Cool Color Wheaton Level Map
jacob wrote: ↑Mon Jul 24, 2023 8:03 am
I'd be very interested to know any comments you might have on the "green map project" in this thread:
viewtopic.php?t=12146
Immersed in the SD book now (just finished Green chapter), I thought now would be as good a time as ever to respond/ revive the tread. Much of what I have read in this thread resonates with me and my understanding of Green. Minimalism, community, eco-stuff, spirituality, mindfulness, zero waste all are great failure modes. The green tropes and carrot vectors were spot on by BlackJack. I interpret your OG question to be basically 'what map do cool-colored people use to move up the spiral?' I agree that Wheaton level's written on the wiki page are orange/ warm leaning.
I took the WL table from the wiki sight and translated it to what my own interpretation of what I have seen/experienced from a cool-toned perspective here in the PNW. In general, I see cool levels reading the pulse of the room to find what others deem as right and wrong and develop spending habits based on changing values/ morality. Influence evolves in larger concentric circles to encompass all beings (eventually incorporating your own voice somewhere along the way) As they move up levels/ spiral they incorporate more points of view (from what my tribe or family thinks, to my church, to my society, broadening to the community, all beings.
Scarcity
At the low end of spending efficiency, consumers operate from a perspective of scarcity. Scarcity is characterized by two things: needs/wants exceeding income and extreme market dependency. Lack of awareness results in paying for stuff several times over through the use of high-interest consumer debt. The inefficiency of spending makes it very difficult to build wealth unless incomes are significantly above the median.
Cool-color translation: Buy your image for belonging. 'There is also an element of duty to this and you go into debt for The Cause.
Accumulation
The accumulation mindset stresses playing the financial game as most people know it. Avoid high-interest debt. Build up the credit score. Set aside some savings for an emergency fund. Use a budget to control spending. Economists, financial planners, radio, TV, newspapers, and advice columns cover this demographic.
Cool Level: You notice Others and learn changing rules. You have a job that fits the duty and social expectations of your community. Full-time work is expected, and trajectory is 9-5 'till 65, because that is what your savings rate can afford and that's what everyone does. Money accumulation is a by-product and you can mostly afford the things that activities/ physical things that support your image. Saves up to get higher ticket items that support image, but will not go into debt for them.
Exponential Growth
This kind of person is what most people think of as a smart consumer. They always buy stuff on sale. Research the best deals. Most normal people envy this level of efficiency but won't strive for it due to an incompatible mindset. On the financial side, there is an emphasis on increasing earnings and investing to take advantage of "the magic of compound interest." This stage is covered by the majority and biggest personal finance blogs. It also sets the tone for the fatFIRE part of the FIRE movement.
Cool: I agree this phase is where it starts to look different for Warm/Cool. Buying in excess is now seen as cringe and you may see an earlier than Warm move towards thrift stores. Money/ interest are dirty words, but you may begin to see the connection between money and time and see the potential for optimizing money so that you can spend more time doing the things you want/ care about. If you haven't already, you start to develop a strong alignment with a cause that specifically entails you consuming less: the environment, spirituality, minimalism, vegetarianism. You may test out different spiritual practices/ communities/ classes. You are more picky about how much you spend on the activities/ things you buy, but you also don't want to be left out. You ride your bike to work on warm days for the eco-cred from your co-workers (if they are green.) You like to see that your savings has increased by a lot but you are now not sure what to do with it. Capitalism is quite repulsive to Green so you are not sure where to put money, it is in a savings account or maybe a CD. Your capital is not growing quite as rapidly as Orange guy who has put it all in index funds, but you may have cut spending more than warm-leaning people at this WL.
Embracing Efficiency
The average person thinks of this smarter consumer as a cheapskate. Realizes that used stuff works as well as new, and the deals are even better. This kind of person is the "millionaire next door" that drives a car that is 10 years old... and replaces it with a used car of similar age when that breaks down. (Normal people don't aspire to this.) Refuses to take on any new debt and pays off existing loans aggressively, including the mortgage. Knows a bunch of frugality tricks. Uses budgets to prioritize spending. This level defines the center of gravity of the FIRE movement as well as setting the tone for most of the leanFIRE side of the movement.
Cool: Passion/ spiritual connection has impacted spending profoundly, moral beef with new things, almost exclusively used things. Has had at least one Plotkin-esque nature experience that lights fire of anti-consumption even more. Becomes more creative with housing options, and probably lives with roommates/ in a community/ with a Partner in a tiny house. Finds little use for car at this point. Could do without or have a 10-year-old car like Orange. You might need to start finding people that are in different crowds than you were before, or start being creative with how to sell picnics instead of going out to eat/ figure out how to volunteer at the festival your friends are going to, or get in for free.
This is where you learn more about and regularly use community resources that are anti-consumption-esque (Free [insert city name] Facebook/ Craigslist, local clothing swaps, book/ tool libraries, volunteer orgs. etc.)
If someone tells you about an eco-conscious VTI index fund, you may or may not take them up on learning about it, but begin to think more about how you can increase your savings rate in a way that feels "aligned."
Feels more optionality with job and may quit to find a job more aligned with ethics/ more fulfilling/ for flexible to do things you are passionate about. Early Retirement is still not totally on the radar/ poopooed because that feels noninclusive/ slightly too capitalistic, although you are enjoying working less.
Optimization
Breaking through the limitations of consumerism requires a different attitude altogether. The salaried person, in particular, may thus be "stuck" on this level arguing that earning more money is the better approach due to comparative advantage. Two things distinguish optimization from the previous levels: a producer mindset and low waste. This is really a generalization of the principles underlying the frugal practices usually presented as a list of tips. While others may DIY as a hobby, at this level building and fixing stuff is a way of life, making low expenses inevitable. Use of financial capital is Pareto-efficient. Uses budgets and bucket-systems as a retirement planning tool.
Cool: Groks and accepts the premise of ERE 1, and molds it to their own ethical framework. It must filter through a lens of how are my actions/ ERE bettering the world/ others / is fair for others (Radical Simplicity:Jim Merkle). A regular connection to a spiritual practice that connects to anti-consumption, most likely in a spiritual group of some kind. Strong ability to evaluate one's own practices and begins to develop the create stage of learning. DIY ect. Creative work/ housing options WWoofing, van life. Begin optimizing time/ money for The Cause.