FISH | Financial Independence Seeking Happiness: Blog

The Digital Hypocrite

Contender 0 #financialindependence, Blog, Critical Thinking, Finance, financial independence, Happiness, stock screen 19:17

The Digital Hypocrite

Useful Technology? I started out in life fascinated by new tech. I adored the BBC computer in school, learning a little bit of programmi...

Who are you?

Contender 0 Blog, community, Conformity, downshifting, financial freedom, financial independence, Happiness, Mid Life Crisis, Naive, Writing 11:12

<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVCjHr7CsuMK8Lc4b9LJBt4MJXO46SdbyAe3ilPqHtOJNR81ZhJmGf_ZrMCfnZ6WRxog6Jk8rPIuylm5BeqHoqvtkO_51jmTnt-ZkBqa1q1YtnHjq4SDIBA12NVUCoh8762bltD3ylu1D/s1600/RomeSept2004+057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVCjHr7CsuMK8Lc4b9LJBt4MJXO46SdbyAe3ilPqHtOJNR81ZhJmGf_ZrMCfnZ6WRxog6Jk8rPIuylm5BeqHoqvtkO_51jmTnt-ZkBqa1q1YtnHjq4SDIBA12NVUCoh8762bltD3ylu1D/s320/RomeSept2004+057.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who is this guy?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>THE.FuTuRE</b>:
<i>"<b>CoNTeNDeR</b> who are you and what right do you have to
talk about real life issues? </i><br />
<br />
<i>Are you a qualified life coach,
psychologist, philosopher? No. You are just a guy from the UK who's downshifted to rural France. </i><br />
<br />
<i>Be a
good boy, don't upset every one with your provocative thoughts and keep your conversation to the weather"</i></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Who </b><b>a</b><b>m I
</b><b>t</b><b>o</b>..... blog about real life challenges? Mainly these are the
challenges the author has dealt with down the years and continues to
struggle with. These are unique challenges to <b>THE.CoNTeNDeR</b> so what
is the point in sharing them through a blog? Please read on and make your own opinion.</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Who am I </b><b>t</b><b>o</b>.....talk
about what has worked for the <b>TriBe</b>. We have been very fortunate to
have had good university educations and good jobs. This is not
"normal" says some our incomes were above normal. Did we squander
a lot of money – yes. Did we ride the housing bubble – no. Have we
inherited wealth – no. We have two kids. How many other people are
like us / comparable? So is this blog only for the few and only some
of the few would find it of any interest whatsoever? 
</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Who am I to</b>...... talk about financial independence. <b>THE.CoNTeNDeR</b> reads a lot,
collates a lot of information and tries to convey opportunities and
concerns on this site. If <b>THE.CoNTeNDeR</b> wearing rose tinted
glasses, is he only seeing what he is looking for? Does everyone have
their own "filter glasses"? How can this site ever be
un-biased as its goal is talking about financial independence as fast
as possible. Is this reckless? 
</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Who am I to</b>...talk
about seeking happiness. Does anyone know what happiness is for a
starter? From reading around the subject many have commented. It is
even mentioned famously in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life,_liberty_and_the_pursuit_of_happiness" target="_blank">US constitution</a>? but does not say what
it is. Writing about what makes us happy will have absolutely no
bearing on the MAJORITY of readers so what is the point?</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Who are you</b>...... all
<b>THE.</b><b>CoNTeNDeR</b> knows is that each of us is a unique individual
with unique talents, ideas, opinions and personal circumstances.
Perhaps you have stumbled onto this blog and are now moving on
because the topic is of no interest. Perhaps you are someone reading
about ideas for a different life and what that looks like. Perhaps 
</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
So as <b>THE.FuTuRe</b> says
(on this blog at least :) "<i>Who </i><i>are you <b>CoNTeNDeR </b></i><i>to
write THIS blog on THIS topic</i>". Is this just a good way to
lose friends and alienate people. Who really wants to know too much
about a friend through a blog? Will this just destroy the
relationship as <b>THE.CoNTeNDeR </b>has chosen a different path and is
writing all about it? 
</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>THE.FuTuRe</b>: "You
know what you want <b>CoNTeNDeR </b>so why not keep your gob shut!"</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>THECoNTeNDeR</b>:
"Perhaps this is my way of rebelling against social norms, a way
of justifying our plans and philosophising on the outcome of our
choices. Perhaps some of the insights found along the way will be of
use to someone else. It would be nice to share thoughts with people either thinking of changing their life around or those who have already downshifted / changed their life balance. Perhaps it is completely the wrong thing to do.
Who knows? One thing that has been learnt is you only know by trying
and doing." 
</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>THE.CoNTeNDeR</b> is
trying this blog. Time will tell if this was a wise thing to do.
Perhaps it will be of some use. If it does cause harm / offence will
it be time to go dark? Change the topic to some other hobby or just
talk about the weather!</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Peace Prosperity and
Happiness</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Who is that bloke? That
bloke is <b>THE.CoNTeNDeR</b>.</div>
<br />
<b>Welcome New CoNTeNDeR Readers!</b> Please take a look around.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/p/about-me.html" target="_blank">Here you can find out about </a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">THE.CONTENDER</a> and the purpose of the blog is or perhaps browse the <a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/p/all-posts-get-in-ring.html" target="_blank"><u>all posts list</u></a>, have a <a href="http://pinterest.com/gitrwm/contender-vs-the-future/" target="_blank">look at the pictures on the notice board</a><u><a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/p/about-me.html#random" rel="13"></a></u>. Please feel free to play with the <a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/p/muff-tools-and-check-lists.html" target="_blank">planning tools and checklists</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Keep in Touch:</b>  <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MuffFreeLifeAndExtremeFinancialFreedomPlanningTools" target="_new">RSS Feed</a>, follow <b>THE.CoNTeNDeR</b> on <a href="https://twitter.com/The__Contender" target="_blank">Twitter</a> or<b> </b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Contender/368729006562792" target="_blank">Facebook </a>or subscribe to posts by email:<br />
<form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=MuffFreeLifeAndExtremeFinancialFreedomPlanningTools', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 3px; text-align: center;" target="popupwindow">
<input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br />
<input name="uri" type="hidden" value="MuffFreeLifeAndExtremeFinancialFreedomPlanningTools" /><input name="loc" type="hidden" value="en_US" /><input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></form>
<br />

Who are you?

Who is this guy? THE.FuTuRE : " CoNTeNDeR who are you and what right do you have to talk about real life issues? Are you a...

French Living – Quelle Difference?

