Author Topic: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?  (Read 20963 times)

kaeldra

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I'm curious about what other unconventional lifestyle choices Mustachians have made, either separately or in support of becoming more Mustachian. Carfree? Childfree? Homeschooling? Nomadic? Cohousing? For example, I'm vegetarian and very interested in Zero Waste (both for environmental reasons, but both do support early retirement). I'm also planning to build an off-grid home. How about you?
« Last Edit: March 18, 2012, 11:03:34 AM by kaeldra »

Mike Key

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2012, 12:27:24 AM »
People think I am weird for refusing to own a TV. Is minimalism alternative?

kaeldra

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2012, 01:45:42 AM »
I'd vote that minimalism is alternative. The first thing my nieces asked when they came to see my house was where the TV was :)

velocistar237

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2012, 06:24:26 AM »
We've been car-free for several years, and we are interested in Zero Waste and homeschooling. Other than that, we try our best to blend in, but I don't think we do a very good job :)

wAs

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2012, 06:57:12 AM »
I'm interested in living in an RV full-time and traveling throughout the US and Canada. I follow a number of blogs relative to this lifestyle, and surprisingly, it can be affordable. See this link for a few stories: http://www.hitchitch.com/links.html. One of my favorites blogs about the lifestyle is: http://www.rv-dreams.com/journal.html. This site has a budget page showing how living this way can be done for just over a $1000 per month: http://www.rv-dreams.com/fulltimingbudgets.html.

A number of people live the lifestyle and supplement their income with "work-camping", there are a number of sites specific to this concept. Here's one: http://www.workamper.com.

A bit of a twist on the concept of working seasonally in beautiful places can be found here: http://www.coolworks.com 

arebelspy

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2012, 10:34:47 AM »
A lot of alternative/non-traditional ideas appeal to me.

Minimalism.  RV (or boat) living. Small house movement. Homeschooling. Off grid.  Frugality.  etc.

Some we're doing now (small house, semi-minimalism), others I think we'll be doing traditionally for several years, and transition to non-traditional.
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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2012, 10:50:06 AM »
I've lived in an RV my entire adult life.

I've been vegetarian my entire life - I don't think of it as alternative, its just normal for me, but I know to most it is alternative.

My truck runs on biodiesel, which actually costs more than petrol, so it isn't Mustacian at all.

I get some (not all) of my electricity from solar.

I sometimes use skates as transportation, which makes it alternative even among my bicycle community :P

I have a rainwater collection system (doesn't save money, because my water is free anyway)

I offer a discount on my services to people who don't have a car, and even more to low-income clients.  This lowers my income, but I feel good about it.  It is my little way of being anti-capitalist and not making money my priority (even though I want to eventually be making enough passive income to only work 5 hours a week)

kolorado

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #7 on: March 18, 2012, 01:55:27 PM »
Oh my yes. The thing is, choosing to change your life in any area from the normal or expected way of doing things opens you up to new ideas and possibilities in other areas. When you can break the mental hold that you think our society has over you in any one area, you are free to make choices based solely on your beliefs regardless of whether they will seem radical to others. What you will almost certainly notice is that not too many people care about what you are doing, at least not as much as you were thinking they would. This gives you confidence to transform other areas of your life with more freedom. The confidence part is really fun because people are intimidated and awed by it and are a lot less likely to criticize or try to make you feel guilty about your choices. People would rather see you make a choice and follow it with passion even if you change your mind later than do nothing at all.
People in our "radical" sphere always seem to have something new on the horizon that is the next step in the journey. Things that would have seemed crazy to us years ago no longer seem so weird. :P I'm planning to foray into dumpster diving after our move if only for household goods and produce. I'm also seriously considering being a landlord. It's always been on my mind but now I think I have the maturity and motivation to do it well.

adam

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2012, 07:57:31 AM »
I try and live as close to 'paleo/primal' as possible, but I slip here and there.  Part of that is health reasons though, if I shouldn't be eating carbs it makes sense to find a lifestyle/diet that is low carb.

onehappypanda

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #9 on: March 19, 2012, 11:57:45 AM »
Does crazy cat lady count? Kidding (sort of). I'm an avid pet owner and take my responsibility to pets fairly seriously- I can only afford one pet at the moment but I consider her a commitment (financially and otherwise) and I like to volunteer and help out shelters when I can. That's pretty separate from being Mustachian I guess, maybe even unMustachian in the sense that I'd easily take a financial hit if my cat got sick or something.

