February 2021 – Freedom

Month: February 2021

Don’t work for money, work for time

February 27, 2021 / joe / Comments Off

Introduction

When we’re at college, and later in our careers, often we are unconsciously trying to choose the job that will get us the most money. For some people, this isn’t unconscious, it’s a very deliberate and conscious decision! In this post, I share the view that there are in fact other things that matter about a job, besides money. I hope I can convince you that at least some of them are important, and worth optimizing for.

Time is money

Or, so the old saying goes. In fact, time and money are completely non-fungible (to use a term from economics). It’s true that if you have a lot of money, you may be able to decide to use it up and buy yourself more time (for example, by purchasing a car instead of walking everywhere), but at some point, having more money does not get you more time. Consider an insanely rich person with 24 hours a day, 7 days a week free, with many millions of dollars to their name. Now consider a person who works three days per week, earning a high enough hourly rate to pay for their bills, with a small safety net. The rich person probably has 10,000 times more money, but only twice as much time available to them. So, as you can see, past a certain point, money cannot be traded for more time. Or at least, there are strongly diminishing returns.

Trading time for money

Being pragmatic (as all minimalists should be!) it’s true that you need money. Most people don’t need as much as they think they do, but you still need some. So, if you’re going to get money, how are you going to go about it? Well, there are basically three ways:

Find a job that pays a lot of money Get rich, and hopefully you’ll have money to spend on things you want Get rich, and then start a business selling something you enjoy, and hope that it will make enough money for you to live on

The first way is the traditional way. You go out, find a job that pays a lot, and stick with it until you retire. You then use your retirement fund to keep you going. Hopefully you get sick pay, and then a pension, and then your spouse gets a pension too, and then the money goes to your kids. If you’re lucky, you get to live a pretty good life, but it’s unlikely that you’re going to get rich, or that you’ll be able to do other things that you enjoy "most" of the time.

The second way is the way that lucky / already rich people get rich. Usually they inherit their money, or marry into it, or take a lot of risk and luck along the way. The less risk and luck involved, the more likely you are to end up with a life like the first way.

The third way is the way that most of the rest of us get rich. We get a job, then a better job, then a better job, and eventually we’re making enough to support ourselves and our family. If we’re lucky, we can take some time off to do something else. We may even be able to do something that we enjoy, but it’s unlikely that we will get rich doing it.

The fourth way is a hybrid between the second and third ways, and it’s the one that I would like to focus on. In this case, you find a job that pays a lot of money, but you then use that money to start a business that you enjoy. In this way, you get the best of both worlds! You get to do something you enjoy, and you get to make money from it.

The tradeoff

The problem with this fourth way is that it’s very difficult to do. If you have a job, your employer probably won’t be too pleased if you start taking time off to do something else. I’m not just talking about a little bit of time here and there, I’m talking about taking a lot of time off. If you’re an employee, you’re not allowed to be your own boss. You have a boss, and your boss wants you to work for them. So, to do this, you have to leave your job. Then you need to make enough money that you can survive. And then you need to find something you enjoy doing. And then you need to find customers. And then you need to promote your business. And then you need to deliver a good product or service. And then you need to market yourself. And then you need to get people to pay you. And then…

It’s a long chain of events, and I don’t think I need to describe them all. You’re not going to be able to do it overnight, so it’ll take some time. And that’s the tradeoff. If you want something that pays a lot of money, you can have it, but you’ll have to trade time for it. And that’s a very difficult tradeoff to make, because we all value time over money. And why wouldn’t we?

How to get started

One of the most common pieces of advice for minimalists is about "get an IT job that you can do anywhere!". Which is fine advice, but not all of us are IT wizards. In fact, most of us aren’t. I’m not, even though I have fumbled my way through WordPress and am standing here before you writing. So, I suggest, throw away that example: there are plenty of jobs that are remote, location-freedom giving, and fairly well paying, online, that are not IT related. Take for example, using your innate human ability to record a radio voiceover, which is highly valuable, and pays well. You can easily do this on the side at college and still maintain your time freedom, while earning a little bit of money.

