Dreams and Aspirations. What would you have done if you had USD 25K?
That is an inspiring question!
Here comes a famous quote by the American comedian W.C. Fields: "I spent half my money on gambling, alcohol and wild women. The other half I wasted."
Lovely, right! Now that I hope I've put a smile on your face... I wouldn't do that, it's just not (exactly) me. However, I acknowledge some money must be spent entertaining ourselves, otherwise, life is too boring!
So... What would I have done if I had USD 25K?
Alright. Let's assume I suddenly get that amount... winning a lottery. I am intentionally picking this way, as in my country, almost every other way would mean taxes must be paid. Funny, no?
Now, pardon me, but apart from crypto pairs, I can't think in USD. Here, apart from an exchange bureau, there is nowhere to spend US dollars. According the exchange rates of today, $25k is about 23k EUR. How would I spend those? Let me assemble a list.
Acquire batteries for our PV farm. Bulgaria is probably the only EU country that hasn't provided any meaningful support for small residential photovoltaic farms. Despite that, my family invested our savings into a small, <5kWh PV farm but unfortunately we didn't have the finances to buy the batteries. The bureaucracy here is enormous and selling energy from such farms back to the grid has been made practically impossible. If we have batteries, most probably we'll cover almost all of our energy needs from the Sun. Currently, on sunny days, we get between 50 and 80% of our needs covered. Last time I checked, the batteries & installation would cost about EUR 6.5k. When that happens, next steps will be to start producing something useful with the surplus of stored energy that I hope we'll be having.
The taxes saved from "winning the lottery" that I mentioned, are about 10%. I would select a local charity to donate that to or just join a meaningful local initiative directly. Or volunteer the corresponding number of hours. EUR 2.3k
I would plan and execute a photographic travel to Faroe Islands. That is a long-standing dream of mine that I was about to make true but then Covid hits us, then a bloody war started and after all that my life changed a lot, unfortunately not in a better way, in financial terms. Back in 2019 my calculations were showing above EUR 5k for that travel for two. Today, that would be something like 7k, I suppose. There is a myriad of amazing stuff to photograph there, trust me on that. Oh, and that mighty waterfall that goes off into the Atlantic Ocean to start with.
With the "remaining" I would buy a server and setup a witness. It would have monthly/yearly fees, so I will have to plan properly for that too and what's left I would invest in crypto and power up so it works for everyone that I like and I support better their content on the blockchain and their efforts to make this place even better.
Now, as the nearest place to Faroe I've ever visited is Iceland, here are few travel photos I took there. Maybe I will touch that mighty oceanic waterfall? Or reach for Aurora Borealis once again? Let's hope so and dream on...
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Here is an uncomplete list of some of my equipment I use on a regular basis:
| Cameras | |
|---|---|
| Canon EOS 5D Mark III | |
| Canon EOS M5 | |
| Canon EOS 550D | |
| Lenses | |
| Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM | |
| Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM | |
| Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM | |
| Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM | |
| Canon EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM | |
| Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM | |
| Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 | |
| 7artisans 35mm f/1.2 | |
| Strobes | Dynaphos Speedster |
| Flashes | Metz |
| Tripods and Mono-pods | Manfrotto |
| Benro |
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Reading your post makes me think how useful these type of challenges actually are. It's not just thinking about some money that you don't have and being angry about it, as I had originally taken the idea. It helps you clear your mind. Even make a plan. A person can have many and nebulous desires that come and go in his head, disorganized and hopeless. But when one is made to sit down and write them, to formulate, structure and arrange them, things look quite different.
I thought I wasn't qualified to write a whole post on this topic because I only have one wish and it can fit into one sentence. 😅But this is very generally speaking and worth considering in detail, it will certainly help. Especially after seeing how you split and calculated things - good job! I particularly like the 4th point and I fully support it. And the second - yes, there is some such spiritual "law", if I'm not mistaken, that a part of the amount received should always be deducted for charitable purposes. I support that too.
