Hello!
Hello!
It’s been a while!
I’m sitting in a coffee shop right now in the Outer Banks trying to avoid a presentation I need to put together for a new project (shout out to Ashley’s Espresso Parlor!), and I realized it’s been a while since we last chatted. So hello! What was going on there? Is there anything new and exciting happening this summer? 🙂
It’s been a hot mess here in the DC area with all the gov’s cuts and confusion and chaos. Everyone here knows someone – or anyone – affected by these changes, and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better… We’ve somehow managed to avoid the bulk of it so far (my wife is a proud – and hard working! – civil servant), however the walls are closing in which is sad as it’s the job she loves the most in the world and she’ll be sad to leave. 
But we go ahead and do whatever we can’t control!
Other than that, life is going very well. Our 3 boys continue to grow up and become their silly little ones (now who care more about clothes and brands and influencers – even my 7 year old!), and I’m still in retirement and failing miserably at it, haha… I “work” as much now as I did before, even though it’s my time and I don’t get paid, so I guess I’m really retiring? 🙂
It was a blast though. I accidentally started a new project a few months back and it has taken on a life of its own: A free wardrobe in my city, giving clothes and essentials to anyone who needs them!
It caters primarily to our neighbors who live on the streets and in the woods, but also to many of our low-income families. We’ve given away over 10,000 items so far, from clothes to bikes to tents, sleeping bags, hats, shoes, women’s products, you name it.
It’s very different from doing an *online* project where you share ideas all over the world and never see anyone face to face, compared to one that is more focused and only about physical products that are shared PERSONALLY! I even had to go back to Facebook after ten years as everyone in this town communicates there, lol… Okay, that and Instagram, but still. It’s like going back in time and you have to unlearn the whole way of doing business 
On the one hand it’s been great – the project is growing and never ending, but on the other hand it breaks my heart as it only proves that there is a huge need for this in society 🙁 And it’s not just mine, but maybe yours and everywhere in the country/world! And it seems to be getting worse the way things are going…
However… I can’t say I ever saw myself going into this kind of business, lol, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, to keep going when you’re on top of something and everything keeps flowing 🙂 Whether that’s a new project or a relationship or even your finances. Something magical happens when your passions match your skills, especially when it comes to solving a problem in the world. So when the universe tells you that you are on the right path you keep pushing because you are right where you deserve to be at this moment! It’s a good thing!
So that’s what I’ve been doing here!
And now I have to stop procrastinating and get back to work 🙂 This presentation I have to put together is for a local organization that wants to donate a bunch of clothes – and hopefully money to get a sports van and turn this into a van. mobile phone the closet! – and I need to convince them that I’m not crazy, haha…
If anyone wants to learn more about the closet, and/or wants to donate (yes please!!), send me a DM and I’ll tell you more 
In the meantime, I’ll try to get back to some sort of rhythm here on the blog! I should have more time as the kids start back to school here in the next few months…
If you are new to the site and this is the first post you are reading, hello!! Thanks for shooting it! 🙂 You can check out “my story” here, and feel free to reach out anytime with questions or just to say hello. We usually talk more about money than my personal life, haha, but it probably won’t be the last time either.
Have a great week!
PS: That other project I’m helping my friend with is still moving forward (YouBots.ai), but it seems to be a long way off than we thought. Good thing, My Project is still going strong!
PPS: Here are 3 great books I read recently if anyone is interested:
- “The Happiest Man on Earth” by Eddie Jaku
- “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” by Heather Morris
- “10% Happier” by Dan Harris
*Links are Amazon links…
[This post, Hi!, was first published by J. Money on Budgets Are Sexy]
