How To Live Well Without A Job

Here's a long, but very informative read on how ot survive with a job, and practically no money. In the days ahead this guide could be the difference between living comfortably or barely living. It's not rocket science, just good old common sense which nowadays seems to be in short supply.

Do you want to get out of the rat race but not drop out? Do you want to live a life of leisure without worry or guilt? If your answer is yes, Dolly Freed will show you how to live well without a job and without working very hard.

After discussing reasons why you should or shouldn't give up your job, POSSUM LIVING gives you details about the cheapest ways with the best results to buy and maintain your own home, dress well, cope with the law, stay healthy, and keep up a middle-class facade--whether you live in the city, in the suburbs, or in a small town. In a delightful, straightforward style, Dolly Freed explains how to be lazy, proud, miserly, and honest, live well, and enjoy leisure.

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[edit: title - all caps]

[edit on 28-4-2008 by 12m8keall2c]

Nice post, I will read through it when I have time. I skimmed through and there is some really interesting stuff.

I already don't have a job, so I am half way there.

I've been reading it for a while and agree with much of it.
I got a real kick out of the prices/costs for the 1970's.
It pains me to realize how much we spend a year.

As a once high paided person, living the dream life. In my dream job, I can say good things dont last forever!
Its allways important to have a back up of a back up plan. Such as having a trade skill you can fall back on if it so happens the market drops out in your current trade.
Ive had to learn how to deal with a 350,000$ dollar a year cut to my living style. Not to get to personal but I dont make more than 50K a year now a days with my back up job. Its barely enough to get by, but I do get by becasue I suck it up and do what I have to do in this world to eat, have gas, and pay my computer bill.

There are levels of survival I have considered but not yet willing to get that deep into the human pools of being poor.
There are many (hippie) zones in the forest where 100's of people travle the USA from camp to camp living off eachother. They dont use money, and only use the barter system. While some of the hippie leaders use money to get sertin supplies, the rest of them go off trade.
They do not get to take baths, or showers but maybe 1 time a month.
They barter more in their share of drugs, and booze to get them threw the days. I guess if you want to live like that, it would be totally up to you.
However I just dont see myself as a hippie.. I just dont like how that many people can sit around smoke on stuff all night long, talk about how bad it is out there and DO NOTHING about it!

Ive taken my stand on a few issues in this world.. And sadly to say you can do no real good without some source of income. This soceity is built to be so. The homeless 95% of them dont want to work..
For instance.. I where I work in a kitchen, there are homeless people who come and get food out of my dumpster.. Sometimes I bring them out some left over food if I see them out there.. I ask them.. You want to do dishes?
They say no, I dont work for the man! Or some werid excuse.
I have offered them a job, yet none of them want to do somethng as simple as dishes. NONE of them have taken me up on my offer.
Maybe its becasue at one time they where living the high life, and refuse to become a simple dishwasher.. I dont know.
But I know at one time I was a suit and tie guy, and made good money.
Had a house, sports car, wife blah blah blah..
And today I have a small truck, and one room to live within. But I still work almost everyday!!!
There really is no getting around working unless you want to be homeless.

No matter what you try to wheel and deal, or try to get around, you will end up flat on your back with no money.

Prehaps you can find an older woman, or if you are a female, its much easier to find someone to live off of.
But for us guys, you either are going to have to find a sugar mother.
Or find some really close friends, that dont mind you mooching off them daily.. But surely that will run out.. People whos charater is taking and not giving back is a short one.

YOU have to work!!! Well you dont have too.. But if you want to be a clean and healthy person, You will either have to suck it up.. Or find a way to wheel and deal your way out of it..

I personaly dont see how I could live well without a job..
Unless I found a rich person that wanted to take care of me..
Or win the lotto..
Or find a suit case of millions of dollars.

Prehaps sell drugs..Or become a criminal.

But even criminals need a front for why they have so much money comming into the house hold.

