Fortheo wrote:Also, I share a similar mindset to you when it comes to finances and what not, so I was wondering what books have you found most interesting?
I've actually been planning to make drastic changes in my lifestyle for a long time now (think living nearly completely off the grid, and as independent as I can comfortably manage) but it's one of those things that seems so simple, yet so impossible at the same time.
Anyways, keep up the good work!
Yes it seems you do indeed share some of my sentiments for getting off the bitter sweet sugar train of societal BS.
Hmmm suggested the book Early Retirement Extreme by Jacob Lund Fisker. It was relatively cheap as a kindle book. So far I'm liking the concept despite parts of the book being a little dry, but I guess you can't expect Hollywood (thankfully) from such a book. Although I'm in the early parts of the book and yet to really get to the meaty bits. Here's an interview with the author in French:
http://esprit-riche.com/interview-de-jacob-lund-fisker-early-retirement-extreme/
And here's a forum inspired by the author's concepts in which numerous people are out to become financially independent within generally within a personally stipulated time frame which you might find intriguing:
http://forum.earlyretirementextreme.com/viewforum.php?f=9
I've got a number of other books on my short-term to read list, including these French titles:
Gagner de l'argent avec un blog by Jean Baptiste Viet a strongly rated book on earning money out of blogging, which mind you is no easy task from what i've read online.
Guide de l'investissement immobilier : pour ceux qui n'y connaissent rien by Nayle Dewitte for some insights on the French property scene.
Réfléchissez et devenez riche by Napoleon Hill. It's a translation of Think and Grow Rich, quite a well known title you may know/may have read. I bought this title so that I didn't have to read the English version which i've owned for some years but have never read. In some ways the concept of getting rich I feel clashes with my concept of taking care of the earth, so I'm curious to see how this book will challenge my own sentiments.
I also own some English titles recently purchased as kindle books as well:
A Complete Guide to Property Investment in France by Gerry Fitzgerald,
Essential Questions to Ask When: Buying a House in France by Mark Sampson,
How to Buy Overseas Property for Profit and Lifestyle by J.R. Bakerson,
International House Sitting by Nat Smith and Jodie Thompson,
and here's an unrelated Québecois website on house sitting : http://detourlocal.com/house-sitting-au-quebec-pas-facile-constat-astuces/
The Suitcase Entrepreneur by Natalie Sisson,
How To Buy Real Estate Overseas by Kathleen Peddicord,
The French Property Toolkit by Mark Igoe,
Buying and Renovating a House in France by Bill and Sarah Giles,
Escape to France by Steenie Harvey,
and The French Property Nightmare by Peter Lee - detailing tax issues and so on.
The list above really is heavy on the French property dream and yet I certainly aim to balance this out with a number of English language/Australian titles
You probably already know that I'm very keen on the idea of Earthships as well- http://earthship.com this is the ultimate in my opinion. Living completely off grid. There are some documentaries on Youtube I still aim to watch on their construction. Ben fogle and similar shows (search him on Youtube) in which people disconnect from the world and go off grid. Ironically, not being overly social in the teaditional sense (alcohol holds very little interest for me and I see it as another socially engineered project) I still think human contact is important.
The whole education (and indoctrination) system bothers me. When i drive to work on the freeway and see all the cars around me heading in the same direction, trained like the good little sheep we are to do or job, go home, put our feet up, watch BS TV, eat food that is destroying our bodies and the environment in cars that burn fossil fuels supplied by corporations that make the puppet masters wealthier, which destroy the Earth and we are made to feel guilty for it so that future taxes can be introduced and we think it's to save the planet (what BS). I'm all for less pollution and less harm to the earth but global warming is an elaborate lie to fool humanity further into being enslaved into paying a mixture of illegal and rediculous taxes to further enslave us. Weather modification centres apparently do exist. Sometimes I do wonder if we are living in the Truman Show on a grander scale crossed with the Matrix, a little bit of Pleasantville, increasingly more so "Gattica" and 1984 by George Orwell and some other titles. Conforming is much more of a pressure nowadays than most realise. As soon as you break the mould it gets tricky to live in this society. And lately France isn't looking too nice a place to settle, post the latest attacks you could be put under house arrest just on 'suspicious' behaviour. Must conform, must believe what we are 'told' because it's 'true'!. We are limited by the choices we are offered and far too accepting of those in power and of the options supplied to us and we all wonder why we are getting sicker but are too ignorant, busy, cool, self-involved or apathetic to find out the truth. Peer pressure is omnipresent, and the media loves to spread lies mixed with half-truths. The question is how much money do we need and where do we want to go off grid, and where are we 'allowed' to do so. It complicates matters when you want to live in at least 2 different countries. A couple of interesting links:
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2015/12/03/world-class-journlaist-spills-the-beans-admits-mainstream-media-is-completely-fake/
http://culture-of-peace.info/books/history/information.html
A nice concept, for a small price, haven't subscribed myself, is it worth it? I don't know:
https://www.offgridworld.com/off-grid-living-magazine/
So I have a varied collection of titles to get me started and I want to read many books relevant to the Australian property scene as well. Part of me wonders though that even if I do everything right whether the world tomorrow will not support what I'm trying to accomplish. Still it's worth trying I think. In the end though I'm probably tormenting my own soul like the majority humanity and have become far too self involved like most of us and ought to just learn to find peace in the now as Eckhart Tolle points out. This is truly a powerful thing- and it is this I feel that the puppet masters are trying to really distract us from. Where is that holy grail indeed. You well know it, and it's not in France, nor necessarily in an earthship, still earthships are healthy indeed and French does sound very smooth indeed
edit: "nouvel" ami français. Je l'ai rencontré il y a une semaine et quand je lui ai parlé en français (et avec sa femme un peu aussi), il m'a invité de nous nous retrouver chez un café pour boire un verre dans une atmosphère détendue où je pourrai pratiquer ma langue préférée et sa langue maternelle... ..mais il a décidé que ce serait plus facile chez lui.... On a parlé beaucoup ; de nous-même, de sports, de la politique, même, et du temps parce qu'il a fait 41 ou 42 degrés celsius hier. C'était très bonne, l'expérience pour mon français. J'y ai resté quelques heures en fait- plus ou moins deux heures en parlant français avec lui et sa femme aussi après qu'elle était arrivée, et ensuite en anglais avec des autres amis à eux qui viennent d'Allemagne. C'était une soirée merveilleuse.