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Is it possible to become self-sufficient without trading work for money? Possibly – but unlikely. Yup, I realize that’s a bold statement and it might ruffle the feathers of a few hard-core, minimalist, live-off-the-land types, but I can’t see any way around it.

It’s not that I am missing the true essence of what it means to be free of the system. I would love to find a way to get around the work-for-pay dependency. In fact, I have spent a considerable amount of time in the past year going over every possible scenario with regards to living a life free of the shackles of our modern system.

The fact of the matter is that I don’t think it’s possible unless you are willing to live a truly miserable life. Of course, there can be too much of a good thing also. I hate the way most of us have become caught up in the hyper-consumer lifestyle.

As far as basic living expenses go, I believe there is a minimal amount of money that is required to live a decent (albeit, frugal) life while maintaining one’s dignity and independence. It’s really knowing how much is enough, and knowing that excess is the true culprit.

Finding that perfect balance of necessity versus excess is the key. For me, happiness is not tied to money, but, at the same time, I would not be happy living on the street, or scrounging off others. I enjoy having a roof over my head and money to buy food. I can honestly say that I am happy without all the extras. Would I be able to provide food and shelter without money? Not unless I gave up my dignity and freedom and relied on other people, or government services, to pick up the tab.

Let’s face it: we are not animals living in the forest. We are products of our modern society, and the glue that holds it all together is money. I would starve if I had to live off the land.

Yes, I rely on money, but I am not obsessed with it like a lot of my former friends. I am quite comfortable living well below the poverty line. I am quite happy and comfortable knowing that my meager expenses are in line with my meager income. My idea of happiness is stocking up on books from the local library and spending those cold winter nights reading.

Freedom, having time to pursue your interests, and time to contemplate life is priceless – Truly.

I have 3 luxuries:

I have a television. Though I only get 2 channels over the air.

I have dial-up internet service.

I enjoy the odd beer or glass of wine.

The rest of my money goes towards taxes, utilities, and food.

How do I manage to generate money? I’ll start writing about that in my next post. One thing I’ve learned is that work does not always mean having a traditional job. In fact, I work for my money, but I have a great amount of freedom and spare time also. No, it’s nothing to do with the internet, and it’s not a get-rich-quick scheme. It does involve manual labor, and it’s not very glamorous (to say the least), but it does pay the bills while giving me more freedom than a traditional job. Why aren’t more people doing this? Well, quite frankly, most people would never be satisfied with the income.