A reply to an earlier post has gotten me to thinking about something and I wonder if any of you are doing this. I'm just over 50 years old and I don't have much debt other than a house mortgage. I have a little money in mutual funds but not enough to ever retire on. I make about $20 an hour at my job as a computer artist and I live all alone. I live in a tiny town but commute to the city to work. In an earlier reply to a post someone said they wanted to make so little money that the government would comletely forget about him. I'm sure he was exagerating, but I have met a lot of people in really nice places to live who just barely get by. Some are artists, some are homesteaders, some make crafts to sell to whoever. I've been thinking about selling my house and buying just a small house somewhere and try to just get by doing something I love to do. I spent 21 years as a photojournalist and now I make "fine art" photography for galleries in my spare time and I'm learning wood turning from someone who is considered one of the best in the country. I think I could survive doing these things. Have any of you tried anything like this? Just dumping everything so you can live where you want to and not worry about anything? I talked to a fellow who owns an art gallery down in the Big Bend area of Texas, where I love, and he said most people down there just barely get by but they figure that's just the price they pay for living in such a beautiful area. That makes sense to me.

-- Joe Cole (jcole@apha.com), September 07, 2000

Answers

Joe, the person who said they wanted to make so little money that the government would forget about them may not have been exagerating. That is exactly what I would like to do, and I think I have it more or less worked out that we will be able to do just that when we sell this house. It sounds to me like you have good skills to support yourself with. A friend of ours from way back found he had a talent for carving ivory (he lives in Alaska) and has been supporting a wife and two sons for years with his carvings. I think his wife works, too, and of course they don't live 'high on the hog' -- and in Southeast Alaska, they can hunt and fish for most of their meat supply. But anyway, yes, it can be done. Jumping in is the hard part, the part I'm having a little trouble convincing my husband to do!! Sit down with a piece of paper and a calculator, and figure out what your living expenses would be in the area where you want to live, minimal living expenses, not 'keeping up with the Jones's" living. Then see where you could cut. There are some really excellent books, a set of three called the Tightwad Gazettes, that you can probably find at your library. They are, however, worth buying, as they are the kind of book that you can't really digest whole at one sitting, you need them to refer back to again and again. Plus there are web sites on frugal living, you would have to do a search. We have friends here, an older couple, who live quite comfortably on less than ten thousand dollars a year. Nobody would ever guess, looking at them or their house, that they live on so little money. They even have two fairly new cars. So go for it!

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), September 07, 2000.

I don't know how much income a person can have per year without having to file a tax return--is it $6000? That figure sticks in my head for some reason. I'd love to figure out a way to live without Uncle Sam prying into every cent I earn. There are other, more evasive ways of earning money without declaring it, ie cash deals, but one would really have to trust that the person on the other end of whatever deal it was being transacted was not going to file a W9 or I9 (or whatever it's called!) on you or in some other way use it as an expense/write off, etc. Many illegal aliens in this area (SE TX) do most of their business on a strictly cash basis and so are not able to be tracked by the US government. Of course there are limitations to this, too. I have to admit I'd have a tough time on $6000 a year, and I don't live a really spoiled life, either. Anyone have any other suggestions? I love the Big Bend area, too, but haven't been there for about five years.

-- Hannah Maria Holly (hannahholly@hotmail.com), September 07, 2000.

Joe, You already know that I think you should go for it!!!! I think you will be surprised at how well you can do! Life is too short to be chained to "a job" because of money!!!! Suzy in 'Bama

-- Suzy in 'Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), September 08, 2000.

Careful what you wish for! Others who live like this may "look" like they have the ideal life, but you don't know until you get there. (Check his hair. If he is losing it, he isn't getting along as grand as you think!) Try living on a proposed income (that you set) for 6 months. Bank your money, live as cheaply as possible, and don't buy a thing. I mean NOT ONE ITEM except bare needs. No take-out, no clothes, no shoes, no entertainment (except freebies), no dishes, no towels, no new socks or undies (this one will hurt) etc.

After six months, you will know if you want to jump forward into this "ideal life" or just adjust your lifestyle to reflect your need to live simplier.

PS: It sounds like you have the talent needed to pull it off, so don't let this discourage you. Just wanted to open your eyes, I think that is what you were looking for. Right?

Chrisina

-- Christina (crublee@homer.libby.org), September 08, 2000.

Careful what you wish for! Others who live like this may "look" like they have the ideal life, but you don't know until you get there. (Check his hair. If he is losing it, he isn't getting along as grand as you think!) Try living on a proposed income (that you set) for 6 months. Bank your money, live as cheaply as possible, and don't buy a thing. I mean NOT ONE ITEM except bare needs. No take-out, no clothes, no shoes, no entertainment (except freebies), no dishes, no towels, no new socks or undies (this one will hurt) etc.

After six months, you will know if you want to jump forward into this "ideal life" or just adjust your lifestyle to reflect your need to live simplier.

PS: It sounds like you have the talent needed to pull it off, so don't let this discourage you. Just wanted to open your eyes, I think that is what you were looking for. Right?

Christina

-- Christina (crublee@homer.libby.org), September 08, 2000.

The only less I want to get by with is debt. Thats something I like about the modern homestead mentality, rather than go in debt to buy something now, I look it over, think outside the box and hopefully come up with something out of my packrat barn.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), September 09, 2000.

I think that debt is really the key to living well on less -- the less debt, the better you can live on whatever income you have. A major goal should be to reduce or eliminate all personal debt as quickly as possible, then you (I/we) can figure out how much of our income we really need, and perhaps be able to trade unneeded income for needed time to do other things.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), September 10, 2000.

One great book on this subject is "Un-jobbing: The Adult Liberation Handbook" by Michael Fogler. ISBN #096548341X. It's a great little book...check out http://www.isbn.nu for the best prices.

-- Kelly (beercat@nycap.rr.com), September 12, 2000.