What other examples can you think of? Reach out to us, we would love to hear from you!

Minimalist Study

February 27, 2021 / joe / Comments Off

This post is about how to study in a time-efficient way, and improve your grades without spending your entire life stuck in a textbook.

Introduction

I think it’s quite rare to be both a minimalist, and a college student at the same time. Most people my age haven’t figured out what is important in life (and what isn’t) yet. At this stage, everything is exciting and worth doing! Yes to everything! Study hard? Yes! Go to parties? Yes! Spend time with family? Yes! Take on yet another hobby? Why not!

At some stage we learn that saying "yes" to one thing actually means saying "no" to everything else. I’m sure that’s a famous quote, but I can’t quite remember where. The wisdom is true, however, and I live by it. So, when you’re deciding what to spend your time and effort on, you also want to realize that you can spend your time and effort efficiently for those things that you do say "yes" to. I am still saying "yes" to college every day (even though it may be a reluctant yes at times!) but that doesn’t mean I have to throw everything that I have got at it. I know I’m going to graduate, but I have decided to not try to get huge grades and I have decided to not strive and strain to be a valedictorian. I’m spending my time investing in skills like blogging, writing, and online business.

Study efficiency

So, now that we’ve decided that I am going to study, how can I do it in the most time-efficient way? That’s not to say, cram everything into one short space of time at the end, the night before exams, but instead, it’s to optimize the time that I do spend to have the biggest impact. One short example: right at the beginning of the course, get a few of the last year’s exam papers, and go over them. It’ll take you less than an hour, but will give you some huge landmarks to watch out for in your course material. Then you can focus on those topics and practice the sorts of questions on the exam, so that you get the best marks with the minimal complete amount of study.

Learning efficiency

Some people learn by reading, some people learn by doing, and others learn by listening. Everyone’s brain is different, so you need to find what works for you. For example, I like to learn by listening to podcasts. I listen while I’m at the gym, while I’m walking, while I’m doing chores. If I take notes while I’m listening, I’ll be able to remember what I’ve heard much later on. If I don’t take notes, I’ll still remember some of it, but not as much. If you are like me, then it can be tiring to attend a lecture when you can hardly hear the professor, or even worse, if they talk extremely slowly. I like to listen to my lectures afterwards, on "2x" speed, and that way I get through it in half the time. If you are lucky enough to be studying at a college that offers online coursework via an elearning platform, then by all means try this. If you love the sound of your elearning voiceover, then by all means listen at "1x" speed or “normal” speed, don’t feel pressured to follow all of my advice precisely! If you don’t have these high-tech options, then unfortunately you may just have to attend the class and spend the time.

Group assignments

The big challenge with group assignments is always that there are a few people who want to do everything, and a few people who want to do nothing. Don’t be either of those people, they’re terrible in both cases. The overachievers end up fighting and putting in way too many hours and still get a bad grade. The moochers end up being hated and resented by the rest of the group (including other moochers) and also get a bad grade. So my advice is to get a small but well defined chunk of work, do it well, and do not waste more time on it. This way, everyone will give good feedback about you (just like the over-achiever would receive), and everyone knows you did some of the work, and will still like you as a person.

Studying and minimalism

I think that minimalism and studying go together pretty well because the things you do while studying are normally a lot of fun mental stimulation, but they are also quite specific. The problem is that while you are studying, you end up doing a lot of things that are pretty non-minimal. For example, you’ll probably go out to get coffee, you’ll probably eat out, you’ll probably buy a lot of textbooks. I’m not saying that these things are bad, what I’m saying is that you will do a lot of them, and it’s a lot of money to spend at once. If you’ve got the money, then spend it, but if you’re a minimalist, then you’re probably not spending money on anything anyway.

