Not made for consuming ~ Bos journal

[bos]

Bon Dia Bos. That sounds a great setup you have. I've not been to Madeira, is it similar COL to the mainland?

Its funny as Portugal and Switzerland are also the two countries I'm also considering moving to. In some ways they are polar opposites, although Switzerland is not as expensive as everyone thinks. At least if you're not going out eating and drinking every night which is what tourists tend to do. Any ideas where you might want to go yet ? I like the Geneva and Lausanne region.

Boa tarde Chenda!

COL is similar. Rent and services are a little cheaper, but products are more expensive because of shipping costs.

I am not sure yet where to go in Switzerland. Around Geneva and Lausanne is nice, but I don't speak French. I speak German, so I'm especially interested in the region between Bern and Zurich. The plan is to find out if I want to continue living in a big city like Zurich or try something smaller.
The camping trip will probably not clear that question up, but it will be a start of exploring the country and definitely fun to do!

[bos]

# Extra week in Madiera, Portugal

The flight from Portugal to Germany was canceled. Twice.
On Monday there was a strike at the airport. On Thursday there was a storm on the
storm on the Atlantic that cancelled all flights to and from the island. Which means I have to stay here for 8 more days.

This put me in the situation that I had to book a hotel, since I had already moved out of the apartment.
I don't have much experience with hotels and after these two days I know why.
Hotels are not for me. I don't understand why people like to stay in a hotel.

Hotels are messy, expensive, and completely encapsulate you from the culture of your destination. It's expensive compared to any other way of vacationing I've done before. Even an Airbnb is much cheaper than a hotel.

It started with the lines to check in, then the people smoking in front of each exit to get out.
I thought I'd go for a quick swim in the pool. After 10 minutes, some people joined me in the pool and started watching Tiktok videos on the speaker. After that, they started filming themselves and calling relatives.

This was such a contrast to the beautiful weeks I had before.

The second day I explained the situation to local group of digital nomads. A super friendly guy from Czech republic offered me a free room. This is where I am currently staying. He will be leaving in two days and I thought I would have to move. But he told me that I can stay as long as necessary. In return I will cook for him and fix up his kitchen. He rents this 6-room house for a crazy 600 euros a month. The hotel was already 70 euros a night. He gave me some tips on how the locals live here. What restaurants to go to, where to buy your fish and where not. How to rent a car or an apartment. The minimum wage here is 900 euros a month. It doesn't sound much, but you can live comfortable with this amount here. A car rental for a tourist costs about 900 a month, for a local about 250, or you just buy a car for about 2000, which makes more sense if you stay longer. You just have to know where to ask.

In those few days I realised that it can get very expensive very quickly if you are far from home and have no connections. But people are everywhere to help me, all I needed to do is get out there and ask. We should do that more often.

Bos

[bos]

Good evening everyone (In EU timezone ) The warmth of the sun is making me feel great and I am starting to get into the writing flow. Today felt motivated to make a diagram. The diagram lists out my interest and connections. (Inspo from somewhere on the forum, I forgot)
The diagram will be adjusted from time to time and clarifies for me and others what the heck I am doing and working on.

The diagram contains 3 types of line strokes.
The line strokes say something about the state.

• 1. Solid stroke. I am doing this currently, intensively and in a deep state.
• 2. Dashed stroke. Doing it, but not so active. I May have done more intense before. For example, German and Hydroponics are dashed. I used to do this daily. My german is now solid, and am not actively studying it. Hydroponics are not active.
• 3. Dotted stroke. I want to work towards it. In my home country, I used to ride my bike a lot, we are famous for it, but since I emigrated, I don't ride anymore. I want to see how I can bring that back into my life.

In making the diagram, a few areas have emerged.

1. Career

The diagram clearly shows me one thing. Most of my current activities in life are related to work. Many have a direct or indirect connection with my work and career. I have been obsessed with the financial aspect of FIRE and it has shown. I have progressed in my career and feel like a decent craftsman in my field, but have overlooked the other side of FIRE. For me personally, the financial part easier. It's clear what needs to done. Save and increase income. The harder part is working on myself. Finding my inner renaissance man, my soul, purpose or whatever you may call it.