Maybe more related to Mustachianism:
General basic health consciousness, in the "eat real food, move more somehow, and ignore the hype" way. Which means I often don't fit in with the health nutter crowd (as I could care less about the newest fanciest supplements or workout routines) but also don't totally fit with the regular non-fitnessy crowd. But that's not really a big deal since I try to be relaxed about it.

Psuedo-minimalism. I'm not a true minimalist but I do like having a relatively simple life and I don't get attached to belongings. I don't feel like I need to own really nice things, I almost find owning really nice things stressful. That ties in strongly with financial independence I've found. Less things = spending less money and time on things = more time and money for myself.

I dunno what you call it, but I like the idea of reducing reliance on the modern food system. I've just started growing my own veggies and herbs (in containers as I rent) and some day when I own property I've love to have a full urban veggie garden going on. If I can have my own organic-ish food on the cheap without having to worry about how it was grown or who might've been exploited in getting it to me, that'd be awesome.

I'm pretty vanilla though, nothing too out of the ordinary here ;)
« Last Edit: March 19, 2012, 12:01:35 PM by onehappypanda »

Brett

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #10 on: March 19, 2012, 02:04:05 PM »

I dunno what you call it, but I like the idea of reducing reliance on the modern food system. I've just started growing my own veggies and herbs (in containers as I rent) and some day when I own property I've love to have a full urban veggie garden going on. If I can have my own organic-ish food on the cheap without having to worry about how it was grown or who might've been exploited in getting it to me, that'd be awesome.

I'm pretty vanilla though, nothing too out of the ordinary here ;)

I'm exactly the same. I started growing a few veggies on my kitchen counter by the window to try to get away from relying on supermarkets and save money. The veggie garden is a definite plan for me, and hopefully some animals as well, pigs, chickens etc.


In terms of being alternative, I guess I kind of am in that I have been adopting a 'prepper' mindset, storing food and the like. Which I actually think fits really well with mustachianism since food prices are just going up and up and food will never be as cheap as it is today. The investment on storing food gives a great return, for something you're going to do anyway. I'm really excited for my first trip to costco next week! Apart from that, I don't think I do anything else that might be considered alternative.


nondualie

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #11 on: March 19, 2012, 06:23:50 PM »
People think I am weird for refusing to own a TV. Is minimalism alternative?

Depends on if you're a Dwell-magazine minimalist or a bit more down to earth ;)

nondualie

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #12 on: March 19, 2012, 06:25:51 PM »

Psuedo-minimalism. I'm not a true minimalist but I do like having a relatively simple life and I don't get attached to belongings. I don't feel like I need to own really nice things, I almost find owning really nice things stressful. That ties in strongly with financial independence I've found. Less things = spending less money and time on things = more time and money for myself.


I like that way of putting it and totally agree with you there.

I get stressed out when my fridge has useless stuff in it, let alone my closet ;)

shedinator

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #13 on: March 19, 2012, 07:18:08 PM »
We homeschool our son (he's pre-school age, but we intend to keep it up at least through elementary). My wife is a SAHM, which is starting to become "alternative"... oh, and I got married at 18, which I am told makes me weird, and apparently doomed for divorce as well. Among people who fit the preceding bill, we're considered "alternative" because we're not ultra-conservative or religious fundamentalists-- I found this out about a year ago when I put out some feelers for a solid homeschool life science program that relied on the discoveries of modern science as its primary source, rather than the first 2 chapters of the Bible, and received a fair amount of hate mail.
There are other things that would be considered alternative if I compared them to my current milieu, but much like the list of things above, they were normal enough for my parents and their friends, and I'm guessing there are other places where they're pretty common. Those places just don't seem to include in the suburbs of Boston.

