Between August 2011 and October 2011 I parted ways with many of my things.  It’s a process I highly recommend everyone try!  To this day I continue to live with as few possessions as possible by renting furnished apartments, donating all clothes when no longer of use, and limiting purchases only to things I know I will use.  And yes I still buy some fun things too.  I like having nice things.  What I don’t like is wasting money, increasing pollution, and having attachments to things.

Is your stuff all that important or is it the experiences you have while using the stuff?  Is it the emotions shared with friends and family while surrounded by the stuff?

Here’s a spreadsheet I used to sell some of my things.  The items with prices were the main focus.  Everything else was included as part of a purchase, donated, or simply given to a friend.  You can see information on each Item in the first three columns followed by a selling price, price as sold, and who it was sold to (omitted for privacy).

Here’s something I’ve been wondering lately. Is it a US and Brazil thing? Do Brazilians (perhaps Latinos in general) express more love and affection for each other? Do they accept people more readily and welcome them into their lives?

OR is it a money thing. Is it people who have less money that are more open, accepting, and loving?

I recently met a group of Brazilians living in the United States. By all Brazilians standards they are quite wealthy (salaries greater than $70k put you in the top 1% of Brazilians). And they’ve adapted to the Washington DC culture — happy hours and schmoozing.

I didn’t feel the same acceptance. Instead I felt judgement. I could see some of them (not all) asking themselves ‘who is this guy and why should I know him?’; the typical question every Washingtonian asks in social situations.

So what is it — social class or geography? What is the real factor in determining the following — hospitality, acceptance, and community/love?

Sabbatical: Need Money?

The number ONE question everyone asks.

“What about the money?” and its close cousin.

“I don’t have the money”.

Humor me for a moment. Maybe you can get the money. Maybe you don’t need much money (depends what you do).
Here’s a few tips (A lot of tips) for making more, saving more, and getting stuff for free.

Make Money

• Get Better
  • Read Books
  • Take Classes
  • Informal Learning
    • Speak with co-workers
    • Go to lunch with a mentor and with senior staff
    • Read productivity blogs (and implement suggestions)
    • Read career-specific blogs (and implement skills)
• Performance Awards – if performance awards are available then perform better and work more
• Ask for a raise
• Take another job
  • Freelance similar work for other clients (make sure you speak with your supervisor and hr department first
  • Take on a different type of job using other skill sets
• Freelance or work remotely while on sabbatical (Not the most desirable. Take careful consideration before continuing any form of work while on sabbatical)
• Start a micro/lifestyle/muse business
  • Four Hour Work Week
  • $100 Startup
• Get creative
  • Ask for more money
  • Ask your friends for ideas
  • Crowdsource
    • Kickstarter.com
    • Indiegogo.com
  • Propose a three month break with a signing bonus to a new employer
    (very bold move – be prepared and confident to pull this off)
  • Propose a purpose that benefits your current employer — ask them to fund a portion or all of the trip as a corporate expense (what benefit are you bringing to the company as part of this trip?)

Save Money

Note: You don’t have to go right away. Save for three years then take a sabbatical. It might seem like a long time but what if you don’t save it all? How long will it take then? And consider this -- once you setup this program you can take a sabbatical every 3-7 years.  

• Automatic Transfers
  • Setup an additional savings account – no debit card, separate it as much as possible from your main accounts, possibly even setup at a new bank
  • Transfer a fixed amount on each pay date — start with $50 (or more) and increase as you adjust to your budget

Reduce Expenses

• Reduce current expenses
  • Call utility companies – ask for a reduction, ask what other plans they offer
  • Alternative energy suppliers – more of these are popping up nowadays
  • Review monthly expenses
    • What can you cut? (ex: monthly charge for online software that’s not used)
    • What can be modified (ex: cell phone plan)
  • Create a budget
  • Hire a financial planner to help guide you and to keep you accountable
  • Debt
    • Pay down debt
    • Man vs Debt
• Reduce home expenses while away
  • Sell or rent house/condo
  • Trade/swap home – see homeexchange.com
  • Sell car (perhaps loan to a friend at cost)
• Sell Some Stuff
  • Sell Your Crap program
• Other
  • Pre-pay expenses that will recur while away (enforces you actually doing it)
• Free Stuff
  House sit
  House swap
  Work on a boat
  Work at a hostel
  People you meet on the road (“Yes it does happen” – tell my Sao Joao Del Reistory)
  • Travel Hacking Cartel
  • Credit Cards for Travel

Related articles

• How To Create A Spending Plan
• $750,000 saved; should I quit my job and travel?
• How (and Why) to Take a Sabbatical
• Chris Brady Releases New Book Demonstrating the Power of Taking Strategic Sabbaticals to Achieve Peak Performance, Optimum Health and Well-Being
• Ingredients for a Radical Sabbatical
• Is it OK to quit my job to travel the world?
• How To Pay Off Debt

Need a few ideas to get you going??  These are the books I read leading up to the big day.  Escape 101 in particular was instrumental in finally taking the big leap.

Escape 101, by Dan Clements and Tara Gignac.  (most critical and the last book I read that finally got me from “wanting it” to “doing it”.
Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel
The World’s Cheapest Destinations: 21 Countries Where Your Money is Worth a Fortune, by Tim Leffel
Siddhartha (Freedom and Journey)
Walden, Thoreau (Independence, Self-Reliance)
Four Hour Work Week, by Tim Ferris (Independence, Freedom, Non-Attachment)
Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki (Self-Reliance)