If I had made this diagram a few years ago, it would look very different. Then the left side would be solid and the right side would be dashed. As I've written before, a goal of mine is also to bring back more of the left side. Health, Art and Passions.

2. Health

I have been in Portugal for 5 weeks now and my endurance has improved immensely. Mostly by a mix of hiking, running and swimming. I was shocked how bad it was.I thought I looked pretty fit, have a healthy BMI and am in my 20s, but it was very noticeable that I need to actively maintain and improve it through exercise. When I get back home, I want to continue with the trail running I've been doing here. Hiking is also very nice, but it doesn't build the endurance I am looking for.

3. Languages

Surprisingly for someone with dyslexia, but languages are a big part in my current life. Programming languages included. I studied German daily for about 2 years and have now switched to Chinese. I have people around me who speak Chinese and it's super fun to talk with them. I use Anki software, 20 minutes a day, and exchange basic language with friends.
At the peak of my German studies, I was studying about 2 hours a day, but I think for Chinese I need to take it slower. It gets you down a lot faster than German. Since Chinese is one of the hardest languages to learn, maybe that's not surprising My native language is also a Germanic language, which made learning German easier.

Whats next

The Art part is improving. I picked up all my old art supplies from art-school at my parents house and am in touch with @mountainFrugal to share our progress on a weekly basis. To help us improve and for me personally, to keep me motivated. He suggested this about 6 months ago, but I felt not ready for it yet.
Since I am trying to actively participate on the forum, instead of just consuming It felt like the right time. I am really looking forward to it

Writing. I started to increase the frequency of my posts so I can work more on my writing skills. I am looking for ways to write more clearly and interestingly for others to follow. I am sometimes jealous how native speakers on the forum build their sentences and structure. I would love to have tips on how to learn more about editing in general.
I got a new writing/diary/todos setup in my text editor of choice, VIM. I will once dedicate a single post to it. I am very happy with it!

Cycling. My flywheel is stuck and I found the right tool to fix it. I have done this before. The plan is to fix the flywheel, new brake pads and a good wash. Then I'Il sell the bike and buy a new used one for bicycle touring.

[bos]

Life is going well and I would like to review the last few months. Christmas music is playing in the background and I have a cup of warm chocolate next to me. A few interesting things have happened since I last wrote.

# Health
My health has improved. I installed a pull-up bar, and hanging from it every day seems to have solved many of my previous health problems. At first I could only hang for 10 seconds, but that has now increased to about 90 seconds. It feels good to just hang. Must be our monkey brain.

In return, a new health nuisance has emerged. A painful butt! I read on the internet that this is the result of weak gluteal muscles and too much sitting. Which makes perfect sense. Lately, I've been sitting over 10 hours a day. I'm thinking of getting a standing desk and doing some squats to solve the problem.

# Money
I've saved a good amount over the past few months, but the job has been terrible.
Imagine a corporate environment that has been around for over 100 years. A few months ago, there was nothing to do for a few weeks.
Every day I would go to the daily meeting and then shut my laptop for the day. People around me were saying, "That sounds great!" but I was slowly slipping into a depression (mood). I guess humans just want to feel useful in society, and getting paid an above average salary for doing nothing does something to that monkey brain. I quit the job and applied for a job. I'm starting next week at a much smaller company, with super motivated people and a product I support. I'll probably be working much, much more than before, but I'm really looking forward to it. This time has given me a new perspective on FIRE. I'm just not ready to not work yet, and need to keep working on growing my hobbies, social groups, and interests.

# Living
I live in a shared apartment and have been thinking about moving out. I worry that this will be considered "lifestyle inflation" but I think it may improve my overall comfort level. I just act differently when I'm cooking alone in the kitchen or when people are around. Sometimes I really enjoy those moments of solitude, but they don't happen often here. Always things happening, music, people smoking, sounds and voices.

The downside is that I quickly feel lonely. In a shared apartment, I always have people around me to share my day with.
I have visited 2 apartments but was not impressed. It will also be about 3x as expensive as what I am paying now, which is something serious to consider. Living cost is one of my biggest cost in general, so if that multiplies it will be noticeable.

For now there is no pressure in moving out and am I looking forward to seeing more apartments and visiting new areas.

Let's see how this will go.

