Alex, Hadyn and Rich have become thrift-shop bargain kings, maximizing their living space at the most minimal of costs.
Arriving with nothing more than a backpack each, my hosts – Alex, Hadyn and Rich – spent the first week in Revelstoke, Canada, without furniture. Rich and his girlfriend, Sal, slept on an inflatable raft; dinners were served on a hardwood floor. To save funds, they kitted out their apartment with secondhand goods and thrift shop deals.
They drink during happy hours. Attend discount movie nights. Ride-share and buy 2-4-1 supermarket deals.
It’s the challenge facing all travelers: spend up to enjoy a new location, or save up for the next one? But what’s the point of stowing away dollars, if doing so damages your ability to enjoy the experiences around you? For these guys, saving doesn’t mean doing nothing. It means spending less on a whole lot more.
Plus, it reinforces their decisions to leave a consumer-driven society and, yes, sleep on a blow-up mattress. If that’s a sacrifice, then I’m sure the freedom they get from recycled goods and limited possessions provides them with a very different kind of wealth.
New Year’s Resolution #2: Worried about breaking this? Instead of focusing on a lock-down budget regime, why not figure out how you can take the same amount and make it worthwhile? Why not spend less to get more?
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I think it’s about value, not just saving money. It’s about using your resources in the best, most efficient way – which applies not just to money, but to time, annual leave, the planet, food – everything! Great post.
Well said, Peggy! You’re very right- it’s about moving beyond the simple concept of “saving” and using that to motivate and broaden your actions into something much more sustainable- for your wallet, and your future!
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