Parting advice

Try to think more about what you spend your time on, and all of a sudden you’ll have a lot more time on your hands, and probably similar grades to go along with it. Don’t fall into the trap of just reading textbooks, or taking notes, or watching lectures. It’s not that any of those things are bad, but they aren’t the most efficient way to spend your time. If you’ve got the money to spend, then spend it on things that will help you get through the semester, rather than a book that you’ll only read two chapters of.

Minimalism vs Comfort

February 23, 2021 / joe / Comments Off

Let’s explore the relationship between wanting things (material pleasures) and wanting to be comfortable. There are a lot of posts about minimalism on this blog, and there is a lot of talk about minimalism in general. Let’s give a small intro to that before moving into the main topic.

Minimalism

Minimalism is about reducing the amount of unneeded things you have. It’s a way of living that lowers your stress level by reducing your expenses. It’s a way of not worrying about your stuff breaking or getting stolen. It’s a way of not worrying about having to move. It’s about focusing on the things that bring you joy, and getting rid of the things that don’t.

Minimalism is not about giving up comforts.

Minimalism is about being able to move forward with your life without worrying about the things you own. It’s about not wasting your time and your money on things that aren’t necessary. It’s about living with the things you need, and letting go of the things you don’t.

That’s what minimalism is. It is not about giving up comfort. It’s about living with what you need, and letting go of the rest.

Again, minimalism is a broad topic, and it’s gathering a lot of interest in recent years, but let’s focus on just the specific topic of comfort within minimalism.

Comfort

To some people, comfort means a warm soft bed, a fluffy canine friend, and soup. To others, it means not having to worry about having a car accident, because you’ve purchased the absolute most comprehensive and expensive insurance plan that exists on the planet. Both are bringing peace of mind to you, either through physical sensation, or through a mental relief.

Increasing comfort

Many people make the mistake of thinking that they need to spoil themselves and spend a lot of money to live in luxury and comfort. But actually, by focusing on the results (the feeling of comfort) and not focusing on the cost, you can get a lot of comfort and happiness, for not a lot of money or time. Comfort is a state of mind, and it’s a choice. If you want to live in luxury, you can, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. You can feel luxurious in a lot of ways without spending a lot of money. And if you don’t spend a lot of money and time, you don’t have to worry about your things being taken away. That’s a really nice feeling.

Let’s take an example: luxury cars. People often idolize a specific brand or specific car that they associate with luxury or comfort. They want to feel the expensive cushy seats and relax back into the car as they drive. Or at least, that’s the fantasy. The reality is, they will be driving the same route to the same job, whether the car is expensive or not. If you want to be comfortable, then you can splash out and spend $100 to buy a really nice car seat cover with soft fabric / sheep skin, or even go wild and get one that massages and heats your seat up. Go crazy and buy one every year! Your total expenditure will be only one percent of the cost of a car. Right? It kind of hurts to have that dream car shattered, sorry about that! But I’ve actually just saved you from driving that same route to work for another (probably) 3-5 extra years, because now you don’t want to buy that luxury car! You can have the physical comfort that you wanted, without the huge expense and years of work.

Let’s take another example. Clothing. You can wear a $50 Gucci t-shirt (Mackelmore is famous for being particularly minimalist in his song Thrift Shop) or a similarly styled tshirt for $10. You won’t have the brand, but you will be mentally comfortable and not worried about spilling some ketchup on it, and throwing it in the wash normally, rather than fussing over it. Mental comfort is important too! Similarly, if you think that it will make you feel more safe and comfortable to carry around a $3000 gun in a $500 holster, think again! You’ll be just as protected with a $200 one in a comfortable concealed carry holster. The mugger isn’t going to ask the price tag of your weapon when it’s in his face. He’s just going to run! So save yourself the expense and give yourself the gift of affordable peace of mind.

In summary, comfort doesn’t have to be expensive. You can feel luxurious and comfortable without spending a lot of money.

