NEWS from a modern day slave.

I was a slave once. About 6 years I got out of my government job and started painting houses. I hated working for the government, my supervisors were political appointees, who didn't know the job, it was an argument every day. That kind of stuff wears you down. Now I work about 30 hours a week making the same money that I used to get for 40 hours. I have more time to do the things I enjoy and I don't have to listen to idiots anymore. It's not as expensive to live in Northern NY as it is in other places, so I save about 200 a month. When I was young I wanted the American dream and it didn't seem like I was ever going to get there and honestly I'm still not there, never will be. I decided I was going to have fun regardless of my income. Life is what you make it.

Thee are lots o things you can do. You didn't say if you were married have children etc. that makes it harder. It depends on what you want to do and if you are willing to sacrifice now to have it better in the near future.

Here's the more radical. Make a plan sell everything buy a motorhome or trailer and a piece of land somewhere where the payments are pretty low. Build yourself a house without a mortgage and put some gardens in, start working on sustainable lifestyle. You may work harder then you are now for a few years but you'll be working for you and not some corporation. When you get the place set up you will have more free time and a sense of satisfaction like you never have before.

Nothing will change unless you put your attention on it and work toward it. Some other things you can do to finance your escape from society is see if you can get an apartment management job, you usually get a free apartment and a salary. That way you can build your place and have an income while you do it.

Other things are look at starting some kind of internet business that can bring some money in etc.

I know it seems overwhelming but you might as well start now because in the next few year everyone will have to be pretty self sufficient or die.

If you are unwilling to do any of this all you can do is look for another type of job where you can make a comparable income and have a little more free time. All of this is harder if you are married and have children as the wife may not want any radical change.

Good luck and don't dwell on your misery but focus on coming up with plan and something will come to you if you ponder how to do it regularly and don't give up.



[edit on 16-7-2010 by hawkiye]

People stress themselves so needlessly, the problem with modern society is the fact that everyone has to have something "now" even if they cant afford it, and idc how much you make, if you make payments on it you don't own it.

Advice for youngsters, live at home for as long as possible, even if you have a "career". SAVE two or three years worth of pay checks and only spend what you HAVE to spend, take the money that you SAVED over those two or so years from living at home and go BUY your house in full.

in a few years you'll have saved yourself a lifetime worth of "worry and stress" and rather than worrying about making your overly expensive house payment with ridiculous interest rates, you can take the rest of your life's paychecks and afford the "toys" you want down the road.

The same applies to vehicles, if you can't buy it outright then you have no place buying it, its this system of credit that has everyone in chains, thinking they own everything when they don't when the reality is that you're going to be paying off most of this crap for the rest of your lives because the interest keeps compounding when all you had to do was be just a little bit patient and sacrifice for a SHORT while to save up and OWN these things, but no everyone has to have it NOW, well thats fine you sure got it now, but remember this, that nice toy you just had to have, will be long gone when your still making payments on it well into your retirement...


weigh it, a few years of saving and its yours free and clear or a lifetime of payments on something that can be taken back if you slip up once...

that's a really tough one isn't it....


So in short the answer to enjoying your life is not to be stupid about the choices you make, use logic. a home is one of the biggest investments most people will ever make, and payments on that home are what eat paychecks up monthly, which require those long work weeks and ridiculous wages. starting off the smart way and buying in FULL will lesson the need for those long work weeks and wages down the road because you wont NEED to work about making bills for the month, I mean a kid at mcdonalds can afford an electric and cable bill on their crappy wages, its the house payments that cause the problems, so eliminate that crap early on.

be smart with your money and be patient, save your money for the things you want, shred up your credit cards and don't take out a loans unless someone is going to DIE.

Most people these days don't own what they have, what they have owns them.



[edit on 16-7-2010 by C0le]

reply to post by sodakota


Damn, that would be nice. If you are living this dream, please don't advertise where you are. You will have every American in my shoes invading your town from every state in the country. We are all looking for an escape. If you claim there is one, and give geological coordinates, prepare to be invaded.

[edit on 16-7-2010 by ScousePhil]

[edit on 16-7-2010 by ScousePhil]

reply to post by hawkiye


"I know it seems overwhelming but you might as well start now because in the next few year everyone will have to be pretty self sufficient or die."