Oh, dear, sorry for not replying earlies, I thought I did! :(
Perhaps everything that challenge us is useful and helpful? ;) That's another big conversation, I know! :)
With regards to the charity part, unfortunately I don't do that often enough as our government already strips about the half of what I earn so not much is left, to be honest...
Thank you :)
That rainbow, waterfall photo is awesome
I buy my off-grid stuff on eBay. I buy the stuff just before holidays. I buy it with the 20% off coupons that start about a week before the holiday. On Memorial Day I bought a 1000 watts of solar panels or 5 200 waters, at $.5623 cents per watt. That is very cheap and brand new.
On the Fourth of July, I bought Two EcoWorthy 235AH batteries for a total of $854.00 including tax and insurance.
Both purchases, I used the 20% coupon. The coupons are good for $500 total purchases but EcoWorthy let me use the coupon for each battery and so the price included tax and insurance on the batteries.
The coupon is good only in the holiday sale section. I almost bought this huge stack on wheels with 240 volt inverter normally $12,900 which was marked down on sale like the batteries with the coupon to $7,400.
If you have wind, I buy windmills from https://mwands.com. wind is cheaper than solar and these are three phase AC which convert to DC through a rectifier. Why AC? You can use 14g cord but I use 10g cord. I have used these here where the wind can go to sustained 125nmph. They are tough. I write article which tells you how to hook wind up to LiPos4 batteries by first using lead/acid deep cycle and put you lithium batteries on the end of a parallel circuit. Have a nice day
Thank you for these great ideas.
eBay is a bit expensive for big purchases here, as I would not only have to pay 20% VAT and about the same amount of customs duties but also I have to spend time with the Customs myself. All that of course, if the parcel comes from outside the EU. Nowadays, most PV stuff comes from China though, so...
I will have to look more into this matter, as the prices you shared here are just great!
We have wind and my question here is how noisy are those windmills? I suppose there are some dB mentioned in their passports?
I was thinking of installing a windpump on our water source, it's apprx. 75 feet deep drill with diameter of about 5" but I am afraid neighbors could complain as the source is closer to their house than ours :)))
I can't open mwands.com, it times out, I may try it later or tomorrow with a VPN point somewhere in the USA. ;)
Hive a nice day yourself too! :)
You're buying from EcoWorthy store for batteries they have an EU office and distribution center and maybe manufacturing as well.
https://windandsolar.com/ they changed the website. They are not too loud unless the wind gets to 75 nmph+. You should buy the brake switch. That way it will stop in a big storm. Also, I put cut hose rubber cushions on the shaft where the clamps are. The windmill is perfectly balanced. They also sell from the company website 100 AH for $170 or so, the EU website is in euros I think.
Ecoworthy and Missouri Wind and Solar ship and sell world wide
Thank you! You're right, they have German and French stores, offering free delivery within EU.
Yep.
Thank you, friend!
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I wholeheartedly wish you a happy future where your dreams come true. May all your future endeavours be successful.
Likewise! Thanks so much!
I have always liked your photographs, I think they are excellent work. I wish you that your dreams come true and you can carry out your photographic journey.
So sweet, thanks so much :)
I wish your dreams come true as well :)
It really made me smile a lot
Thank you for sharing with us, I hope you can make some plans and travel to the Faroe Islands
You are in the competition
Thanks so much! I would really love to fulfill most of these. I believe it would be worthy, not only for personal gains.
Ah, and I am glad to see I made your day a bit better, to smile is to be healthier :D
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Thanks so much :)
Любое дело (почти любое) начинается с мечты, потом следует план и затем первый шаг по его исполнению ))
У тебя есть план, это лучше мечты. Дело за шагами и первый ... я думаю ты уже сделал)) Ведь эти мысли не взяты с потолка.
Остаётся пожелать успехов в осуществлении задуманного)
Thanks so much! True, true!
Much harder to follow my dreams lately but hopefully all changes to better, sooner! :)
🖐 😊 👌
Great photos.
Thank you!