Contender 0 Blog, downshifting, Early Retirement, Happiness, Inflation, Mortgage, Renting 13:22

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Lu4ojOQxyT-tRpmwgZiglvtPRztcGpTpUrVaAy6Wdq4oSKEVDA7DAZq1nZ3SyU5YIh0g2uc5s_9YrB_capla1jjyGnyF3yncrsgv8S9Me6PD07ZnO108EQMMTLyFAfTlVY96Wik88fVV/s1600/ViewFromTheGarden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Lu4ojOQxyT-tRpmwgZiglvtPRztcGpTpUrVaAy6Wdq4oSKEVDA7DAZq1nZ3SyU5YIh0g2uc5s_9YrB_capla1jjyGnyF3yncrsgv8S9Me6PD07ZnO108EQMMTLyFAfTlVY96Wik88fVV/s400/ViewFromTheGarden.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>View of the local Cathedral from our Garden</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.25cm;">
<b>Monsieur
l'ail</b>: <i>"Bienvenue la France!"</i></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.25cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.25cm;">
<b>CoNTeNDeR</b>:
<i>"ail ail ail what is this guy saying? Can I get some garlic,
cheese, a baguette and </i><strike><i>beer</i></strike><i> une
bouteille de vin please? </i>
</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.25cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>In this post we are going
to have a look at the short term implications </b><b><b>our downshifting: </b></b></div>
<ol>
<li><b><b>Media Blackout - being offline for several weeks.</b></b></li>
<li><b><b>Settling in our new house and surroundings</b></b></li>
<li><b>Financial Independence Implications - French budget vs London Budget</b></li>
<li><b>A look at
the garden and some of the wildlife - saving money by growing some of our own food?</b></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-size: large;">Media Blackout</span><br />
<br />
Our
little tribe is now settled in our rental property in France and have Internet access.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Having been offline for several weeks we have avoided all the mass media's doom, gloom, death, celebrity behaving badly and sport related distractions. This has been refreshing to really focus our minds on what is important and real in our lives. What is within our circle of influence - home, family, community and friends.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">It may be nice to disconnect however this could be dangerous - being ignorant of the wider world around us. There are BIG world problems that can easily come knocking (for instance a US default on its debt and the European austerity drive causing large unemployment in its youth population) on our door that we need to pay attention to. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Now we are able to keep tags on the 'real' news from the blogs and websites we follow the 'blackout' we have had is a reminder that taking everything in moderation is important to us. Perhaps less time reading (read browsing not real reading of a novel for instance) and more time spent doing is the order of the day. </span><br />
<br />
<i>Why not trying to turn off the TV and internet for a whole week (we have now ditched our TV completely).</i> <i>What important information and from what source was really missed over this time? </i><br />
<br />
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Settling in</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Our rental property is
much bigger than the terraced box we had in London. In addition it has a massive garden with
lots and lots of fruit and nut trees, two rows of vines and a large
vegetable patch.<br />
<br />
We have some very nice
neighbours. All very polite, keen to make friends. All hard working
Gascon families that have to survive the high taxation French system whilst enjoying the benefits of excellent facilities and health care. 
</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
We have already participated
in Rugby training. Our eldest daughter took a little while to get
going but we could not hold back our just turned two year old. She
was awesome. 
</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
As ever in France the
facilities are exceptional.</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwQsHGSnOSRZJhiI-dSnwDtv35srXO8gIZcnJ7KON6o755u2RFbsBXpdwo3KAn3huF6wmcPwDi0xkMvXgUynmseqlHw7zF_Pg0CXo7tfrQEoYS5eE1-l8dZyNqPNLn0vdik_sL66mcL9i/s1600/RugbyTraining.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwQsHGSnOSRZJhiI-dSnwDtv35srXO8gIZcnJ7KON6o755u2RFbsBXpdwo3KAn3huF6wmcPwDi0xkMvXgUynmseqlHw7zF_Pg0CXo7tfrQEoYS5eE1-l8dZyNqPNLn0vdik_sL66mcL9i/s400/RugbyTraining.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The French Countryside
Budget vs The London Budget</span></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.25cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Over the past couple of
weeks we have been updating our French budget based on real utility
costs, food and fuel bills. Here a a few initial observations:</div>
<ul>
<li><div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The house only needs
 wood heating in the winter months as it has double glazing
 throughout.</div>
</li>
<li><div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
It will have a utility
 bill that is comparable to London. We are hoping it will be less. The numbers below are an estimation based on previous tennants who apparently used alot of electricity (perhaps using the electric heating). We also have some 'free' wood from the garden and are cutting a deal with a local farmer for some more.</div>
</li>
<li>We can easily grow a lot
 of food to reduce our shopping bill further. French food is
 generally fresher as you get it from the local market instead of the
 food that is transported over vast distances to the supermarket</li>
<li>The rent is half the price from what we paid in London </li>
</ul>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5">
 <colgroup width="120"></colgroup>
 <colgroup span="2" width="85"></colgroup>
 <colgroup width="95"></colgroup>
 <colgroup width="101"></colgroup>
 <tbody>
<tr>
  <td align="LEFT" height="49"><br /></td>
  <td align="LEFT" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE"><b><span style="font-size: small;">UK</span></b></td>
  <td align="LEFT" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE"><b><span style="font-size: small;">France</span></b></td>
  <td align="LEFT" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Diff To UK</span></b></td>
  <td align="LEFT" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE"><b><span style="font-size: small;">% Diff to UK Total</span></b></td>
 </tr>
<tr>
  <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b>Electricity</b></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$48</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$79</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$31</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">0.91%</td>
 </tr>
<tr>
  <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b>Gas / Wood</b></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$88</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$84</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-$4</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-0.11%</td>
 </tr>
<tr>
  <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b>Water</b></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$51</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$27</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-$23</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-0.69%</td>
 </tr>
<tr>
  <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><br /></b></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
 </tr>
<tr>
  <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b>Local Tax</b></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$181</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$136</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-$45</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-1.32%</td>
 </tr>
<tr>
  <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><br /></b></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
 </tr>
<tr>
  <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b>Rent</b></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$2,160</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$917</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-$1,243</td>
  <td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#FFFF00" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-36.59%</td>
 </tr>
<tr>
  <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><br /></b></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
 </tr>
<tr>
  <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b>Internet</b></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$40</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$37</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-$3</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-0.10%</td>
 </tr>
<tr>
  <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><br /></b></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
 </tr>
<tr>
  <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b>Education Fees</b></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$0</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$87</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$87</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">2.56%</td>
 </tr>
<tr>
  <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><br /></b></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
 </tr>
<tr>
  <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b>Car Insurance</b></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$53</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$54</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$1</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">0.03%</td>
 </tr>
<tr>
  <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b>Fuel / Train</b></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$138</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$239</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$102</td>
  <td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#FFFF00" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">2.99%</td>
 </tr>
<tr>
  <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><br /></b></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
 </tr>
<tr>
  <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b>Food</b></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$592</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$544</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-$48</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-1.41%</td>
 </tr>
<tr>
  <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><br /></b></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
 </tr>
<tr>
  <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b>Miscellaneous</b></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$48</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$41</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-$7</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-0.21%</td>
