About me and this blog

My name is Phil. In Australia I worked as an Electronics Engineer, but as fate would have it I met a Korean woman and am now in Korea teaching English at a public school. If all goes to plan we will be moving back Australia where I will return to my Electronics Engineering career. I like the outdoors (gardening, hiking, camping, fishing), photography and kicking back to watch a movie at home with my wife. 

Me fishing on a hot summers day in Australia.

So, why am I writing this blog? I have a couple of motives. 

First and foremost is to help me stay focused on the end game... early retirement. There are a lot of balls up in the air for me at the moment, but worst case scenario I plan to retire at age 50. Best case scenario I plan to be able to retire by age 40. 

Secondly, I hope that through this blog I will connect with other like minded people and share ideas. 

Finally, I hope that I will have a positive influence the way others view the march of consumerism and materialism. 

My wife writing on the beach in Australia.

I like to think of myself as a frugalite. What is a frugalite? It is a word I made up which, to me, means someone to makes conscious decisions every day to be frugal in how they live. It might be as simple as turning lights off as you leave the room, or as radical as never buying a car. 

A persons reasons for living a frugal life vary. Below is a brief (incomplete) list:

1. A path to early retirement.
2. A responsible way to live on a planet of limited resources.
3. A way of pursuing happiness by focusing less on material goods.
4. Part of a larger strategy to achieve a better work/life balance.

Being frugal isn't about being cheap. It is about being prudent about how you spend your money. Some people may miss label you as "cheap", but it's only because they have a warped sense of what it means to be frugal, or sadly in some cases the word "frugal" isn't even part of their vocabulary. 

When I am faced with a purchasing choice, the first question I ask myself is.... 

"Is this a need, or a want?". 

Is it actually a burden in disguise? Is it something that will make me lazier, reduce my health and, consequently, quality of life. Will I be forced to buy a bigger house to store this "thing" to impress people that may or may not visit. 

Be wary of wolves in sheep's clothing. This is an ancient proverb that still has relevance today. The difference between then and now is thanks to the internet, TV, radio and smartphones we are constantly bombarded with manipulative messages to buy crap we don't need... or (if we stop to think about it) sometimes even want with money we don't have. 

Sometimes the wolves will also manipulate the social fabric of society and, in the process, turn you into a social leper. Just, for a second, consider diamond rings. Where did this tradition of buying a diamond engagement ring originate from? A company many people have never heard of, De Beers. For a very long time they held a monopoly over the diamond trade. Thanks to a hugely successful marketing campaign, De Beers was able to make two changes to our social fabric which would ensure they would be rolling in money for decades to come.

1. They were successful in making woman believe they were worthless or not loved if their man didn't buy them a diamond, 
2. They made men believe they were inadequate or poor fiancé's/husbands/girlfriends if they didn't buy diamonds for their fiancée's, wives and lovers. 

Apparently their monopoly, after over 100 years, has finally been broken. Unfortunately the result of their hugely successful marketing campaign remains. Even though diamonds don't hold their value, look the same as cheaper man made diamonds and serve no purpose other than to look pretty, they are still considered a must have by many brides to be. 

I've singled out diamonds because they are, in my opinion, a symbol of the materialistic society we have become. Expensive designer handbags, designer dresses, iPhones, super sized houses, expensive cars, fancy pants, watches, more shoes than a reasonable person could wear in a lifetime. These are all the result of society being manipulated into believing that happiness can be found through materialistic possessions. The sad truth is, these are all burdens in disguise which lead to us becoming slaves to debt and the feeling of always wanting more. This ultimately leads to unhappiness. 

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