No mortgage, kids and no responsiblity?

MisterE · Post by **MisterE** » 17 Dec 2007, 19:25

Play guitar and go study in school too, learn to sight read and understand the structure of music and play in band. I'm hoping I will be able to do this before I die.

rabbit_hop · Post by **rabbit_hop** » 17 Dec 2007, 19:31

Hi folks - this is a highly relevant discussion for me, as I fall exactly into this category! 42 years old, no wives or ex-wives, no children, no debts, some savings. I live in a small one-bedroom flat near the centre of Edinburgh, and my mortgage was paid off two years ago. For some time, and especially since becoming aware of PO, I have been giving serious thought to moving out of my job working for a finance company, and retraining to do "something else" - however I've hung fire on this one to date because I'm still not altogether sure what that "something else" should be! From reading this and other forums over the last year or so I've become, naturally, interested in geology and earth sciences, so I'm wondering whether a University course in geology would be a Good Thing, whether it's a possibility, whether I could even get in, and what sort of openings there might be at the end of it. (Thanks to clv101 for posting the university links.)

As clv101 also mentioned, though, it might be better doing something that can be learned in one year - as there might not be enough time left of relative calm to complete a university course of several years' duration!

Cheers all...

Post by **clv101** » 17 Dec 2007, 20:05

cat.wasilewski@gmail.com wrote:Well I'm gonna be debt free by the summer having finally paid for my MSc at CAT, and the debts I racked up doing it. My plan is to stop giving money to my useless toad of a buy to let landlord, and buy a narrowboat. I have lots of friends on the canal here in Oxford, and fingers crossed, with our latest planning battle victory (did anyone see the Observer yesterday - apparently there was a big article on it and I missed it - bugger), the community boatyard may soon be up and running again in some semblance. Once esconced onto said narrow boat, I'm going to cut down my work hours, do a little freelancing for other green consultancies on climate change stuff, and have time to learn things. Plus maybe pick up a PO aware fella who doesn't mind living in a home with little in the way of running water and limited electricity.... i.e. someone with a bit of foresight!!!!

Good plan - good luck!

mobbsey · Post by **mobbsey** » 17 Dec 2007, 20:20

danza wrote:Ok, so if you had no mortgage, no children, no debts and no responsibility and ?10k in the bank (or enough to take a year off), yet still had all the PO knowledge that you have today what would you do for a living?

I've got all that, but I've also got two kids (ten and eight) who can recognise some of what's edible in hedgerows, make their own blackberry turnovers (pastry and all) and like nothing more of a winter's evening than toasting home made bread (which they occasionally help make) on the log fire (for which they also like to help collect wood). They're also willing to eat their vegetables since each year they grow some of their own (except this year, 'cos the snails had the lot).

Two well educated kids are worth far more than any course you can go on!

SunnyJim · Post by **SunnyJim** » 17 Dec 2007, 20:23

rabbit_hop wrote:Hi folks - this is a highly relevant discussion for me, as I fall exactly into this category! 42 years old, no wives or ex-wives, no children, no debts, some savings. I live in a small one-bedroom flat near the centre of Edinburgh, and my mortgage was paid off two years ago. For some time, and especially since becoming aware of PO, I have been giving serious thought to moving out of my job working for a finance company, and retraining to do "something else" - however I've hung fire on this one to date because I'm still not altogether sure what that "something else" should be! From reading this and other forums over the last year or so I've become, naturally, interested in geology and earth sciences, so I'm wondering whether a University course in geology would be a Good Thing, whether it's a possibility, whether I could even get in, and what sort of openings there might be at the end of it. (Thanks to clv101 for posting the university links.)

As clv101 also mentioned, though, it might be better doing something that can be learned in one year - as there might not be enough time left of relative calm to complete a university course of several years' duration!

Cheers all...

I've got a friend who did a forestry degree at Aberdeen (here. He is now an estate manager/gardener on a smallish estate in Cornwall. No staff under him to make life tricky, house with the job, lovely 3 bed barn conversion, and gets to supply himself and the 'big house' with food and wood for a living. Perfect I would say.....

rabbit_hop · Post by **rabbit_hop** » 17 Dec 2007, 20:45

SunnyJim wrote:I've got a friend who did a forestry degree at Aberdeen (here. He is now an estate manager/gardener on a smallish estate in Cornwall. No staff under him to make life tricky, house with the job, lovely 3 bed barn conversion, and gets to supply himself and the 'big house' with food and wood for a living. Perfect I would say.....

It does sound perfect! I was in Cornwall just a week ago for a well-earned winter break, and was immensely taken by the place... the only bad bit was the journey there from Edinburgh by train. It was a very British mess, with breakdowns, delays and cancellations turning a 10.5-hour journey into a 12-hour one. What was it Kunstler said about the Bulgarians?

bobthebaker · Post by **bobthebaker** » 17 Dec 2007, 23:22

danza wrote:Ok, so if you had no mortgage, no children, no debts and no responsibility and ?10k in the bank (or enough to take a year off), yet still had all the PO knowledge that you have today what would you do for a living?

Would you retrain and if so to become what and why???

.... A position I'm in.

I'm not allowed to "jack" it all in, Mrs Baker would divorce me (actually thinking about that...

