I’m on vacation for 2 weeks. I really like the end of August to take a some time off. The first reason I wait so long before taking my vacation is that most people went already and this leaves me with more time and space to do my things.
Last week, I took a full day to work on my land. I was actually planning on setting up a fireplace so we can enjoy a nice fire with a few marshmallows with the kids.
Since I live in a remote area, my yard is big enough to take a 20’ x 20’ spot to install a nice setup for a fire. I wanted it pretty big so I started my project early in the morning and dug a hole.
I asked my kids to gather small rocks and dry wood for the fire. They were all excited and they were running all over our yard to find what I asked for.
Building the whole thing cost me $40 since I wanted to place nice small rocks all around the fireplace. I used rocks and big pieces of wood to make a place to sit and I have gathered all the big rocks I could find to make a circle around the fireplace.
At the end of the day, I noticed how great my day was:
#1 I spent quality time with my family
#2 I got my share of exercise for the day
#3 I have a nice fireplace
#4 I felt proud of myself since it is now “my” fireplace.
This is when I realized that sometimes you don’t need much money to have fun. That you can find a lot of fun in the small things that don’t cost much. And, more importantly, spending time with my children makes me very happy and this, doesn’t cost a penny!
Tomorrow, we are heading towards Montreal to have a picnic in a park downtown. We will also go to a Museum and visit a labyrinth near the old port of Montreal. Then again, this vacation day won’t cost a thing but will definitely be enjoyable!
Mike, aka The Dividend Guy, authors The Dividend Guy Blog since 2010 and manages portfolios at Dividend Stocks Rock. He is a passionate investor.