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #14 on: March 19, 2012, 08:41:40 PM »
The only real non-traditional lifestyle choice that I catch flack for is "throwing away my life" by marrying a divorced woman with two children instead of raising my own family.  My parents are still struggling with being supportive.

Other than that, we live in a normal little house and drive a normal little car.  The kids do normal kid activities.  I sometimes feel like part of a secret club when I watch my coworkers buy new SUVs while complaining about their financial troubles which are entirely due to their overconsumptive life styles.  They don't understand why we don't live in a million dollar home, and I don't understand why they would opt for a 40 year sentence in cubicle land.

The Money Monk

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #15 on: March 20, 2012, 08:04:13 AM »
I'm into preparedness and homesteading.

It's amazing the the looks and reactions you get when suggesting that the power and running water just might not work for a day or two at some point during your entire life.

And I live in hurricane country!

arebelspy

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #16 on: March 20, 2012, 08:48:12 AM »
I'm into preparedness and homesteading.

It's amazing the the looks and reactions you get when suggesting that the power and running water just might not work for a day or two at some point during your entire life.

And I live in hurricane country!

Are you sure those looks aren't because it'd be easy to live without power and running water for a day or two?

If someone told me they were doing all this work to prepare for an outage of a day or two, I'd probably think it weird as well, as I'd just go without for a bit.  But, as always, to each his own.  :)
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The Money Monk

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #17 on: March 20, 2012, 12:23:46 PM »
I'm into preparedness and homesteading.

It's amazing the the looks and reactions you get when suggesting that the power and running water just might not work for a day or two at some point during your entire life.

And I live in hurricane country!

Are you sure those looks aren't because it'd be easy to live without power and running water for a day or two?

If someone told me they were doing all this work to prepare for an outage of a day or two, I'd probably think it weird as well, as I'd just go without for a bit.  But, as always, to each his own.  :)

Well that is only one possible scenario. I have been without power for 2 weeks before because of a hurricane. But the point is not having to rely on outside systems of support (regardless of if there is a hurricane or other disaster). Whether that means not being a slave to a 9-5 for financial support, or not being helpless if the power/water/grocery store aren't working as we are all used to.

I would think that this kind of independence and self-sufficiency would be very 'mustachian' and well-received here. I guess you disagree.

shedinator

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #18 on: March 20, 2012, 01:09:01 PM »
I'm into preparedness and homesteading.

It's amazing the the looks and reactions you get when suggesting that the power and running water just might not work for a day or two at some point during your entire life.

And I live in hurricane country!

Are you sure those looks aren't because it'd be easy to live without power and running water for a day or two?

If someone told me they were doing all this work to prepare for an outage of a day or two, I'd probably think it weird as well, as I'd just go without for a bit.  But, as always, to each his own.  :)

Well that is only one possible scenario. I have been without power for 2 weeks before because of a hurricane. But the point is not having to rely on outside systems of support (regardless of if there is a hurricane or other disaster). Whether that means not being a slave to a 9-5 for financial support, or not being helpless if the power/water/grocery store aren't working as we are all used to.

I would think that this kind of independence and self-sufficiency would be very 'mustachian' and well-received here. I guess you disagree.

I don't think it's a disagreement with the thought so much as with the explanation. I think the idea of homesteading is a good one, but I can understand why someone would balk if you explained it by saying that it's possible you'll be without power for 2 days, or even 2 weeks. I've gone without power for 3 weeks in the middle of a Northern New York winter with a full traffic ban in effect. We got by just fine between our gas stove, wood stove, and generator. So I can attest to the fact that homesteading is not necessary as a precaution for power outages, even prolonged ones, and would probably look at someone crosseyed if they suggested it. However, if the person explained it as developing independence from "the grid," I would applaud them and ask them to tell me more about what they do and how they do it.

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #19 on: March 20, 2012, 05:28:52 PM »
Small house (would prefer even smaller), lessmeatarian, no-poo, lifelong car-free old punk. All obviously kinda compatible with mustachianism.