 </tr>
<tr>
  <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><br /></b></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><br /></td>
 </tr>
<tr>
  <td align="LEFT" height="17" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b>Totals</b></td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$3,398</td>
  <td align="CENTER" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">$2,245</td>
  <td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#FFFF00" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">-$1,153</td>
  <td align="LEFT"><br /></td>
 </tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Note 1</b>: The difference in the cost of housing from the city to the countryside is astounding considering the country house is bigger and more comfortable. We will be spending more on transport and education.<br />
<br />
<b>Note 2</b>: This is a look at the spending side of living in France. What has not been looked at is the taxation side when we have had a chance to get our head around it. Social tax payable on income is 15.5%. Income tax is paid above certain thresholds. This will be looked at in more detail in a later post to consider the full picture of expenditure and taxation.<br />
<br />
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: large;">So far so good –
any downsides?</span></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8MPE3-uop5PXKMY6BgYn8MUzxrfGxjRk3s2FYxnE710_CfMuFt5Pum8oBrz9e6KiyxlBUC-3h3U8iyOTmn5HmtOs12yorVPCQBbaYZmn0uS6W-rulDAS4zbo-PyjoDFpCMHOXok8QJlw/s1600/VegGarden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8MPE3-uop5PXKMY6BgYn8MUzxrfGxjRk3s2FYxnE710_CfMuFt5Pum8oBrz9e6KiyxlBUC-3h3U8iyOTmn5HmtOs12yorVPCQBbaYZmn0uS6W-rulDAS4zbo-PyjoDFpCMHOXok8QJlw/s400/VegGarden.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>The significant cost of changing country has reduced our savings by $7,880. One off costs are: </li>
<ul>
<li>Removals </li>
<li>New Washing Machine</li>
<li>Garden Tools  </li>
<li>New Utility Contracts</li>
<li>New plugs, water filters etc</li>
</ul>
<li>We no longer have a salary to rely on - time will tell if this is freedom or a dumb idea :) </li>
<li>More work to maintain
 the garden – fortunately for us we perceive this as a good thing
 as we will have work hard outdoors.</li>
<li>Driving to the shops
 and the school. These used to be on foot and now we have a short
 car ride (3 km) to the supermarket and local town. </li>
<li>Our outgoings are higher than our current income <u>due to the rent</u>! We are on the lookout for a property to buy in the next 6-12 months which will tilt the monthly budget in our favour. </li>
</ul>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Renting the house </span></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
We are still renting. This
is still a significant cost compared to owning our own home outright.
$916 per month is flowing out of our bank account. We don't like this but it is a necessary step.<br />
<br />
It is easy to gather from this blog that our little Tribe is not big fan of renting.<br />
<br />
We believe house prices have been manipulated higher than "normal" historical levels
of affordability. We again believe this is an aberration of our times because of the monetarisation of the
western economies. We used to make stuff and people were workers and producers now we rely on financial services AKA theft. This is truly for the benefit of the few real 'owners' of the financial system.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sophismata.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/median-house-price-median-income.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://sophismata.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/median-house-price-median-income.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Financial Liberation? Source: <a href="http://sophismata.files.wordpress.com/">http://sophismata.files.wordpress.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Would the average man want to be able to by the average house for two times his earnings to leave lots of disposable income or just hand it over to the banks? They are the entities that really gain from  from high house prices.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://monevator.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/house-price-earnings-graph.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://monevator.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/house-price-earnings-graph.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original Source Nationwide - Note the long run average includes the bubbles!<br />
Taken From <a href="http://monevator.com/house-price-to-earnings-ratio-2012/" target="_blank">2012 Monevator Article</a> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Sure if you own your house it goes up in value. What about the next generation? Will our generation have to take out home equity loans to help them become mortgage slaves because house prices are kept artificially high? THE.CoNTeNDeR is not happy!<br />
<br />
He does not want his children to be come one of the millions of mortgage slaves paying
for the excessive living costs of the 'owners'. </div>
<br />
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Here are a couple of spreadsheets from this blog to look at the costs of buying a property and the effects it can have on Financial Independence goals:</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/round-5-157s-mortgage-or-rent-and-save.html">Early Retirement with a Mortgage?</a> Analysis of buying versus renting - Free Tool!</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/you-cant-take-it-with-you.html">You Can't Take It With You</a> - Free Tool! – Financial time line planner</span> </div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
To whit we are still caught
with the problem of "overpriced housing" or "renting".
Although we are dealing with the pain of renting we are hoping it
will give us more leverage for a better price when buying a property.</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Working the garden</b></span></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Hornets and Wasps in the Fig
Trees and two big nests to boot! Us poor city folk who do not have to
contend with hornets. These flying battle ships are something to
marvel at and definitely something we do not want to annoy.</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLj3FRlW_cx1a_9RrF-sMsT7eXoAIn_caAuioUmcbtaZ20f9aNOUWGPQmwKk_d6hcsB5R6CFiPaG2oRlZ8S91Bkg0imU3mZo-6lHyGEWDi4Y9kLlenoqhFYJNwhfhDOSMbPW5GivPxpX9d/s1600/WaspOnFig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLj3FRlW_cx1a_9RrF-sMsT7eXoAIn_caAuioUmcbtaZ20f9aNOUWGPQmwKk_d6hcsB5R6CFiPaG2oRlZ8S91Bkg0imU3mZo-6lHyGEWDi4Y9kLlenoqhFYJNwhfhDOSMbPW5GivPxpX9d/s400/WaspOnFig.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The great thing about
renting is that we are getting free guidance and demonstrations by the landlord on
how to deal with these pests. Something new every day.</div>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pyX7_DfwrUZ7DaN9-8nQZ592IcMv05qkuUSx28g-DC6MT4mlEoLrB4OMyUEUbh_RD_RBU9TIfD5957Q8KUq4QesqocposDsTMs3U1U-3Pa8ckiMxKnaS6j1lOHPZwgsewFoEHbhN09Kg/s1600/WaspClearance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pyX7_DfwrUZ7DaN9-8nQZ592IcMv05qkuUSx28g-DC6MT4mlEoLrB4OMyUEUbh_RD_RBU9TIfD5957Q8KUq4QesqocposDsTMs3U1U-3Pa8ckiMxKnaS6j1lOHPZwgsewFoEHbhN09Kg/s400/WaspClearance.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clearing Those Pesky Wasps</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5zibwdDVUvX40HuVodm4GPartmBi66Q4B13OTud-5640CdQackOv7hwCFhP9KAV9EmUJaOk4BrexLYMIoLl3Imr0cq4ByuzbujWhuiKQFApvqEoACWMCB9IMTs9CsLNuEQ68KhttAQaZ/s1600/HappyCat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5zibwdDVUvX40HuVodm4GPartmBi66Q4B13OTud-5640CdQackOv7hwCFhP9KAV9EmUJaOk4BrexLYMIoLl3Imr0cq4ByuzbujWhuiKQFApvqEoACWMCB9IMTs9CsLNuEQ68KhttAQaZ/s400/HappyCat.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Our Happy Cat - Space!</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Our Downshifting Challenge</span><br />
<br />
We did not need all the the consumer products to be happy. Sure we had fun down the years but the distractions were expensive. They were creating consumer habits and guiding us away from producer habits, locking us into an expensive way of life that kept us on the treadmill.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>If we all downshift a little we would still be able to have fun and have more time to enjoy the fun. Work a little and live a lot. We are less rushed as we would have time to complete day to day activities.</i></div>
<br />
We now use a manual lawnmower - harder work, slower but some exercise, time to reflect and not wasting the world precious energy resources and polluting the environment.<br />
<br />
We can enjoy more long sociable lunches instead of re-fuelling at the sandwich and coffee bar.<br />
<br />
Time and slowing down, simplifying our lives - will this make us happier? <b>THE.CoNTeNDeR </b>would like to think so ;)<br />
<br />
Peace, prosperity and happiness<br />
<br />
<b>THE.CoNTeNDeR </b><br />
<br />
<b>Welcome New CONTENDER Readers!</b> Please take a look around.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/p/about-me.html" target="_blank">Here you can find out about </a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">THE.CONTENDER</a> and the purpose of the blog is or perhaps browse the <a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/p/all-posts-get-in-ring.html" target="_blank"><u>all posts list</u></a>, have a <a href="http://pinterest.com/gitrwm/contender-vs-the-future/" target="_blank">look at the pictures on the notice board</a><u><a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/p/about-me.html#random" rel="13"></a></u>. Please feel free to play with the <a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/p/muff-tools-and-check-lists.html" target="_blank">planning tools and checklists</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Keep in Touch:</b>  <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MuffFreeLifeAndExtremeFinancialFreedomPlanningTools" target="_new">RSS Feed</a>, follow <b>THE.CONTENDER</b> on <a href="https://twitter.com/The__Contender" target="_blank">Twitter</a> or<b> </b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Contender/368729006562792" target="_blank">Facebook </a>or subscribe to posts by email:<br />
<form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=MuffFreeLifeAndExtremeFinancialFreedomPlanningTools', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 3px; text-align: center;" target="popupwindow">
<input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br />
<input name="uri" type="hidden" value="MuffFreeLifeAndExtremeFinancialFreedomPlanningTools" /><input name="loc" type="hidden" value="en_US" /><input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></form>
<br />

