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D.little91
Windowlicker


Registered: 01/13/15
Posts: 260
Loc: Western PA
Last seen: 3 years, 5 months
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Meaning and Self -sufficiency
#23942556 - 12/20/16 07:23 AM (7 years, 2 months ago) |
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I have been stuck in the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck for the last several years and right now I'm really looking to start building a life for myself that takes me out of it. I was curious to hear from anyone out there who has experience with living a self sustaining lifestyle. I feel trapped inside a system that is meaningless and self perpetuating and I have always fantasized about living off the grid and outside of the confines of the wasteful and unfulfilling cycle that US Capitalist society has to offer.
I'm not looking to get into a debate about the economic system that the US has to offer.
I am aware that it has its benefits and many people seem to be happy with it but I find it repulsive and if it has any merits that I can see it is that with effort and dedication many people seem to be able to break away from the mindless consumerism and build something for themselves.
Here is a little more about me to help give you an idea of where I am at and what I'm looking for. I'm in my mid 20's and I just want to have a lifestyle where I can provide myself with the majority of my essential needs. I don't have an aversion to working but I do find it frustrating to have to work for money to pay for things when I would rather just produce them myself.
I am having a little bit of trouble getting a concrete statement down about all this but I guess I just want to see what people think and get some input from people who feel the same way and are further down the road than I am. I just want to start putting in the effort to break the cycle. I feel like mushroom hunting was a real eye opener for me because it is so satisfying to me on such a deep spiritual and animal level and I just want to be living a life that brings me closer to that feeling. I think that my needs and desires are very simple on the ground level but finding a way to live that way seems so difficult.
-------------------- I am a rat who lives in a tree stump in the woods. I have my friends over for tea. We sing songs, drink, and be merry.
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Rahz
Alive Again



Registered: 11/10/05
Posts: 9,260
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Re: Meaning and Self -sufficiency [Re: D.little91]
#23942747 - 12/20/16 08:55 AM (7 years, 2 months ago) |
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I think people have always relied on each other to provide a variety of skill sets and material goods. Whether money or barter it's important to specialize and have a skill set other people will find valuable.
As you are in your mid 20s, if you have any desire to further your education now would be a good time. Taking classes will always be an option but achieving a degree that requires you to take a variety of classes, some of which you will find less than interesting, will get more difficult as you get older.
You have options.
Get a degree in a field you find interesting and you may achieve a comfortable level of financial independence.
Start a business. This can also result in financial independence, though depending on what you want to do some education may be necessary and depending on the business you will need some start up capital. There's always the chance of failure, or a marginal level of success that results in more work and less pay than a menial job might offer. Not having a boss is nice.
Menial labor. This is the easiest route. You may eventually move up into a management position. You can also use the time spent working a menial job to take classes and further a particular skill set.
Join the military.
Be homeless.
I took my vehicle to a local mechanic who's business name was Jump Automotive. I asked him about the name. He said his two favorite things used to be fixing cars and jumping out of airplanes. I said, "Used to be? You don't jump out of airplanes any more?" He told me that he still loved jumping out of airplanes, but hated working on cars. After making it a profession it lost it's appeal.
That being said, not all people dislike what they do for money and I think it's worth pursuing your interests, perhaps with a financial incentive in mind. If you enjoyed the mushroom hunting experience you might consider looking into being a ranger, or park management, or conversely supplying local restaurants with mushrooms either via foraging as a supplement to the menial job or getting a mycology degree and look for a mushroom op that will hire you, or start your own.
-------------------- rahz comfort pleasure power love truth awareness peace "You’re not looking close enough if you can only see yourself in people who look like you." —Ayishat Akanbi
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redgreenvines
irregular verb


Registered: 04/08/04
Posts: 37,838
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Re: Meaning and Self -sufficiency [Re: Rahz]
#23942774 - 12/20/16 09:08 AM (7 years, 2 months ago) |
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rent or buy the biggest space you can afford, and then rent out parts of it to people like "Twitch City"
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_ 🧠 _
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zzripz
Stranger


Registered: 12/23/08
Posts: 8,292
Loc: Manchester, UK
Last seen: 4 years, 8 months
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Re: Meaning and Self -sufficiency [Re: D.little91]
#23945427 - 12/21/16 08:36 AM (7 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
D.little91 said: I have been stuck in the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck for the last several years and right now I'm really looking to start building a life for myself that takes me out of it. I was curious to hear from anyone out there who has experience with living a self sustaining lifestyle. I feel trapped inside a system that is meaningless and self perpetuating and I have always fantasized about living off the grid and outside of the confines of the wasteful and unfulfilling cycle that US Capitalist society has to offer.
I'm not looking to get into a debate about the economic system that the US has to offer.
I am aware that it has its benefits and many people seem to be happy with it but I find it repulsive and if it has any merits that I can see it is that with effort and dedication many people seem to be able to break away from the mindless consumerism and build something for themselves.
Here is a little more about me to help give you an idea of where I am at and what I'm looking for. I'm in my mid 20's and I just want to have a lifestyle where I can provide myself with the majority of my essential needs. I don't have an aversion to working but I do find it frustrating to have to work for money to pay for things when I would rather just produce them myself.
I am having a little bit of trouble getting a concrete statement down about all this but I guess I just want to see what people think and get some input from people who feel the same way and are further down the road than I am. I just want to start putting in the effort to break the cycle. I feel like mushroom hunting was a real eye opener for me because it is so satisfying to me on such a deep spiritual and animal level and I just want to be living a life that brings me closer to that feeling. I think that my needs and desires are very simple on the ground level but finding a way to live that way seems so difficult.
Here's some advice: Look into Permaculture. There are many videos at Youtube to do with it. If your not knowing of it, it is a way of living from learning from the intelligence of nature so as to learn how to design sustainable lifestyle which don't waste energy and cause harm to the environment and others. Living with nature instead of against it.
You can begin this now without doing anything too drastic yet. But get the feel of it, get books about it, watch videos, and contact with those into it and tell them what you are looking for and then things will begin to fall into place.
Edited by zzripz (12/21/16 08:38 AM)
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D.little91
Windowlicker


Registered: 01/13/15
Posts: 260
Loc: Western PA
Last seen: 3 years, 5 months
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Re: Meaning and Self -sufficiency [Re: zzripz]
#23947235 - 12/21/16 07:53 PM (7 years, 2 months ago) |
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Zzripz I have heard of that but completely forgot about it. Thank you. that is exactly in line with what I have been thinking about trying to move towards.
-------------------- I am a rat who lives in a tree stump in the woods. I have my friends over for tea. We sing songs, drink, and be merry.
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zzripz
Stranger


Registered: 12/23/08
Posts: 8,292
Loc: Manchester, UK
Last seen: 4 years, 8 months
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Re: Meaning and Self -sufficiency [Re: D.little91]
#23948116 - 12/22/16 04:39 AM (7 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
D.little91 said: Zzripz I have heard of that but completely forgot about it. Thank you. that is exactly in line with what I have been thinking about trying to move towards.
That is great news!!
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MushroomBilly
Explorer


Registered: 03/24/13
Posts: 374
Last seen: 6 years, 7 months
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Re: Meaning and Self -sufficiency [Re: zzripz]
#23949417 - 12/22/16 03:09 PM (7 years, 2 months ago) |
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Is this really the right path for you tho op? Or are you shying away from the challenges and resulting growth that you face in your current surroundings? Only you can truly know the answer to that question by being brutally honest with yourself.
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