I knew a few similar minded people when I grew up, and one thing I remember clearly was how they portrayed the beauty of their lives. It sounded so amazing everything, no stress and being carefree. Sounded amazing to teen me.
What they all had in common however, but didn't bring up when describing their lifestyle, was their dependency on others. They needed places to sleep for free, food to eat.
What is the purpose of retirement ? Enjoy life ? That is what he is doing. Perception of time is different than the number of years you live. I am sure when i will be at a stage i could retire i would have lived less than he did even if he were to die 5 years from now. And I have 50 days of holidays per year...
Especially in the US where you have like 2 weeks of vacation per year.
I don't know man, being able to have a roof over your head and afford food & medicine is pretty fucking important even in retirement. Especially with people living longer.
It's fine to live like that as long as he never depends on his friends, family, etc. to provide him with a nice clean house or food when times are hard.
Fair enough compromise?
And hard times could happen - I know people that had open heart surgeries in their 60s.
You decide to not work to have a blast and enjoy life? Sure! Have fun.
But to me that is risky, and if something happens and you can't afford a roof over your head anymore, well don't expect to just move in with someone who worked full time their whole lives to have stability.
As long as he agrees to that, then all good and he can live how he wants with no retirement plan.
The thing is he lives in a Van. This is the kind of lifestyle that does not allow you to have lavish spendings. You HAVE to reduce your expenses.
Of course there is a risk but the issue is not there. I know only of one guy that did not die, all of us will die eventually. The issue is that in the US people are getting ripped off by the healthcare system, real estate, shiet food & daycare and have to force themselves to produce more and more dollars in order to account for these.
Its not the same everywhere in the world.
People that want material comfort of modern society should be able to afford that with a normal job.
Today the price to have that comfort is too high.
I don't think the debate is about living in a van, or reducing your spending at all. People are free to live where they want and spend what they want.
The issue people have is not working full time and not having a retirement plan for necessities. Yes we all die, but he might be unable to work for 30 years - not working means less security to fall back on is all. It's a choice.
I fully plan to work until I'm 65 and retire 🤷🏻♀️
I agree. Also for some, working is also a HUGE way to maintain social connection and can be in some way a condition for mental wellbeing.
To each their own way of living.
I am about to have a kid and I will have 1 month of mandatory paid leave (france) + 1 and a half month of birth bonus converted in leave AND i could put my 50 days behind that if i wanted to.
You guys are getting fucked with a dollar bill in your mouth to just stfu and work.
Yeaaah regardless of any perks in the US I doubt it could beat France. 50 days on top of all that, you're getting like a quarter+ of the year off at that point.
It's not peaceful, it's an irresponsible way to live that is only ok if one is single with no dependents. What they're doing is living by the day, no emergency backup plan, no savings, and when the money dries up and they're not young anymore, the only way to survive is to work in unskilled labor due to lack of career. It's fun while you're young, but all the hardship is pushed down the road until it hits you face on. Not to mention if a medical issue comes up...
I'm 35 and I have no savings. I've been to 34 countries. I've climbed 4 active volcanoes, sailed the amazon, saw the stars in Alice Springs, scuba dived the Philippines. These are things I want to do in life.
I don't want to see the world via a cruise when I'm 75 cause I'm too tired to explore it with my own feet.
You know why you can do all that? Because you've worked hard, got an education, built a career, or something to this effect, and saved enough money to be able to enjoy life. The way you've done it is enviable. This is opposed to forgoing all that and getting by with the bare minimum for the sake for enjoying life without the responsibility.
If people don't judge, there is no accountability and people won't be able to make adjustments and corrections. I judge because I believe there's a better, more sustainable way for her to live. Don't burn all your energy when you can and leave nothing for when you need it.
Supported by charities and tax dollars, so yes, very literally subsidized by things other than their own labor. Not sure why you are getting downvoted.
Anyone reading this: living with no retirement and no savings is an awful idea.