The Money Monk

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #20 on: March 20, 2012, 07:28:27 PM »

I don't think it's a disagreement with the thought so much as with the explanation. I think the idea of homesteading is a good one, but I can understand why someone would balk if you explained it by saying that it's possible you'll be without power for 2 days, or even 2 weeks. I've gone without power for 3 weeks in the middle of a Northern New York winter with a full traffic ban in effect. We got by just fine between our gas stove, wood stove, and generator. So I can attest to the fact that homesteading is not necessary as a precaution for power outages, even prolonged ones, and would probably look at someone crosseyed if they suggested it. However, if the person explained it as developing independence from "the grid," I would applaud them and ask them to tell me more about what they do and how they do it.

Well I said I am into preparedness AND homesteading. There is some overlap but they are not the same thing. Your example of the gas stove, wood stove, and generator are perfect examples of solid preparations for power power outtages. Yet a surprising number of people, even in very cold areas, seem to think they don't need to have any kind of preparations for such an occurrence, even though it happens all the time.

Homesteading is just a great way to increase your  self-sufficiency and independence. Like I said there is a lot of overlap, but they are not the same thing.

arebelspy

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #21 on: March 21, 2012, 09:01:47 AM »
I don't think it's a disagreement with the thought so much as with the explanation. I think the idea of homesteading is a good one, but I can understand why someone would balk if you explained it by saying that it's possible you'll be without power for 2 days, or even 2 weeks. I've gone without power for 3 weeks in the middle of a Northern New York winter with a full traffic ban in effect. We got by just fine between our gas stove, wood stove, and generator. So I can attest to the fact that homesteading is not necessary as a precaution for power outages, even prolonged ones, and would probably look at someone crosseyed if they suggested it. However, if the person explained it as developing independence from "the grid," I would applaud them and ask them to tell me more about what they do and how they do it.

Exactly.  My comment was to point out that it may be how you're telling people, rather than what you're telling them, that is getting those reactions.

You said:
Quote
It's amazing the the looks and reactions you get when suggesting that the power and running water just might not work for a day or two at some point during your entire life.

Explaining the off grid thing is neat.   How you're independent, etc. 

But saying you're worried about power and running water not working for "for a day or two at some point during your entire life" .. so you're going to all this homesteading work.  That might be the cause of the looks and reactions.

I never said that homesteading is non-Mustachian; quite possibly the opposite.  Just pointing out that you might want to think about how you present it, because even I (as someone familiar with the concept) would think it's a bit weird and extreme if the only reason is because you're only worried about being without power for a day at some point.
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
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PaulTecumseh

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #22 on: March 24, 2012, 01:20:38 AM »
We homeschool our son (he's pre-school age, but we intend to keep it up at least through elementary). My wife is a SAHM, which is starting to become "alternative"... oh, and I got married at 18, which I am told makes me weird, and apparently doomed for divorce as well. Among people who fit the preceding bill, we're considered "alternative" because we're not ultra-conservative or religious fundamentalists-- I found this out about a year ago when I put out some feelers for a solid homeschool life science program that relied on the discoveries of modern science as its primary source, rather than the first 2 chapters of the Bible, and received a fair amount of hate mail.
There are other things that would be considered alternative if I compared them to my current milieu, but much like the list of things above, they were normal enough for my parents and their friends, and I'm guessing there are other places where they're pretty common. Those places just don't seem to include in the suburbs of Boston.

I was homeschooled at home and in a church group through 7th grade. There are some great advantages to homeschooling but make sure your son still gets around other kids. Sports are especially good for that. It will help quite a bit in the long run. Some of the guys I grew up with struggled after going from a small group to a public high school. Obviously it was worse because we went from a fairly strict religious environment to a southside Tucson school. I know that the transition was especially tough for them and a couple ended up bouncing around to several high schools. Good luck with your son, I hope you're able to find a curriculum that you like.

shedinator

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #23 on: March 24, 2012, 10:10:04 AM »
I was homeschooled at home and in a church group through 7th grade. There are some great advantages to homeschooling but make sure your son still gets around other kids. Sports are especially good for that. It will help quite a bit in the long run. Some of the guys I grew up with struggled after going from a small group to a public high school. Obviously it was worse because we went from a fairly strict religious environment to a southside Tucson school. I know that the transition was especially tough for them and a couple ended up bouncing around to several high schools. Good luck with your son, I hope you're able to find a curriculum that you like.

