How I cut my yearly bills in half (or better).

[CommanderOtto]

Otto, I dare you to come tell Grandma Dora that she doesn't cook authentic Italian. You will be sleepin wit da fishes.

[[m'kay]]

As much as I enjoy visiting city areas, I could never live there. Too noisy, too crowded, too hostile.

I live in a fairly secluded (for NJ) private lake community. I shoot BB guns off my deck, ride my Polaris Ranger on the streets while waving to everyone and tend bar at a day long music festival in my buddy's yard up the street once a year. There is a pizza and pub (real Italian food, only available in NJ and NY) about a mile away that I can get to through the woods, if I want. There are a few annoying people here. I kill them with kindness (with one exception) and it drives them up a wall. Everyone else is pretty laid back. Although my reasons for moving back here sucked ass, there couldn't be a more perfect place to live.

I have to drive an hour or more to work and back, but it's well worth it. I'm an electrician, so, most people are leaving for work when I am starting work. No traffic.

You have to be happy with where you live. Work sucks bad enough without having to live where you hate it.

Can I live with you? I know like, mad electric stuff. Like, y'know, don't stick your woohoo into the outlet or bad things happen. I'd be a great asset!

[Dad]

Can live with you? I know like, mad electric stuff. Like, y'know, don't stick your woohoo into the outlet or bad things happen. I'd be a great asset!

I am a good teacher, or so I've been told.

As much as of a smartass, heartless pud you are, I may be able to help you.

You have to find me though. Good luck.

[Dad]

This year's garden output, so far. Still have potatoes to dig up. Initial cost - $50. Estimated value of harvest - $250 + no need to shop for vegetables this winter.

Bring on hunting season.

[(SWGO)DesertEagle]

I'd partially disagree with your assertion about college degrees.

They are actually becoming more and more neccesarily to get a job due to the smaller job market, at least in certain fields. Everything has shifted down, with MS grads taking the BS jobs, BS students taking the AS jobs, and AS students getting the high school diploma jobs. The high school diploma students get what is left over.

However, I totally agree that you really should pick a field that will pay off. I would agree with learning a trade only if you think the field is pretty safe from future technological advancement shriniking the market.

[ProfessorDreadNaught]

OK, so your advice in this thread can be summed up by this:
- cut back to the bare essentials
- rely on yourself alone as much as possible
- don't take out loans to purchase anything but a house
- learn a physical skilled trade for work and life
- do your own service/repair work

To evaluate if this is good advice or not we're missing some vital information. What do you do with all the money you've saved? I mean you are living an admittedly more strenuous lifestyle than someone with chronic pain or some other malady might be able to cope with. For those people your lifestyle isn't even an option, but for the more robust, what does the savings really amount to? What benefits do you get by "saving" money?

[Dad]

The savings amount to thousands per year. This year alone, I saved approximately $9500. What that amounts to, is I can go where I want, when I want. I rarely have to ask myself, "Can I afford to do this?" My line of work also is ideal for this kind of life style. I firmly believe that this is a crucial part of life that is severely lacking for most people. Money troubles cause stress, divorce, anxiety, depression and so on. As a victim of the family court system in this country, by all rights I could be so deeply in debt at this point I would never be able to get out. What I do is not only for selfish reasons. I intend to leave my kids one very healthy chunk of change. With the direction this country is headed, they're going to need it.

As far as being physically capable, I've had my spine fused and pinned, my hips are going on me, and my knees are starting to give me grief. My body protests every move I make, all day, every day. I just tell it to suck it up and do what I say. When the day comes that my body no longer listens, I'll deal with it.

[WD-40]

Not bad Dad I see you have learned to 'can' for storage.

[[NH]Shadow]

Thanks, Dad! As I have yet to attend college (I'm like 14), I will use your advice for college/money.

[(SWGO)DesertEagle]

Thanks, Dad! As I have yet to attend college (I'm like 14), I will use your advice for college/money.

Oh, for college, apply his advice x10 XD. It can be really tight.