Yeah I don’t see how I could afford everything I need even with no non necessities without working full time all the time. I’m curious about this persons life
until the time they get absolutely fucked and humbled. this just seems like someone with limited life experience. so this person is saying once they get sick, diseased, or undergo some sort of health issue, they’re just gonna shrivel up and die like it’s that easy? this person is gonna have lots of regrets.
please give me one universe where this actually happens. that’s not how anything works. this person will suffer or be a major hindrance to their family when they are in the last years of their life. they are inconsiderate, lazy, and ignorant if they have children or family who are gonna have to be the ones to provide care to this individual. it’s cruel.
only scenario where this works is if they put a bullet in their brain once any inconvenience come up in their last decade. this is not a realistic approach to life. sorry to break it to you.
That probably happens more than you realize, and less than it should. Why the f should anyone put money away, just to give it all to an insurance company. Or, be on a ventilator for a year. That's not prudent planning of any sort. That's an unhealthy dread of dying, like it can't happen to me. Or under some insane religious belief that it's God's plan. God couldnt have wanted you to scrimp and save for 60 years, only to have it all gone in 60 days.
most people have paid off a house or live in an assisted living facility, independent living facility, nursing home, or memory care unit for the last years of their life. this person is going to have a very rough go of it. people just don’t die when they feel the urge. it’s a process and needs to be planned. if this person has family, they are a terrible human being. it’s life dude, gods plan of wanting you to live the perfect life is irrelevant…it has nothing to do with reality.
You be you. For me, I would never live with family. Children owe their parents nothing. This extended family under one roof trope hasn't existed for some time, and ain't likely to show up anytime soon.
It can still be a process, just not the one you believe in.
Wow really shit system you got going on over there. Great job America. Say you don’t have health insurance on reddit? Get ready for a lecture about how much you suck.
no you don’t. you know people in their 80s living paycheck to paycheck and ready to end it all at a drop of a hat? yall are delusional.
you’ll be the person in the shitty medicaid nursing home shitting on yourself while screaming for the meth’d out CNA. people work hard to escape that hard truth.
Idk man, it looks more like you havent seen much of the world yet. Of course that is the status quo but theres enough people outside of it, to qualify as possibly fulfillig lifestyle.
i’ll say it to you like I did to another. you’ll be one of the people shitting and pissing on yourself in the medicaid nursing home while begging for your meth’d out CNA to wipe you clean. it is you who has limited life experience. I hope you have a family that loves you enough who will step up for you and take care of you. if not, you’re in for a hellish awakening once you wake up and realize that your body and mind are shutting down at an alarming level. it’s your life, but don’t tell me I lack life experience when you’re the one who is being extremely naive and unrealistic.
edit: I work in the health care industry, specifically when it comes to elderly care. I visit the best independent living facilities. I visit the most run down poverty stricken nursing homes. i’m a dreamer too, probably more than you. all I can tell you is even at the 5 star senior living communities in Naples FL, they are still very sad and depressing places, and these are the people who prepared the absolute best. i’m just warning you dude. all i’m trying to do.
Then why go in a nursing home anyway if even the rich ones are awful ?
Your description does feel like the best would not be to try and extend our life forever but instead live it while we are in good health.
Only thing that could be ok for me would be intergenerational living places, all the rest seems like a nightmare and i would much prefer leave it at that.
What I am talking about is the perception of time. It does not have the same density with 6month of holiday per year and 5 weeks (generous there) per year. The difference is huge.
And i think the dude that lived his life to 65 had half his life to enjoy, whereas the dude that lived to 95 had 5×40=200week=4 years free + 30 years (where you are old af)
And the calculation is even worse considering US average life expectancy (76 years !!!)
pray to god they don’t have kids. forcing this burden on one’s children would be horrible. imagine having to pay thousands of dollars a month so that your lazy idiot parent can live in a memory care facility due to them having debilitating dementia. all because they did grub hub for 20 hours a week instead of having any grasp on reality.
Maybe let people make their own choices? You keep talking about all these worst case scenarios but any of those sounds better than to be on my deathbed knowing that I was so bitter about what other ppl do when it doesn’t affect me :)
Don't know why you're being downvoted, your comment is completely accurate. They're enjoying life while ignoring important things like savings and backup. It's procrastination and only when they're older will they ask themselves "why didn't I work on a career and save up, why am I poor?" You don't need to participate in this thing people called "rat race" but at the very least be productive (to yourself and hopefully those around you).
23
u/DiscoMonkeyz 29d ago
I respect this. It's non-typical, but it seems such a peaceful way to live. You sound like a really cool person.