If You Had $20,000...

Let's say you theoretically had $20K sitting in the bank...You're single, no kids and no attachments. How would you spend it to create a sustainable lifestyle or either how would you decide to spend the funds to find a community to be a part of?

Please if possible, keep it practical, but any ideas would be appreciated, no matter how off the wall.

I have a 'friend' who is in this situation, has already sampled what the material world has to offer and would like nothing more than to drop out of the Matrix to the best of his fiscal ability and have an income stream to maintain the simplest of lifestyles...

Thanks in advance for your constructive thoughts and comments!
:cheers2:

 

just some feedback, no offense is itended...
to keep an income stream means investing seeing as nothing is said about work....wich puts you at the mercy of the financial systems ups and downs....even "investing" in a commune is no sure thing....communes in general have a very short life exspectancy.

My own preference would be to buy a cheap, high gas mileage, livable vehicle , and travel. I would have tools to repair and a manual on the vehicle and a cook stove and storage for food (mostly of the dried variety), a sleeping bag and a tent for when it's not desirable to sleep right under the stars....but the vehivle (van ?) would be for sleeping in really bad weather and any city times....which my own preference is to avoid.

visit those communities of interest....leave yourself open to establish bonds with those you meet

good luck.....but it is indeed what you make of it.

Blessings

Namaste (my spirit bows to your spirit)

 

No offense taken, kind sir...The vandwelling lifestyle does appeal to my..ahem, friend and he has done the homework, especially considering the increasing likelihood that the U.S. is becoming more and more...unstable in view of recent politics. Consider your comments and suggestions appreciated and duly noted.

Keep 'em coming...I want as many ideas as possible!

 

C'mon, I see the views going up, but not the comments. Help me out, here!

 

I think the van idea is a great idea. But before hand, you really really gotta focus and think about what you want for your life long term.

Having some sort of way to invest your money would be wise. Maybe you could do some sort of online marketing thing or something. Unless you have a source of revenue no lifestyle is sustainable.

You ever think about gettin a huntin rifle? Game can be a source of revenue or travel food.

 

Why spend it. Take 5g's and have some fun, then bank the rest. Put it in mutual funds or something and let it grow for 10 years.

 

In principle, your idea sounds solid; I do appreciate the input. I don't have much faith in our financial system right now, though...The idea is basically to get away from being enslaved or being subject to the current system.

Sincere thanks for your response, though.

 

I've been having a fairly difficult time trying to weed out the fakes in the online thing, although you're correct in that it would be the lowest maintenance way of providing an income. Got a hunting rifle for sure, buddy. I live in Arkansas, lol! I know how to fish, dress small game and am a quick learner, so living off the land would be a slow transition, but I am completely confident in my abilities.

 

i agree about the van idea. & of course one would wanna veggievert her. i wish i`da known about this(veggie) 20 yrs ago. then in adiiton to the above, a bicycle & possibly a watercraft. & yes huntin around for some sorta income would be a good idea. & yes depending on communes isn`t true independence. i`ve been thinking along these verylines myself for many years. i`ve been thinking that a relatively portable forge wouldn`t be a bad idea too. i often prefer to stay nomadic & have done so for many yrs. but have occasionally found nice enclaves to light for awhile. & actually it doesn`t hurt to have a significant other in any situation. & possibly a canine companion. & of course a reliable weapon, ammunition, spare parts, cleaning gear.

 

Man, you guys are giving me such great advice...I feel the urge grwoing inside me more and more. I've been thinking about vandwelling for over two years now. Only thing is, I let myself get comfortable with my new place and my soicial obligations when I relocated last year. I lost sight of my original dream. You've hepled stoke the flames of my original idea, so thanks very much.

Wish me courage in my decision. It will be soon.

 

the first thing to do is get a copy of the book "your money or your life: tranforming your realationship with money and achieving financial independence," by joe dominguez and vicki robin.

when i lived in seattle i got to be friends with joe and vicki.
they started 'the new road foudation.'
all most everyone in to the "green living" and "simple living" lifestyle, know of this book and, it is the number one book on their list.
this book will get your started on his jounery.

you can most likely buy a used copy of the book for a couple ($2.00) bucks at someplace like amazon.com used books or, half.com.

 

If it was me, I'd buy land. I can totally appreciate the desire to drop out, and I have no problem with anyone wanting to get away from the superficiality of 21st century civilization. I do it myself, to a certain extent.

But it's just a fact that foregoing the "matrix" completely pretty much rules out the income stream, unless you do something illegal.

Regarding the van idea ... I travel a lot myself, and trust me ... $20,000 won't last very long. Unless you stop and take on odd jobs here and there, in a year's time it will be gone, and you'll have nothing to show for it.

Living off the land, for most people, is a pipe dream unless, again, you engage in illegal activities. You can't hunt just anywhere, and you can't do it out of season. That means you have to have your own land, and grow as much of your own food as possible. But even then, do you know how to make shoes? soap? farm implements? You still have to buy all kinds of things, from gasoline to tools to medical supplies.

The fact is, living totally free from the matrix is pretty much impossible. Personally, I'm only able to do it to the extent that I do because I spent 15 years working my ass off with my own business, then happened to be in the right place at the right time when I sold it. To be honest, there was a huge amount of sheer luck involved. But as a result, I'm set for life and so are my kids.

I wish you the best. I know what it's like to be free to go wherever you want, anytime you want. It's wonderful.

But the reality is ... you have to keep at least one foot in the "matrix", one way or another.