). Unfortunately she is addicted to the hamster wheel and thus I need to be as well. I shall continue for the forseeable future as a recession is looming and to save some money for retraining and my old age. I shall revisit the P45 option in 5 years time.

Ultimately I will retrain to become a handyman. Over the next decade I want to learn carpentry/joinery, electrical, plastering, bricklaying, plumbing & tiling (you will note nothing about car mechanics!) to a reasonable degree of proficiency.

I am also studing my RHS diploma for gardening and growing purposes and I want to be able to be a half decent cook using all my own home grown stuff.

So in an ideal world in the future, I shall work a few days of week odd jobbing just to be able to pay the bills (there's a good market for that type of work round here). It's amazing how much money you don't actually need once the "dead pledge" is paid off. The rest of the time I shall pursue other pleasures (and believe you me thats a thread on it's own!) not for any financial gain but purely for the joy of self enlightenment.

Please note I don't have some super duper high paying job because I don't. To get to our current financial position has been a long road of self discipline and self denial but as far as I'm concerned it has been worth it.

If you can break the chains of debt slavery then DO IT.

Right off to bed via doing the cat's eye drops....

snow hope · Post by **snow hope** » 18 Dec 2007, 00:15

clv101 wrote:
danza wrote:Ok, so if you had no mortgage, no children, no debts and no responsibility and ?10k in the bank (or enough to take a year off), yet still had all the PO knowledge that you have today what would you do for a living?

Would you retrain and if so to become what and why???
Good question - that's where I am and wondering the same! What's the most useful-for-the-future thing one can learn in a year without spending silly money?

Join the SAS? I would love to know the survival skills those guys have. Attending a few Ray Mears courses might be more appropriate.

MisterE wrote: Play guitar and go study in school too, learn to sight read and understand the structure of music and play in band.

Done that.

MisterE · Post by **MisterE** » 18 Dec 2007, 11:19

Snow hope, your now my new hero! You lucky lucky lucky lucky *******

I been playing for a few years on an off, I got a Ibanez rg 550 refurb, Kramer Nightrider and a cheapo ?99 one I take away with me. Got a gt6 and Marshall amp. But sadly work has picked up so much in the last 14 months its all I've done and to be honest if I am away or home my hands and body are too tired by the time the day has finished with me - feel fine when doing all the work then when I stop I'm creamed rofl - old age.

Lol I know mine is not very PO, but I dont worry about that I'm more concerned with living, I can not be more prepared for PO than I am.

SunnyJim · Post by **SunnyJim** » 18 Dec 2007, 11:24

I play in a folk rock band. Levellers & Waterboys covers, that sort of thing. Our second guitarist is 65! Only picked up a guitar at 60. It's never too late!

bobthebaker · Post by **bobthebaker** » 18 Dec 2007, 12:01

I too have an electric guitar gathering dust....

WolfattheDoor · Post by **WolfattheDoor** » 18 Dec 2007, 13:01

danza wrote:Ok, so if you had no mortgage, no children, no debts and no responsibility and ?10k in the bank (or enough to take a year off), yet still had all the PO knowledge that you have today what would you do for a living?

That all pretty much applies to me except that I have a bit more than ?10k. I intend to go abroad next year and start a new career teaching English. It's not that it's a particularly useful career post-Peak but, at my age (nearing 50), I've decided to have a few years doing something enjoyable and worthwhile before TSHTF.

Bozzio · Post by **Bozzio** » 18 Dec 2007, 13:18

I'm a self-employed plumber so am in a fairly good position. My wife is a GP which should be recession proof - she's self-employed as well being she's a partner. We have three young children, the youngest is 3 months and is sat on my lap as I'm writing this.

Anyway, being self-employed offers great freedom of mind and spirit. It requires one to be much more involved in all aspects of running work and invoicing people as you'd expect but most importantly it teaches you that there are no boundaries as to what you can do for yourself. There's no need to go on expensive and time consuming courses to make money or carve out a career for yourself. OK, so I'm in a profession which is in huge demand and self-employment is common but I meet so many people who work for themselves, many from a home computer, completing tasks others would prefer not to do or can't do. Of course, if you want to work in the oil industry then qualifications are a must but if you're happy to turn your hand to anything and don't mind working at any time of the day then self-employment should be tried. I've made some terrible business mistakes but it's made life much more interesting and things have always turned out ok. And right now I'm invoicing satisfied people for a tidy sum which is nice (although my wife's tax bill is ?22,000 in January, AAAARGH!!!!!).

And when not working or with the kids I play the drums (and occasionally the guitar) which I've been doing for 20 years. Couldn't do without my kit - it keeps me sane.

Andy Hunt · Post by **Andy Hunt** » 18 Dec 2007, 13:40

MisterE wrote:I been playing for a few years on an off, I got a Ibanez rg 550 refurb, Kramer Nightrider and a cheapo ?99 one I take away with me. Got a gt6 and Marshall amp.

Been playing since I was 14, got a few guitars, fave electric is a 'green sunburst' Epiphone Les Paul. My amp is a 120W original 1977 Orange Overdrive valve lead. Goes up to 12. Honestly.

Pippa · Post by **Pippa** » 18 Dec 2007, 17:24

Enjoy yourself and try not to make too much more mess of the world.

PowerSwitch

No mortgage, kids and no responsiblity?

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