Does money grow on trees?
Well… no. Of course, they don’t.
Yet, in a sense, they actually do!

When I started this calendar, I wrote how I, in 2015, “came home” when I found a way to put my savings into trees. End November 2019, I got my first return on the trees I bought four years ago, and it’s as if it was yesterday… The return I got was basically worth a week’s wages. And sure, I could have used the money with Christmas around the corner, but I actually bought new trees instead. You see, I have a long-term plan with this! As I am saving money, in reality, what I am giving myself is time.

Time? Yes!
With a week’s wages, I could take an extra week off work if I wanted to, without it affecting my finances. As I’ve bought trees every year since 2015, the return will increase yearly as well, like an automatic money-making-machine. In another three to five years, the cost of buying trees will equal the return I get. The year after that, that’s when I will be giving myself that extra time, to live, to love, to laugh!

In 2020, I will get my second return from the trees I bought in 2015, as well as the first from the trees of 2016. Two week’s wages! In 2021, three week’s wages, and by 2024, I could have an extra month of vacation without it having a negative impact on my financial situation. Do the math; the return keeps on coming for a total of 15 years, starting the fourth year after the trees are bought. So yeah, money d o e s grow on trees!

The years fly by!
And sure… five years can feel like an eternity, not to mention ten! But stop and pause for just a second, and think back. Twenty years ago, I was a new mom, and now that kid of mine is more than ready to leave the nest! Hard to imagine, I remember caring for my tiny baby as if it was yesterday…

And do you remember when the Icelandic cloud of ashes put a halt to all flights in northeastern Europe? That was in 2010. Close to ten years ago. I remember it well as my oldest niece was in the US at the time and had to stay for a couple of extra weeks before being able to fly back home to Europe.

In 2015 the gruesome images of three-year-old Alan Kurdi, washed up drowned on a beach in Turkey trying to flee Syria with his family, finally pushed me over the edge to apply to become a legal guardian for unaccompanied minors, a position I’ve held ever since.

That’s why I want to make the most of my time.
Now, I’ve more or less stopped buying unnecessary things. I don’t need a lot. So I am not looking at creating a money-making-machine so I can use it on shit and stuff. Honestly, I hardly shop at all, not even Christmas gifts! Except for trees, that is. Those trees will help me (and my kids! I buy as many trees for them, as I do for myself.) buy myself time and freedom. Time for that which truly matters: My loved ones. Family. Friends.

If you or someone you know is interested in saving in trees, contact me and I will explain in greater detail how it works, and share how anyone can set up that money-making-machine. And remember, even though time does fly, if you buy trees before the end of the year, the return comes end November 2023. If you buy your trees come the new year, you’ll have to wait another year for it.

Advent Calendar for 2019: sharing pictures and stories/reflections from my trip to Kenya in June. I went to visit “my trees” and get a hands-on experience of the social entrepreneurship of the Kenyan forestry company that I buy trees through.

Full disclosure: I am proud to say I am both a customer and an ambassador for the company. If you are curious to find out more, let me know and I’ll gladly get in touch with you! Here’s my sponsored link: https://betterglobe.com/27216