Living Free – An Attitude Part III

So far, in Parts I and II of this series, we’ve discussed the human characteristic of greed, by using banks as an example, and how greed can lead to personal imprisonment or bondage. Now, let’s realize that a certain amount of healthy greed is not bad. It is one of the motivators that helps us improve our positions in life. Prosperity and abundance are certainly not bad. This would be very grim world indeed, if the best we could look forward to would be abject poverty.

Living free doesn’t mean living in poverty or living without. Our world and society has advanced because of the constant evolution of technology that has made our lives better. While I’m a non-conformist, a pragmatist, a minimalist and a free thinker, that does not mean that I live in abject poverty, want to live in poverty or want to give up my cell phone, netbook computer, regular laptop computer, car, digital recorders and so on. However, what I have found is that I don’t need all the “stuff” I had accumulated. Like many people, I had shelves full of books I had read or scanned and would most likely never read again. I had closets full of clothes I seldom or never wore. I had pantries full of food I hadn’t eaten in years – but I was hoarding it for some reason. I had recording equipment that I hadn’t used in years and probably would never use again. I’ve been single for the last 16 years and, while I had some relationships over those years, I haven’t had nor do I have any interest in getting married again. So, the amount of space I need for myself is minimal.

I have found, for myself, that I’m actually very happy and feel very free having little in the way of “stuff” and “baggage.” I recently downsized my entire life. I got rid of the ranch I lived on for the past 5 ½ years or so. I sold off and got rid of most of the office furniture and equipment I owned, my household furniture, extra clothes, most of my library, some of my extra recording equipment. I then assumed a nomadic lifestyle and travel between two friend’s homes and a friend’s office where I have rooms and an office to work in. I have a minimal amount of clothes at each of the two rooms I occupy and set up a basic workstation at the two rooms and the office. I carry a backpack, an attaché case and a fanny pack with my computers, my recorders, camera and other peripherals. The truck of my car carries things I don’t need as frequently. For the first time in over 40 years I don’t have rent or mortgage payments, utility bills, landline phone bills, household insurance, lawn and house maintenance bills, Internet charges and all the other financial obligations of having a fixed home and address. The feeling of freedom has been euphoric. I’m basically happier then I can ever remember being (with the exception of a few unique experiences, like the birth of my son).

It’s important to make a of couple disclaimers here. First, I still have more stuff then I need and I’m continuing to pare down and eliminate more “stuff.” This is not an easy process. Second, there are still challenges to overcome and issues to deal with. Life is complicated; it’s just that now I’ve eliminated some of the huge complications. Third, I’m still experimenting with this free-spirited, non-conforming, nomadic lifestyle and it can be daunting sometimes. Life is adventure and a journey. So, all of this is about the journey and not the destination. The ultimate destination is the same for everyone.

It’s also important to point out that my definition of “Living Free” is not the end all/be all definition for anyone other then myself. That’s the great thing about freedom. It’s whatever we each want to interpret it to be. But, one thing freedom and living free is not, is being a slave to debt. Debt of any kind is still debt. Going back to our greed discussion, because of the advances and evolution of our society, we have adopted an “instant gratification” mentality. The greedy bankers, mortgage brokers, car dealers, homebuilders, real estate agents, etc. want our money. They’ll convince you that you can have it all now and entice you in so many different ways; they know you’ll bite on one of them. Maybe you’re actually one of these people and now, due to the economic crisis, you’ve found yourself in financial crisis of your own because this easy flow of money is no longer filling your pockets. The end result is that we all lose and we are all in the bondage of debt.

If your dream is a new home, that’s great. If that’s part of your definition of freedom, then you should be free to do so. What you don’t want to do is buy more house then you need and can afford. You don’t want to pay too much for it. You want to have as much of your own money to put into it as possible – that means setting some goals and working toward them. You don’t want one of these tricky mortgages with adjustable rates or interest only for X number of years. The same goes for motor vehicles, flat screen TV’s, etc. In other words, if these kinds of tangible assets are an important part of your definition of freedom (and freedom isn’t free, there is always a price for it) then do everything you can do to limit your liability. Remember, if you don’t have the money to buy what you want and you choose to finance it, you just gave up some of your freedom. The more debt you have, the less freedom you have. It should also be part of your plan to have something to back up your plan to acquire these assets. Savings had reached a 0 level in this country at the peak of the buying frenzy that we reached just before the economic collapse. Also, remember that, if you’re not financially independent, you have to have a job. If the amount of cash outflow you face each month is considerably more then you can earn doing something that you’re passionate about doing (working free) and would even do for free, if you could, then the job you will have to have to make the payments will seem more like a prison, thus, less freedom.

Now, some disclosure is important so you don’t, at some point, feel I’m being hypocritical. I’ll discuss this more in Part IV of this series on Living Free.

Enthusiastically,
Ed