Escaping the system

You have seen the light and there is another way.

Google FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) and you will find a worldwide online community of people who have decided to take a different path and reject consumerism.

Once you realise that you can live frugally you no longer need to be a slave to the workplace for 50 years. It gives choices. You may decide to work full time and build up enough savings to retire early. Alternatively you could choose to work part time or take a lower paid job doing something you love.

However the current cost of living crisis does make it increasingly difficult to live frugally. Finding enough to keep a roof over your head, eat and pay the energy bills is hard enough without all the extra consumerism.

I like to watch the TV show 'Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild' for some inspirational and more extreme stories of people who have escaped the system.

Yes - it’s getting harder and harder to live on a low income. We have always lived quite frugally and we didn’t mind not having luxuries - we were never impressed by having the latest fashionable things or new stuff - we liked making stuff, buying second hand and recycling things etc. 

But now the basics are becoming so expensive it’s not that simple. I also really enjoy programmes like ‘New Lives in the Wild’ but let’s face it these people usually have enough money to BUY  land and/or property - which let’s face it requires a lot of money! 
When I was much younger I was very interested in New Age Travellers and ways of living more freely. Capitalism gives people very little room for escaping conventional forms of living. Another thing I’m interested in is Wild Camping - it’s quite extraordinary that it isn’t technically legal to do this in England. To think that you are breaking the law to just put up a tent and sleep in the countryside in most of the U.K. is pretty shocking. How much freedom do we actually have? If we can’t even do this without paying someone? 

I’ve come to the conclusion that only some sort of ‘half way house’ regarding this is possible. Also if you don’t own your own house then you’ll always be a slave to landlords. Rents now are unacceptably high, fuel bills are unacceptably high. 

Tory governments always make these issues worse. Don’t vote Conservative- they are inherently against alternative ways of living. Labour aren’t much better at the moment - but any government is still better than a Tory government. 

Fully agree, Kate.  These alternative ways of living are often blocked to us and likewise I think the Tories tend to close down such possiblities.  Let's face it, they're on the side of the few who already own vast tracts of our countryside, high value or more than one property and have a "Get orf our land!" attitude.    I'm no fan of Keir Starmer (he's certainly no Attlee!), but I'll have to vote Labour to block the Tories. 

I'd really like to create our own alternative sanctuary.  And that's what I think I'm attempting here in a small way with my little hermitage.  But it's just not big enough or alternative enough for us to feel truly comfortable.  And I'm getting too old for tent living, although I definitely agree that this should be a possibility.  Maybe our sanctuary should be expanded and also offer a very low key retreat to paying guests to become viable.  

Sadly, though, I think we're schooled (not educated) into conforming, which does the more divergent among us no favours.  Governments, educators and managers will still profess to be individualists and to encourage "outside the box" thinking, but very often whilst stamping on those who are already outside the box.  Plus, of course, what they mean by "individualist" is more of a Richard Branson type entrepreneur.  Or that people, being individuals, should "pull themselves up by their bootstraps", be able to afford private healthcare or work any job in an "every man for himself" type manner.  

In the workplace I soon got the message that I'm on the "discard pile" because those that get into managment roles are often inthe same mould - i.e. I did it all myself so you should be able to!  And I'm often just not able - my abilities lie elsewhere and don't fit easily into our current economy.    

I'm really, really interested in alternative lifestyles.  Just wish I could actually access more to bring us closer.  Any cheap Scottish islands for sale?

Fully agree, Kate.  These alternative ways of living are often blocked to us and likewise I think the Tories tend to close down such possiblities.  Let's face it, they're on the side of the few who already own vast tracts of our countryside, high value or more than one property and have a "Get orf our land!" attitude.    I'm no fan of Keir Starmer (he's certainly no Attlee!), but I'll have to vote Labour to block the Tories. 