Less stuff means less stress

February 11, 2021 / joe / Comments Off

One of the core aspects to the minimalist philosophy is not having too many possessions. For me, it felt great to move out of home and into a new college dorm, to have almost nothing with me other than a few clothes and my laptop to study on. Letting go of your possessions is a great feeling, but it’s not for everyone. When you move into a furnished room, it’s kind of nice to be able to just move in and get to work. I think it’s important to let go of the idea that you need to be always minimal, and instead focus on what you love, and what makes you happy. If those things happen to be minimalist, then great. But if you need a sandwich maker, then get one.

My favorite part about minimalism is the freedom it gives you and the peace it brings you. I recommend trying to find your own way in the world of minimalism. Maybe you’ll go all the way, maybe you won’t. Either way, I think everyone can benefit from the idea of less stuff, less stress, and more time for what really matters.

I often have thoughts and worries about people stealing my laptop when I leave it in the library during a study session. And that’s one of the few possessions that I own! I can’t imagine how stressful it would be to have a full house full of things that you own!

A cabin

A common misconception about minimalism is that it must mean you live in a miniscule apartment in the city, have only a few clothes, and hardly ever eat. While this can be the case for some, it doesn’t have to be. Many people have a beautiful fantasy of living on a huge empty acre block of land, out in the woods, with a house full of only the essentials. Smoke curls out of the chimney, and the smell of dinner is in the air. You hang up your one pair of shoes, on the one pair of shoe hooks, and sit down, feeling cozy. Doesn’t that sound amazing? And doesn’t it sound totally stress free? I’m sure reality is slightly different, but not by that much.

Minimal Security

Sometimes I’m worried about burglars breaking into my dorm, but with the amount of people here, it’s likely that I would be completely safe. However, if I were to end up in my dream cabin, out in the woods, I would be worried that I’d be on my own. I immediately started to mentally accumulate things to protect myself, such as iron bars on the windows, and a safe room, even a camera security system and a monthly subscription to a monitoring security guard service. Down and down I went into a mental spiral of additional needs. But then I decided that there’s no-one out there in the sticks, and so all I really need is to know if someone is coming up the (I imagine) long curving driveway from the main road. In which case, a simple and effective driveway detector would suffice. So there is a minimalist path out of any weird and terrible mental rabbit hole.

Having your possessions stolen is only one source of stress among many in this crazy world. One other way that having less stuff reduces stress is by eliminating financial stress. If you have a smaller house or apartment, you have less of a mortgage. That’s probably the single biggest change you can make, right there. On a smaller scale, eating the same few meals that are highly nutritious, fast to prepare, and are enjoyable, means that you have only a few ingredients to buy (and you can buy them in bulk to save money) and you don’t have to decide what to have for dinner. Similarly, you have just one big favorite pot / pan to wash, instead of an avocado peeler, salad spinner, melon-baller, bread machine, cake mixer, etc etc. There’s freedom and calm in simplifying down to the few bare essentials.

Culling Clothing

Another way to be minimalist is by reducing your clothing spend. It feels great to get rid of clothing you don’t need. If you immediately feel “Actually, I don’t have enough clothes!” Well, reconsider. I’m not sure how many clothes I actually, really truly need. When I was in high school my wardrobe was basically just jeans and t-shirts, and I’ve kept that up even though I’m now in college. I’m sure that I could eliminate a lot of my clothes, and it would be a lot easier to decide what to wear in the morning. Perhaps I’ll start now.

I’m not a big fan of spending a lot of time and money on clothes, partly because I don’t like spending a lot of time and money on anything (as you might suspect from someone writing on a minimalist blog!) But I do like wearing clothes that are nice. I really like wearing dresses, not because I like the way they look, mainly because they are comfortable. I’m not convinced that my aversion to buying expensive clothes is a good enough reason to go around looking like a bum all the time though. I don’t have to wear designer clothes, but I don’t want to look like I just rolled out of bed either. It’s a balance, like most things.

Regardless, the fact is, if you have a smaller wardrobe, you don’t have to spend as much on clothes. Same applies to your car (if you even have one!). On and on it goes, I’m sure you can pick the trend here.

