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. Read the rest of this entry

Before I get into the specifics of how I managed to sustain my lifestyle (and continue to do so), I just wanted to touch on something a little less obvious, but just as important – emotional health.

For anyone considering a move like this, I would first take inventory of your ability to cope with the consequences of your actions. While quitting your job and living on your own terms may sound good in theory, there is a lot to consider. I can tell you that I underestimated how much stress was involved and how hard it was to really break free of the 9-5 mentality. Read the rest of this entry

January and February of this year seemed to drag on forever. I used this time creatively, however, and mapped out a few things – strategies mainly. It’s not like there was much else to do in the middle of a Canadian winter – what with four feet of snow and -30C temps.

I knew the type of lifestyle I wanted to maintain. I calculated how much per year I would need to fund that meager existence. And, I had a plan to generate enough money to cover my needs.
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