To finish the "not made for consuming" post, I have told my family that I want nothing for the holidays this year. My mom was not that happy with that, so I told her I would like to receive some fresh tea herbs and a pack of candles. She seems to pleased with that. I feel its simply important for her to have a way of showing her love for me. Can be small or big, but nothing is not an option.

[ertyu]

The downside is that I quickly feel lonely. In a shared apartment, I always have people around me to share my day with.

This sounds to me more like you'd enjoy quieter roommates -- there will still be company but less loud and intense

Good idea asking your mom for things you'd use up anyways. You could also consider asking her to pay for some sort of experience you can have: a trip, a concert, a course, etc.

[Mouche]

I understand your dilemma about roommates, having company has its good and bad sides.
+1 to what ertyu said, quiet roommates are gold, it's my current setup and life is good !

[bos]

+1 to what ertyu said, quiet roommates are gold, it's my current setup and life is good !

That's definitely a good option that I haven't explored enough yet. I will try to approach some people in the upcoming months.
Some people also create their own shared flat. So you are the main tenant and rent the rooms out. May be an option, since it gives a lot of control over your roommates.

[bos]

I plan to write more frequent, shorter, and better-formatted posts in order to organize my thoughts and encourage more interaction on the forum. I also want to reply more to other people's posts instead of just lurking. This is why I joined the forum in the first place, so I hope to slowly see that change.

# work
I recently switched jobs and decided to go back to the office. After working from home for over 2 years, I'm surprised at how good it feels. The focus, connections, small talk, and separation of work/life are all great. An hour in an online meeting is vastly different from an hour spent around a whiteboard. As a bonus, going back to the office has also improved my relationship with my partner I feel. Working from home all day, dressed in comfy clothes, doesn't help with the attraction/sparks. She now cooks me amazing lunches to take to work, which is a clear sign that she's happy to have more time to herself

# cycling
I'm from the land that is flat and below sea level. I use to cycle there all the time, and it became part of my identity. I thought I loved cycling, because I did it every day right? Now that I don't live their anymore, I don't do it as often. In Amsterdam, cycling was simply the quickest way of transportation and thats why I did I figured out. but now that I have access to faster public transport, I don't grab the bicycle anymore. I want to change this, since cycling is still healthy and can be fun.

# health
The new job came with access to a fancy gym. It is so much better than my improvised home gym. Just the feeling of squatting and deadlifting is amazing. I've been going for two weeks and I already notice that it has reduced many of the small pains I used to have in my hips, wrists, and shoulders.

[mountainFrugal]

# work
Working from home all day, dressed in comfy clothes, doesn't help with the attraction/sparks.

Haha! I hear that.

Are there any things that you miss about working from home? It might be too early to tell. I think the separation is an overlooked benefit, especially if the work is stressful.

[bos]

Are there any things that you miss about working from home? It might be too early to tell. I think the separation is an overlooked benefit, especially if the work is stressful.

It's indeed early too say, but what I notice is that I work more hours. At home I started to slack off around 15:00 and only checked messages. I did laundry during work time, water the plants, get groceries and much more. I guess that is the real reason why Apple, google and many other are calling people back into the office. They got the data on it for sure. Most people love working from home and think they are more productive, but I don't think that is actually true for most people. Me included. If I have a family, a bit older and close to ER, then I would consider cruising at some company again from home. But now I would miss out on great experiences.

[bos]

## Christmas
I spent a few days at the beach with my family over the Christmas holiday, and it was a really enjoyable and meaningful time. We spent our days walking through the dunes and on the beach, eating and practicing yoga together, and just having fun. It's a bit of a cliche, but those kinds of days really do give me perspective on what's important and what's not.

One thing that happened over the holiday was that my dad asked me how much I make as a senior engineer. I always thought it was weird that people don't talk about money openly, but now I see why. My dad was really surprised by the amount I told him, and I could see a mix of emotions on his face. I think older people often don't have a good understanding of how much we make in some field. For them, it's just "computer work," which is totally fine. But my dad made some comments afterwards how I noticed he was. bit bitter, about how easy my life must be now and how I could easily buy a house, for example. Or when we saw a nice car saying "you must be able to get that, no?" I get where he's coming from, more on that below, but it still made me feel uncomfortable.

