Skip to main content

@Lifestyle: My Reasons Becoming A Partial-Freegan

 
Reject mindless consumerism

I chanced upon freeganism when reviewing my investments. I just left my stressful job (details in another post). I dreamed to retire from work by age 45 but had no concrete plans then.

I felt freeganism is a path to fulfil my early retirement dream. The idea behind freeganism is to get what you need for free and use your money only on necessities. I joined the "Freegan in Singapore" Facebook group, where Colin Lau's articles on freeganism impress me. I started dumpster diving and managed to rescue mostly merchandise and occasionally food. I spend money on bills, insurance premiums and food.

Below are my reasons for becoming a partial-freegan:
  • Sick of work. Mainly due to office politics, backstabbing, lack of job satisfaction and Information Technology (IT) industry are always fire-fighting. Felt physically and mentally tired. Low pay jobs have their stress and problems. Want to quit working for money forever. 
  • No idea why I earn money. I am a thrifty person until I found something I like. Otherwise, I don't spend much money and I prefer simple living. I don't agree working for money til retirement as you never know when you die. So earning less or not working suits me better. 
  • Want to be physically and mentally healthier. I was diagnosed with stress-induced migraines. I suspect I have mild depression and anxiety too, as I have some of the associated symptoms. I tried to exercise regularly but my busy work schedule keeps me away. I also took up meditation but has limited benefit to my depression and anxiety. I decided to change myself before change changed me for the worse. 
  • Want to reduce stress. In my work, I am hit with the stress of different magnitude. Last minute changes, urgent requests, demanding customers, unrealistic expectations, etc. These caused me to have stress-induced migraines. Since all this stress comes from work, stop working is the most viable solution. Stop working kills work stress. 
  • Calm my monkey mind. I naturally overthink. My mind is always busy with some thoughts or tasks to get me to work on. I  have worrying thoughts but I couldn't get over them. I did try meditation but doesn't work much for me, resulting in wanting to retire to slow down and declutter my mind. 
  • Cheapo by nature. Who doesn't like cheap or free stuff? I don't have a strong spending desire or upgrade mentality, unlike normal Singaporeans, except for IT gadgets, feng shui stuff, and Thai amulets (no longer a collector). I have financial sense due to my family not being well off, so I make sure I get the best deals. Dumpster diving achieved this purpose. 
I chose to be a partial-freegan due to my desire to retire by age 45. With the benefits of dumpster diving, I only half succeed in retiring before 45. Another is changing my spending habits dramatically to suit my new lifestyle, making it sustainable to live without working. 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BrainTeasers: Joy Of Giving And Sustainable Charity — Filiporean Project

Giving out the stuff to villagers. Image from:   Giving and Taking Free Stuff Facebook Group You don’t have to be rich to donate. All it takes is having a little compassion and willingness to give. —— Dickson Idlier The “Filiporean Project” is started by Freegans In Singapore co-founder, Colin Lau. The project collects small usable items (details in posts from “ Giving and Taking Free Stuff “ Facebook Group) from public donors or dumpster-dived stuff from Freegans In Singapore (FIS) and donates to Filipino maids in Singapore. The main reason is shipping cost is cheapest to the Philippines. This project has caught up in the news and media in Singapore, so more donations have been pouring in so the maids (numbered to 300) are kept very busy.    Colin saw many usable small items when dumpster-diving around his neighborhood but has no use for them. When he found that Filipino maids wanted these items to bless their family, friends, and neighbors back in their village, he...
Post a Comment
Read more

IdlierStories: Appreciate Everything You Have Got

Positive Brain Facebook Group A man once telephoned Norman Vincent Peale. He was despondent and told the reverend that he had nothing left to live for. Norman Vincent Peale invited the man over to his office. "Everything is gone, hopeless," the man told him. "I'm living in deepest darkness. In fact, I've lost heart for living altogether." Norman Vincent Peale smiled sympathetically. "Let's take a look at your situation," he said calmly. On a sheet of paper he drew a vertical line down the middle. He suggested that they list on the left side the things the man had lost, and on the right, the things he had left. "You won't need that column on the right side," said the man sadly. "I have nothing left, period." Norman Vincent Peale asked, "When did your wife leave you?" "What do you mean? She hasn't left me. My wife loves me!" "That's great!" said Norman Vincent Peale enthusiastically. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

BrainTeasers: Better To Live Cheap Under Budget, Than Live Luxuriously In Debt

Desire for a better life gets us more entrapped in the web of desires to overspend. Only by cutting away these threads of desires can we free ourselves and live a less stressful and more rewarding life by spending below our means.  ——  Dickson Idlier There are two ways to live life: 1. Live in a way that we spend less than we make. 2. Live in a way that spends more than we make. Spending exactly as you make does not happen as emergencies happen all the time, so is still in the second group. People would rationally choose spending less than we make but most don't.  In our civilized society, we are constantly bombarded with advertisements promising a better life than you have... if and only if, you are willing to spend to get it. This is so ingrained in our subconscious, from the moment we become sensible, we subtly and unintentionally fall into this trap. Increased income doesn't quench our desires. Offers for better life grow with our income... nicer cars, bigger houses, ...
Post a Comment
Read more