I have a few thoughts on that...
One of the biggest anti-homeschooling arguments (my in-laws use it frequently) is that homeschooled children aren't "socialized." While I know what they're saying, I must admit that I have absolutely no interest in my children learning to be like the average elementary school child. I went to elementary school from 4th grade on, my mom works in an elementary school, and while we're apparently not supposed to say things like this, I'm thoroughly convinced that the average child in elementary school is a snotty, self-centered consumerist. Now, they're still young, it's not their fault yet, and hopefully many of them will grow out of it, but they won't do so because they're around kids their own age, but rather because they're influenced by adults. If I want my child to become a well-adjusted adult, then he needs to learn from well-adjusted adults, not maladjusted children :).

That said, I agree that social interaction of some kind is important to overall development, and I've seen the results of homeschooling when that's not included- a poorly adjusted child who is also socially awkward is, in some ways, worse off than the average high school student, if for no other reason than that they are considered "normal" among their peers, while s/he is not. I also am doing home learning to increase my son's opportunities, not to limit them. If he wants to play an instrument, or a sport, or be in a play, or anything else that requires joining with a group of children, he's going to have that opportunity. If friendships result from any of those activities, or from interacting with other kids at church or homeschool groups, so much the better. If he prefers the company of adults... well, I preferred the company of adults for most of my upbringing, and I think I turned out OK.

cdttmm

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #24 on: March 24, 2012, 01:06:19 PM »
Somebody commented on my "alternative" lifestyle a few weeks ago.  I thought it was an odd comment because I don't consider my lifestyle alternative, but I guess other people do.  Here are a few reasons why:

I've been a vegetarian for 20+ years.
I'm an endurance athlete, primarily ultrarunning and triathlon.
I'm also a martial artist in a style that is extremely traditional and does not support tournament competitions.
I drive a car that's been converted to run on waste vegetable oil.
I heat my New England home with wood and I'm interested in learning to cut and split wood by hand.
My home is equipped with solar hot water and solar electric.
As an adult I've only ever worked from home; I have never had to commute.
I'm child-free by choice.
I am a "backwards" beekeeper; my beehives are largely treatment free.
I garden organically, including both vegetables and ornamentals.
I have a rapidly expanding fruit orchard.
I retired (for the first time) at 36 and later returned to work for a start-up just for fun.

Okay, maybe my lifestyle is a little on the alternative side...

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #25 on: March 24, 2012, 04:15:58 PM »
Cdtmm - you're not just alternative, you're badass.
Heidi

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #26 on: March 24, 2012, 08:57:31 PM »

 I sometimes feel like part of a secret club when I watch my coworkers buy new SUVs while complaining about their financial troubles which are entirely due to their overconsumptive life styles.  They don't understand why we don't live in a million dollar home, and I don't understand why they would opt for a 40 year sentence in cubicle land.

Yep.

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #27 on: March 24, 2012, 11:25:14 PM »
I'm a vegetarian (which I don't feel is very odd for Western Washington). I'm also interested in self-sufficient living, but as a renter I don't really get to practice it much.

The big non-traditional choice for me is that I'm a non-drinker, smoker/drug user. I will occasionally take OTC meds, and I drink tea, but that's it.

HeidiO

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #28 on: March 24, 2012, 11:57:04 PM »
   I am a chosen "genetic dead end" :-)  I chose to adopt an older kid (9 yo) and have been a foster mom instead of giving birth.  I am also a lesbian.  And very happily married.
Heidi

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #29 on: March 25, 2012, 06:47:17 AM »
Cdtmm - you're not just alternative, you're badass.
Heidi

+1 Cdtmm, you are possibly the definition of badassity. Nice one.

cdttmm

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #30 on: March 25, 2012, 07:43:59 AM »
Cdtmm - you're not just alternative, you're badass.
Heidi

+1 Cdtmm, you are possibly the definition of badassity. Nice one.