French Living – Quelle Difference?

View of the local Cathedral from our Garden Monsieur l'ail : "Bienvenue la France!" CoNTeNDeR : "ail ail ail wha...

Financial Independence For The People

Contender 2 Blog, downshifting, Early Retirement, financial freedom, financial independence, Work 22:46

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjY3pGyiU3xMmYm8TEKd81AhfG5bKmWkmQ2rB1MYiaEi_NFJ6B8tWyqoLkDB2OrbmKlsrPmouXCSvpytTmDKLjT8-p0fvtoAfIFkgi5szJ7_efPZ-TgGP88lFvfwQzWid6eYmca31iDZ_f/s400/DVD.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>This is a follow on from the last post <a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/do-right-thing.html" target="_blank">Do The Right Thing</a> - is financial independence the right thing to do considering some of the challenges in the world.  </b><br>
<br>
<b>Here the discussion moves on to whether financial independence is a valid life challenge, an alternative to the 
status quo OR shunning the masses and joining the elites. Is it 
taking advantage of the system, getting with it, a chance to downshift or just opting out?</b><br>
<br>
<span style="font-size: large;">Is financial independence taking the easy route and freeloading?</span><br>
<br>
<span style="color: blue;"><b>THE.FUTURE</b>: <i>"CoNTENDER
 the FREELOADER what a F****** WASTE! What a looser. Hiding from me again, afraid to get in the ring and fight. Stand up man. Accept it someone else will take your place - you can't protect them by hiding away. Do you think you are setting a precedent? Who
 will run the factories and drive the trains if too many people downshift! Who will be MY 
servants?"</i></span><br>
<br>
Here are a few options to obtaining a passive income and a brief critique:<br>
<br>
<b>Owning part of a businesses </b>for 
income, means that you are reliant on the hard work of employees for that privilege. This could bee seen as taking
 advantage OR are you helping to supply jobs instead? Realistically in the scheme of things, owning a few stocks to gain an 
income for a frugal family is not going to have any impact on the 
investing landscape of the world. <br>
<br>
<b>Buy to Let</b> - get some tenants 
to pay for your lifestyle because they cannot afford to get on the housing ladder so are stuck renting OR are you a good landlord providing quality housing fulfilling a community need?<br>
<br>
Perhaps business property is better. Businesses don't like to buy - what if they have to move operations, cut or increase staffing. Business property requirements change very frequently. Is this a better place to invest?<br>
<br>
What about <b>peer to peer 
lending </b>- riding the debt wave, charging people exorbitant interest. Is 
that fair helping to / being part of building their debt prison? 
Is that doing the right thing? THE.CoNTeNDER thinks this is predatory and sucks.<br>
<br>
<b>Government bonds</b> - ultimately a taxpayer liability. If you buy them does it encourage politicians to issue more? Can one
 "trust" the government to pay the bond back - think about Greece and Cyprus in modern times.<br>
<br>
Alternatively
 <b>go completely off grid,</b> get out of the system altogether but at what 
cost to you and your family? Is this even more selfish?<br>
<br>

Financial Independence For The People

This is a follow on from the last post Do The Right Thing - is financial independence the right thing to do considering some of the cha...