LLoyd,

I find pretty much everything you contribute to ATS fascinating. Thank you.

This is a great read, and has altered my SIT-X plans. I found the information on making liquor and raising rabbits and chickens to be most interesting.

Added yeast to my bug-out kit.

It's feasible. It's easy. It can be done. It should be done.

Do it.

OMG...... I just got finished reading this book yesterday! I was thinking of posting about it.

I am so glad you did.

This is a great read and I plan to include some of the info in it very soon(within the next month).

S&F

reply to post by zysin5


It takes determination thats for sure, but I have been living without a "job" for sometime now. My children and I are flurishing.

I just found a peice of land in the midwest and plan to move there in about 2.5 weeks.

My son and I found a tent (25x30 canvas) in the dump and put it up. It is huge. We plan to live in it while we build our cabin this summer.

I homeschool so this is going to be part of our summer project.

When I need work I already go to a temp agency, so that won't change.

I am a single mom.

And I guess I am a Possum.

reply to post by METACOMET
thanks METACOMEt for the kudos, and I'm glad you found my post useful. I was thinking about posting an abbreviated survival guide, but I'm really slow about getting things organized.

My main problem is deciding which topics to cover, and which to exclude! What I might feel is critical, someone else may find boring.

Any suggestion as to content would be appreciated. Thanks again for the post.

reply to post by freedomataprice
Best of luck on your move, and thanks for your input on the post. Possums are cool!

reply to post by LLoyd45


Man, I'd actually love to see an abbreviated survival guide on here. Something that can be printed out and put in a kit, for example. I shall see if I might be able to put something together.

The possum guide is helpful because of its long-term attitude, IMO. Possum life makes me think of this Emerson poem...

What these strong masters wrote at large in miles,
I followed in small copy in my acre:
For there's no rood has not a star above it;
The cordial quality of pear or plum
Ascends as gladly in a single tree,
As in broad orchards resonant with bees;
And every atom poises for itself,
And for the whole. The gentle Mother of all
Showed me the lore of colors and of sounds;
The innumerable tenements of beauty;
The miracle of generative force;
Far-reaching concords of astronomy
Felt in the plants and in the punctual birds;
Mainly, the linked purpose of the whole;
And, chiefest prize, found I true liberty,
The home of homes plain-dealing Nature gave.

well I my self have been there . when I was single I would work and move from town town on a moments notice I did this with my boy freind who is now my husband. but never the less we were free. Free is an amazing word and a great place to be. We whent from eating what we want a doing what we want. to getting married staying put and haveing childern, dont get me wrong this is the good life but diffucalt at the same time. we ened up on welfare (Working poor) to you make to much money for us the GOV. to help you which was 1,200.00 at the time. so whether you are on welfare or just making it on your own pay check to pay check rember the days you were once free and you could possibly break those chains once more. LOVE LIFE, LIVE HAPPY AND GIVE THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR EVERY BREATH OF YOUR FAMILY AND FREINDS.

I've been in possum mode for a while now. But the author of the piece is right. Without a place to hang your hat, the rest of it is moot.

I was homeless for a while coming out of high school, but managed to get into an apartment before the winter. I have been working since I was fourteen. But now I am homeless again, so I feel like all of that work was for nothing. I wasted all those years. Especially the years since I managed to get myself off of the streets, as I am now homeless once again.

The only thing I can think of to do at this point, is to get some sort of camper RV. But then again, I really wouldn't know where to park it and such. And of course you need some sort of income to maintain it, and there isn't enough square footage in one to be self-sufficient with the food and such. But if I had the RV and a chunk of land somewhere I suppose it would be doable.

I don't think I could go totally possum either though. There are some things about modern society that I do like. I enjoy driving for one, so I would want a car. I also like getting a video game or something from time to time as well.

I guess what it really comes down to is I don't mind working, but I don't want to be a hungry slave to the grind either. It makes no sense to be working 50-60 hours a week if you still can't afford heat, or you have to get your groceries from a food pantry.

