You suggest that you are happier because you have cut down on your exposure to advertising and “inadequacy content”, and this has resulted in a drop in expenditures, rather than frugality directly being the thing that resulted in happiness.
It’s the same in my case - I decided, quite a few years ago, that chasing status was a sucker’s game, and stopped buying crap that signalled status. I drive a truck that’s older than me, live in a 45m2 log cabin I built myself, wear clothes that were barely fashionable 20 years ago, if I’m even bothering with clothes, and spend my days doing whatever the hell I choose, because it turns out that by not engaging in the consumer mill you suddenly have all this cash sitting around and not much to do with it, so you invest it, and suddenly spending your life working and chasing status in some career or another also seems a lot less appealing.
I’ve never been terribly happy with myself, which is just a de facto part of my nature — but I’m certainly content with my existence, and knowing that I’ve got a war chest tucked away that would make Croesus blush amply fulfils any status desires, as if I chose to, I could buy a few thousand teslas and drive them into the sea, and just carry on as I am. I believe the term is “fuck you money”, and it beats the crap out of having some shiny bauble on hire-purchase. I don’t even think about it until I find myself on the receiving end of “oh, you must be so poor to live this way, why don’t you work harder or get a new car”, and I just smile and remind myself that I could probably buy their mortal soul.
It’s also eminently achievable for anyone on a halfway decent income, if they stop frittering it away on crap.
The only thing that I do from time to time spend cash on is the occasional adventure. People tell me I should do a YouTube channel, or an instagram, and I tell them that I’m not doing this for anyone but me and those I take along with me. I don’t give a tiny flying rat’s ass about “personal brand”.
Stuff doesn’t bring joy. Status, as it’s sold via the drip drip drip of planned obsolescence doesn’t either. Security and freedom, do.
I have no plans on any oracular conquests.
Meanwhile you still have to pay property taxes, and for at least some of your food, which means you need a job. And because you have a job you need childcare. So minimally you need to pay for the property taxes food and childcare, occasional medical bills, the upkeep of the truck (emissions testing needed to legally drive to get groceries etc, so even a check engine light means costly repair). Oh and don't forget, when I was looking for a truck "older than me" during covid I found the market was absolutely insane and they were practically the price of a new truck. All in that's a full working-class salary right there, and that's with spending on nothing but essentials.
As an extremely frugal person the only way I've ever been able to live the way you live was when I was single and basically squatting in the national forest. And even then I had LEO up my ass threatening to cite me for illegally existing in nature. Hopefully any American planning this life has the money to emigrate or the will and craftiness to do it illegally.
The property taxes are €40 a year for the house, the mill, the ruined medieval village, and the 15ha of land.
My passive income is seven figures, because rather than fritter away on crap, I invested in a diverse range of stuff, from equities to real estate to small businesses/startups. I’m noodling about with a few new ventures of my own as I have time on my hands.
And yes, emigration is useful. I draw an income from expensive economies and moved to a cheap country where quality of life is king.
To be clear, this is the current state - I worked my arse off for 15 years and lived a pretty monkish existence, and now reap the rewards.
The golden visa was a much abused scheme largely for absentee landlords who want EU residency, and it has indeed jacked up property prices in the major population centres to an unsustainable degree - many properties have been priced to the visa threshold, and then sit vacant, unrented, often dilapidating. I’m glad to see the back of it, as it gives estrangeiros a bad rap.
Unfortunately my dumbass country banned the hilux. Always wanted one.
I considered moving to Portugal someday too. Was sad to find out today they ended their visa program [0]. I suppose one door closes, another will open somewhere else.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-16/portugal-...
I find it unsurprising that the care and attention of family requires different circumstances.
I don't really understand why whenever an alternative lifestyle is brought up there is always someone that says "Huh, yeah, well try doing that with a family, buddy!".
Some people live without family, and they shouldn't really feel the need to fit into a cookie-cutter existence that presupposes the future existence of a family unit -- they make it work.
>when I was looking for a truck "older than me" during covid I found the market was absolutely insane and they were practically the price of a new truck.
you were looking for a used vehicle during one of the very worst times in the used vehicle market for buyers ever (at least in the US; I didn't follow elsewhere).
May want to read again what I replied to ", buddy!"
I have friends who make over $200k in affordable areas that constantly complain about money but buy new cars every 2 years, spend $1000's on lego sets, buy expensive toys they sell for 2/3-1/2 value within two years (campers, digital home gyms, etc), need the latest TV, Monitor, Phone... it never ends. It's not filling a need or solving a problem. It's just high price branded junk that they can pose next to on Facebook or Instagram.
I have a 10 year old car I drive 100 miles a month. It's a tool not a contest. Why would I need a new expensive vehicle with phone home capabilities so they can start blasting ads at me on startup or start charging me monthly for heated seats. When I'm gone, no one is going to remember of I drove a 14 year old Nissan or brand new Rivian.
Once we got off the train it became easy. We focus on long term upgrades to our house, paying down debt, and saving for the inevitable retirement. Even as someone making 4-5x the national average, I endeavor to be frugal because it doesn't last. We spend on stuff that will actually bring joy not stuff someone has blasted our brains into thinking we need and we buy quality which makes a huge difference.