Do the Right Thing

Contender 4 Blog, Conformity, Critical Thinking, downshifting, Early Retirement, early-retirement, financial freedom, financial independence, Inflation, Investing, Life, Mid Life Crisis, Naive 23:17

<br>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/22/DO_THE_RIGHT_THING.jpg/220px-DO_THE_RIGHT_THING.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/22/DO_THE_RIGHT_THING.jpg/220px-DO_THE_RIGHT_THING.jpg" width="214"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">wikimedia.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Is the Pursuit of Financial Independence Doing the Right Thing?</span></b><br>
<br>
<b>THE PaST</b>: <i>"Go to school then study a degree that makes a difference to the world"</i><br>
<br>
<b>THE.PReSeNT</b>: <i>"Go to school and study a degree to make you rich, all that touchy feely stuff won't pay, get a corporate job, go work in finance"</i><br>
<br>
<b>THE.FUTURE</b>: <i>"sell your soul to me Muuugh Ha Ha Ha - OK a bit carried away just get into debt up to your eyeballs. I love a good debt slave, mine all mine."</i><br>
<br>
Has the world become more individualistic and materialistic? If you are not part of the system are you weird? Come on get with it, work hard, climb the ladder and load up on debt until you drop.<br>
<br>
Is this really the pursuit of happiness - stuff and job status or just a marketeers dream of control over the masses? <br>
<br>
<b>Is getting with the system the way to go? if so why the F**** does this blog "chase" financial freedom? </b><br>
<br>
<b>Why isn't THE.CoNtENDeR blogging about working, making a difference in BIG business? </b><br>
<br>
<b><u>Perhaps the CoNTEnDER has got it all wrong. Perhaps he needs a good look at himself and get (back) with the system? </u></b><br>
<br>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Known, Know, NO's</b></span><br>
<br>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;">Let's start off with a few challenges THE.CONtENDER believes exist in the world, have shaped some of the thinking in this blog and yet we do very little about:</span></div>
<br>
We know burning fossil fuels is not 100% good. Particulate pollution and rising gases in the atmosphere come with some known and unknown consequences. On the other hand we have realised  the BIGGEST improvement in living standards mankind has ever seen. Life expectancies have increased dramatically.<br>
<br>
<span style="color: blue;"><i>The group think it is now "normal" to burn fossil fuels, we are unsure of the consequences but are enjoying the ride while it lasts.</i></span><br>
<br>
We know that we live on a planet of finite resources but we still continue to consume them at increasingly faster rates. They will deplete - what do we do then?<br>
<br>
<span style="color: blue;"><i>Someone will have to go without in THE.FUTuRE - be rich and buy our way out of it!</i></span><br>
<br>
We know work is good for us but too much work can be bad. We know that some stress (eustress) helps us fulfil our potential. At the same time a <b><i>eustress </i></b>9-5 job is now becoming a <b><i>stressed </i></b>8-9 job.<br>
<br>
<span style="color: blue;"><i>Work adds meaning to life and stress is good for you as well as having money to exchange for some material comforts. You will have a career to look back on. You will have achieved something special in life - just make sure you are able to get the right job that pays well, letting you get ahead in life.</i></span><br>
<br>
We know that debt is bad so why do it? We know saving is good but the majority thinks saving 3-4% of their take home pay is very very good.  Invest it? Who are you kidding you cannot beat the professionals on Wall Street - pay them big fees to loose your money instead.<br>
<span style="color: blue;"><br></span>
<span style="color: blue;"><i>Why save when we have a state and work pension. Inflation will erode the value of any debt we take on and our house will go up in price. My pay goes up over time so I will be able to pay for inflating goods and housing. I am told I need lots of shiny gadgets and lots of designer clothes. I need to be on the work bandwagon to afford it all.</i></span><br>
<br>
We know money doesn't grow on trees - it is made from them! On top of that more recently it is actually typed into existence on a computer - not the one I am typing on I am sad to say. Can fiat money really be a store of wealth when it can be created out of fresh air so easily? Go figure.<br>
<br>
<span style="color: blue;"><i>The government is in control of inflation. Inflation = good and Deflation = bad because they say so. Just accept that it is good that your cash savings loose value each year and you have to pay more for goods and services. It is all OK as Inflation = good.</i></span><br>
<br>
The family structure is challenged by he reduced amount of time at home. On the flip side it has more money to spend than ever.<br>
<span style="color: blue;"><br></span>
<span style="color: blue;"><i>The government is providing lots of tax incentives to help pay for child care at a creche. I need to be in work to accrue the state pension entitlement. Instead of the parent staying at home messing up their career their child can be happy with lots of other kids.</i><b></b></span><br>
<br>

Do the Right Thing

wikimedia.com Is the Pursuit of Financial Independence Doing the Right Thing? THE PaST : "Go to school then study a degree that ...

THE FUTURE

Contender 2 Blog, Early Retirement, financial freedom, financial independence, PERL 09:05

