Probably closer to $1000/mo, actually.

But as I said - it literally pays for itself: say my time is worth $100/hr[1] and paid on an IRS 1099 schedule - so it’s a deductible expense. The extra 3-4 hours it gets me ($300-400) is worth the $35 opportunity cost, because that’s $5,000+ extra monthly income - so minus the $1000 as a pre-tax deductible business expense then that’s $4000 I wouldn’t have had otherwise.

Spreadsheets don’t lie!

Even if I was paid on a W-2 basis, I could probably pay for it using pre-tax money from my HSA - though that would sap all of my HSA contributions though.

[1]: Why yes, I do live on the US west-coast.

Have considered hiring someone to sit behind me, just to keep me on task.

Adderal did a great job “teaching” me to stay on task. I do alright without it now, but energy level is just too low.

Diet definitely makes a huge difference. Carbs are evil. Audio books for when I need to do chores.

1) Fascinating.

2) You could probably get a movie deal.

> You could probably get a movie deal

I imagine a film about kind middle-aged ladies bringing coffee to a young, possibly hungover, technology worker who suffocates on his own pillow at night would not make for good entertainment.

Or it’d be a hit. Could probably frame it as a remake of As Good As It Gets: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_Good_as_It_Gets

I could see the guy falling for one of the ladies who wake him up. Quirky but it might be a romcom that could work.

I see you’re not a screenwriter. As Good as it Gets, Harold and Maude, etc.

I've wanted to wake up at 5AM for the last... maybe 5 years, so I could do side projects before work; but I've always ended up waking up at the latest time where I can shower, get dressed and take the bus to work so I'm not late to the daily status meeting. Being able to have that 3 more hours every day is probably worth some money.

Although 5 years of that service (let's say minus the time I'd be on vacation) is about $40000...

Make a baby, or adopt. Much cheaper way to wake up early.

And, as I’ve learnt, a much more expensive way to do anything else whatsoever. :-)

But defeats the purpose of having MORE time for a side project.

Babies are the side project destroyers.