 

I had a couple more thoughts about this ...

You could spend $1,000 or so to get some really good backpacking gear, and hike the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Crest Trail or the Continental Divide Trail.

Each of those is over 2,000 miles long, and will take you several months to complete. It's a way to taste the freedom and solitude of wild places. And what an adventure!

There are other shorter trails, but no less adventuresome ... the Colorado Trail and the Arizona Trail, for example. The Arizona Trail is no picnic ... it's 800 miles long and crosses several mountain ranges (one of which is over 12,000 ft), not to mention the Grand Canyon.

And if you're really up for a challenge, you could try the Grand Enchantment Trail or even the Hayduke Trail. The Grand Enchantment runs 700 miles from Phoenix to Albuquerque, crossing deserts and mountain ranges in some of the most scenic country you'll ever see. You'll traverse desert canyons that few people ever see, and if I remember correctly, you'll spend a couple of weeks above 10,000 ft.

The Hayduke is in a class by itself. It's almost more of a survival challenge than a hike. It makes a loop through southern Utah and Arizona, through some of the most remote and inhospitable country in North America. But if you want solitude, you'll get it. It's highly unlikely that you'll see another hiker on the entire route. I ran into a Hayduke hiker this summer in southern Utah, in one of the few places where that's even possible, and he was more like an old desert hermit than a backpacker.

The Hayduke isn't everyone's cup of tea, I guess. But if you're one of the ones, then nothing else will do. But be forewarned ... the number of people who complete the Grand Enchantment or Hayduke Trails each year is literally in single digits.

Each of these trails has its own website, full of good info. There are blogs by hikers who've done the trails, and in the case of Grand Enchantment and Hayduke, you can contact the guys who first mapped out the routes.

 

i would travel to holland every couple months and figure out a good way to smuggle high end hashish into canada to sustain a meager high class gypsy type life style augmented by travels to other places in search of my soulmate and a place to live full time when i retire from hash smuggling with a couple mil

 

yeah im with oldwolf on this one!!!

build a bus...or take one of the tribes...hell with 20 grand you can pimp out a bus really well!!!

 

Awesome replies, all...Caliente, I am never disappointed with the way your mind works, and it's always a pleasure to hear your opinions. Those sound like some extreme trails to hike, although I'm sure I'd be up to it...

The bus is a fine idea, but what will I put in the tank when the 20K is gone? BTW, that is one AWESOME freakin bus in your sig, sir! Would love to take a ride in it one day with your tribe!

I think a road trip may be in order, just to get away from my normal surroundings and think for a bit. I may just get in the car tonite and drive 'til the sun comes up, then explore wherever I am.

I could probably get more money if I sell some of my crap, huh? Everything except a few changes of clothes and my laptop, lol!

 

Down payment on an abandoned military base, then set up a commune where all income was used for the common good and a financial board directed the money so that no one person got too power hungry and stuff

 

Well the hunting idea is mainly to be economical while on the road. For the price of a bullet and temp. license you could bag a lot of good meat. Make summer sausage, jerky, n other things. It would be nice if you had a network of connects around the country where you could process game.

Hell, if you were checkin out communes cross country I'm sure a lot of us nature-savvy hipmembers could even show you where the wild edibles are. Just yesterday I picked enough wild grapes in 30 minutes to press about 2 gallons of juice. And there are plenty more left. There's plenty of wild nuts n stuff you could harvest SUPER easily that will provide nutrition on the road.

Get a giant 50 lb bag of rice, some beans, and pickled vegetables (Kimchi???) and a giant bottle of Centrum (nutrition is important!). Maybe get a scooter that gets like 120mpg too if it doesn't way you down too much. Hog hunt in Kentucky, Scallop dive in Florida, go Croc huntin in the everglades. Check out communes and see if maybe you can form some sort of symbiotic relationship with em.

Make sure to keep enough money for a backup plan, and enough to make any forseeable repairs on your vehicle.

 

you ever hear of vision questing....the main idea is to do away with distractions and focus on who what and why are you....and find your Path in life
cannot think of a better way than what Caliente suggests
Just make sure brother that you do not let your good fortune become your downfall...love of money being a major cause for the inability to See and Hear clearly..hehe - let alone the follow up on what you receive inside.
this Is your life....treat it with respect

Blessings

Namaste (my spirit bows to your spirit)

 

Just as Oldwolf said, either way you will be making an investment in a lifestyle. if you want to do the van thing while still having some cash at hand I would suggest something like the following.

Now I know a big part of this is to get away from the mainstream but that's practically impossible. Especially if you're driving on roads, buying gas...

I suggest using half or 10k to get a van and all your preparations set up on top of anything else you may need on your travels. with whatever is left from that 10 as a general van/gas fund. You would hopefully be traveling around slowly, gathering wild edibles, castoffs and living off the excess of society, doing odd jobs in exchage for food or cash when needed.

The other 10K I would invest in some sort of dividend fund. Most company's that offer constant long term dividends are very stable. They might not generate tons of cash but you should be able to get approx 60-70$ a month. you could then add this to your general van fund or reinvest and start this alternate income source growing. if you need an emergency fund you can sell(potentially at a loss) but you'll have a good chunk of cash(non liquid) if needed.

Hope this gives incouragement and hopefully some ideas.

Oh I also hope before taking off for good, to do a thourough test run, say a weekend, and then a whole week and then a month+ just to make sure all the wrinkles are ironned out before the real life experiance begins. good luck and stay safe.