<br>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheHvYM5uRl6KMpbAxpdxotSTzKWQiwi4n1vAmvwncC-a14548LPt347FEc0Lx9Chdz_fRSKji7zqJBt8iH6X2NLOW7lIOlZBtjmbJtiUMAZxmPWJh87EJaxqx4nSof7ImPoWSnt-4Aw50x/s1600/DSCF0127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheHvYM5uRl6KMpbAxpdxotSTzKWQiwi4n1vAmvwncC-a14548LPt347FEc0Lx9Chdz_fRSKji7zqJBt8iH6X2NLOW7lIOlZBtjmbJtiUMAZxmPWJh87EJaxqx4nSof7ImPoWSnt-4Aw50x/s320/DSCF0127.JPG" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One Vision of <b>THE.FUTURE</b> (<a href="http://www.edenproject.com/visit-us/whats-here" target="_blank">Eden Project Cornwall UK</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><b>THE.FUTURE </b>"Contender I'm out to get ya! Yeh I'm watching you, I'm your shadow, I'm your worst nightmare!</i><br>
<i><b>THE.CONTENDER </b>- nice bloke <b>THE.FUTURE</b> time to put him in his place.</i><br>
<i><br></i>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://www.getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/the-past.html" target="_blank">THE.PAST</a> - is a has been, in <a href="http://www.getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/the-present.html" target="_blank">THE<span style="font-size: small;">.</span>PRESENT</a> <span style="font-size: small;">we enjoy<span style="font-size: small;"> the</span> t<span style="font-size: small;">hings we do each day<span style="font-size: small;">.</span> Now for THE.FUTURE! <span style="font-size: small;">W</span>hat is he up to in the investment world? Lets try to <strike>forecast</strike> gu<span style="font-size: small;">ess </span>a few things. What may happen acr<span style="font-size: small;">oss the planet in 2013? What can we work<span style="font-size: small;"> on on this blog this <span style="font-size: small;">y</span>ear? Let's guess.</span></span></span></span></b></span><br>
<br>
<span style="font-size: large;">Guessing THE.FUTURE and Redundancy</span><br>
<br>
Contender used to forecast the sales of a very well known billion dollar brand consumer good. Forecasting as it turned out was educated guessing. As an engineer making a "Best Guess" versus an accurate answer was a bit of a change in mindset.<br>
<br>
To counter error in engineering you "add" a bit of redundancy in-case the calculations or assumptions are a little bit out. Forecasting <b>THE.FUTURE</b> on the other hand is guess work based on observations, thoughts and inherent human biases.<br>
<br>
Being incorrect with a sales forecast is countered by holding safety stock. You have options - plan for the best case scenario, make the stock early in case you need to make more, have idle machine capacity to "turn on" if required as a few examples. All redundancy and risk mitigation.<br>
<br>
So is forecasting about where redundancy is required? Savings are redundancy, food in the house is redundancy. Heating oil / lumber in the shed is redundancy.  <b>THE.FUTURE</b> holds many surprises and cannot be forecasted accurately; so where shall our tribe add some redundancy this year?<br>
<br>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>THE<span style="font-size: large;">.</span>FUTURE</b></span></div>
<br>
<span style="font-size: large;">C<span style="font-size: large;">ONTENDER </span>2013<span style="font-size: large;"> <strike>Rambl<span style="font-size: large;">ings</span></strike></span> <strike>Forecast</strike> Guess</span><br>
<br>
<b>UK</b>:
 In good old blighty QE will re-start hitting the pound and driving inflation higher. 
Economic growth will come but in the wrong areas creating new bubbles in
 the UK economy. What happens when they pop this time? George Osbourne 
will continue to say how well Austerity is going but knows differently ;)<br>
<br>
GDP Growth
 forecasts are only a representation of the money printing not real GDP 
growth. Inflation will stay high although it will be reported low (just 
what they really want - how is the UK going to get out of its debt trap 
otherwise?)<br>
<br>
More rain? - It is getting wetter in this 
country? The weather more extreme each year. One year a massive heatwave and the
 next year the country is underwater. <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/new_scientist/2012/09/will_2013_be_the_hottest_year_climate_change_and_el_ni_o_will_make_next_year_sweltering_.html" target="_blank">Time for a heatwave?</a><br>
<b><br></b>The UK Populus starts to make more noise about the financial systems confiscation of their wealth. People will continue to scale back on expensive consumer goods and move to own label products. The own label products do the job at a much lower price.<br>
<br>
In realising that they need to be "savvy" consumers all areas of spending will start to be scaled back.  Holidays aboard, expensive fashion, gadgets, eating out, entertainment. All GDP negative.<br>
<br>
Riots in London are unlikely (we had them at the end of our street in 2011) but inflation is pressuring the population all it needs is an increase in interest rates to make times much harder for people. <br>
<br>
More people start to move out of poor performing "active" investment funds (who charge high fees) into  low cost tracker funds or invest directly themselves. The cities lavish fund industry marketing teams go into overdrive to save their jobs.<br>
<br>
The economy shows some signs of life after all of the money lavished on it but is held back by tail winds from the continent. <br>
<br>
<b>Please read on for Continental Europe, China, Japan and the USA, our investment approach, What is going on with the blog this year and some closing thoughts....</b><br>
<b></b><br>

THE FUTURE

One Vision of THE.FUTURE ( Eden Project Cornwall UK ) THE.FUTURE "Contender I'm out to get ya! Yeh I'm watching you, I...

THE PRESENT

Contender 0 Blog, financial independence, frugality, Life 08:07

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgnmNZLzlFWnjwVKcK11VRq1jBDn4wPOXf6zl33x1oon0n_LC0z7bYI3bsC1sraNhTG4-LfNlz69J1asMlSxlJ-TMjJmGg42XqbFgIPBsB1fTfxl8w0kGJ8DsGbJp3YcEO_zvmZQFg5bH/s1600/JanSnow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgnmNZLzlFWnjwVKcK11VRq1jBDn4wPOXf6zl33x1oon0n_LC0z7bYI3bsC1sraNhTG4-LfNlz69J1asMlSxlJ-TMjJmGg42XqbFgIPBsB1fTfxl8w0kGJ8DsGbJp3YcEO_zvmZQFg5bH/s400/JanSnow.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">January in London? - So Pretty under Snow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><b>THE.PRESENT:</b> "Come on Contender have some fun, get yourself one of those gadgets, go on holiday you need one and the kids do as well, a few more presents - they have not had enough for Christmas"</i><br>
<i><b>THE.CONTENDER</b>: "Thanks for the pointers. At the moment we are happy with our little lot, love our community and have some great laughs." </i><br>
<i><br></i>
<br>
<b>This post - Enjoying life one day at a time, <i>Embracing Change through planning</i> and a little list of things to do at the start of the year.</b><br>
<i><br></i>
<br>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">THE PRESENT</span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Enjoying life now</span><br>
<br>
January 2013! Waking to the smell of freshly ground coffee. Our kids are playing happily with their generous Christmas presents, thank you Santa / Grandma. School starts next week. We meet and chat about random topics with friends in the park and run around the library.<br>
<br>
Hot warm home cooked meals are the order of the day. Delicious porridge for breakfast. Lentils with french sausages, vegetables and the last of the clementines a satisfying lunch. Soup and dips for tea.<br>
<br>
Skype the grandparents in the evening to amaze them with the new skills the kids have learnt. Bath time, story and bed.<br>
<br>
Time to enjoy a good book and perhaps a glass of wine, cozy on the sof,a stroking the purring cat on the lap.<br>
<br>
Simple times for a cold, damp dark time of the year and time to get on with a few things......<br>

THE PRESENT

January in London? - So Pretty under Snow THE.PRESENT: "Come on Contender have some fun, get yourself one of those gadgets, go on ...

