WARNING: This post is a therapeutic mental dump and will ramble on

Whether this site gave me positive reinforcement to proceed in that direction, or whether I was like that already and gravitated to this similar mindset...

Lighten my load. Started out with the physical objects.
A bit of that green hippie mentality of Reduce, Re-use, Recycle
mixed with a little bit of resentment for fast changing technology and pushy marketing hype.

I decided to examine things I buy in everyday life, if I really needed it or just wanted to own a product and add it to my inventory.

Then I moved on to lighten my mental stress load
a lot more difficult than physical objects.

Changed jobs to a relatively nicer boss, at a cost of a little less money, and a lot less traffic time.

then, I realized that having a mortgage payment was a mental burden, and limited many of my choices, and enslaved my freedom to an employer.

I made many sacrifices and I paid off the mortgage today

Mentally I feel good. I have no debts, no expensive vices, no children, no alimony. I have all my mid-life crisis toys paid off.

So BPL philosophy to travel light, I'm taking it out of context, lighten my mental load, simplify an already complex life, learn to live without unnecessary luxuries, so I can enjoy the deep fresh air mountain air and the scent of the pine tree sap, with less dread of returning to civilization. I am calm in the middle of a financial hurricane.

Apologies if this sound like hippie ramble or bragging. I'll delete the post if I get flamed.

Edited by RodneyOndaRock on 08/12/2011 07:35:04 MDT.

Actually, Rodney, this same attitude runs through a few recent threads on BPL. There's been a bit of discussion on lightening our every day loads, not just our backpacking ones.

And congratulations!

Oh to be where you are...

I'm envious.

Congratulations! Paid off your mortgage!!!

Old paradigm - take "unused" equity out of your house and do a nice vacation or invest is some speculative bubble

New paradigm - pay off your mortgage

"New paradigm - pay off your mortgage"

+1

It is the indispensable first requirement for becoming master of your own time, unless you are extremely wealthy. We did it 23 years ago and retired 2 years later. Never looked back. I highly recommend it.

Posted to the wrong thread by mistake.

Edited by like.sisyphus on 08/12/2011 16:28:13 MDT.

"New paradigm - pay off your mortgage"

Yeah. Did that years ago and then recently invested in titanium and Cuben Fiber futures.

--B.G.--

"New paradigm - pay off your mortgage"

What mortgage? :(

Never been able to afford one. But I have a nice tent should it ever come to living under a bridge.

Congratulations on paying off your mortgage!

We have been going through a similar life simplification process. We recently moved and plan on not having any mortgage on our next dwelling, if we can help it.

The freedom one gets from dislodging from financial burden is huge.

There is nothing wrong with living within ones means - we do it every day. Our goal is to have our mortgage paid off within the next few years - we will have paid it off in under half the time. We do not carry credit card debt and play the system as good as we can to get our money to work for us. As well we are active savers for the future.

But I will disagree with one thing - and that is family. I cannot imagine being alone. My children are my life. I have taken budgeting seriously so I can have a family (and by most US standards we are heading to the big family status this coming year) You can have a family and still live frugally, within your means! Sure, freedom is great and all - but is that freedom worth it when you are older and you have no one left? I realized how much family meant to me after I lost the majority of my small family in a matter of 3 years time. At 38 both my parents are long gone, as are my other relatives. I have 1 sibling, 1 aunt, 1 uncle and 2 cousins left. It is very, very lonely at times. The biggest driving force behind my desire to have children is that - creating a family. In bad economic times the warmth of family is unlike anything else. You have at least them to love. And they are overall quite cheap......

I enjoy these philosophy threads. All for lightening the load, being more green, simplification, reduce/repair/reuse/recycle, saving, etc... but not really a fanatic about it. Sometimes I muse about following a hiking buddy's path who sold everything he owned except a "paid for" truck and a tea kettle (besides his pack and contents, dual use clothing) but that's pretty extreme.

Some technology may actually help simplify one's life (buyer beware) and think everyone should be able to indulge in at least one hobby or pastime. Plus physical items eventually do break down and need replacing, though (IMHO) society did overdo it in consumption for appearances sake over the last few decades.

Save and invest, certainly, but it would be a hate to die with a million dollars in their savings account, yet living in squalor (see this in the news). My own opinion is take full advantage of tax-deferred savings for the long term, but enjoy some of your money now. Like Ben2World's statement about the perfect financial plan is having the check to the undertaker bounce but easier done for those single/childless.

Edited by hknewman on 08/19/2011 09:36:20 MDT.

Some technology may actually help simplify one's life

I take that back, having spent every other day since returning from vacation calling my cable company to reset my cable box, just to get the one show out of 500 channels of kwapola on. If anything, the typical "sit in front of the TV" lifestyle has gotten worse since Bruce Springsteen sang "57 channels and nothin on". Most brands are just capitalize on a name and a memory nowadays.

