51–60 of 60 posts
How do you escape the trap? I'm not that far in. I'm 28 years old. Just got married. $42k in student loan debt. No kids. But it still feels impossible to escape the momentum of keeping up. My job pays well but not well enough to quickly escape the loan debt. That feels like the biggest barrier between me and the things I'd rather be doing (startups, travel/vagabonding, ...).
i forget most of what i experience. possesions such as fun to drive car, nice house, extended LotR DVD, games, books, the smartphone im typing this on all provide reoccuring experiences that i enjoy over and over.
Every year my wife and I spend a day throwing out anything we haven't used in a year. Anything that wasn't used for 6 months goes upstairs where it's still accessible, but out of site. Actually we ebayed a bit last year, and we give stuff to charity shops rather than just throwing it out if we can, but doing this once a year refocuses your view on buying stuff. Will I still use this a year from now has a substantial…
We follow a very similar process in our house. If it hasn't been used in 6 months or so it goes out the door. Either to charity or ebay.
This is why I'm awfully proud of our senior class gift in high school. Random, I know. Most high school classes give something like a couch, or a sign, or a statue, or something else that they can engrave their class name on. We, however, gave the long time crossing guard an all expense paid vacation to Hawaii. I will always remember the look on her face when it was presented, and I can imagine it being a fantastic b…
Happiest people I've met. Nepalese. One of the poorest nations on the planet.
Money and happiness do not correlate.
I remember a Nepalese didi (sister) laughing her head of at the "stupid American" who had left her lodge without paying that morning. What an idiot for forgetting to pay. Her neighbours were falling around laughing. I caught the guy by lunch time, and he felt so bad he walked all the way back. I would love to have seen their reaction.
"Life is about experience". You can buy some of it, but not most of it. And the best things in life really are free.
Judging from these comments, I must be the only person who does not like traveling. I like hearing stories and learning about other cultures, but the idea of flying around the world seeking adventure is a hassle to me. Does that make me a bad person? Besides, there is so much to do as is, like learn assembly. =)
I'm the same way. My girlfriend and I argue about it frequently. I am happiest when I can sit in my office and be left alone. I don't like traveling, I don't particularly like the "outdoors", and I'm not big on vacations. A couple years back I spent three months on a photography expedition in the Atacama desert, and while it was a rewarding experience, I'd have been just as happy spending that time alone in my apartm…
No disrespect meant to your preferred lifestyle. Just saying that when you do next pop out you might try somewhere less hostile like the Galapagos or Easter Islands. Kind of a moot point, as the next place more hostile than the Atacama is probably the Moon.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm the same way. My girlfriend and I argue about it frequently. I am happiest when I can sit in my office and be left alone. I don't like traveling, I don't particularly like the "outdoors", and I'm not big on vacations. A couple years back I spent three months on a photography expedition in the Atacama desert, and while it was a rewarding experience, I'd have been just as happy spending that time alone in my apartm…
You can't base world travel on the Atacama desert. I mean, I'd love to go there, but it's one of the most hostile places for life on the planet. I'm all for avoiding people for a break, but there are places with a bit more life and colour without being party town. No disrespect meant to your preferred lifestyle. Just saying that when you do next pop out you might try somewhere less hostile like the Galapagos or Easte…
As to Galapagos or Easter Island, I have zero desire to visit either. I find nothing interesting about the natural world (which sounds awful, and I don't mean it to).
I just got back last week from taking my girlfriend to the Dominican Republic for her birthday (which was a much more traditional vacation). I didn't take my laptop (something she was keen to require); but our hotel had Wifi. I found myself using my iPhone 4 to keep up on things as much as I was able. If it had been up to me, I'd have sat in the hotel bar reading RSS feeds all day.
How do you escape the trap? I'm not that far in. I'm 28 years old. Just got married. $42k in student loan debt. No kids. But it still feels impossible to escape the momentum of keeping up. My job pays well but not well enough to quickly escape the loan debt. That feels like the biggest barrier between me and the things I'd rather be doing (startups, travel/vagabonding, ...).
What is the monthly payment and interest on that?
In LA there are even kids in South Central who have never seen the ocean... and they live 13 miles from it.
For me the trick is to just wait for a few days whenever I lust after new items (1080i vs 720p? Feels like a vital decision now but tomorrow I'll stop thinking about it). I do indulge in expensive clothes, and gadgets that have a high return on productivity (like an SSD drive or quality kitchen utensils). I also spend on food, but that turns out to be a great investment for psychological, social and health reasons.