Extreme Saving: A Man, His Van and Five-Figure Debt
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Extreme Saving: A Man, His Van and Five-Figure Debt
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Re: Extreme Saving: A Man, His Van and Five-Figure Debt
#2Read about this in 2009, [1, 2]. Anyways, looks like he has a new book out about his journey, called Walden on Wheels: On the Open Road from Debt to Freedom [3]. If you search google for Ken Ilgunas looks like there is a full court press about it.
[1] http://www.salon.com/2009/12/07/living_in_a_van/
[2] http://blogs.newsobserver.com/campusnotes/duke-grad-school-o...
[3] http://www.amazon.ca/Walden-Wheels-Open-Road-Freedom/dp/0544...
Re: Extreme Saving: A Man, His Van and Five-Figure Debt
#3More anecdotal evidence that the value of America arts degrees is far less than their over inflated cost
Re: Extreme Saving: A Man, His Van and Five-Figure Debt
#4I spent two years driving from Alaska to Argentina. My entire expenses were $1200/mo, which is pretty much what I was spending before the trip just going to work every day.
Not paying rent and cooking all your own meals is a great way to save money.
[1] http://theroadchoseme.com/the-price-of-adventure
Coldfoot is not the northernmost truck stop in the world. I drove another 250 miles North from there. http://theroadchoseme.com/the-dalton-highway-to-the-arctic-o...
Re: Extreme Saving: A Man, His Van and Five-Figure Debt
#5More anecdotal evidence that the value of America arts degrees is far less than their over inflated cost
i came here to say something like this, albeit a lot less tactfully.
that said, i admit that i'm torn. on the one hand, we definitely need people to study history, language, writing, etc. the arts, and the liberal arts, are what help define a culture and help us develop that culture, those values, and pass them down and create a rich history. i wish our society valued that more, or rather appreciated what we have (and are at risk of losing).
the other side of it is the practical side. when i read that he had difficulty finding an internship at newspapers, that he had to push carts at home depot i thought "shouldn't that have been a sign to him that he's going to have difficulties in finding a role in the job market?" but the risk is that we, as a society, push towards vocational schools and away from developing thinkers, and that we stagnate because of that.
i'm glad he's writing about it and finding traction there, i assume he can use that to pay down his debt. that said not everyone - not by a long shot - can do that. the consumer marketplace just doesn't have that capacity.
this leaves me to wonder, then, about what roles we as a society have for the bulk of the people out there, and how to best serve them for education, expectations, and our future survivability. i am not creative enough to have any good ideas to help solve that challenge.
Re: Extreme Saving: A Man, His Van and Five-Figure Debt
#6More anecdotal evidence that the value of America arts degrees is far less than their over inflated cost
i came here to say something like this, albeit a lot less tactfully. that said, i admit that i'm torn. on the one hand, we definitely need people to study history, language, writing, etc. the arts, and the liberal arts, are what help define a culture and help us develop that culture, those values, and pass them down and create a rich history. i wish our society valued that more, or rather appreciated what we have (an…
It seems to me the problem is not that we don't value history, language, etc- it's that it has become commoditized, as so many people get degrees in those fields. That probably drives down wages and drives up tuition.
Re: Extreme Saving: A Man, His Van and Five-Figure Debt
#7More anecdotal evidence that the value of America arts degrees is far less than their over inflated cost
Value is only quantifiable in the context of a purpose. Is a liberal arts degree valuable as an instrument to garner income? Statistically, no. Is it valuable as a set of experiences which help to better understand the world we live in? Absolutely.
But does that make it valuable enough to justify the cost? I dunno. Ask Ken Ilgunas.
Re: Extreme Saving: A Man, His Van and Five-Figure Debt
#8"Plus, I was graduating with a degree in English and history, which, though valuable to me, is more or less monetarily worthless."
I can't imagine spending tens of thousands of dollars on something that is monetarily worthless just because it is of personal value to me. That seems incredibly self indulgent.
Re: Extreme Saving: A Man, His Van and Five-Figure Debt
#9More anecdotal evidence that the value of America arts degrees is far less than their over inflated cost
i came here to say something like this, albeit a lot less tactfully. that said, i admit that i'm torn. on the one hand, we definitely need people to study history, language, writing, etc. the arts, and the liberal arts, are what help define a culture and help us develop that culture, those values, and pass them down and create a rich history. i wish our society valued that more, or rather appreciated what we have (an…
I've heard that Germany is MUCH more pragmatic, and heavily promotes technical and vocational schools, and tries to fit (or strongly pushes/forces?) students into the studies that are more likely to lead to success in the workplace.
My uncle works in heavy industry, and he says German workers are vastly better trained than any others he's worked with (mostly from South America, and some from US and China).
I've read about the lack of plumbers, carpenters, mechanics and other skilled tradesmen. I believe more people should be taught those (and definitely don't believe them inferior to, say, programming):
http://www.marketplace.org/topics/business/report-shows-worl...
About Germany:
http://www.imove-germany.de/cps/rde/xchg/imove_projekt_inter...
Re: Extreme Saving: A Man, His Van and Five-Figure Debt
#10"Plus, I was graduating with a degree in English and history, which, though valuable to me, is more or less monetarily worthless." I can't imagine spending tens of thousands of dollars on something that is monetarily worthless just because it is of personal value to me. That seems incredibly self indulgent.
This: "I have little patience for critics who don’t see the value in a liberal arts education. We don’t mock people who have children -- and there’s no practical value to having children."