Hello from new member :)

[Jossstick]

Hello from Germany
I recently registered to this forum because there a a few constants in my 32-years of life:

• Reading/thinking (about) ERE and an "alternative" lifestyle

• Not wanting to have the feeling of having to work (defined below)

• Loving the idea of independence of the economy (defined below)

Since I read the ERE book in 2017 I really like the systematic approach and the philosophy side of ERE. I was lured in by the financial aspect though because I was trading forex back then (lost 55k after Brexit and stopped trading then).

After a detour (pun intended) of playing in a rockband, which was touring through Europe i am feeling a growing urge to follow my original journey:
An alternate lifestyle (now that i am reading what i typed it sounds a bit silly, but thats how i feel).

What fascinated me then was the digital nomad and "capitalist"/trader lifestyle.
What fascinates me now is more the homesteader / frugal lifestyle.
I would love to get a small house near a forest and live the simple life. Thats a dream though (today at least).
What i can do is learn. Learn to save money. Learn to get double the use of every €/$ instead of doubling my income. Learn to identify usable skills to make my life better. Learn to share these insights and skills with others to make theirs better.

But what do i mean by "having to work" and "independence"?
I don't want to be dependent on a (read: one) job or occupation. People around me and friends seem to be stressed out over losing their jobs and hating it at the same time. What i would love to get are a few key competencies which are changing slowly over time. i wouldn't call that work, although i would use these competencies to get money as long as i need it. What i am getting at, i think, is, that "work" for me is a singular field of (financial) dependence. I dont want that.
Which ties into the "independence"-part of that: I am living in a city where nearly all of the money was "generated" by VW (Volkswagen). Either you are working directly for them or in some kind of adjacent business. or you are serving the people working for VW in a restaurant, teaching their kids, etc.
Recently VW needed to announce cost cutting and people are freaking out. Because everything is so single-dependent on one auto-maker. I would love to get competent in "swiss-army-knife"-skills that are usable in many different ways, so i am independent of that single point of contact. (Skills like: Writing; teaching, promoting, …?)

Anyways. What i wanted to say is: Hello!
Long time lurker, finally here

[loutfard]

Hello there in Wolfsburg!

I would love to get a small house near a forest and live the simple life.

What is stopping you? Uncertainty if that truly is what you want? A lack of knowledge? Do realise that in at least a third of Europe, buying such a cottage would cost between a freelance consultant's daily and weekly rate. Other arrangements than buying can be even cheaper.

Friends of ours had a similar dream as you. Ten years ago, they saved for year and bought a house with 1ha of land in the Baltic countryside in cash. They now live the simple life there with their three kids. She works part-time at a local school, He home schools the kids, works the garden and maintains the house.

If this truly is your goal, go for it!

[Jossstick]

What is stopping you? Uncertainty if that truly is what you want? A lack of knowledge? Do realise that in at least a third of Europe, buying such a cottage would cost between a freelance consultant's daily and weekly rate. Other arrangements than buying can be even cheaper.

Yes and Wow to all of these.
I am not quite sure if it's a pipe dream. My girlfriend and I acquired a garden recently to test the waters, so to speak. We want to see and try if this gardening and simple living is truly our thing. Yes, that doesn't include all of the aspects we/I are looking for, but it is a way of making a step in that direction right now.
Although I grew up in rural area I don't know too much about all this - so I want a way of learning that with not as much risk involved.

Wow to the statements of the cottages! Did not know that, could you point me in a direction?
It is not feasible right now (I am teaching guitar lessons in person and girlfriend has a restaurant-business) but we both want to be geographically mobile or move in a few years.

Friends of ours had a similar dream as you. Ten years ago, they saved for year and bought a house with 1ha of land in the Baltic countryside in cash. They now live the simple life there with their three kids. She works part-time at a local school, He home schools the kids, works the garden and maintains the house.

That sounds really cool!

If this truly is your goal, go for it!

As I said; That's part of my journey: finding out if that is truly my goal

[loutfard]

Wow to the statements of the cottages! Did not know that, could you point me in a direction?

Bosnia (most), Bulgaria (most), Estonia (most), France (parts) , Hungary (most), Italy (parts), Latvia (most), Lithuania (most), Poland (most), Portugal (parts), Romania (most), Slovakia, Spain (parts), Sweden (remote parts) , ... It's a much bigger jump than moving states within the US, but not super difficult.

[Western Red Cedar]

Welcome to the forum! Sounds like a fascinating backstory. I hope you start a journal. It is a great way to engage with others and continue down the ERE path.

[Jossstick]

I hope you start a journal.

I just did! Really looking forward to getting to know the people

@loutfard: Thank you so much! Some regions are looking promising!