LOL -- thanks HeidiO and Brett!  I have a long list of things I still want to do on my path to truly alternative living -- perhaps once I accomplish them I will award myself the badge of badassity, but not before then!  :-)

arebelspy

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #31 on: March 25, 2012, 09:23:52 AM »
I agree - quite an amount of badassity on cdttmm's part.

Not because of the individual things he's doing (most of those things don't interest or impress me - no offense) but because he's living the way he wants.  Not caring what people think (presumably), but living how he wants to live his life.  THAT'S badassity, and that does impress me.  Way to go.
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

travelbug

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #32 on: March 25, 2012, 08:56:13 PM »
Cool people on these boards.
I don't view myself as hugely alternative, but we like to think outside the box.
We unschool, haven't eaten meat for 20 years, are going to sell everything we own (house, business, stuff, furniture, cars) and travel the world (slow travel) next year.
C

shedinator

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #33 on: March 25, 2012, 09:01:31 PM »

We unschool,

Would love to hear more about this, if you'd like to start a new thread.

travelbug

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #34 on: March 25, 2012, 09:12:14 PM »
What would you like to know?
We are fairly new to applying the concepts, but I have been researching for years and once I had read John Holt and John Taylor Gatto I just could not go back.
Our daughter is only five, and our son two, but it's taking the concept of learning and embracing it with interest-led and child-driven topics.
If you think of an interest of yours, odds are that you can find multiple ways to apply the traditional schooling methods to it.
(maths, science, reading, spelling, geography, etc)
The approach is not to try and apply these principals but have trust that your child's joy of learning will embrace all elements of life and by following their interests they will lean fundamental concepts naturally.
That is a very broad overview and there are so many other tangents that I could write for 10 years on the subject.
Initially I had to unschool myself and then love and trust in my children to be able to create an unschooling atmosphere.
C

shedinator

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #35 on: March 25, 2012, 10:14:12 PM »
What would you like to know?
We are fairly new to applying the concepts, but I have been researching for years and once I had read John Holt and John Taylor Gatto I just could not go back.
Our daughter is only five, and our son two, but it's taking the concept of learning and embracing it with interest-led and child-driven topics.
If you think of an interest of yours, odds are that you can find multiple ways to apply the traditional schooling methods to it.
(maths, science, reading, spelling, geography, etc)
The approach is not to try and apply these principals but have trust that your child's joy of learning will embrace all elements of life and by following their interests they will lean fundamental concepts naturally.
That is a very broad overview and there are so many other tangents that I could write for 10 years on the subject.
Initially I had to unschool myself and then love and trust in my children to be able to create an unschooling atmosphere.
C

Mods might want to split this off.
I've read Holt and Gatto. The concept of unschooling is one that really interests me, and it's more or less the approach you have to take with a child my son's age (3), since if the learning isn't child-directed, it's probably not happening. But all of the books I've read on the topic seem to have been written by parents whose children turned out to be naturally brilliant (or naturally inquisitive, but that's more or less the same thing), and develop the desire to gain a well-rounded education all on their own. In practice, I've met some unschoolers whose kids show very little motivation to learn or experience anything new, and whose parents are fully sold on waiting until their little darlings suggest activities. There seems to be a fine line between unschooling and passivity, and I'm curious to know how others are dealing with that line.

velocistar237

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #36 on: March 26, 2012, 10:15:47 AM »
Regarding unschooling, I found this blog interesting.

zoltani

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #37 on: March 26, 2012, 05:54:56 PM »
Cool people on these boards.
I don't view myself as hugely alternative, but we like to think outside the box.
We unschool, haven't eaten meat for 20 years, are going to sell everything we own (house, business, stuff, furniture, cars) and travel the world (slow travel) next year.
C

Traveling the world sounds nice, especially if it is by bike.

