667#comment-6586 Hi Jabob -- who hiring? Well everyone it seems! Not to say that's it's always easy to get in the door. Let me be less vague. You've heard of Univ of phoenix right? It's largely an online school. That's one. Just look around when you're surfing the web and you will see lots of ads touting "online degrees". Or google "online degree". Hundreds will appear. Every one of these places need people to teach their classes. It's mainly business, psychology, some computers, but luckily everyone needs math! Most of the classes are already set up, the instructor basically facilitates (and grades) the class. Online education is the largest expanding sector of education and is filled with these for profit schools that have sprouted up like so many mushrooms after a heavy rain (when you weren't looking). Darn maybe I ought to invest in it. Online education is the wave of the future and can seriously put a dent in "face-to-face" education. Right now anyone running a college or university is scrambling to get a slice of the pie. It's big money. On the other hand some think education is another bubble! Re physics: yeah I think I never learned to think the way a physicist does. I have a hard time motivating myself since I'm out of the academic loop and there's no one to talk to about this stuff. Hi Jabob — who hiring? Well everyone it seems! Not to say that’s it’s always easy to get in the door. Let me be less vague. You’ve heard of Univ of phoenix right? It’s largely an online school. That’s one. Just look around when you’re surfing the web and you will see lots of ads touting “online degrees”. Or google “online degree”. Hundreds will appear. Every one of these places need people to teach their classes. It’s mainly business, psychology, some computers, but luckily everyone needs math! Most of the classes are already set up, the instructor basically facilitates (and grades) the class.

Online education is the largest expanding sector of education and is filled with these for profit schools that have sprouted up like so many mushrooms after a heavy rain (when you weren’t looking). Darn maybe I ought to invest in it. Online education is the wave of the future and can seriously put a dent in “face-to-face” education. Right now anyone running a college or university is scrambling to get a slice of the pie. It’s big money. On the other hand some think education is another bubble!

Re physics: yeah I think I never learned to think the way a physicist does. I have a hard time motivating myself since I’m out of the academic loop and there’s no one to talk to about this stuff.

]]> By: Jacob http://earlyretirementextreme.com/2009/06/my-4-hour-work-week.html/comment-page-1#comment-6582 Jacob Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:29:58 +0000 http://earlyretirementextreme.com/?p=1667#comment-6582 @yuhan - How does it work more specifically? Who's hiring, etc.? Do you set up your own course? I could help you out with some physics, tell you where to start, etc. From my experience with teaching math students, the biggest challenge will be to learn to think more like a physicist. Of course when I do math, I have the exact opposite problem :-) @yuhan – How does it work more specifically? Who’s hiring, etc.? Do you set up your own course? I could help you out with some physics, tell you where to start, etc. From my experience with teaching math students, the biggest challenge will be to learn to think more like a physicist. Of course when I do math, I have the exact opposite problem :-)

]]> By: yuhan http://earlyretirementextreme.com/2009/06/my-4-hour-work-week.html/comment-page-1#comment-6581 yuhan Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:53:09 +0000 http://earlyretirementextreme.com/?p=1667#comment-6581 Hi there Jacob. This is my first post here (although I have been reading you for a while), and I would like to thank you for sharing your experience of FI. Something I would like too! As far as small income streams are concerned I would like to recommend to your readers online teaching as a possibility. I do a class and it pays about $1300 for a 5 weeks. They pay you for 8 hours of work per week so that comes out to be 32.5 per hour. Of course getting such a job requires that you have at least a masters and some teaching experience. Fortunately I have a Phd in pure math and lots of teaching experience. Hey Jacob -- maybe you could help me learn some physics, I don't live far from the bay area! Hi there Jacob. This is my first post here (although I have been reading you for a while), and I would like to thank you for sharing your experience of FI. Something I would like too!

As far as small income streams are concerned I would like to recommend to your readers online teaching as a possibility. I do a class and it pays about $1300 for a 5 weeks. They pay you for 8 hours of work per week so that comes out to be 32.5 per hour.

Of course getting such a job requires that you have at least a masters and some teaching experience. Fortunately I have a Phd in pure math and lots of teaching experience. Hey Jacob — maybe you could help me learn some physics, I don’t live far from the bay area!

]]> By: John http://earlyretirementextreme.com/2009/06/my-4-hour-work-week.html/comment-page-1#comment-5179 John Sun, 14 Jun 2009 02:54:02 +0000 http://earlyretirementextreme.com/?p=1667#comment-5179 Hi Jacob, I stumbled upon your website and admire your approach. I'm recently unemployed and can’t manage on a few hours of work per week due to my significant student loan debt and mortgage. With that being said, however, I’m sure I can think of creative ways to earn money, just as you suggest. I like your comment about turning off the television and learning a few marketable skills. Well said! Anyway, here's my blog if you're interested: http://zerohourworkweek.blogspot.com Hi Jacob,

I stumbled upon your website and admire your approach. I’m recently unemployed and can’t manage on a few hours of work per week due to my significant student loan debt and mortgage. With that being said, however, I’m sure I can think of creative ways to earn money, just as you suggest. I like your comment about turning off the television and learning a few marketable skills. Well said!

Anyway, here’s my blog if you’re interested:

http://zerohourworkweek.blogspot.com

]]> By: David http://earlyretirementextreme.com/2009/06/my-4-hour-work-week.html/comment-page-1#comment-5024 David Tue, 02 Jun 2009 22:36:33 +0000 http://earlyretirementextreme.com/?p=1667#comment-5024 Very interesting about TeX. I've certainly heard of it but had no idea there was still any demand for it. I've done typesetting, book design and such for years but nothing with math/science formulae. There's a free Mac distro called MacTeX2008. I'm gonna try it out, as it doesn't, from a high-level view, look much different than XML/SGML stuff. Didn't find any TeX jobs on the local craigslist, but that doesn't mean there aren't any elsewhere. Very interesting about TeX. I’ve certainly heard of it but had no idea there was still any demand for it. I’ve done typesetting, book design and such for years but nothing with math/science formulae.

There’s a free Mac distro called MacTeX2008. I’m gonna try it out, as it doesn’t, from a high-level view, look much different than XML/SGML stuff.

Didn’t find any TeX jobs on the local craigslist, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any elsewhere.

]]> By: Jeff http://earlyretirementextreme.com/2009/06/my-4-hour-work-week.html/comment-page-1#comment-5023 Jeff Tue, 02 Jun 2009 22:28:03 +0000 http://earlyretirementextreme.com/?p=1667#comment-5023 Ah, it looks like you are right about that. I talked the person in charge of payroll at my company today. She has done payroll for 7 years and when she told me I was free to adjust my "withholding number" to whatever I wanted... I thought she meant I was truly free to take a cheap loan from the govt. As I look around some internet sources, it seems like you are right... if I intentionally tried to pay no taxes throughout the year I would be subject to penalties. Perhaps it's smarter to go up one notch at a time and look for a sweet spot where I'm not getting a refund in April, but not underpaying by much. Thanks! Ah, it looks like you are right about that. I talked the person in charge of payroll at my company today. She has done payroll for 7 years and when she told me I was free to adjust my “withholding number” to whatever I wanted… I thought she meant I was truly free to take a cheap loan from the govt. As I look around some internet sources, it seems like you are right… if I intentionally tried to pay no taxes throughout the year I would be subject to penalties. Perhaps it’s smarter to go up one notch at a time and look for a sweet spot where I’m not getting a refund in April, but not underpaying by much. Thanks!

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