I AM DEAD SERIOUS. Is this possible?

[jpg7n16]

Here are the errors I spotted in your judgment:

#1) I had one terrible 8 hour/day job, therefore all 8 hour/day jobs are bad.

That's just not true. That particular job was bad, but was a very small sample size.

#2) If I keep my expenses super low, I will become rich.

There are two parts to this equation. Income and expenses. Your 'plan' has only addressed half the issue.

Do you want to get married some day? how will you support a family on 20 hours/week?

[dawnwes]

You plan may work ok in the short run.

What you may find after you move out of your parent's home:

1. You may not want a roommate in a cheap apartment with a wife and kids (and at some point you may actually want to get married and have kids!)

2. You may need more than a trac phone at some point.

3. There may come a time when you need better transportation.....carting around a baby on a bike won't cut it! And the girl of your dreams may not want to go out on dates on the back of your bike either.

It all sounds great, but in practical terms, I don't see it working long term, no.

I agree with everyone here who said to get your education and find a job you actually enjoy doing. It may even require grad school. Focus on getting that degree or degrees to get the job that will allow you to feel fulfilled and support a family in the long run.

[cschin4]

I think you should set up your life however you choose. And, i think you are on the right track. There is something to be said in not being a slave to "the man". And, in reality, the more money you earn, the more you simply spend. The goal should be enjoying life, not working to see how much you can acquire. I think you could easily live a more "gypsy" lifestyle if you wish and it is only "wrong" to those who can't imagine doing likewise. I have been downsizing for years and i find less is more. I don't want stuff. I don't want maintenance of things and stuff. I just want to enjoy my life.

[elessar78]

To give a diff. perspective than what has beengiven. You don't have to "work 8 hours per day for my entire life in order to get my freedom when I'm too old to enjoy it properly." IMO, doing work you love/enjoy gives meaning to life.

What are you going to do with the other 90 hours of your life that are not spent on your 20 hours working and sleeping?

You can enjoy life in the present. I used to work for myself, not in the self-employed sense but because I enjoyed it. Circumstances have changed and I work to provide for my family. I neither love it nor detest it, but it pays the bills so my family can enjoy a simple, yet fulfilled lifestyle.

It's a pain to work forty/twenty/ten hours at a job you hate. But if you find a job you love then 60 hours a week might not be enough. I have a sideline gig that I spend at least two hours on a day (on top of my 8 hour work day), it pays nominally but I love it. Would do it more if I didn't have to sleep.

I don't mean for this to sound harsh, but to me a lack of desire to work just sounds plain lazy and screams lack of imagination. If you wanted to live an ascetic life, like a monk, because of, say, faith. That's one thing. But to live like that because you seem to dislike working?

A synonym for work is service. Who can you serve? I serve God and corporate America (in that order) and I'm okay with that. Look to fill that other 90 hours with relevant activity and not just lounging.

[J-Money]

It is an extreme plan to be sure -- but as many have indicated, there are some gaps that will lead to trouble down the line.

I think you should find something to do that you really like and are really good at! Plan to live frugally, stay out of debt, save your money (that will same mentality will be necessary for any spouse you may have along the way) and then retire early! By then you will clearly know what you want out of life and you will have the means to go after it.

I wouldn't cut yourself short by just planningn to 'make enough to get by' -- you want to really live this great life to the fullest and unfortunately it will take money to do that. I'm not saying you have to live richly to have a great life or have tons of money but having some money will enable you to do so much more for yourself and OTHERS!! You may be in a situation where it becomes necessary to help your aging parents at some point. While that is not ideal for anyone, it could become a reality. Just things to consider ;-)

[J-Money]

It is an extreme plan to be sure -- but as many have indicated, there are some gaps that will lead to trouble down the line.

I think you should find something to do that you really like and are really good at! Plan to live frugally, stay out of debt, save your money (that will same mentality will be necessary for any spouse you may have along the way) and then retire early! By then you will clearly know what you want out of life and you will have the means to go after it.

I wouldn't cut yourself short by just planningn to 'make enough to get by' -- you want to really live this great life to the fullest and unfortunately it will take money to do that. I'm not saying you have to live richly to have a great life or have tons of money but having some money will enable you to do so much more for yourself and OTHERS!! You may be in a situation where it becomes necessary to help your aging parents at some point. While that is not ideal for anyone, it could become a reality. Just things to consider ;-)

[zemon1]

Confucius said: "Choose a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life."

As a peer of yours at 19, I must say I whole heartedly agree with this statement. Working at wal-mart and fast food joints is ****ty. But sometimes you have to wade through a lot of **** to get to the prize. If you think this is the life for you go for it, but I don't think it will make you happy in the end.

-zemon1

[timbuckley10]

Listen I would say that if you are dedicated enough, you can do it. You obviously have some serious dedication judging by the time you've spent creating this entire budget. I don't think I even had any sort of knowledge of that word when I was 18 so props for that. I say give it a shot. And it's not a super set-in-stone commitment so even if you decide you want to live differently somewhere down the road, you will be able to.

[Frugal]

Learn to shop sales ads at the grocery store.

It is hard to maintain this tough of a life of restrictions for long...in my experience, when I cut back too much, I end up splurging later.

I try to set up a reasonable budget.

It is commendable that you at least have done a lot of thinking for someone so young, and planned out what you would like to do work-wise.

[krantcents]

At eighteen, I would think you find a career you love and be willing to work what ever hours to succeed. I do not see anything wrong about being frugal, but why aren't you more motivated to do something you like?