OrganicVeganCyclist

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Re: Other non-traditional orientations? Yes.
« Reply #38 on: May 02, 2012, 01:14:12 PM »
Carfree, yes, replaced cars with a folding http://brompton.co.uk/ bike, 'basket' and travel cover, Amtrak points card and Metro pass. One pack for the rest of the possessions. See: https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/buying-new-cars/msg8763/#msg8763
Nomadic, world wide Walkabouts, Non-Nationalist, MultiCultural, MultiLingual, yes, yet...
Planning to join or build off-grid eco-villages, in several locations, yes.
Cohousing, yes, pre-foreclosure squat with a view of Puget Sound and the Olympics at the moment.
Childfree, yes, http://www.overpopulation.org/solutions.html
Vegan, yes, http://vegan.org/
Toward Zero Waste, yes.
Toward Feminist Equity, yes.
Tax-free, yes. Retired, yes, since 19 in the Marxist sense, of not being an exploited proletariat. After paying-as-I-went for University degrees, I quit work-a-day jobs. For 24 of the last 25 years I've lived, by wits and skills, within the means of a Conscientious Objector Tax Resistor. Last year this meant $9500 total, or about $790/month.
Happy in the now, when I simply remember to be, yes :) Number seven: http://www.plumvillage.org/mindfulness-trainings/340-14mt-revised.html
« Last Edit: May 03, 2012, 01:03:20 AM by OrganicVeganCyclist »

pka222

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #39 on: May 02, 2012, 08:00:30 PM »
Humm,
I've tried getting rid of the TV, cooking most every meal, prepaying the Cell phone instead of having a contract but none of these alone made too much difference. Then I left the US when Bush got in for the second term (craziness) and found that if I make under 92k per year I pay no us taxes. Since  I don't make that much I've effectually got a 30% bonus which means I'm that much closer to FI.  I live in a very small country and save about 70% of my income - in trade I deal with packs of dogs, religious hegemony, and lack of reliable services- but I get unrivaled ocean views, sunsets and no temptations to spend since there isn't much to buy  other than food and beer:) - I still have a car, and I have cubical to sit in but I figure its worth it for FI in less than 5 years.
Cheers

James

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #40 on: May 02, 2012, 08:22:30 PM »
We did the home school thing for 6 years with our three kids, and I was home schooled all the way through from 1st grade to graduation.  It's a complex decision to make, it can't be broken down to short answers.  I do think mustachian living would mesh well with home schooling simply because it becomes so much more possible with parents being available to be home.  I can't imagine how much easier it would have been on us if I had been able to be home more often to help with the three kids.


As far as alternative habits linked to mastachism, I think low cost vacations would be something most would follow.  It seems expensive vacations go along with the car loan and the other consumerist habits common in our culture, and I'm amazed at how low cost and low key our vacations are compared to what I hear about at work.

onehappypanda

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #41 on: May 02, 2012, 09:18:42 PM »
What would you like to know?
We are fairly new to applying the concepts, but I have been researching for years and once I had read John Holt and John Taylor Gatto I just could not go back.
Our daughter is only five, and our son two, but it's taking the concept of learning and embracing it with interest-led and child-driven topics.
If you think of an interest of yours, odds are that you can find multiple ways to apply the traditional schooling methods to it.
(maths, science, reading, spelling, geography, etc)
The approach is not to try and apply these principals but have trust that your child's joy of learning will embrace all elements of life and by following their interests they will lean fundamental concepts naturally.
That is a very broad overview and there are so many other tangents that I could write for 10 years on the subject.
Initially I had to unschool myself and then love and trust in my children to be able to create an unschooling atmosphere.
C

Mods might want to split this off.
I've read Holt and Gatto. The concept of unschooling is one that really interests me, and it's more or less the approach you have to take with a child my son's age (3), since if the learning isn't child-directed, it's probably not happening. But all of the books I've read on the topic seem to have been written by parents whose children turned out to be naturally brilliant (or naturally inquisitive, but that's more or less the same thing), and develop the desire to gain a well-rounded education all on their own. In practice, I've met some unschoolers whose kids show very little motivation to learn or experience anything new, and whose parents are fully sold on waiting until their little darlings suggest activities. There seems to be a fine line between unschooling and passivity, and I'm curious to know how others are dealing with that line.

