Been around for over 3 years on here, Jacob and ERE really transformed my life. I was alreayd kinda frugal back then, but my wife(now ex /cry) really started to hone in on essentials of living, though my somewhat expensive gaming hobby(read:addiction) threw a wrench into our plans a bit.
We actually moved out to an RV to save some money with future plans, but it was kinda rough fit, namely because we were kinda isolated out there, long ass commute and we didn't connect locally, instead staying indoors a lot.
Anyways, I'm now 30, wiser, tad more bitter about romance, but realizing that life does not end with divorce, something I was contemplating over the last several months.
I've started to really hook into the whole freegan/Occupy/minimalist lifestyle around PDX more and more, but the main isse is i live in oregon City(15miles south) and I work graveyards!! I used to work graveyards on weekend...I had Zero social life lol.
I'm at the point where i am going to sell/give away all non essntial items, volunteer all over the bloody place, and start building up a new core of friends and contacts from scratch, no small feat at 30.
I've hung out with some friends from the past like college/HS, and soime are pretty cool and all, but many don't really get this whole ERE stuff...or would rather be less intense about it.
Well simply put i can't erally hang with some of their lifestyles(like going to Vegas) nor do i really feel great in self-indulging myself on lavish trips, at the bar, shopping sprees etc.
Last June i actually vistied Alpha Farm commune, something i wanted to do for years. It was a very rewarding experience but something about being kinda isolated and without easily made cash flow was a bit odd...still worth alook later, but i think trying to find a place in PDX makes sense for now as I continue to evolve and grow. I think ALpha was more an escape...but you can't escspe the system, it's pervasive. ANd hell, they rely heavily on fossil fuels and buying food, so they are not setup for the ultimate in ERE....permaculture/self sustainting living. I'm also not really a green thumb/uber hippie so that kinda clashed out there....
I'm getting tired of theory-crafting and realy want to get more into MASSIVE ACTION and shift stuff around here...what have i got to lose really besides some items I spent too much money on?
Just the other day one of my friends was talking about buying a tower PC at a Black friday sella dn justfying it by saying it was $250(down from $450)....yet this same person won a free NICE laptop not too long ago....she's month to month in money....and bought the PC on credit btw...
I got into $3k in credit debt like a jackass post college, when I know full well, because of my gaming addiciton. I bought a nice PC after i broke upo with the future wifey, and i became a hermit. Wasn't making a ton so I just payed minimum like an ignorant chump.
Fast forward a year or so and we moved in together and we wanted to upgrade our PS2 gaming rig to a Wii or something....probably because of all the Joneses things etc etc, hey I love gaming, but fark it' spendy if you get into it hardcor like I did. So we bought-ON CREDIT-a PS3. Well sheeeit can't play a PS3 on a non-HD TV, so we upgraded and bought a 40inch for $800...this is back in 2008 so that was a goood tv for the price....anyways, what dinggle dongs we were....
Debt is such an indidious trap. Once you get a certain amount, you kinda give up and just don't care or keep buying BS. Like all my friends with college debt(i escaped without any) who seem to operate like this....im only really worried about medical debt myself or possibl going back ot school someday and incurring those....but im looking into more frugal means of KNOWLEDGE, like volunteering, internet, free classes, Americorp/PeaceCorp etc etc.
Signing up to volunteer at FREE GEEK soon too, where if you spend time there you can actually build and keep your own PC. I'm looking at a laptop ideally just for minamalism sake(don't need monitor/desk/etc etc), and they offer a sweet 20% discount in their thrift shop. 600+volunteers a month in this mother!
COURAGE MY FRIENDS, COURAGE!!!
Contact me anytime, text whatever.
Ty
503-302-4202
Greetz from PORTLANDIA!!!
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secretwealth
- Posts: 1948
- Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2011 3:31 am