Yes, times are rough right now. But it does not stop individuals from pursuing what they want to be. The statement, ¨Decide what to be and go be it¨ applies.
Joseph Fonseca (aka Lyttleton) has been dedicating the past 6 years of his life to an extended art/ life experiment called 10 Cities/ 10 years. Basically, the 28 year old writer decided to travel and write about his encounters with life as he moves from city to city each year, consecutively. I think it's pretty incredible... must be liberating. Crazy? yeah, maybe, but who said a little, healthy insanity isn't a good thing? ;)
So far Lyttleton has lived in
1) Charlotte, NC
2) Philadelphia, PA
3) Costa Mesa, CA
4) San Francisco, CA
5) Chicago, IL
6) Nashville, TN
7) Seattle, WA
8) TBD
9) TBD
10) New York City, NY
 |
| via 10 cities 10 years |
An interview recently published by yahoo finance, describes Lyttelton's project from a financial approach (living off a budget of $20,000). Here are some of the questions and answers shared:
Q: Do you indulge in any luxuries?
A: I splurge on things with friends, like going out to bars. To me, the most important thing is to have fun with friends. I'd rather spend $30 or $40 to go out with friends and have those memories that buy a bunch of CDs or random things. What's the hardest thing to do without? There are days that I wished I had a car. Sometimes public transportation isn't great. But for me, the benefits of not having a car outweigh that [feeling].
Q: Do you anticipate or look forward to having a higher salary one day?
A: Not necessarily. I hope to make my career as a writer. My goal has always been to do that. I've never been someone that wanted to be settled into a career. I may or may not have a family some day. I don't see myself as someone that will own a house and have property. I basically just want to be someone who at some point can say, "I'm a writer full-time." Hopefully it would pay more than $20,000 a year, but I could live a satisfactory life on $50,000 a year and be a writer and do other things if I had to. To me, life experience, traveling, and meeting people is so much more valuable than having a nest egg.
If I had children, I would want to make enough money to support them. But as long as I'm unattached, I'm just concerned about my life. I don't imagine I'll ever be a well-off business person. As long as I have enough money to be happy in my own life and satisfied with my goals and not relying on others, then I'll be happy.
Q: Do you have any advice to others trying to live on $20,000 a year?
A: You can get rid of so much stuff and you'll realize how little you're really missing. It's about prioritizing what you really need in life. It's hard to save and stick to a strict budget if you don't have a reason, or if you're just vaguely saving. You should have a goal you're working toward, a career goal or an artistic goal.
It's always interesting for me to see how people are breaking the mold and pursuing their artistic calling in life. Takes courage, passion, flexibility (to adapt to circumstances), and discipline!
delightful comments
Post a Comment