Minimalist Replacements

Sometimes, it can't be helped. Items that you need wear out or break at inopportune times. This week, my desktop PC died. It had managed to survive a lightning strike about a year ago. But, finally, the power supply stopped working. Now, I do have my work laptop, but it really isn't mine. So, if I still want to continue writing and researching, I would need some sort of replacement device. But, I will be damned if I am going to put out $700 to $1,000 for a new laptop. So what is the solution? Well, I decided to go with the Acer Chromebook C7. I bought one brand new for $200. So far, it has worked out fairly well. I can use Google Docs/Drive to create/edit documents. (I wish the Sheet application worked offline, but that functionality isn't far off). I have been able to find plenty of apps available to keep me busy.



No, it cannot run programs like Photoshop or Microsoft Office, but those are really money holes anyway. Shauna still has a traditional Windows 8 (don't get me started on Windows 8) laptop. She has her photo editing software and the capability to download traditional software, if needed. I suspect that I may need a different laptop to perform Business Intelligence tasks one day, but usually my vendor would provide that anyway.

So $200 compared to $700 does seem to fit in with my minimalist mindset. So, we will see how this experiment goes. I really like the fact that the OS will self update as needed, so I won't need to worry about getting the latest overpriced OS when Microsoft is looking for more revenue.

One thing that I thought was funny. I showed a co-worker my Chromebook and she said that she could not wait until her current laptop died.

Another co-worker thought it would be a perfect first computer for his 7 year old son. I would agree. It does have a Linux OS under the hood, so it really can do more than it is configuration is setup for.


On another front, we spent more money to reduce cost. We acquired a ROKU HD for $53 dollars and cancelled our cable and telephone service. So, all we have now (from AT&T) is high speed internet. Obviously, the cable companies are really feeling the pinch. They offered 3 free months of cable. But, we declined. We just are not watching standard broadcast TV anymore. In fact, as I write this, I am listening to Pandora on my Roku/TV. Shauna and I have found plenty of free entertainment and some subscription services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime that are very portable. So, overall, we have saved about $100/month by making this cut. This is but another step in reducing our monthly expenses to the absolute minimum, without sacrificing quality of life.



In a future post, I will talk about reducing food costs dramatically.

Until next time ...

Mimimalism 101

Without a doubt, there is a silent trend toward minimalism. There are various reasons for this ranging from needing to cut back expenses in a jobless economic "recovery" to feeling a need to conserve and be green. However, I think the best reason is to achieve freedom and independence. I have found that my collection of possessions (most tucked away in a closet or in a spare bedroom) are not bringing me satisfaction. In fact, they mostly just take up space. When I think about how much square footage I am wasting to store all the stuff that I "might need one day", it drives me crazy. So ... it has to go. We have to go through the grueling task of separating the "must haves" from the "don't needs". Then we have to devise a way to jettison the "don't needs".

Step 1: Perform separation

Step 2: Classify separated items as worthless junk or items we can sell

Step 3: Have some yard sales and get people to buy our junk, I mean items that they "might need later".

Wow, this is a painful process, but what liberation we will feels when this phase is complete. But it is going to take a while. We are waiting on the weather to settle down so we can start selling.

More on this later.

Taking The Gulch on the Road

Taking The Gulch on the Road

So, we have made the decision to severely downsize and move our remaining possessions and dogs into an RV. Oh yes, this will present some real challenges. I also realize that not everyone could or would want to pursue this path. Here is a list of considerations:

1. Is your measure of success based on owning a big house?
2. Is watching TV really important to you? How much would you miss your favorite TV Shows?
3. Do you require lots of space and alone time?
4. Are you comfortable not having a traditional house?
5. Are you able to get out of your normal comfort level?
6. How important is comfort to you? Do you feel confined in your current environment?
7. Have you ever spent days and hours with your spouse continuously?
8. Are you willing to conserve money, electricity and water (severely)?
9. Are you willing to take risks on how you will make ends meet?
10. Is your spouse/partner 100% on board with the idea?

What are the potential benefits? Here is a list that I have begun:

1. Living costs will be drastically reduced.
2. I will wake up every morning in a place of exploration.
3. Reducing Living expenses allows me to work less hours.
4. I get to be with my wife all day long.
5. I can walk/run with the dogs anytime I want.
6. I do not have a big house to maintain.
7. If I get tired of the beach, I can go to the mountains. If I get tired of the mountains, I can go to a swamp. ...
8. No more daily commute to work.
9. I will live life anew each day.
10. And so much more ...

Ambitious Goal

We have set a goal to be "on the road" by Summer 2013. As it is now the last couple of weeks of winter, we have much to do. We are saving money as quickly as possible to purchase the RV (with cash) and we have A LOT to get rid of. We look forward,with great excitement, to this next chapter.