Dream Lifestyle Without $1,000,000?

People don’t want to be millionaires. They want to experience what they think only millions can buy.

Tim Ferris, The 4 Hour Workweek, 2007

What do you think millions would buy for you? Peace of mind? The funds, and permission, to finally do all the things you’ve always dreamed of doing?

Is there any way to experience any of those things now?

My previous internal dialogue used to be something like, “One day, when I’m a millionaire, I’ll finally be free to travel – maybe go to Hawaii!– and do bucket-list activities like go scuba diving in crystal clear waters, or maybe even try jumping out of a plane. Oh well. One day. Better work and save up for it. Can’t afford it now.”

Faulty logic and poor math.

Last summer, I flew to Kona International Airport in Hawaii using google flights to find a killer deal on roundtrip airfare – it was around $400, round trip. I worked at a hotel at the time, and using the worker discount, booked this hotel in Hapuna beach:

The hotel cost?

$142.22/night

(For a world-class Hawaii hotel.)

I recently got back from Catalina Island (shown below).

Here, I got to experience my bucket-list dream of scuba diving (on a beautiful day, in clear water, alongside some adorable, bright orange Garibaldi fish and a 300 lb seabass.) Tempted to try scuba too? Want to know how much it’ll cost you?

$105.

(For Scuba diving once you’re in Catalina.)

I shit you not. You can throw in a tip to your instructor if you want, which we did.

Of course, you have to pay to get there first – surely that would make it impossibly expensive?

Nope. Boating to the island costs 44$ round trip with a Groupon, and my friend and I payed $149 to stay for a night at a cute little hotel on an off-day (but we split the cost, bringing it down to $74.50). Leaving a car on the mainland by the port, and splitting parking, cost another $20.

So, not including food (and some $5 happy-hour margaritas!), that’s a total of 105 + 74.50 +44 + 20 =

$243.50.

(For an entire bucket-list scuba-diving vacation.)

Again, that’s for a lifelong-dream activity of scuba diving off a beautiful island, including travel and lodging.

This Thursday, weather permitting, I’m going skydiving.

Again, using a Groupon, and then adding in all fees and gear expenses, how much is it running me? To jump out of a plane and freefall over gorgeous coastal views???

$188.

(To skydive.)

What’s my point?

If I can use workarounds to book a $700-something Hawaii hotel for $149, get a gorgeous trip to Catalina and back (including a hotel stay, boat rides, and scuba diving) for $243.50, and go skydiving for $188, maybe you don’t really need millions to do the things you’ve always dreamed of doing.

Maybe you can do them now.

Good luck, find workarounds, and go adventure.