Just curious as to wheteher you are reffering to 2012, or the collapse of the world economy? Both of which I believe are very possible. Though I have had to ask myself lately "Are these scenarios created by TPTB to give us an "out" to our current lives, our current state of slavery, and our current state of boredom? I have been looking at these scenarios for a long long time. Not only prepearing but perhaps going above and beyond. Though at this point I feel like I could have been played, just to keep me docile. Yes I am prepared for the worse at this point. Though if nothing happens, how much did I miss in the mean time by paying attention to the lies? Is this part of the slavery?

Originally posted by dreamwalker74
reply to post by jcgohio

 

Thank you, That answered quite a bit. I'm still curious as to what the alternatives are though.

Glad my post answered a bit for you, Now for alternatives... There is so many options for people who want a more satisfying way of life but it depends on each individual.

Since the path you have been on is not what you seem to be enjoying I wouldn't recommend going totally the other direction immediately such as packing up and fleeing to SD (we actually did this as i type i am sitting in my wife's country and now after the past few months I see the error of my escape plan lol) it can be quite a shock/learning experience, but like others more wisely stated just slowly reverse the pattern.

1: I would start with the Cable tv you listed in your OP. Get rid of it and get an antenna if you want, use hulu or other web cast for your favorite shows if you have any and if you don't watch tv you just saved some money you were wasting
Then take this former tv time and take a relaxing walk preferably in a state park or other woody area and don'ttake your cell phone "unless you might get lost" use that time to figure out what you enjoy working on/with the most.

2: If South Dakota or anyplace of freedom sounds like something you might enjoy, use that built up vacation time and go and see if its what you want, there is no better time then the present

A few months ago I took my wife and parents to roam around florida (pre-oil event) and really enjoyed it the housing prices have dropped like a rock and it might be a great place but I couldnt afford the same space of land I have now (just over 3 acres) So we decided to stay where we are even though the garden season is not almost year around like down there.


In the end don't be afraid to give up all the material things you think /are told you need, sometimes they only enslave us more.
I am currently dealing with this as well, and it seems maybe more people are dealing with it across america as well.


Good luck on your search.
Josiah

One thing that might help would be to downsize your living quarters like another poster had stated. Now here is an idea for you, You said that you have excellent credit and right now your paying 1,000.00 a month for rent. You might be able to downsize to a cheap apartment temporarily and save as much money as you can and then you can use it to put a sown payment on a duplex or triplex house. Once you do that you can live in one of your own units and rent the rest out and let your tenants pay your mortgage for you. Values on houses such as these have gone down a lot lately and you could find a good deal on the duplex or triplex house. If that is something you decided to do, when accomplished you might be able to find a job that you don't hate or start your own business. Anyway I hope you figure out something for you situation and I wish you the best of Luck : > )

reply to post by dreamwalker74


Keep your job and make money, all the while stock up on food ammo guns barb wire and duct tape. grow food, find a group of mentally stable nuts to mix with, practice the silent centurion take down.
Wait for the signal.

The American dream is only available to people who A) come from rich families already or B) have Government jobs. People getting rich any other way are too few to mention.
Look for a job in government. They're the only ones with decent salaries, hours and benefits. Pretty much guaranteed raises to offset inflation too.
Sadly, the ability to move upward was only something our parents and grandparents could do. The average worker in America today is considered expendable and not worth rewarding for hard work and dedication.
I worked for 3 different companies in the last 25 years and never got a raise, not once.
Now I'm disabled and they'll probably take my S.S. away too since it's broke. Whatthefreakin' ever!

reply to post by dreamwalker74


Hey Dreamwalker,

Will you please stop saying that I'm retired? I still work and live in this society. So what if I'm half living on a boat? I still work very hard for the money I make, only I'm using it to actually do something for my future, rather then my present situation. I have not retired, and to say so is far from the truth. After all, I'm only 32. Come work with me for a while, and I guarantee that you'll think differently.

One thing though - Stop working on salary. It's the worst way to make money. Even a Mexican orchard worker can make more then that. Not being harsh, but if you want to stop the cycle, then just stop it and jump into something that will challenge you mentally and physically. You're only 36, lots of people make the change even older. We have a 60 year old here on the vineyard that makes probably around 60,000 a year with only 8 hour days, 5 days a week (plus generous holiday time). It can be done. If you want some ideas for your area, send me a u2u. I wish you the best of luck.

Lots of people on ATS have done it, I've been in correspondence with them. The reason many of them won't post is because they are inevitably met with negative reactions when they make suggestions that don't gel with the OP's ideas. Still, if you really want to make a change I'd be more then willing to help, just need more info from ya.

You don't have to go from one extreme to another. I still have a net connection, as do others that have 'dropped out'. How do you think I talk to them?

