Interesting Project: Try to live like 5 years ago

[dachs]

Hey there :)

I've been thinking about a project that consists in living your life as if you lived five years ago. This would mean that you could get probably everything a lot cheaper (at least computers etc) and it would show that it's not necessary to always get the latest stuff in order to live a happy life. I guess the only thing would be communication. For example, what's app existed five years ago but it wouldn't be possible to use such an old version of it.

What do you think? Fun idea? Maybe someone has done that before?

[fb132]

If I were to go back 5 years ago, I would be still buying crap off ebay...I prefer to stay where I am :P

[dachs]

Hehe ;) I mean online "consume" things that already existed 5 years ago. Obviously I'm not suggesting to eat 5 year old food...

[CommonCents]

No thanks.
Double the salary (and 75% more hours).  Uncertainty over job.
I took $10 taxis when running late for early morning meetings
Free dinners at the firm - but had to stay late.
Paid $1600 for rent on my 1-bedroom apartment (which people considered cheap).
Had cable and DVR.  Same TV, it was just newer.
Had a fancier laptop.
Had a 2 yr old work bb (as compared to my 4 yr old iphone) in addition to a personal phone (albeit flip), and I had a landline I don't have now.
I do have a kindle now I didn't...but I don't think giving up my (gift) $70 kindle will do much for me.

[NoraLenderbee]

I'd certainly like it if I could buy stocks at the prices from 5 years ago. :) Other than that, my life wouldn't change very much. I don't have the latest doodad now, and I wouldn't have then.

[Retired To Win]

Five years ago, I was spending a lot more money on my basic living expenses.  I lived in a more expensive area in a more expensive house (that was no better than the one I live in now) with double the property taxes.  My wife had a horrible commute.  And that's just what comes off the top of my head.

So, no thanks.  I have a much richer -- yet less costly -- life now than I did 5 years ago before I really discovered frugality without sacrifice and the advantages of relocating my retirement to a more reasonable cost of living area.

[patricles]

I think OP means to not be concerned with buying the newest shiniest editions of items and to realize that things that were new five years ago but are "old" now are still actually pretty great.  If you need a new phone you buy an iphone 3 instead of whatever number they're up to (I don't care enough to keep track).  If I lived the way I did five years ago I'd be single and I don't think my wife would appreciate that.

[Rural]

Huh. I guess I have this covered already.

[Bob W]

Umm?  I see what you're doing.

but,

I would be paying 40 bucks a month for phone instead of 10.   I would be paying 70 for cable instead of zero.   I would have a car payment (my car is already 16 years old!) I would have to use condoms.  I would live in a fucking city!,  I would have to watch DVDs and series week by week instead of instant Netflix,  I wouldn't have a tab.

Most of my clothes are already 5 years old.   My house is like 15.  My kids are -31,  my furniture 5+.  In fact, other than phone ($100 Moto/Republic) and tabs most of my "stuff" is more than 5 years old. 

[cakie]

You don't have to feel limited by old tech - i bought a new nokia phone 2mths ago for <$20 that has newer apps like what's app and fb. But it doesn't have the flashy huge touchscreen, so I only charge it once or twice a week. Best of both worlds, old and new technology combined!

[sheepstache]

Crap this project just makes me feel old. I think of something that would qualify as five years ago and then I check and discover it actually came out 10 or 15 years ago.

[partgypsy]

I only change technology when I am forced too. I still have a "stupid" phone pay by the month. I am sad I can't have windows xp on my new laptop, and my old camera broke so I have to use the latest more improved model (which does have a bigger zoom, but the layout of buttons, commands less intuitive. We have a 2001 used van, and other than the things that broke and forced to replace with newer model, rest of the technology I use was more up to date 5 years ago.
Also clothes. i buy alot of clothes from Lands end. Some tanks and pants I bought say 10 years ago, are holding up better than more recent tanks I have purchased.

Gosh I sound like a cranky old person!

Maybe if you say 10 or 20 years, you would be getting somewhere. But then again I wouldn't want to go back where I had to type everything on typewriters versus being able to use word processing. 

[capital]

I live in a 100+ year old building. I ride a 30 year old bike that works pretty much the same as one from 100+ years ago. I work in a 100+ year old building too, and ride in 100+ year old subway tunnels, sometimes on trains that are over 50 years old. Even my computer is 5 years old.

But the big expense in my life is that 100 year old apartment. Buying a new iPhone and Macbook every year, and selling the well-kept prior model, would only impact my budget by perhaps a few hundred dollars a year at most, maybe less if I'm canny— that's less than a single month's rent.

[fucash]

I'm still using my Macbook Pro from 2010, but it is showing its age ...

[MDM]

You want to force us to have five year old appliances, cars, electronics, clothes, equipment, etc.?  Wow, we're going to upgrade practically everything - that could get expensive! ;)

[Mr Dorothy Dollar]

I think most of the posters here are viewing the threat of robots to their job in the wrong way. It appears that many people are saying, "My job would be difficult for a robot." I don't feel difficulty will be the limiting factor for many job replacements. The limiting factor will be desire to replace the human which can be linked to cost of a human vs cost of a robot. While a doctors, pharmacists, and lawyers may be a difficult to replace job the benefits of replacing higher educated people will make those jobs targets for robot replacement. These professions won't be replaced by one machine at first. They will creep in as aids to research or tedious tasks (insurance billing, legal research, legal drafting, diagnosis aides). Established professionals will love them because they will be able to provide more and better service. Then the final link may or may not be developed based on the cost and most likely scale ability.

