Early Retirement Extreme Forums

<t>Nice watches and Ducati Motorcycles are probably the only two mechanical objects I see as art pieces lately. I'm in the military for a paycheck these days and getting by without a watch is impossible. I use a watch pretty much for everything these days, showing up on time for a shift, waking up, ...

Welcome and great post. You figured it out sooner than I did. Go get 'em!

<t>Interesting slant Spencer. I agree with the privacy/reclusivity part. When I come home at the end of the day, I don't want to be bothered by the outside world and I cherish the quiet moments. <br/> I've never understood people not wanting to take their leave either?? I've had 60 days of leave sav...

@jzt83, I'm amazed what people will spend on rent in big cities. 800$ would get you a really nice apartment in most cities!

@bigato, it's amazing where we can be comfortable while in the right frame of mind. I tend to get inspiration from my surroundings and like being close to nature. Sleeping outside is the ultimate way to be closer to nature.

<t>Considering you're living off one salary, I would keep the current mortgage and also keep the money in the bank. Cash is definitely King, especially in this economy. <br/> If you do consider a refi again in the future, see if you can roll the refi costs into the mortgage. This would save your eme...

<t>@djc, I'll see if I can find a pic, however, picture a 14' X 30' plywood square cabin and there you have it, nothing special, just plywood and a roof.<br/> @jason, I think you would be surprised what you can become accustomed to, given an adjustment period. <br/> @mikeBos, you got a point, howeve...

<t>This topic has probably been visited already on this site at some point, however, I'll give it a shot anyway. <br/> Being a virtual nomad and traveling a fair amount in my current job, I try to keep an eye out for shelters/homes and what people can live in and still be fairly comfortable. I've sp...

<t>It's always interesting to see folks reactions when they find out you're in the military and you have opinions that don't fit the mold of what Hollywood and popular thought portray. I too am a flaming INTJ (enlightened to this fact by no other than Sam Gribley himself), a raging hippie at heart (...

<t>Alone in the Wilderness. A great documentary about a man that retired in his fifties to build a simple cabin, near the Cook Inlet in Alaska. He planned to stay 1 year and ended up staying 30+.<br/> Off the Grid. A documentary about Les Stroud (survivorman)building an off-gird family homestead in ...

<t>I walk about two miles a day on average back and forth to work and to eat and run various errands. I haven't driven a vehicle in four months. This, of course, is all forced considering I'm deployed to a desert base. My point, however, is that your body adapts amazingly well to walking after doing...

<t>An important take-away here is that even though we are introverted as INTJ's, it benefits us to be able to mingle somewhat extraverted when warranted. I work in a very social setting whereby if your not an extravert, you suffer for it. I've found that putting on the fascade of small talk to "grea...

<t>If it was only me to consider (sounds like your case) I would find a small piece of land (buy or rent, around 1 acre) and buy a yurt used off Craigslist. I would find some cheap lumber and build a spacious elevated platform with an outdoor sitting/living space with a fire pit (cold climates) and ...

<t>Good post George, sorry to hear about your situation. You bring up an interesting topic though, emergency/disaster prep. Just having basics on hand will make surviving a natural disaster much better, ie., water supply, basic food, hurricane lamps, flashlights, radio, basic camping gear such as sm...

<t>I like the idea of the cobwood cabin. It needs to be implemented on a bit of a larger scale, but I like where his head's at. Very creative and earthy, which is what you want in a cabin. <br/> The Field Lab in Texas is fantastic. Awesome creativity in that guys mind. Once again it doesn't take muc...

Congrats! Sometimes we have to learn lessons in life the hard way. I know I have. I would be willing to bet this experience has made you a much smarter person on finance and living situations in the future. I also have a McMansion I considering what to do with. Good Luck!

<t>Where you are you living?<br/> <br/> Plywood B-Hut (kinda lika a cheap cabin with 12 other dudes) in Afghanistan.<br/> How many square feet your living space is?<br/> 49 sq ft. <br/> Average Monthly Utilities?<br/> <br/> 0$ since Uncle Sugar (Sam) pays the bills. However, I have 1 electrical outl...

Good luck Dude. Might as well go for it. I don't know the specifics of your story but give it a shot. If things don't work out, you can always go back to work later.
Cheers-Mater

<t>My wife started a composting bin in the backyard about two years ago. She just a has a square box wiht a flip lid on top. We put most of our veggie scraps in there and old plants from the garden. Funny thing is we never added worms to the mix, they just showed up. My wife stirs it every couple of...

<t>Good Purchases:<br/> <br/> -2000 Toyoto 4Runner-165,000 and still looking good and going strong.<br/> <br/> -Used honda 1000w Generator-keep it in my truck-love it.<br/> <br/> -Used lawnmower off craigslist-5 years and going strong.<br/> <br/> -40" Flatscreen TV for my bedroom (while I loathed th...