As an adult, it’s easy to get lost in the day-to-day shuffle of everything that is expected of you and all the tasks and responsibilities on your plate. When we were kids, in grade school and high school, we often had lots of free time and could spend hours playing or hanging out with friends. College years brought harder courses, but more time for parties and socializing too. Then graduation day came and we suddenly found ourselves walking across the stage to get our diploma. At that very moment we said goodbye to our carefree years and entered the world as adults.
When we reach adulthood, we find that life has been scripted for us. It is now time to get a good paying job, buy a house, get married and perhaps have some children of our own. Soon we are making payments on a big mortgage, spending way too many hours at work and juggling hectic lives with our spouse and family. As time goes on you start to wonder about the world we live in. Who designed it? Why are we living the way that we do? When we go deeper, we soon come to understand that we are living society’s plan, not our own.
Lowering Your Monthly Expenses
If you want true freedom in life, you have to take the time to create a world unencumbered by the burdens and requirements of the societal model around you. One of the best ways to break free of the shackles of society is to reduce the amount of money you need to live on each month. When you lower your monthly expenses, you can start to create a world where you decide how you will live each day. In order to save money each month, you should list all your expenses and see where you can cut costs. If you are a recent college graduate, it’s likely that your student loan payments take a big part of your monthly income. Fortunately, you can cut years off your debt repayments by refinancing your current student loans into a new loan with a private lender. Interest rates are at near historic lows now, so you’ll be able to save a lot of money on your monthly payments too.
Buy Your Own Land and Set Up an Alternative House
The top monthly expense for most people is the cost of housing. Paying for housing often takes a third of your monthly income, and it’s not getting any better over time. If you really want to break free, you need to chart your own course by purchasing land and setting up an alternative dwelling that lets you live comfortably for a fraction of the cost of traditional housing. You can purchase acres of land on a land contract by putting a small amount down and then paying off the property over time. Once you have your land under contract, you can put up a yurt or geodesic dome for less than $15,000 and you’ll now have a safe place to live. By taking this approach you will slash your biggest expenditure dramatically.
Live Off the Grid
If you want to increase your savings and be truly free, the next step would be to set up off-grid utilities. It’s possible to set up an affordable solar energy system that can provide all the power you need for your home and property. For water, you can either run a solar-powered well or can rely on a water catchment system if the area you live in gets enough rain. For heating, you can take advantage of small marine heaters or a wood stove that can easily keep your alternative dwelling warm and cozy even in winter time. You can then add a composting toilet so that you reduce your need to hook up to local sewer services and utilities.