It sux and not worth the $ or the hassle. Lighten up .... where you can.

Edited by hknewman on 08/19/2011 23:05:33 MDT.

"then, I realized that having a mortgage payment was a mental burden, and limited many of my choices, and enslaved my freedom to an employer."

+1 I preach this frequently to those that will listen. Debt truly makes you a slave. Especially to an employer, and they count on it. You cannot quit job and move at will. Of course they are nice, they allow you to not come to work a couple weeks off per year. Arent they generous!!. As long as you take them in small increments, and around the normal holiday seasons, one week at christmas, one week at thanksgiving, maybe a week in summer, etc. Dont even think of asking for a month or two leave of absence to go have a life enriching experience, its not in their plan.

Many americans work too hard, and then they die. They have been programmed to do so, they confuse success at a job, with success at life. Their jobs and personal identity become one. Most never realize they wasted their life attempting to get ahead, to beat the other co-worker, to pay for an excessive house they dont need, and only really get to sleep in, and pay for an excessive car they only drive to work in, until its too late. Some never do realize it, such is the depth of the brainwashing accomplished by our society.

Too many of my fellow workmates have died within a year or so of retireing. All that scrimping and saving for retirement meant mothing.
I like to spend as i go. Tomorrow never comes.

I remember an old guy i worked with used to say, 'don't worry if you owe folk money, worry if they owe you money'.

Working hard is not necessarily a bad thing, more so stress and anxiety. What I have seen is folks retire to sitting in front of the TV all day. I think the key is staying active.

I'm 38, although I've been accused of thinking like I'm 83.
The Mrs and I don't have kids by choice, but also by moderate medical risk.
We are very close with siblings and 2 nephews and 2 nieces.

My guesstimate is that some/most people with kids, end up growing old with their kids too busy for them. I like to be self sufficient and would not want to impose on the next gen for finances or to keep me company. Besides, the next gen stays in touch thru FB even though they are in the same room, they dont verbally talk.

If I get lonely for social interaction when I'm old, then I'll do volunteer work.

Any extra cash leftover after I die will go to my nephews and nieces. They will need it. Their gen is screwed up.

I too had a bizarre sequence of elderly relatives pass in 2009 2010. A dozen in 24 months. Some in their 60s others in late 80s. Death is inevitable, but quality hiking and bp years with stamina are limited.

Carpe diem whenever possible.

As stated earlier, there will be plenty of days in the future with nothing good on tv.

Edited by RodneyOndaRock on 08/20/2011 16:23:58 MDT.

That is oddly bitter about thinking that many kids grow up to be too busy. That happens if the parent pushes that agenda onto the child when growing up - that time is money, no time to play, etc. Sure Dad's have a rep for doing this - especially if chasing after a career. It doesn't mean it is that way now or if it ever was for everyone. My Mom wasn't that way, nor were any of the Mom's I knew growing up. All of ours stayed at home. Hence, I am a stay at home mom as well.

Where as many families I know have tightly knit family units. Generations blend together. It isn't about being close for fiances or company - it is rather being family. One can be quite self sufficient and still have family. You don't have to see your grown kids weekly or even monthly for that either, rather there is a bond. Bonds form even more than family, it forms good citizenship.

I can say this: I was very good friends with my Mom before she passed away and we were NOT friends when I was a child. She loved being a Grandmother and was a great one. I can't imagine not being a Grandmother one day.

At 38 you are YOUNG still. I am 38 as well. Try thinking like 38 and not 83...trust me life looks a lot better.

Anything is achievable - but be wary of a life so strict that you forget to smell the flowers while in it. And...social interaction means having friends - something everyone should have in their lives.

PS: I am not saying you need to have kids. Rather that having kids is looking forward to the next generation. Sure some turn out pretty lame, the overall chances are good though. It is too easy in life to think only of how bad our world is heading - children bring a hope though - that maybe one, just one, will do the next amazing thing to help the world. Our generation though hasn't had a lot of kids though due the bitterness that spread through Gen-X in our 20's. This is a real phenom I might add - and many Gen-X women in their late 30's are suddenly realizing just how alone they will be. Medical risks and all considered - this is why America has come so far with Fetal Maternal specialties and infertility help. Is that cheap? Not by any means. But for many...it is the hope that $50,000+ baby will bring an internal peace. Which it can.

PS: The Gen Y ain't screwed. Nope. Not at all. They will do just fine. They just need to find their way, like our Gen is doing (finally). Does the economy suck? Well yeah. My Grandmother's Gen survived much, much worse - she lived through the GD. If she could survive eating cold oatmeal for years so can we survive what is happening now!