Frugal by Choice — Waldo's Journal
Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2018 9:53 am
Hey! I've lurked on these forums for a while and finally decided to contribute something back. Most people don't understand the choices I've made in my life especially around voluntary frugality, but I hope you will 
Summary:
).
Expenses
My 2018 expenses will be below $8k barring any unforeseen events.
I'm guessing it would be around $12k/year without my all-expenses-covered business trips. I am lucky to have access to cheap public healthcare.
Lifestyle
Backpacking in the wilderness has taught me to how little I need to be content and dispelled any desires I might have had for luxuries. I decided to make the most of my low needs and high tolerance for discomfort by traveling permanently with nothing but the contents of my 25 liter backpack.
I don't own much else beyond my stored bicycle and backpacking gear. I'm in the process of donating and selling the few unnecessary things I still have tucked away. I could just dump them, but I try to follow the zero waste principles where I can.
Lets start with the downsides: my friends are spread out all over the world (this is mostly an upside for me though!), it's hard to find a partner who would fit into my lifestyle, and I miss the comfort of my own home when I'm feeling the blues.
With that out of the way, I’ve spent my time in about 10 countries in 3 continents this year. I usually like to stay put in one place for about a month (even longer would be ideal, but my business trips break things up). I find slow travel to be more immersive, more enjoyable, and significantly cheaper.
I usually travel and backpack alone — I love being able to do exactly as I please without compromise. Despite or maybe because of it, I enjoy meeting people on the road. I choose to be exposed wide variety of travelers and locals by finding accommodation in hostels and shared AirBnBs or through housesitting and couchsurfing. Yes, it's occasionally uncomfortable, but the people and the memories easily make it worthwhile.
Work
A few years ago, my life was more or less equivalent to my job. I worked even during the weekends. I genuinely enjoyed what I was doing, but I didn't have to discipline to consistently go beyond my comfort zone.
These days I find myself at the other extreme — I understand the transactional nature of work and realize that the marginal benefit of hard work is not worth it after certain point. I get my job done, but my work now revolves around my life instead of the other way around.
Future
I value my youth so I plan to quit working for money entirely sooner rather than later. I'm already financially independent and mostly doing what I want to do, but I imagine that life without the constraints of work would be even better. I continue to work only because it would be difficult to find a job with similar levels of income, flexibility, and freedom. I will quit without question if my employer ever forces me to work in an office or if they deny my unpaid time off requests for my wilderness adventures.
Summary:
- Mid-twenties
- Remote software engineer
- >$200k income with >90% savings rate
- Minimalist, nomadic lifestyle (no permanent home, travel a lot)
).Expenses
My 2018 expenses will be below $8k barring any unforeseen events.
I'm guessing it would be around $12k/year without my all-expenses-covered business trips. I am lucky to have access to cheap public healthcare.
Lifestyle
Backpacking in the wilderness has taught me to how little I need to be content and dispelled any desires I might have had for luxuries. I decided to make the most of my low needs and high tolerance for discomfort by traveling permanently with nothing but the contents of my 25 liter backpack.
I don't own much else beyond my stored bicycle and backpacking gear. I'm in the process of donating and selling the few unnecessary things I still have tucked away. I could just dump them, but I try to follow the zero waste principles where I can.
Lets start with the downsides: my friends are spread out all over the world (this is mostly an upside for me though!), it's hard to find a partner who would fit into my lifestyle, and I miss the comfort of my own home when I'm feeling the blues.
With that out of the way, I’ve spent my time in about 10 countries in 3 continents this year. I usually like to stay put in one place for about a month (even longer would be ideal, but my business trips break things up). I find slow travel to be more immersive, more enjoyable, and significantly cheaper.
I usually travel and backpack alone — I love being able to do exactly as I please without compromise. Despite or maybe because of it, I enjoy meeting people on the road. I choose to be exposed wide variety of travelers and locals by finding accommodation in hostels and shared AirBnBs or through housesitting and couchsurfing. Yes, it's occasionally uncomfortable, but the people and the memories easily make it worthwhile.
Work
A few years ago, my life was more or less equivalent to my job. I worked even during the weekends. I genuinely enjoyed what I was doing, but I didn't have to discipline to consistently go beyond my comfort zone.
These days I find myself at the other extreme — I understand the transactional nature of work and realize that the marginal benefit of hard work is not worth it after certain point. I get my job done, but my work now revolves around my life instead of the other way around.
Future
I value my youth so I plan to quit working for money entirely sooner rather than later. I'm already financially independent and mostly doing what I want to do, but I imagine that life without the constraints of work would be even better. I continue to work only because it would be difficult to find a job with similar levels of income, flexibility, and freedom. I will quit without question if my employer ever forces me to work in an office or if they deny my unpaid time off requests for my wilderness adventures.
