There is a good book called The Millionaire Next Door. Two university professors did a study on income and wealth and concluded that those two things are very different. I read it several years ago and it changed my ideas on income, wealth, and "need". It took me several years to figure out how to get to where I didn't need money. That's not do say that I don't WANT money, but it's not about what you make, it's about what you save.
So, my story.... I make a lot of money. A LOT of money. But I've always spent a lot of money. Almost every penny. When I was married I spent everything on my wife and kids. Houses, cars, trips, whatever. Then I got divorced and spent everything on divorce. I left the divorce broker than broke. I started putting life back together by working harder than ever and making more than ever. I was also spending more than ever. About two years ago I was done. It was time to downsize in a big way. The first thing I did was get rid of teh $28,000 suburban that cost almost $1,000 per month to drive. I bought and old Subaru for $4,000 cash. Then I had to get out of the house. I didn't know where or how, but I had to tackle my living expenses. We moved out of the $2,000/month McMansion and into an $850 per month apartment. That still wasn't good enough. I needed to own something, something that cost $0 to live in. I began saving, and knew I had to start with land. I found a piece of land that fit my budget and needs, and bought it cash. Then it's on to a place to live. I knew I couldn't build a McMansion, and didn't want a McMansion, but I needed a place to live. I decided to build a shop with an apartment upstairs. Maybe your answer is a tiny house, or a mobile home, or whatever. I could have gotten by with a 12X16 dry cabin if I had to. And if that's what you have to do then do it! I have my own well, my own septic, and off grid power. If you cant afford a well haul water. If you can
t afford a septic dig an outhouse. If you can't afford a solar setup start small with a generator and add to your solar setup in increments. I heat with wood and coal. The next step is food. Meat rabbits, a garden, a greenhouse. Have you been to the grocery store lately? Good grief! And they say there is no inflation!
The key to this is 1)liberty and 2) hard work. You need to find a place where you are free to do what you want and need to do without constant meddling from government bureaucrats and nosy neighbors. The second one. Hard work. Homesteading isn't easy, but it's worth it. I've found that once I didn't need money I could actually save money. Once I owned my stuff my stuff became wealth and not a burden. Once I was able to live on my own I wasn't a slave to my cubicle.
It's not what you make it's what you save....
Denise Lehtinen wrote:
Mt. goat wrote:Isnt the frugality movement just propoganda from the 1%.?
Nope. In fact the mantra of the 1% is "Greed is good". (And it is what they live themselves.)
It is also their favorite tool for controlling the 99%.
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