Bottom line "hard to replace jobs" will be targets because of the cost savings.

[redbird]

Things were actually more expensive for me 5 years ago, because I lived in a HCOL area.

Even if I went back from a physical items perspective... well, 5 years ago, I had a different computer. But that itself was very old (6-7 years old by the time I got rid of it - ancient in computer terms) and that's why I replaced it. I keep computers for a long time, pretty much until they become unusable by modern standards. My current one is approaching 4 years old.

I had a different car then. It still worked, but I was not allowed to move it because of costs. Current car (over 10 years old and used) I actually purchased for less than the price I sold my car for.

Most of my clothes are the same ones I had 5 years ago. I don't buy new clothes very often, mostly when I need to due to because they're getting old.

My job pays for my current house's rent and most of the utilities, but did not in the HCOL area 5 years ago. As a result, I am able to invest a very large percentage of my salary every month. Debt is unchanged for me. I didn't have any debt 5 years ago and I don't now.

So yes, going back 5 years would actually be a detriment for me in a lot of ways.

[Rural]

Maybe if you say 10 or 20 years, you would be getting somewhere. But then again I wouldn't want to go back where I had to type everything on typewriters versus being able to use word processing.

We were definitely using word processing almost exclusively 20 years ago. Laser printers, too, though they were a bigger deal, not the default.

[partgypsy]

I mean I wouldn't want to go far enough back, to where we are using typewriters versus word processers.
Also in college, doing a literature search was a major endeavor. Had to schedule time with a librarian and they had to use their biggest computer, and it would come printing out on the paper with holes on each side.

Now press a few buttons, viola! Also many of the full text articles are online, don't even have to go to the library. Definitely wouldn't want to go back to the old ways on this.

[RetiredAt63]

Looking at the responses, I think established mustachians are the wrong target for this suggestion.  Aspiring mustachians yes, since they are probably still into the "latest and greatest" thinking.
And yes, my way too extravagant TV is 5.5 years old, my computer is just enough for my needs (I got a new-to-me reconditioned desktop when Windows XP was finally history), the monitor for it is 4 years old and was also reconditioned when I got it, my car is a 2010, and on and on.  We are all living/shopping 5 years (or more) in the past.

[SomedayStache]

My salary 5 years ago was about 75% of what it is now.  I will try to live on that dollar amount. 

Oh wait, I already am.  Actually our expenses are lower and our savings rate is much improved from back then. 

[ketchup]

I last upgraded my desktop PC in 2011, so that's almost there.  I still need to play Fallout 3 (bought for stupid cheap on a Steam deal a few years ago, game came out in 2007 and is apparently awesome).  No video games bought since Skyrim in 2011.  My phone is from early 2011, but I'll probably be replacing that fairly soon.  Washer and dryer are from 2011.  I think my bicycle is a 2011 model (bought used in 2013).

My girlfriend's laptop is from 2010, my laptop is from 2009 (plus my work laptop paid for by work), our cars are from 1999 and 1992, our fridge is from 2001, I think our stove was captured from the Germans in WW1 (at least it seems that way), house was built in 1967, and I couldn't tell you how old any of my clothes are as I bought none of them new.  Our pressure cooker is at least 40 years old.  I have a pipe wrench that my dad got from HIS great-grandfather.

I'm about 90% there.

[gt7152b]

I've had this mentality for several years. When I was younger I thought the latest gadgets were so cool and was interested in learning all about them and staying current on what was cutting edge. Then I started my electrical engineering studies and learned how most of this stuff works. Next I started a career making the gadgets and saw how far behind the consumer market was from actual R&D. It lost some luster to say the least. Now I don't mind buying older technology and using it until it is really old. I kind of chuckle at people that are buying the latest i____ or high resolution tv's. It's much older technology than they realize and the manufacturers are making huge profit margins on those bleeding edge customers. They just won't realize it until the next rev comes out.

[CommonCents]

Looking at the responses, I think established mustachians are the wrong target for this suggestion.  Aspiring mustachians yes, since they are probably still into the "latest and greatest" thinking.

+1

[Mr Dumpster Stache]

there really is an xkcd comic for every occasion.

This is totally me!

[RoadLessTravelled]

LOL, how old are you Dachs?  I ask because you seem to assume that 5 years ago was signifigantly different than today.

If I lived as I did 5 years ago, I would be living pretty much exactly the same as I do today.  In fact, drop the pretty much.  It would be the same if you ignore inflation.  Your 5 years ago is only signifigant if you have made major changes in the last 5 years.

Why don't you try instead, living as someone LIKE you would have 30 years ago.  They would not have internet or a cellphone for starters. 

[MoneyCat]

I kind of already live like I did five years ago.  My laptop is four years old, so that's pretty close.  I am still wearing a lot of the same clothes from back then, because they've held up pretty well.  But the OP is absolutely right that you can live with technology from five years ago and be perfectly fine.  It doesn't matter all that much.