Cheers
Shane

p.s - It's 32 feet, not 30




[edit on 16/7/10 by shamus78]

reply to post by dreamwalker74


Well there's plenty of flaws there. Buying a house on that salary, for instance. Taking out a mortgage, if I read behind the lines correctly, is another.

My parents are old. They taught me never to buy things I cannot afford, never take out a mortgage, and never be stupid with debt.

I have lived these lessons. I have no debt. I also have no house, but that's because I cannot afford it yet. When I can afford a house, I will buy one. If I cannot, then oh well. A personal shelter is not the be all and end all of civilization and a happy life. I do not use credit cards beyond what I can afford. I work for my school for now, and I get my money in the scholarships I earned.

Not to crap on your post. I understand how the nation is a wreck. But if you made some different choices, this would not be a problem for you. But alas you did. Now you must learn from the past and not make the same error.

Some random advice

1) Get rid of cable television...you can typically find those 2-3 good shows you watch a week online somewhere anyhow if you must, otherwise, you will find by simply doing that, you may free up a ton of time where you can do other things, like meditate, or go fishing, etc...the television can quickly turn you into a zombie on your off hours, but if it wasn't there, then you are forced to do something far more interesting and entertaining with your free time

2) Consider a new job. 40k is nice enough in a low cost of living area until you estimate how much time your putting into the system and estimate the $ per hour...your barely making over minimum wage when you break down long weeks...someone suggested moving into an apartment...not a bad idea, less maintenance, less lawn cutting and all that, and its cheaper per month, allowing you to not need as much income coming in...then you can seek out new employment that doesn't pay as much, but has much less hours for you to take up a hobby.

3) Hobbies are important...people need to build something...take a class or watch some instructional youtube videos on how to build things, be it chairs, or like anything...hell, start painting..when your at work, this will give you a creative mindset even there and either make your job more interesting, or give you something to plan for when you get off...keeping your mind entertained on your own skills verses the skills your surrendering is a good idea.

4) get a bike or a good pair of jogging shoes and reshape your rituals...go for a long bike ride after work instead of going to the couch with a bag of chips...not only will you appreciate the world more, but the health benefits will make you feel better mentally and physically anyhow...dont do it once and then drop it, make it a personal competition with yourself...bike a mile tomorrow, then 1.2 miles the next day, etc...top it little by little.

5) Work for a goal....be it saving enough money to own a little restaurant, or perhaps run a website of something you find interesting after hours, etc...do something that gives you the mental goal of breaking from others chains one day...even if it doesn't work, at least you are trying...people learn far more from failures than success anyhow.

reply to post by dreamwalker74


Congratulations topic creator,


your a slave if you make yourself a slave. You are doing this to yourself. So don't blame nobody but you for your stupidity.

ok guys, just wanted to bring some things up about the posts and all that from the perspective of a 23 year old who knows alot about finances (accounting and finance college background).

there are a few things you can do, unless you really are making ends barely meet.

#1 Tax liens. Tax liens allow you to invest the taxes into a property (one that you would like) that the owner did not pay. If he or she chooose to pay it, its like 15% (or whatever the county decides to pay) interest. You can get the deed to the house this way and foreclose (the scary word now a days) on the property. Boom, much cheaper house, in which now you own free and clear. If you cant leave your job but have like 6 grand saved up, you can possibly invest in a property and win it outright, or get a killer interest rate return on it and put it towards your property (or do another smart thing like reinvest it) instead of keeping your rainy day fund in the bank making 1%.

second, be aware of your investing options and know your dividends. For instance, a house's mortgage rate is low right now! can be about 4.5%, ill go with 5.5% for the point. Lets say you have 5.5% and get into a stock or bond or fund paying 7-10%. (At&T pays 7%, Altria (i dont invest in smoking because of moral reasons) pays 7%, Brazilian Telecoms pay 7% and are ever expanding, safe option trading funds can pay about 10% (etj and i think etw), oil pipelines can pay about 9.8% (LINE, HEP) Floating income funds can pay about 5% and go up with interest rates (I like Putnams floating income, forget the symbol right now).

You get enough saved up and it can start paying your expenses for you. For instance, my insurance on my car is about 2000 a year. If and when (and I do mean when, I will definately do this) get about 22000 saved in the bank, I will never have to pay car insurance again (in theory) because those dividend payments will do it for me! and hopefully the cost of my insurance goes down, considering I crashed cars in the past. Oncve I have enough dividends to pay a house, car and food gas and utilities, I'll be good and go soverign and not be a citizen.