## Friends and jealousy
I spent some time with some friends recently and we did some outdoor adventures together. Male friendships just seem to work best when we can do stuff together. However, two of the guys in our group received a house as a gift from their parents, which is amazing for them and I'm happy for them. But I also found myself getting insanely jealous and couldn't sleep that night. It's a weird feeling. I think I've always seen life as a race or a competition, but I need to remember that we don't all start from the same place. The thoughts running through my head were something like, "I've been working my butt off and saving for years, while they didn't have to do any of that and are now 'ahead' of me.

Would be interested in advice on this.

$$ dollar dollar bill yooooo
Finances is are going great. living together was a good decision. I offered to pay according to our ratio because that seems fair. She really seems to appreciate that and starts to cook more often and prepare me lunches to work almost daily. I talked to a colleague and he told me he orders food at least one a day :0 wauwie, he was surprised when I told him I have never ordered food. (ofcourse I visit restaurants on a weekly basis, just not ordering).

## Creating
I did some woodworking and enjoyed it. I found out a state sponsored class where you can learn the basic in the course of 3 months. It only 100 euro's for 18 hours of woodworking. I am going to sign up and start in spring. Looking forward to using my hands

[bos]

BIG TECH - BIG STRESS

The past few months I've been working for a company referred to in the tech industry as "Big tech"
The term describes a small portion of the companies that are not only big, but also influenctial. While the salaries are much higher at these companies, so is the workload.

I made the switch to Big Tech after feeling unfulfilled in my previous job, where I had minimal responsibilities and struggled with feelings of being a burden to the company. This lack of purpose ultimately led me to an identity crisis.
Recently I've been struggling to get good sleep, because of the stress from work. I almost forgot how that feels. It reminds me of my early days working in the film industry as a 17 year old boy, where I felt the need to follow every direction given by the director.
It may take some time to adjust to the demands of my new job, but the increased salary is a big step towards financial independence.
There is this guy @Zbigi on ERE forum who once told me to take a big break once in a while when working in tech
quoting

learn about most paying specialties, jobs, companies, countries etc. and aim yourself there. The differences are large and they should be exploited.
BUT - also, take extended breaks between jobs - months or even years long. I've noticed that 10-15 years of high-intensity tech career often destroys whatever spirit and multidimensionality people had when they entered it - and, at 35 or 40, they have already long forgotten what it is aspire to be somebody else than an excellent player in the corporate tech game.

I frequently reflect on this insights shared by @Zbigi. he seems to have the experience, and I am slowly gaining similar experiences myself. I observe friends and former colleagues losing their individuality and depth, and, to be honest, I too am undergoing changes. My once diverse list of hobbies is shrinking, and my once athletic physique is gradually transforming into a tech-industry skinny build stick.

I have been working in the tech industry for nearly 5 years, and have been thinking about taking this extended break. In 2 or 3 years I just need to do it or I will never do it and become one of the corpo zombies I have always joked about, but pulling one self free from the golden handcuffs in tech will be a hard one.

[bos]

Build an inventory of great items

Over the past six months, I've explored a few different ERE related interest.

One of them has been to increase my spending. I've been buying seconds hands items for a long time. My Dutch craiglist equivalent website called 'markplaats' is 20 years old. That means I created it when I was around 10. Though I'm not that old, I've seen significant changes in the second-hand market over the years. In the past, second hand items weren't as populair. The real worth of seconds hands items was unknown. People where already happy to make any money of an item, instead of throwing it out.

As a kid I used to buy game consoles for 10% of the price, clean them up, take better pictures using my dads camera and then sell them for a good profit. That seems less feasible nowadays. Most second-hand platforms provide recommended prices when you upload an item, and people are generally more informed about its value.
I think nowadays the price of seconds hands is closer to it's real value. It just took a while to catch up to that.

At some point I want to write my seconds hands experiences all down. There have been at least 100+ encounters with the sellers. But today it's not about that. Today I want to talk about how I started to spend more money.

