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It's surprizing at how many people don't know how to fix things. When we bought out house, one of the odd things about it was for some reason, the previous owners before the one we bought it from cut a hole in the wall in the dining room and a corresponding hole in the living room and put grates over them. We had theories as to why they did this, and NONE of them made any sense.... but it never bothered us.
Until my mom died. Grief is an odd thing. Every time I looked at those grates I got angry. So one day while we were at Home Depot, I wandered around and discovered they sell quarter sheets of drywall. I bought two, some drywall tape and patching plaster....... and two days later those grates were off and the holes were patched.
Hubs was amazed that I knew how to do that. To me it was logical.....
And when I tell peolpe this story they all say the smae thing -- how did you know to do that????
Thanks for the great story. I admit I am one of those people who doesn't know how to fix things and doesn't want to learn
Ummmmm, the lentil comment was suppose to be a joke, and that's not all he has, that's all he chooses, and that's okay for him. Not me and my family. I'm not dissing the guy, to each their own. In my eyes, that kind of life would not be much fun for me and mine. Doesn't make me wrong either!!!! However, he has a lot more money then me.......I just hope he gets to enjoy spending it one day!!!!!!! Lol
Oh, sorry. I always take things seriously. Since he got married, he actually doesn't eat lentils all the time now, as his wife, while still frugal, isn't nearly as extreme as he is.
I do think most Americans' perceptions of what brings happiness in life is off kilter, though. Psychologists who study happiness are finding that people are really bad at predicting what will make them happy
He would say there are millions of people who don't want to, not because they can't...but because they're not willing to go against the social norms.
Not having kids helps a lot. But very few single people would be willing to do what he did to become financially independent.
Exactly, and when I said millions could not possibly accomplish his financial independence, it is because drowning the children they already have "goes against social norms".
Exactly, and when I said millions could not possibly accomplish his financial independence, it is because drowning the children they already have "goes against social norms".
Well, obviously the things he talks about are much easier to implement if you don't have kids.
Personally, I'd be happy if people just understood how damaging it is (financially and otherwise) to have kids out of wedlock and/or divorce. I think the love/romance based marriage system needs to be taken down a few pegs. It's not working.
I am all for getting off the consumer treadmill but it bothers me when people insinuate that it is a simple matter of making better/tougher choices than the ones you are currently making. Thats what I seem to be hearing a lot of here. This gentleman's lifestyle is possible because he already had some funds to initiate it- He owns the RV and probably has a bike that wasn't purchased at walmart.
Lets talk costs in my area-
Lot rent for an rv- $200
Electric bill for rv-$250 month (and that is being frugal, they are calling for a high of 38 degrees today which equates to heating costs in April, and they start in the evenings in Septemeber. I live in a 1200 sq ft house and heat and electric was $1000 for feb. I am dreading seeing march's bill).
Food-$400/month. Don't forget things like laundry detergent and shampoo and conditioner.
Gas-$400/month. We aren't retired yet, we have to work. And there is no public transpo in the area. And even the most diehard bike rider in this area puts there bike away by Novemeber. Its not really an option
Ins-$80/month. Only for liability, cars are free and clear.
Student Loans- $300. Would love to not pay them but its got to be done.
And now the clincher- Health insurance. A private no frills high deductible policy in NY state cost $1200/month. That is the absolute cheapest policy we can get. I know, we shopped around for months, we have a child and are uninsured, trust me if I could find one for 150/mo/person I would be all over it.
So even attempting his lifestyle is not possible where I live for less than 2800/mo. if you have health insurance, $1600 without. That is 19K a year. So as long as you net 76K a year you can follow his advice and live off of 25% of your income a year and reach that goal, provided no car problems, health problems, or other normal life surprises.
How about a plan for the rest of us average schlubs that bring home say half of that amount?
*just got the heat bill for March- whhoooohoooo its only $400, half of february's bill! I love spring.
I'm sorry, but there are millions and millions of people who could not possibly be financially independent in five years, even if the author of this blog personally took them by the hand.
For those who CAN be, there is one five-word sentence that sums up everything you need to know in order to accomplish it. Spend Less Than You Earn.
Even the blog author couldn't be of much help to someone living on a poverty-level income.
Not a lot of room down there to Spend Less Than You Earn.
But all of them knew that they COULD HAVE, even before they read his book. In fact, they just could have read my posts. I live on $1,000 a month, but that's SS, which means I can live where I please without needing to be within shooting distance of a source of income. Virtually all employed workers get at least that takehome.
Do you have a rent or mortgage payment? It is a LOT easier to live on $1,000 per month if you don't have a housing payment every month.
I live on a little over $800 aq month, and half of that pays for renting a crappy room in a crappy crowded house. Not much left after rent and utilities.
i'm sure the revenue from his book and his sponsored links help keep him independent though....
If you read the blog, he talks about that, too. I forget how much he said he was making off the blog, etc.....but it wasn't much. Of course, the way he lives, he doesn't need much.
If you read the blog, he talks about that, too. I forget how much he said he was making off the blog, etc.....but it wasn't much. Of course, the way he lives, he doesn't need much.
eh. whatever works. but he's not independent. he has a blog, book royalties, and a wife with a salary. it's nice to say they keep their finances seperate, but i don't buy into it.
the ideas he writes are nice, and taken to the extreme, i'm sure effective to some degree. but i'm with the posters that picked apart some of the details. it sounds too much like an infomercial to me as well.
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