Sobering lesson on CarFree & Simple Living......

[Nightshade]

This mans story is a lesson for us all on sustainablity.

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20070326_Unsung_fortune__A_rich_mans_secret.html

[Artkansas]

Cool, thanks for sharing. He is an inspiration.

[fat_bike_nut]

Neat. A liberal millionaire that's not a limousine liberal :p

Very inspiring story, by the way :)

[LandLuger]

I wish deeply that I could be as frugal as my grandparent's generation; they were a product of the period in history through which they lived. Perhaps our children will return to these values as they are molded by what is to come in the next few decades.

[Artkansas]

I wish deeply that I could be as frugal as my grandparent's generation.

What's stopping you?

[makeinu]

capitalism at it's best

[Bikepacker67]

As a boy, Taussig lived like a pioneer, in a log house on a cattle ranch in Colorado. His mother made his underwear from flour sacks.

If that doesn't toughen ya up, nothing will...

[Platy]

Sewing with flour sacks was very popular in the 1930s. So popular in fact that the flour and feed mills began to use sacks make out of nice calico fabrics as a marketing ploy.

[jamesdenver]

Nice article. I hope people don't get the notion that simple living is some sort of arduous sacrifice requiring you to live like a miser. I preach "selective spending". I enjoy collecting experiences (like Hal in the article), rather than "stuff" and material pocessions. His message of sharing yet being practical is perfect.

Here's his company. (http://www.untoursfoundation.org) He's spot on with his travel philosophy too. Most people only travel once every few years and spend thousands on hotels and packages for a "once in a lifetime trip". By just renting a room in a hostel or guest house you can stretch your money much longer, travel more frequently, and have a more intimate experience of getting to know the locals in your neigbhorhood, and becoming a "temporary local"

[LandLuger]

What's stopping you?

If I could answer that. . .

[wahoonc]

Nice article. I hope people don't get the notion that simple living is some sort of arduous sacrifice requiring you to live like a miser. I preach "selective spending". I enjoy collecting experiences (like Hal in the article), rather than "stuff" and material pocessions. His message of sharing yet being practical is perfect.

Here's his company. (http://www.untoursfoundation.org) He's spot on with his travel philosophy too. Most people only travel once every few years and spend thousands on hotels and packages for a "once in a lifetime trip". By just renting a room in a hostel or guest house you can stretch your money much longer, travel more frequently, and have a more intimate experience of getting to know the locals in your neigbhorhood, and becoming a "temporary local"

+1
I am by no means rich, but I do live well below my means. It is also going to mean an early retirement to do the things that I want to do with my life. We almost bought a house in a nice golf course community, then realized how stupid it would be for us...money saved to spend somewhere else. I have friends that all they do on weekends is agonize over their lawns...not mine...that is what goats are for:D

Another person that was worth mega bucks and lived very simply was one of the founders of Hewlett-Packard. Worth millions but never moved from the small farm he lived on.

Aaron:)

[davidmcowan]

JamesDenver,

We should hook up and ride sometime. I think we share very similar philosophies.

PM me if you are interested...

[oneredstar]

very inspiring, for me he is a man to emulate.

[bragi]

This is very impressive. Why do we hear so little about men like this, and too much about people like Anna Nicole Smith?

[fat_bike_nut]

This is very impressive. Why do we hear so little about men like this, and too much about people like Anna Nicole Smith?

Because people enjoy seeing celebrities with messed up lives? It creates more drama that way, and the media, being the media, is obsessed with things that they can drag out for a long time, after all.

[jamesdenver]

This is very impressive. Why do we hear so little about men like this, and too much about people like Anna Nicole Smith?

I can think of two reasons.

David that'd be great, shoot me a message. Most of my riding is commuting, but I have main urban trails in the area I want to explore, and the weather's been perfe, oh wait it's snowing now.

[Roody]

It's great, tightwad. i wonder what inspired him to make the money in the first place? The cornerstone of capitalism is that people are inspired to make a profit because they can use the money to benefit themselves in some way. Is that the case here? Or is it not?

[makeinu]

It's great, tightwad. i wonder what inspired him to make the money in the first place? The cornerstone of capitalism is that people are inspired to make a profit because they can use the money to benefit themselves in some way. Is that the case here? Or is it not?
No. I'll never forget what my high school economics teacher taught me. He pointed out the fact that the cornerstone of capitalism is not people acting in their own interests, but rather people acting towards what interests them.

In other words, the motivation of capitalism is that you can use your profits for whatever you think is important, which may or may not be yourself. Unfortunately most people are so selfcentered that the only thing they think is important is themselves, but this need not be true in general and Mr Taussig is a fine example of a capable individual who has not allowed such selfishness to motivate him.

Money makes the world go round and you don't need to be a selfish pig to take advantage of it.