Im no tax lien expert at all, but I look forward to trying this stuff out soon. Ill ceck in on the thread in a bit, im going to be busy today.

Peace and love and financial success and freedom.

reply to post by dreamwalker74


My friend you echo my words exactly, down to the wages earned.

Its how the system is set up, to keep you hopeless (because the hopeless don't cause problems, they have no hope of a brighter day, so they accept what is given to them.) to keep your mind so muddled with BULL-SHIZA that you don't have time to see through the crap they are selling you as reality and to realize how much your really getting shafted.

HAVE HOPE my friend, keep it alive in your heart and don't give in.
I would for sure start growing your own garden as you can, maybe get the kids to help if they are old enough, its great family time and it helps make sure you know how to grow food when the lights go out and helps the kids for their bleak future. ITS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW HOW TO GROW AND FIND FOOD.

I feel for you as a fellow debt slave.

It sick that my company laid off 275 employees because of cut backs and yet the head of the company got an $11million BONUS!!!!!

Something is very wrong with this system when the people keeping the lights on and the work done are getting fisted while the asshole who really doesn't do anything of real value gets millions.

Find peace in this friend.
www.youtube.com...

[edit on 16-7-2010 by Loki Lyesmyth]

[edit on 16-7-2010 by Loki Lyesmyth]

People today are so socially conditioned to believe that the only way to be happy is to work really really hard and get that promotion. But all that happens when you get that promotion is you have to work even harder and for what? You die at the end.

Exactly.

Too many people live for their careers, it takes precedence over actually living their lives!

I work. I do not have a career. I work my hours ( 37.5) and that's it. I take all my holiday time. I call off sick occasionally ( 2/3 times per quarter). I do my job but I put only as much effort into it to keep from getting fired.

Now, because I CHOOSE not to have a career I also do not "own" a house, or a car. And thus, my medicore salary is sufficient to feed, cloth and house me with a bit left over for "other" expenses.

Most of society considers me a "loser". I don't have a house or new car. I don't wear designer fashions or spend money on getting my hair "done". When I go on vacation, it's not some boring luxary resort to lie around a pool all day, I actually go and see things from the local prespective ( It's so much more satisfying and cheaper). I don't have credit cards, I have no credit, good or bad. If I want something, I actually have to save my money for it.

The first step is to let go of what society says is the definition of success and embarce what makes you happy, damn society( and often family and frineds won't understand either, but if they truely love you they will accept it).

TPTB have been successfully conditioning us to believe that success and happiness will come if work your ass off to make them richer.

Don't believe them!

Originally posted by dreamwalker74

Is this the "American Dream"?

To quote George Carlin, "They call it the "American Dream" because you have to be asleep to believe it.

On the other hand, I recently saw a documentary about a coal miner in Appalachia in the 1920s and 30s. He'd arise at 5 AM every day and ride his horse 7 miles over a mountain to get to the mine. He had a family to feed. The guy missed one day's work in 17 years. After seeing that, I don't bitch about my life too much.

I have been living in this world for over sixty years; have been married to the same woman for over forty years; raised five childern and put three of them through collage.

Through out all this time I have never made more than 22K in any one year. I have five more years of payments on our home and two more on my wife's newest car.

Let me say here that I can not find any reason in your post to whine about.

All it takes to get through this life is to keep breathing,

You are only a SLAVE if you allow someone else to control your spirit and soul. Money and possessions are very poor substitutes for family and friends.

I think the best advice I could pass on to you would be to: go out and buy the largest glass of beer you can find. Drink about half of it. Hold it up close to your face and fill it back up with tears. Now get up, go out, love you family, and live your life.

This will do you far more good than ever trying to make any sinse out of the rest of what this world puts in front of you.

For anyone who thinks this sounds far to simplistic to be of value. I would appreciate hearing you explain how I have made it this far in life as "easily" as I have thus far with this mind set.

[edit on 16-7-2010 by hdutton]

reply to post by C0le


I'm back home for now and I'm almost 30. It is definitely a difficult decision to make after being on your own, but sometimes it is necessary. I'm struggling now with the reality that we have to work so hard just to make ends meet. I have a pretty decent job, but because of a few setacks (and bad decisions last year) I'm pretty much paycheck to paycheck until I get things back together again.

I've come to the conclusion that the only way to get out of this rut that everyone is stuck in is to start my own business. Easier said than done, but aside from moving and living off the land (which is really starting to sound tempting) it's the only thing I can think of. Instead of working to create and maintain wealth for someone else, why not do it for myself?

That's my idea at least.