THE PAST

Contender 0 Black Swan, Blog, Dividends, Early Retirement, financial freedom, financial independence, Investing 20:12

<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB39Zh77DjxPxUqFHz-Baai4YxZWYWTybE33RNkLOnCJAmBJrFMH934jZURHe87D4ioEFixxOKvgXvKzCwqVxeZkXUrPCy1I46_RJ4Wym4oNySzipiQo_7zGnyB4B3_XYF4VF10SezwkXI/s1600/P1020046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB39Zh77DjxPxUqFHz-Baai4YxZWYWTybE33RNkLOnCJAmBJrFMH934jZURHe87D4ioEFixxOKvgXvKzCwqVxeZkXUrPCy1I46_RJ4Wym4oNySzipiQo_7zGnyB4B3_XYF4VF10SezwkXI/s400/P1020046.JPG" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Romieu Gers France</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><b>THE.PAST: </b>"Well you did not see that coming did ya man!"</i><br>
<i><b>THE.CONTENDER</b>: "We planned enough of it mate!"</i><br>
<br>
<b>This is the first of 3 posts, a look at THE.PAST, the year that was 2012. </b><br>
<ol>
<li><b>THE.CONTENDER Tribe 2012 road to Financial Independence and this year's highlights. </b></li>
<li><b>What happened in the financial world and the impact on the </b><b>THE.CONTENDER investment portfolio.</b></li>
<li><b>What we learnt as a family over the year. What did you learn about yourself?</b></li>
</ol>
<b></b><br>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>THE<span style="font-size: large;">.</span>PAST</b></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>“Those who do not learn from history <br>are doomed to repeat it” </i><br><b>George Santayana </b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Tribe road to financial Freedom and France in 2<span style="font-size: large;">012</span></span><br>
<ol>
<li>Mr C takes over the parental duties while Mrs<b> </b>C<b> </b>goes back to work<b> </b></li>
<li>Our eldest child left creche and started nursery school<b> </b></li>
<li>Spending was cut dramatically <u>with no impact</u> to our standard of living, as described in<br><a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/father-muff-financial-frugality-case.html">Father C a Financial Frugality Case Study of Bringing up Baby</a></li>
<li>Standard of living actually increased as we had one adult at home, which is positive for the children and less stressful for the parents (no more rushing around to pick up kids, having to book days off when they are sick and finding child care solutions)</li>
<li>Both children have grown up immensely this year and are showing real progress - the eldest with reading and writing (just turned 4) and the youngest is a real little person now she is mobile. </li>
<li>Saving exceeded expectations but investments were flat (see below)</li>
<li>Investment knowledge has increased see <a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/round-5-156s-investment-challenges.html">Investment Challenges</a> and <a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/risk-versus-reward-round-5-2m-59s.html">Risk Versus Reward </a>and <a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/financial-independence-planner-stock.html">Financial Independence Planner & Stock Screener</a></li>
<li>The Tribe has improved its knowledge and use of alternative health practices, see <a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/keeping-muff-healthy-round-6-1m-37s.html">Keeping the Tribe healthy</a> </li>
<li>Wonderful holiday in the south of France researching where to live (photo above from the Gers region of France).</li>
<li>Started this blog! see <a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/10-blogging-mistakes-muff-styleee.html">10 blogging mistakes - CONTENDER styleee!</a></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-size: large;">Financial Impact of 2012</span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br></b></span><br>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">First for all those Boggle heads out there our </span>investments came out at a slightly positive 1.5% gain compared to an approximate 7% gain for the US market.<br>
<br>
We did exceed our savings plan but took a hit when Mr C left work and hence lost his share options.<br>
<br>
Overall this is disappointing but there is always a silver lining! First let's have a look at what happened across the world and why the THE.CONTENDER investment portfolio turned out flat. <br>
<br>
<span style="font-size: large;">By World Region</span><br>
<br>
<b>UK</b>: Austerity is doing its job, shame about the un-realistic growth figures (as usual) along came the double dip recession. Odd thing is that the "austerity" still means that the national debt is increasing year on year...... Nothing to see here, move on, all is well! (quick, appoint another ex Goldman Sachs employee as the Governor of the Bank of England as Merv has stopped printing to cover up the mess that the UK finances are in). <br>
<br>
Olympics - good job and pulled the UK out of recession due to the ticket sales alone..... Record haul of medals and Sir Bradley Wiggins won Gold following on from his Tour de France success.  And UK sports personality of the year to boot. GO WIGGO!<br>
<br>
Rain - funny that and in the UK of all places - IT HASN'T STOPPED!!! Why invest in wind power we need hydro dams!<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>Tribe Investments</b></span><br>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #351c75;"><b>Stocks </b>generally positive for the year. Income stocks did OK (oil and gas, utilities, telecoms and pharmaceuticals)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #351c75;"><b>Funds </b>generally negative due to exposure to precious metal miners which have had a second poor year of performance in a row compared to the underlying metals which were both positive for the year. </span></li>
</ul>

THE PAST

La Romieu Gers France THE.PAST: "Well you did not see that coming did ya man!" THE.CONTENDER : "We planned enough of it...