In recent years I have noticed that the best deals are often found in high-end items. I think it's a combination of richer sellers who happily get rid of an item and less demand. The value retention of high end items has been really good for me. I noticed this effect with cameras. Each time I bought a camera, I used it for 3-4 years, and then sold it.
I never sold it for less than the purchasing price.
But it's not only with cameras, it with many higher quality items.

For example. Two years ago I bought a second hands Ikea office hair.
Original value: 110
Bought: 50
Sold: 45
Usage: 2 years
The chair was alright, but didn't make it to the 'inventory of great items' as Jakob would say. A few months ago, I sold the Ikea chair and invested in a higher-end chair, the Herman Miller Embody.

Few months ago I sold the ikea chair and bought another seconds hands chair. One that is on the higher end. It is the Herman miller embody
Original value: 1700
Bought: 500

The difference in quality is night and day. It's simply the most comfortable chair I've ever sat in. As this idea I've extended to many more parts. I bought a 80 euro Chefs knife. It's amazing. I am enjoying to cook every single day and did not eat out for a while.

I will revisit this idea in 6 months. Then I will draw the conclusion if this was simply my consumer mind taking control, or that its really something to persue. The goal is to build my "inventory of great items"

[delay]

Exactly right, I often put things on Marktplaats! It's good to see an item go to someone who will make use of it. The unreliable messaging and unkept appointments take up a lot of time, so it's hard to justify in purely money terms.

It's simply the most comfortable chair I've ever sat in.

I own a Miller chair and used it for many years. Like you say it's very comfortable. But as it turns out, comfortable sitting means you lose muscles, and this leads to back pain and other inconveniences. I switched to a stool without a back a year ago, and my back pain has gone away! The Miller chair is waiting to go on Marktplaats...

[bos]

Exactly right, I often put things on Marktplaats! It's good to see an item go to someone who will make use of it. The unreliable messaging and unkept appointments take up a lot of time, so it's hard to justify in purely money terms.

I completely agree. When I was younger, it was pure from a financial perspective. When you are a teenager and you save 20 euro, that was like a day of work. Now part of the motivation is also the environment. Reduce, re-use, recycle.

I switched to a stool without a back a year ago, and my back pain has gone away!

Interesting! Then let's see how long I will keep up with the fancy chair I used to have back pain, but doing a few deadlift and pull-ups once a week has solved it for now.

[bos]

Starting next year, I'm planning a three-month no-buy period. I've done this before during my student days when money was tight. Back then, I read "Early Retirement Extreme" from Z-library, which inspired me. When I had no money I was indifferent to temptation. Every new piece of software would be cracked, movies would be torrented and hosted from the home server. There was always a way around paying. Instead you just payed with your time.

Things are different now. I have more disposable income, and there are more temptations around me, especially in the office. Colleagues often show off the latest tech gadgets like keyboards, headphones, and monitors. I'm a bit of a sucker for these things, and also for art supplies, though I stick to traditional drawing. Even treating myself to a fancy Caran d'Ache pencil would only cost 2 euros.

Some people seem to commit to a no-buy year. If I search around for the term "no-buy" then I get the impression that one year is the standard. A year sounds too long, but I would be open to continue it after the 3 months. Not buying anything might even change the dynamics my relationship.

[delay]

Starting next year, I'm planning a three-month no-buy period. I've done this before during my student days when money was tight.

A no-buy period can mean only food, only necessities, or on the opposite site, no fun spending, or only social fun spending. What kind of a no-buy three months are you planning?

[bos]

A no-buy period can mean only food, only necessities, or on the opposite site, no fun spending, or only social fun spending. What kind of a no-buy three months are you planning?

That should indeed by clarified. My idea of no-buy is buying food like I use too, but no eating out or no spending on extra's. I see it as a reset for consumerism . I am going with friends once a month to the cinema, I will continue to do that. My grandma's birthday falls in this period and I will stil buy a present. Buying a fuse to fix my rice cooker is not consumerism for me. It's not about being a Scrooge to everyone around and give them a lesson
In the end it's about being more conscious of my own choices.

[delay]

In the end it's about being more conscious of my own choices.

Ah, so like financial fasting within reason! It's interesting to have such a long period for it. A month seems to be the agreed time that you can deviate from normal. The traditional Christian fasting period is called Lent and lasts for 40 days.

[Jean]

Have you been to Switzerland finaly?