Let me first start off by saying this…

I am a hypocrite.

Yup, that’s right.

I’m an I.T. guy and have been for years and years. I’ve had the “you should think about a backup solution” talk with countless clients. Some as a preventive measure and some as an afterthought.

Up until about 6 months ago I had always had a desktop computer with massive storage space. I also always had either a server or an external hard drive in my house to make a second copy of my important files. While I was employed I also paid for an online backup service for my off site backup. Read the rest of this entry

On a normal workday you will find my daypack no further a few feet away from me.  When I leave in the morning it’s on my back. When I come home at night, it’s on my back. While I’m at work it sits on the floor next to me. My daypack has become my best friend. If I had a briefcase it would have replaced that or if I ever wore a fanny pack it would have for sure replaced that. My backpack has come in handy more than I would have ever thought. More so now that I have refined its contents.

With my backpack I have fixed ripped clothing, taken pictures of crazy things, prevented myself from falling on my face in the dark, and countless potentially lifesaving actions. Read the rest of this entry

For the most part of 2009 I was dealing with getting my life in order. Picking up the pieces from a crumbling economy and ruined technology job market. I lost my job/jobs and my house. I was left with what was to me, a mountain of debt along with some other “I’d rather shove rusty nails into my eyes” experiences.

Time passed and 2010 FINALLY got here and things are looking up. I’ve gotten over some very tall hurdles and my mountain of debt is now a small mole hill. Currently I’m working a regular 5 day a week 40 hour job that is paying the bills while I try to set up some passive income streams. Read the rest of this entry

After reading on and on about everyone’s new year’s resolutions and what not I figured I better hop on the band wagon and get my $0.02 in…So here goes!

Looking back one year ago I honestly can’t remember exactly what I was doing…All I know is that I was working for a local computer repair company and trying to deal with a mound of debt. I was very unhappy and stressing over just about everything. Looking back another year and many years before that, all the way back to when I was a teenager are pretty blurry. However, the year of 2009 was a little different… Read the rest of this entry

Does anyone remember the movie Fight Club? Brad Pitt and Edward Norton star in this violent flick about what else? Underground fight clubs. In my slightly younger days this was in my top two movies along with Pulp Fiction. There were several scenes that I wasn’t able to get out of my head and as I got older and really started to understand what those scenes were really about that things became clear. Well…clearer anyway. Read the rest of this entry

Having been living on very little for the past year or so I’ve learned a lot about different areas where I could minimize. Cutting back on groceries, clipping coupons and pinching pennies are just a few areas where I have really made vast improvements. Combine that along with my other posts about ditching a huge percentage of my personal belongings; I’ve become quite a different person from what I was.

One thing I didn’t expect to learn was areas where I could stand to take in and keep a little more. Areas that we sometimes take for granted. Read the rest of this entry

Having had minimal foreign language experience in the past, I feel it’s time to learn. I have chosen Japanese for several reasons. One of which of course is, I’d love to travel around Japan for awhile.

I slacked off both times I took German in high school and I’ve picked up a few words here and there in Spanish. I am no where near fluent in either German or Spanish and only know a few key words.

My quest to learn Japanese started out with a few different audio books last week. I have a 20 minute drive to and from work each day and my thought was why not use some of that time to start learning. Things were slow to start, so I took the next reasonable step which was to call the local community college. Which I was informed that they only teach German, Spanish, Italian, and French. Then the foreign language director informed me that she wasn’t aware of anyone in town who teaches either. Read the rest of this entry

It has been just over a year since I last posted an update about becoming a minimalist. I haven’t been able to travel any where near as much as I’d like to but I can say that my road to becoming a minimalist has been fairly successful.

I have been able to eliminate 90% of my debt. I only owe money to my dentist due to a medical emergency.

I sold off/donated 80+% of my belongings and have stored most of whats left in a storage unit that is 8x10ft. The unit is only about 3/4 full.

I have lived in a few different places only taking with me (for the most part) a backpack. Which by the way is an Osprey Atmos 50 in Cindercone Red seen below.

Read the rest of this entry

It has been about a week or so since I have made any steps to becoming a minimalist. I have narrowed my clothes down 2 business outfits, 2 business casual outfits, 2 pairs of regular pants, 1 pair of shorts, swim shorts, and 4 pairs of underwear and 4 pairs of socks. Two of the pairs of socks are Smartwool. I also continue to sell of items on ebay and craigslist.

As I sell some things, I buy others. Some to get ready and some because I use them in the mean time. I recently bought a new backpack. An Osprey Atmos 50 backpack. Read the rest of this entry

The minimalist lifestyle sounds great doesn’t it? No debt, no house payment, being able to pick up and move at a moments notice, etc, etc. Some people call it downshifting, some call it being an urban minimalist, and some call it being anti-consumerist. I call it being smart and getting back in touch with what I personally think life should be about.

I got laid off from work about 6 months ago. I was in IT and that is one of the worst markets to be in at this moment. I’ve had a few odd jobs here and there but nothing of any real value. I poked and prodded at my savings to get me by so I can eat and pay the important bills. Read the rest of this entry