• Smokeydope@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    People need to start living well below their means, not right at them. Anyone whos lifestyle becomes tough to maintain from putting away just 10% of their income and lives from paycheck to paycheck needs to re-evaluate their living and financial conditions. Either learn to live with less/spend less or go somewhere with cheaper cost of living.

    Its not that hard if you never go into debt, don’t pay rent, and live minimally. Which I do admit most people are either unwilling or unable to do those things given their life circumstances and responsibilities. God help the ones that signed up for 30 years of mortgage payments at 15% interest tfor that 500,000$ poorly constructed 2 story 1 bath suburbanite home or an ever increasing 1500$ rent each month to some landlord.

      • Smokeydope@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Unironically, yes. When you have some land and a semi-livable vehicle to sleep in and everything else is paid for you only need money for the barest of essentials in life. nonperishable food, heating fuel, plenty of water, some gas for the car, clothes, household supplies, and a good efund in case something ever happens. You have to give up a lot of modern convinence to live that way but being free to not have to work 24/7/365 just to survive is great. Sorry that the idea of such an option upsets you or sounds unrealistic.

        • meliaesc@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          “Just own land and a vehicle outright” I am very happy for your privilege, but this is absolutely unrealistic.

          • Smokeydope@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            You can find a parcel of land in a rural area fairly easily for only a couple thousand dollars, maybe 10-15 k if you want some real acreage. A cheap ass used van from the early 2000s is 3000-7000 depending on how good a deal you get. Most people can get a loan for an extremely cheap van, move into it for a few months and pay themselves the 800-1500 in rent (if not more now), and have it paid off fully after a few months of work, then start saving towards a bigger nicer van or that parcel of land. Not everyone is so fortunate to do so as they have a family and kids or other responsibilities that make this path a non-option but its not privilege its proper planning and a ton of lifestyle compromises. I worked hard and saved up for everything Ive ever had and saw an unusual lifestyle option that works for me, I guess that makes me privileged?

            • SCB@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              saw an unusual lifestyle option that works for me, I guess that makes me privileged?

              Yep that’s what that word means.

            • danwardvs@sh.itjust.works
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              1 year ago

              This is dependent on where you live. I live in a rural area and the cheapest plot of rural land is $325,000 and that’s 0.75 acres.

              • Deuces@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                325k for a plot of rural land with no buildings? I can maybe see that in “rural” southern California or Washington State, but nowhere else in the US makes any sense to me unless we just have very different definitions of rural.

            • Guest_User@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              People really seem to hate seeing others succeed. Congratulations on your financial stability, sounds like you’re in a good spot. I’m working on getting my finances in order and repairing from when I lived above my means.