Comments on: Possum Living: How to Live Well Without a Job http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/10/24/possum-living-how-to-live-well-without-a-job/ personal finance that makes cents Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:53:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Narinda http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/10/24/possum-living-how-to-live-well-without-a-job/#comment-116198 Narinda Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:24:33 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/10/24/possum-living-how-to-live-well-without-a-job/#comment-116198 The title of this book reminded me of a book I read over the summer last year while working at Borders and trying to figure a way out of wage slavery: How To Survive Without A Salary by Charles Long. Have you already reviewed this? The book was first published in 1996 (I think), and includes some great ideas that about living cheaply, such as always buying used cars, enjoying seasonal food, and practicing a feast-or-famine outlook. He really got me with his examples of how wonderful the first potatoes of the season were after months of doing without, or how he taught his daughter that passing on trendy clothing would help them take a summer trip to Europe. It was a great read, very thorough. I just stumbled upon your blog yesterday and I am now a bit addicted. :) The title of this book reminded me of a book I read over the summer last year while working at Borders and trying to figure a way out of wage slavery: How To Survive Without A Salary by Charles Long. Have you already reviewed this? The book was first published in 1996 (I think), and includes some great ideas that about living cheaply, such as always buying used cars, enjoying seasonal food, and practicing a feast-or-famine outlook.

He really got me with his examples of how wonderful the first potatoes of the season were after months of doing without, or how he taught his daughter that passing on trendy clothing would help them take a summer trip to Europe. It was a great read, very thorough.

I just stumbled upon your blog yesterday and I am now a bit addicted. :)

]]> By: Melsky http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/10/24/possum-living-how-to-live-well-without-a-job/#comment-11591 Melsky Wed, 25 Oct 2006 01:02:57 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/10/24/possum-living-how-to-live-well-without-a-job/#comment-11591 I'm also very curious what she is doing today. All I could find was other people asking the same question on message boards. Sounds like an interesting book, I have skimmed it and am going to read some of it later, skipping the parts about the rabbits. I’m also very curious what she is doing today. All I could find was other people asking the same question on message boards.

Sounds like an interesting book, I have skimmed it and am going to read some of it later, skipping the parts about the rabbits.

]]> By: Allie http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/10/24/possum-living-how-to-live-well-without-a-job/#comment-11577 Allie Tue, 24 Oct 2006 22:13:38 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/10/24/possum-living-how-to-live-well-without-a-job/#comment-11577 Ah. Another not-vegetarian approach. I can safely skip reading this one. ;) There are a lot of people out there who keep a year's worth of necessary stuff on hand (food, soap, etc.) not for a shortage but for practical purposes (in case of job loss, epidemic, whatever). I plan to do so when I have the space and already have a decent start. Before anyone says the obvious, ;) a good friend is LDS but I am not. I just like the idea of having stuff on hand in case of emergency (like a job loss or injury or something that prevents money from coming in). Then what cash I do have can go towards paying necessary utilities instead of buying food, soap, etc. Ah. Another not-vegetarian approach. I can safely skip reading this one. ;)

There are a lot of people out there who keep a year’s worth of necessary stuff on hand (food, soap, etc.) not for a shortage but for practical purposes (in case of job loss, epidemic, whatever). I plan to do so when I have the space and already have a decent start.

Before anyone says the obvious, ;) a good friend is LDS but I am not. I just like the idea of having stuff on hand in case of emergency (like a job loss or injury or something that prevents money from coming in). Then what cash I do have can go towards paying necessary utilities instead of buying food, soap, etc.

]]> By: J.D. http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/10/24/possum-living-how-to-live-well-without-a-job/#comment-11566 J.D. Tue, 24 Oct 2006 19:30:14 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/10/24/possum-living-how-to-live-well-without-a-job/#comment-11566 I tried to find some additional information about these people, but had no luck. Surely there have been updates on Dolly and her father. Reading through this book, I was reminded of the PBS series <i>Frontier House</i>. The series takes modern families and transplants them into ~1880 Montana wilderness, where they have to fend for themselves. All of them said the same thing: it's a <b>lot</b> of work. I tried to find some additional information about these people, but had no luck. Surely there have been updates on Dolly and her father.

Reading through this book, I was reminded of the PBS series Frontier House. The series takes modern families and transplants them into ~1880 Montana wilderness, where they have to fend for themselves. All of them said the same thing: it’s a lot of work.

]]> By: icup http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/10/24/possum-living-how-to-live-well-without-a-job/#comment-11565 icup Tue, 24 Oct 2006 19:23:06 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/10/24/possum-living-how-to-live-well-without-a-job/#comment-11565 This is insane. I just read the first couple of chapters. Admirable, but I can't say I agree with their stance on insurance (not needing any -- a fine position unless you get sick), retirement savings/social security (ironically, her father if still alive would probably be eligible to collect SS now if he had paid into it, despite her stated mistrust of it), doctors (everybody needs one at some point), lawyers (if they *don't* need a lawyer after all of the legally questionable things they advise, they are only lucky), and a couple other things. As JD says, its a good source of DiY advice though. I also wonder how much time they dedicated to living this lifestyle vs how much time they spend freely, ie hobbies or whatever. It can't be a trivial amount of time and resources to raise/slaughter/dress a cellar full of rabbits and fish and grow a garden on that scale. Do they spend the 8 hours a day most of us spend working just living the modern hunter gatherer lifestyle? I probably will never know the answer to that, but I suspect it must still be a significant amount of time. This is insane. I just read the first couple of chapters. Admirable, but I can’t say I agree with their stance on insurance (not needing any — a fine position unless you get sick), retirement savings/social security (ironically, her father if still alive would probably be eligible to collect SS now if he had paid into it, despite her stated mistrust of it), doctors (everybody needs one at some point), lawyers (if they *don’t* need a lawyer after all of the legally questionable things they advise, they are only lucky), and a couple other things.

As JD says, its a good source of DiY advice though.

I also wonder how much time they dedicated to living this lifestyle vs how much time they spend freely, ie hobbies or whatever. It can’t be a trivial amount of time and resources to raise/slaughter/dress a cellar full of rabbits and fish and grow a garden on that scale. Do they spend the 8 hours a day most of us spend working just living the modern hunter gatherer lifestyle? I probably will never know the answer to that, but I suspect it must still be a significant amount of time.

]]> By: Norman http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/10/24/possum-living-how-to-live-well-without-a-job/#comment-11558 Norman Tue, 24 Oct 2006 18:14:26 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/10/24/possum-living-how-to-live-well-without-a-job/#comment-11558 Sorry. Here's the URL: http://www.soilandhealth.org/03sov/0302hsted/0302homested.html Sorry. Here’s the URL:
http://www.soilandhealth.org/03sov/0302hsted/0302homested.html

]]> By: Norman http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/10/24/possum-living-how-to-live-well-without-a-job/#comment-11557 Norman Tue, 24 Oct 2006 18:11:51 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/10/24/possum-living-how-to-live-well-without-a-job/#comment-11557 Available as PDF here (scroll down a bit): Free but they do ask for a donation. Available as PDF here (scroll down a bit):

Free but they do ask for a donation.

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