Do you remember back when you were a teenager and you were just starting your own life out? I remember it perfectly well…

I loved cars back then (as I did most of my childhood) so the number one priority on my list was to replace my 1988 Nissan Pathfinder (it was the early 2000s).

So I did. I got a 5 year car payment along with a slightly used 2001 Ford Explorer. I’m sure you have done the same thing at some point in your life…

I’ve always wondered where I’d be today if I’d been a simple teen back then. How about you?

photo credit daniel rodriguez

Simple versus Material Teenager

Here, let’s make this fun…

Material Mike

• Drives a 2010 Mustang and pays about $400/mo for the privilege
• Works 30 hours per week at a retail store
• Takes 3 classes at University

Simple Mark

• Drives a paid off 1998 Toyota Celica and pays $70/mo for insurance
• Works 10-15 hours per week providing computer training, one of his passions
• Takes 4 classes at University

Mark’s instantly got more free time to spend interacting with other people, to put towards his own future career, and to think about his life.

One day Mark is reading and he decides that he can build an entire business out of teaching others how to use all kinds of computer software which he is already involved in and passionate about. So he decides he’ll offer more classes and goes up to 20-25 hours per week of working.

He still keeps his car, only he starts saving all of that extra money for his future.

5 Years Later

Material Mike…

• Upgrades to a newer Mustang and now pays $500/mo in car payments
• He’s working 40-50 hours to pay for all his stuff
• He’s not sure why he’s working at a rental car agency
• He’s got a passion for basketball but never thought he could make anything out of it and hasn’t played in the last 2 years

Simple Mark…

• Still has his paid off Celica (it’s visited the mechanic a few times but still no car payment)
• Is working 30 hours per week and has built a $30,000 savings account

If you’re like Mark you have freedom. You can pick what you want to do in life, even if that means a new career because if you’re Mark, you can live off of your $30,000 savings for years.

Giving you more than enough time to change careers, take a break, travel, or anything else – including helping out loved ones. After all, Mark’s happy with his life and career.

If you’re Mike, and I’m sure you have acted like him before (I have) you have a lot of work to do!

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Building a tiny house for 1000 bucks means basing it off of a shed. And this isn’t the first time I’ve told you about this…

• Shed turned into backyard office
• Tiny shed home
• Log cabin shed
• What it’s like to live in a shed

It’s been said that 85% of college graduations are boomeranging back home because of the economy.

If you are a recent college grad, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. There are some jobs, yes, but there is a lot of competition for the ones that you can use your degree with.

So what to do? Start by thinking outside the box because things have and are changing very much.

Moving at home is a great option and some of us aren’t lucky enough to even have that. So what about using that extra space in the yard to create some privacy for yourself? This way you can work on getting yourself out of the rut. Even if you don’t live there, it can be your work room to get away.

If I were in a situation where I could build one, I’d use it as my writing room.

But anyways, check out what this guy built in his yard and he’ll tell you all about it… And yes, it only ran him about $1,000. That’s pretty cheap!

After you simplify your life there are a lot of benefits to enjoy like more free time, money, and new found freedoms.

But here are the top four reasons that I minimized my life. And who knows, maybe you can take an idea or two and put to use in your own life?

Leave Job

My job was pretty cool but let’s be real, I didn’t like it. So a huge motivation for me at first was to get out of it so that I could…

Build An Online Business

If you want to quit your job to do nothing you’re lazy. I had already started an online business (web sites) but I wanted to be able to spend more time on them. At my old job, I was already in front of a computer for 7-10 hours a day. I wanted to clear up those hours so that I can build a future for myself (without a job). So I needed to…

Reduce Expenses, Increase Savings

In order to leave my job I needed to save enough money. Enough so that I’d be financially okay for at least one year while I built up my business and that’s exactly what I did… So that I could:

Enjoy Life More

For everyone it’s different but for me enjoying life means having the time to spend with the people I love, time to read at least a book a week, and to enjoy the freedom that an Internet based business offers you.

What were the reasons that made you initially simplify your life?

Photo credit fotoVoyager istockphoto #10121311