Thanks for sharing, both of you. I actually do educational research, and unschooling is one of the things I'm really interested in studying. It's a fascinating concept- though in practice seems like it can go either good or bad (so similar to other alternative schooling). From a motivational standpoint, it's fascinating. If you ever want to chat more about it and your experiences with it, send me a personal message.

gooki

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #42 on: May 03, 2012, 03:13:36 AM »
Does being cellphone free count as a lifestyle?

James

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #43 on: May 04, 2012, 07:40:38 AM »
Does being cellphone free count as a lifestyle?


It's probably about as uncommon as going without a TV, and I would consider it a lifestyle choice.  I don't think it's necessarily mustachian to go without a cellphone, but it certainly is great if you can do it.

arebelspy

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #44 on: May 04, 2012, 07:47:43 AM »
It's probably about as uncommon as going without a TV, and I would consider it a lifestyle choice.

I was curious about the stats, so I looked it up, and you're right.

96.7% of Americans have a TV (down from 98.9%) as of May 2011:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/business/media/03television.html

91% of Americans have a cell phone (as of early 2010):
http://arstechnica.com/telecom/news/2010/03/wireless-survey-91-of-americans-have-cell-phones.ars
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

James

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #45 on: May 04, 2012, 10:05:37 AM »
It's probably about as uncommon as going without a TV, and I would consider it a lifestyle choice.

I was curious about the stats, so I looked it up, and you're right.

96.7% of Americans have a TV (down from 98.9%) as of May 2011:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/business/media/03television.html

91% of Americans have a cell phone (as of early 2010):
http://arstechnica.com/telecom/news/2010/03/wireless-survey-91-of-americans-have-cell-phones.ars


That's closer than I thought, I'm actually surprised cell phones are over 90%.  And while I'm glad to see the TV numbers down, I'd assume that's mostly because people are just watching stuff on their computers.


Thanks for the links, interesting reading.

Daley

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #46 on: May 04, 2012, 10:49:32 AM »
Does being cellphone free count as a lifestyle?

It's probably about as uncommon as going without a TV, and I would consider it a lifestyle choice.  I don't think it's necessarily mustachian to go without a cellphone, but it certainly is great if you can do it.

Agreed. I'd certainly do it if I could. I'd do it with television as well if I didn't find it so useful for educational stuff and didn't have a soft spot for sharp comedy.

abitha

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #47 on: May 04, 2012, 03:56:48 PM »
Interesting thread!

My lifestyle is reasonably traditional (apart from the frugality aspect) at the moment, but I've been doing a lot of reading/planning/dreaming/scheming about various 'alternative' choices recently, and hopefully will be able to embrace some of those in the fullness of time. Interested in self-building an eco-home (perhaps PassivHaus, possibly even an Earthship?), zero or near-zero waste, urban homesteading/square-inch gardening, self-sustainability etc. On the non-environmental front, I would consider myself a feminist, and am exploring the contemplative/emergent-church fringe of Christianity (I'm from an evangelical background originally). I suppose it might also be considered alternative to want to spend a significant chunk of my career working in the developing world, rather than chasing a higher and higher salary in the west (I'm a junior doctor and about to start training as an ophthalmologist here in the UK, but once I've got a few more years' experience under my belt I'd like to put some of that training to good use in a place where people need their cataracts removed because they've gone completely blind, rather than just because they can't see the golf ball in flight as clearly as they used to...)

clarkai

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #48 on: May 04, 2012, 08:25:48 PM »
I was home schooled until I entered college, and I intend to home school my own children. I have a large garden, and raise chickens for eggs and the occasional pot of soup. I would dearly love to get rid of my car, but I can't quite yet. I have no tv, hate going out to watch movies, compost, cook nearly all of my food from scratch and just generally enjoy gathering generally antiquated skills, like butchering and making real sour dough bread that I ground from wheat myself.


 To my mind, frugality, minimalism and environmentalism all tie in together quite neatly.

pachipres

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Re: Other non-traditional lifestyle choices besides Mustachianism?
« Reply #49 on: May 04, 2012, 08:27:12 PM »
My dh and I have unschooled our five children now for 18 years.  And we eat macrobiotically.  And I  have just started taking the bus transit for the first time since living in our Canadian city(been here now 23 years) and my two younger boys love taking the bus places.