I'd really like to create our own alternative sanctuary.  And that's what I think I'm attempting here in a small way with my little hermitage.  But it's just not big enough or alternative enough for us to feel truly comfortable.  And I'm getting too old for tent living, although I definitely agree that this should be a possibility.  Maybe our sanctuary should be expanded and also offer a very low key retreat to paying guests to become viable.  

Sadly, though, I think we're schooled (not educated) into conforming, which does the more divergent among us no favours.  Governments, educators and managers will still profess to be individualists and to encourage "outside the box" thinking, but very often whilst stamping on those who are already outside the box.  Plus, of course, what they mean by "individualist" is more of a Richard Branson type entrepreneur.  Or that people, being individuals, should "pull themselves up by their bootstraps", be able to afford private healthcare or work any job in an "every man for himself" type manner.  

In the workplace I soon got the message that I'm on the "discard pile" because those that get into managment roles are often inthe same mould - i.e. I did it all myself so you should be able to!  And I'm often just not able - my abilities lie elsewhere and don't fit easily into our current economy.    

I'm really, really interested in alternative lifestyles.  Just wish I could actually access more to bring us closer.  Any cheap Scottish islands for sale?

Yes, I noticed an article about Italy and them actually paying people to move there (was it Sardinia?).  Really tempting but as a family we want to stay here.  Well, one of us wants to move to Canada where cannabis is legal but doesn't have the resources to make this happen - that's another story.  Plus I'd be concerned that the healthcare situation might be even worse.   

I think that even with a commune, there'd have to be private areas for each individual or family unit as we all need to retreat sometimes and some of it would be about avoiding too much social activity.  Maybe we need to be secular monks without monasteries?  An order set up to our own specific requirements?  No doubt I'm dreaming again. 

And yes, I was against the whole privatisation process when it happened and now, when things go wrong, this government talks about bailing out companies or giving people extra allowances to help them without actually addressing the problem they created.  Any socialist worth their salt would be crying out for a renationalisation programme but Keir won't be doing that,or anything like it.  :(     

I actually come from a small town in County Durham (Shildon) which is noted for being the cheapest place in the country for property.  So if anyone is working from home or can actually get a job in the vicinity, that might be worth a look.  Yes, all the social indicators (poverty, teenage pregnancy, unemployment etc) are dire, but there are some nice parts, we have some fond memories and our bath tin is still there somewhere.  My young niece actually just got a mortgage for a property in another town just down the road.  We do need to vote Dehenna Davison out though - Red Wall Tory.     

That’s interesting. I need to explore more of these things. There was a thing about ‘Findhorn’ on TV the other day - I want to find out more about that too. I’m sorry you’ve been unwell - hope you’re better now. 

There are websites of which I cannot remember the names but people who are running eco projects / crofts / small holding etc advertise for helpers. And you can offer your time and skills in return for accommodation and food. I really wanted to do it this year. I found one in the beautiful Hebrides but ill health got in the way. So you can get a bit of a taste for things or escape for a bit.

Ohhh I'm all over justgiving as we speak ;-P

Funnily enough I was only looking at crofts in Scotland the other week whilst thinking about these issues. Have you heard about the rural property situation in Italy at the moment? Apparently a lot of properties in certain rural areas of Italy are going very cheap as younger people can’t get work in those areas so are leaving to more populated areas. Some of them are REALLY cheap - although very run down admittedly. However I just don’t have the confidence to emigrate, and my son definitely doesn’t want to move abroad. We love the English countryside and weather and would hate to leave it.

The other option is commune type living - but being autistic communal stuff is very off-putting to us. It’s interesting though - the idea of some kind of autistic commune. Has it been tried I wonder? 

my eldest is renting and he feels that actually owning a house is a long LONG way off for him - if ever. 
You’re so right about Tory Govts and where there interests lie in terms of land ownership and power. The current energy crisis also shows just how powerless consumers actually are in the face of big companies. Essentials like housing and heating and water should never be in the hands of people for whom profit making is the only priority. 

  Maybe we should start a collective island fund for NDs only. 

I've got first dibs on any cheap Scottish Islands thank you very much!