Remember

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that it’s a bad thing to have nice things. It’s great to have nice things! But if you’re trying to cut back on spending, then less clothes means less spending. Less shopping means less stress about making money, which means less work, which means less stress. And all of that means: more time to be happy.

Minimalism and ownership

February 11, 2021 / joe / Comments Off

Having your own space is important, but the process of obtaining it can lead to so much ache and hardship. In this essay, we explore the trade off between minimalism and the benefits of ownership.

Rent; low cost, low ownership

Many people rent because it’s more financially achievable in the short term than buying, and by default this sets up a sort of perception that renting is somehow less, or somehow poorer than owning your own home. While it’s true that there are downsides to not owning your own home, there are ways to make renting a more fulfilling experience, and there are ways to use renting to your advantage by buying less stuff and living a more minimalist lifestyle.

Cheap rent is expensive

Have you ever thought about the fact that you’re paying money to live somewhere and not have any ownership over it? It’s a strange concept, and one that I’ve been pondering a lot lately. I guess I was thinking about it too much when I realized that the amount of money I’m paying to live in my apartment is almost the same as the amount of money I’d pay to buy a mid-range new car. Both tend to last me a year and a half, but at the end, one would be mine and the other wouldn’t.

I’m beginning to think that the cost of rent is not cheap, but is in fact expensive. Let me explain what I mean. While your rent today, and next month is well within your budget (assuming you are lucky enough to have a job or very supportive parents), in the long term, you are living somewhere and not owning it, not accumulating that money into something that you will eventually own. I’m beginning to think that it’s more important to own than it is to rent.

Rent is not ownership. I’ve had this discussion with some friends, and while I’m not arguing that people should run out to buy homes and stop renting, I’m trying to understand the relationship that is created between a person and a home when they live in it.

For some reason, I’ve always felt that when you live in a place, you become a part of it, and it becomes a part of you. You make the place your own, adding your own personality to it, and making it more comfortable and more your own. It’s a strange feeling, and totally different than when you rent a place and are trying to make it look nice, and trying to make it yours, knowing full well that a few weeks ago it was someone else’s book shelf. This feeling is heightened when you’re short term renting, knowing that your bookshelf (today), will be someone else’s in a few weeks or months. You feel, unanchored, unattached.

On the upside, having low costs means you don’t have to work as much, or you don’t have to work at a job that you hate, leaving so much more room in your life for what you do want, and do enjoy. If that isn’t minimalism, I don’t know what is! So, you can use low rent to your advantage by living with less, and working less, allowing more time for yourself. Low cost, and low ownership isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Less is more in this case.

A choice

Why don’t we try framing it as a choice between two alternatives, rather than one being strictly better than the other. It’s about the objective and subjective pros and cons of each situation, not absolutes. If you’re at a stage in your life where what you really want to do is just go to the library on campus and study and go out with friends a lot, then really, your place only needs to be a square with one room with one TV, so you don’t have to think about where to watch the latest season of your favorite show. Why put in effort to pay for more, when you don’t need it?

On the other hand, if you love spending a lot of time at home, and you’re relatively well off, then maybe you should look for the opportunity to own. As I said earlier, rent is expensive in the long term, and you’re going to be living somewhere anyway, so you might as well be paying that money into the bank account of your future self, rather than someone else.

There is no shame in renting, not only if you’re young and just starting out, but if you’re older and have priorities that make it a good and sensible choice. Don’t buy more than you need, be a minimalist about it! “Snow birds” are famously adept at this. They get to experience so many more houses, and are helpfully forced to reduce their possessions, twice a year, moving north and south. Either that, or they indulge in a storage lockup, burning money for possessions (which really, when you think about it, is really burning time for space).

I’m just beginning to think about all of this, so I’m sure it’ll come up again in future posts.

If you’re interested in reading more about minimalism, check back here for new posts and reach out to tell your minimalism story!

Freedom

Living as a Modern Minimalist