Early Retirement Extreme Forums

Vipassana meditation goes much deeper than just calming the mind and relieving stress.

By observing body sensations through the practice of vipassana, one begins to see the link between these sensations, the stimuli provided and ones reaction. One sees that it is not the stimuli that is being ...

Maybe I drive the car for another 2 years and wait until the warranty is almost up at 150 000km and then sell. Right now online 2010 focus' are selling from 7-10 thousand with around 150 000km. 2012 focus' with around 100 000km are selling for 13-15 thousand. So that's about $5000 for two more ...

But if you have a "good" one, it will probably last as long as any Honda. I have an 11 year old Mercury that runs great, but the accessories die about one a year.


The risk is buying another car is that you don't know its potential problems like you know your own.

Part of the equation is whether ...

Thanks for the input guys.

With a vehicle that is new and assuming it has been meticulously maintained and has a remaining warranty, I struggle to see the value in replacing it for the headache someone else is trying to offload.

Assuming you need a car at all and that the car meets your needs ...

stand@desk wrote:

Felix wrote:Lots of reasons not to be a consumer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMYXKSy2fb8

Brilliant Australian TV show. Amazing that this stuff gets airtime.

Amazing Resource. Thanks for sharing!

Ya this is really funny. Good stuff here.

So here is my situation.

My girlfriend's dad retired from working at ford and they gave him voucher for a new car worth $35 000. He can't drive and gave the voucher to my gf. So we got a new fully loaded 2012 ford focus instead of a larger model car with no added features. The catch was we had to ...

Interesting indeed. I wrote up a bit about applying permaculture to your self at my blog here:

http://www.mypermaculture.net/?p=90

So I was thinking some more and maybe it all starts with the practice of self observation.

An increase in ones ability to observe ones habit patterns leads to the ability to practice self discipline.

Increase in self discipline leads to increased ability to learn other skills such as applied ...

Some good stuff here.

I definitely agree with the practice of self observation and the changing of destructive unconscious habit patterns of behaviour. I suppose the ability to do this require a certain set of skills/mindset.

Most important for ERE:
1) basic math
2) ability to be critical and honest with yourself.
3) system/routine building.

I think 3 is more important than willpower or discipline; design your life/habits right and willpower is only needed when you make the decisions and maintain them.

I would say ...

After reading these and thinking about it; might it all boil down to self discipline?

I think the ultimate skill is the ability to do it AGAIN as often as necessary. Whatever it happens to be. After the locusts land and the market crashes and the relationship fails and the bone splinters and the lawsuit ruins and the foundation crumbles and the loved one dies and the house burns ...

What do you guys think about "the ultimate skill" to learn pertaining to ERE/self reliance life style?

Is there even such a thing?

Maybe there are a few key skills?

Just something I was thinking about and thought I would post it here to see what you guys had to say.

My girlfriend and I have spent the last two summers living in tents in our friend's back bush.

I set up a pretty sweet camp there complete with a deck to stay dry, compost toilet and solar shower.

Check it out here. http://www.mypermaculture.net/?p=93

That sounds like a sweet deal to me :)

Maybe it would be best though to pay off your student loans and do some hardcore studying on permaculture while you work. Get your knowledge set up to a very high level and deal with any debts, then do it.

If you really know what you are doing, setting up a ...

In Geoff's video on Greening the Desert (youtube it) he says:

"All the world's problems can be solved in a garden."

Some powerful stuff there.

If you ask me, I would say permaculture is a major road to ERE.

Just wanted to sign up here to say thanks to Jacob for the sweet site and to start participating in this forum.

I've been reading the posts for a few months now and practicing the ERE philosophy.

I came to this site from listening to Jacob on Paul Wheaton's pod cast. I was instantly hooked.