Anyway, flagged and starred. The article has some good insights, and will help put one in a calm, yet survivor-like state of mind. It reeks of freedom.

reply to post by LLoyd45


Starred and flagged. I'll read more of it once I'm home from work tonight.

Thanks.

As much as we all hate to admit it, don't you just love TV, video games, internet porn and cell phones?

I think our society, as it is now, is the result of the evolution of civilization. Technology is the extension of our brain's capacity, and in turn makes life easier. I don't think, however, that this should make us lazy. I am watching "Everything is Illuminated" right now on my big TV and sitting in my air conditioned home on the computer. If I change my style of life, it will be out of nothing less than absolute necessity, like Sit-X.

Although I do find great stress relief from going camping every now and then, I wouldn't like it to be the norm.

Good link regardless, I think it is something everyone should get a hold of just "in case."

Originally posted by SantaClaus
As much as we all hate to admit it, don't you just love TV, video games, internet porn and cell phones?

I think our society, as it is now, is the result of the evolution of civilization. Technology is the extension of our brain's capacity, and in turn makes life easier. I don't think, however, that this should make us lazy. I am watching "Everything is Illuminated" right now on my big TV and sitting in my air conditioned home on the computer. If I change my style of life, it will be out of nothing less than absolute necessity, like Sit-X.

Although I do find great stress relief from going camping every now and then, I wouldn't like it to be the norm.

Good link regardless, I think it is something everyone should get a hold of just "in case."

I think America will be forced into simpler times after things collapse as we know it. More people gardening and being more self reliant. Literally hunting and fishing for food instead of going to the stores to get it. I think those times are coming because it will be to expensive to buy food here soon. Good post she has great points.

Jack,

I'm sorry to hear about your situation. I know what it's like. Hopefully things will pick up for you soon. Aleast you have an edge, you've been there and done that.

I imagine before too long, many people will be finding themselves in similar situations. It'd really be great if someone could get the economy back on track, and soon!

Take care brother, and watch your six.

This is an interesting post Lloyd. I used to have a dugout cabin on public land. It was about 12X12. No one ever found it as far as I know. It was used in some of my younger days whenever I wanted to get away.

If you take this coupled with a small garden and supplement it with wild game and edibles one can live a decent enough life.

I won't say easy but at least decent. The library is always home to a good book, even without a library card to id yourself. Just find the same book on the shelf everyday and hope no one else wants to read it.

Clothing really is not to hard to come by, and dumpster diving is still a favorite pasttime. You will be surprised at what you find. [I once found a gas station that had just closed for remodeling and they threw out EVERYTHING in the store]

There is also an amazing underground movement not unlike the underground railroad. There are people that will help you in the most unlikely spot!

A twelve volt car battery and a stolen solar panel will provide you with some power. [In certain situations you do what you must]It is a life and truly free. The amazing thing is that it can be so boring.

there are those out there that truly enjoy this type of lifestyle and have learned to fly under the radar. The next time you are out look for someone that appears to be homeless but less dirty than the others. Sit and talk to them you might be surprised at who chooses this lifestyle. They might be considered the last of the mountain men as such as they are completely independant.

respectfully

reluctantpawn

Originally posted by reluctantpawn

there are those out there that truly enjoy this type of lifestyle and have learned to fly under the radar. The next time you are out look for someone that appears to be homeless but less dirty than the others. Sit and talk to them you might be surprised at who chooses this lifestyle. They might be considered the last of the mountain men as such as they are completely independant.

respectfully

reluctantpawn

And we as people criticized them as bums and who knows there may be a time again where a majority of the population is living like that again. One with nature. Interesting.

reply to post by LLoyd45

Aleast you have an edge, you've been there and done that.

And to be honest, it's not quite as bad this time, yet. I still have some resources that I am drying out as slowly as I can. It's a lot more frustrating this time though, by far.

Take care brother, and watch your six.

Thanks.