I have been teetering on the edge of this line of thought for some time now, and think I may have just fallen over the cliff!

I’m excited. Thank you.

Nice article, thanks for sharing!

I own no car. I use metro-rail, bus, trains.. and hired drivers for long distance gigs.

I work for myself as an event entertainer, plus consult on business strategies and social media. I only work with people who I enjoy working with. I love what I do. I’ll never stop working. It just too much fun and a great self-esteem buster.

I just read some place: “Are You Big Enough to Help Someone Become Greater Than Yourself?” And that is kind of how I feel.. Big.. I would be the first to admit, I love when people I consult, go: “Wow, now you got me thinking!”

If I would have a nine-to-five job, I wouldn’t have any time to learn new things myself and no energy for anything else.

Not only I earn enough to support myself while actually doing paid stuff only a few days a week, I also support my husband who no longer can work.

The only regret I have I wish I knew what I know now 10 years ago. But I was busy then, working 9-5. I didn’t have any time to learn…

And to tell you the truth, I am not doing anything revolutionary here. I just picked what I am relatively good at and stick with it until I discover some other ways to enjoy myself.

I find living frugally a fun challenge and not deprivation at all. Deprivation in this sense says “I want what the world and advertisers and my friends have but I can’t afford it.”

Change your perception and thinking – don’t be like everyone else – be “radical” and set a new example. You are more creative than the typical consumerist standard wants you to believe.
Empower yourself.

The only housing around here I see on Craigslist under $400 is shared housing / roommates. There are some condo’s listed for $350 or $385 rent but those are almost certainly scams. I see similar ads on other cities. So you may very well need to increase the housing budget some depending on where you live.

Or simply consider moving elsewhere. If your job is portable and you can find cheaper housing in another city then it could be in your best benefit to move somewhere with lower cost of living.

Or not.

Jacob, you’d love it here in New England.

I wouldn’t suggest that anyone fly to Africa with the expectation of seeing a tiger; I think that trip would be certain to end in disappointment, unless a zoo was on the itinerary.

you are a man, I doubt if the “no car” thing work with a woman and children.

Some things are not possible

I’m not a big fan of traveling, but I’ve been to 14 countries and I never paid (conference travel). There are people out there, like Chris Guillebeau, who like traveling and also pay very little to do so. My sister has also been to a lot of countries (slightly more than me) either as a volunteer and traveling light and hard. She has also paid very little usually spending weeks or months in a given country.

The social effects and consequences vary from a stockbroker going “wow” as he saw my liquid net-worth compared to my age (33) to the expected misunderstandings of the “oh, so you do this, then you must be like that too”. For instance, when I tell people I live on about $6000/year, that is, somewhat below the poverty line, they automatically think I live in squalor. I would say friends and family take me pretty seriously, for instance, I’m kinda the unofficial financial/investment advisor of the lot. Often when I start doing something “crazy”, some of them pick it up as well. For instance, my mother, who is in her early 50s now commute daily by bicycle rain or wind. In terms of dating and relationships, I’m married to a very understanding wife where I compromise as well. I know there are girls out there who won’t talk to you unless you drive a certain car, etc. Obviously, that would make it very easy for someone like me to weed them out of the dating pool.

I currently live in the Bay Area (fairly expensive area, but nice weather). I used to live in the Midwest, so I know about the winters (there’s nothing like walking outside and you feel your eyeballs start freezing 8-) ). What was usually the case in case of heavy (lake effect) snowfall was that it was faster to just start walking, rather than first dig out the car, then drive it, find a parking spot, and walk from the parking spot. Hence the importance of living close to work and the supermarket. Our long term plan is either to move to New England or WA/OR.