A Good Day To Live

Contender 3 Blog, Early Retirement, early-retirement, Happiness 06:59

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTywbm9sp_qAOou8MWlfSwcyutdXcnF14sJK4lRx_nSh6EKTXIUklG_5kP1DGSPihz7Hgrfm_9vX02h7GI7EZQWc8waPK8OqhuGbMHXtlrpDl3GjnB1ecEnQYQAVmvEe6iyxxjJSLCdCx3/s1600/AGoodDayToLive.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="87" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTywbm9sp_qAOou8MWlfSwcyutdXcnF14sJK4lRx_nSh6EKTXIUklG_5kP1DGSPihz7Hgrfm_9vX02h7GI7EZQWc8waPK8OqhuGbMHXtlrpDl3GjnB1ecEnQYQAVmvEe6iyxxjJSLCdCx3/s400/AGoodDayToLive.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: A good Day to Live</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<i>Fight fans it is a <a href="http://gooddaytolive.wordpress.com/">Good Day To Live</a>! There is a contender out there with strong credentials, a vision for THE FUTURE and a conviction to see it through to the end. MR WOODPECKER is a fellow European who is lighting up the Early Retirement and Live Life to the full movement. His posts on saving for the future, experiences from all the beautiful places he visited, perspectives on early retirement and the beautiful world around us, all that through the photographs he shares from his travels.  His philosophy on life resonates to the CONTENDER tribe!</i><br />
<br />
THE.CONTENDER has been fortunate to work with several people across countries in Europe. Europe is an amazing place full of extremely different cultures, working practices, traditions, sense of humor, rivalries and politics to name a few! This is why it is so good to have another European perspective from Woodpecker. His posts cover similar goals to THE.CONTENDER 's in his own unique way. Being only a few hundred miles away (UK / Germany) you can see the clear cultural differences from the styles.<br />
<br />
THE.CONTENDER has more of a western capitalist slant to this blog whilst Woodpeckers is more easy going and philosophical. Just an observation!<br />
<br />
THE.CONTENDER enjoys reading about Woodpecker's adventures, analysis of work life balance and what is happiness for Woodpecker and his tribe. THE.CONTENDER sees clearly that he has been dealt a great hand by living in Europe. It may have tones of bureaucracy, too many politicians and silly rules but it works. We have amazing geography and landscapes on our doorsteps, a mature society (as in stable populations and over population limited to some of the European mega cities). <br />
<br />
Our architecture may be crumbling in places but new exciting architects transform European cities  (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilbao_Guggenheim_Museum" target="_blank">Bilbao Guggenheim</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%BCsseldorf-Hafen" target="_blank">Dusseldorf <span style="font-size: small;">harbor</span></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagrada_Fam%C3%ADlia" target="_blank">Barcelona familia sagrada</a> and good old Blighty's modern glass ode to capitalism the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_St_Mary_Axe" target="_blank">Gurkin </a>and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shard" target="_blank">Shard of Glass</a>. Shame we can't look after our crumbling (literally as well as morally) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Westminster" target="_blank">Houses of Parliament in London.</a>... Old and New, Splendor and Shock all there to be marveled or abhorred!<br />
<br />
Woodpecker's posts are clear and nice to read, and contain lots of personal thoughts on how to achieve work-life balance in a fast paced, modern, corporate lifestyle in a big European city. For instance Mr Woodpecker describes in one post how he considered applying for a promotion and the implications this would have for him and his tribe, read on to see what he chose to do in the end. Quite inspiring for THE.CONTENDER.<br />
<br />
This is why <i><a href="http://gooddaytolive.wordpress.com/">Good Day To Live</a></i> is a must read. It is a celebration of life an all things good in Europe. What is happiness? Why travel far when there is beauty on your doorstep? The joys of raising a family.  <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">THE.CONTENDER 's <span style="font-size: large;">favorite</span> posts from A Good Day To Live</span><br />
<h1 class="entry-title">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://gooddaytolive.wordpress.com/2012/08/20/a-new-era-of-work-part-2-women-back-to-kitchen/" target="_blank">A new era of work – Part 2: Both partners working full time – what a crazy concept!</a> </span></span></h1>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thi<span style="font-size: small;">s <span style="font-size: small;">is
 a great post considering the change in the working patterns of the 
"average" family from 30 years ago versus present. The post <span style="font-size: small;">is a good critique of the crazy change from <span style="font-size: small;">one wage ear<span style="font-size: small;">ner <span style="font-size: small;">to both parents working and the impacts this can have on your lives.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
 <a href="http://gooddaytolive.wordpress.com/2012/10/21/the-income-and-consumption-illusion-more-and-more-will-not-make-you-happier/" target="_blank">The income and consumption illusion – Part 1: More and more will NOT make you happier!</a><br />
<br />
A post on what is enough? Woodpecker considers discussed does a higher grade model of car really make you happier? What is an agreeable income threshold for happiness? All in this post an one to definitely ponder upon. What do you really need and what would your family budget look like if you re-size your lifestyle?<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">THE.CONTENDER's <span style="font-size: large;">Favorite</span> Part of the Blog</span><br />
<br />
A small selection of Woodpecker's wonderful photos of Europe which are dotted all over his blog: <br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://gooddaytolive.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/xdsc_6495-e1349775071411.jpg?w=640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="213" src="http://gooddaytolive.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/xdsc_6495-e1349775071411.jpg?w=640" title="Source: A good Day to Live" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://gooddaytolive.wordpress.com/2012/10/09/italy-part-6-san-vito-lo-capo-and-genoa/" target="_blank">AGDTL - San Vito Lo Capo and Genoa</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://gooddaytolive.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/xdsc_6299.jpg?w=640&h=425" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="212" src="http://gooddaytolive.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/xdsc_6299.jpg?w=640&h=425" title="Source: A good Day to Live" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://gooddaytolive.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/italy-part-5-sicily/#more-780" target="_blank">See Woodpeckers post on Sicily</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">  </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://gooddaytolive.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/xdsc_6058.jpg?w=640&h=425" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="212" src="http://gooddaytolive.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/xdsc_6058.jpg?w=640&h=425" title="Source: A good Day to Live" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://gooddaytolive.wordpress.com/2012/09/19/italy-part-4-tropeacalabria/" target="_blank">AGDL - Tropea Calabria</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h1 class="entry-title">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Keep up the good <span style="font-size: small;">work <a href="http://gooddaytolive.wordpress.com/about/" target="_blank">Woodp<span style="font-size: small;">e</span>cker</a>!</span></span></span></h1>
Peace and prosperity<br />
<br />
THE.CONTENDER<br />
<br />
<b>Welcome New Contender Readers!</b> Take a look around. <a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/p/about-me.html">Find out who THE.CONTENDER is</a> or <a href="http://www.getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/why-why-why.html"><u>Start at the first article</u></a>, browse the <a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/p/all-posts-get-in-ring.html" target="_blank"><u>all posts</u></a> or just go for a <u><a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/p/about-me.html#random" rel="13">Random Post</a></u>. Please feel free to play with the FREE <a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/p/muff-tools-and-check-lists.html" target="_blank">planning tools and checklists</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Keep in Touch:</b>  <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MuffFreeLifeAndExtremeFinancialFreedomPlanningTools" target="_new">RSS Feed</a>, follow our Tribe on <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/MUFF68989945" target="_blank">Twitter</a> or<b> </b>subscribe to posts by email:<br />
<form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=MuffFreeLifeAndExtremeFinancialFreedomPlanningTools', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 3px; text-align: center;" target="popupwindow">
<input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br />
<input name="uri" type="hidden" value="MuffFreeLifeAndExtremeFinancialFreedomPlanningTools" /><input name="loc" type="hidden" value="en_US" /><input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></form>

A Good Day To Live

Source: A good Day to Live Fight fans it is a Good Day To Live ! There is a contender out there with strong credentials, a vision for...

10 blogging mistakes - Contender styleee!

Contender 5 Blog, Early Retirement, Finance, frugality, Happiness, Naive, Planning, Writing 08:52

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.streetartutopia.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/4602805654_db8b6569fb_b.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://www.streetartutopia.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/4602805654_db8b6569fb_b.jpeg" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bansky - Graffiti Creative Brilliance</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
THE.CONTENDER is writing this post about the respect and humility THE.CONTENDER has for the challenge of writing a readable, engaging and hopefully entertaining blog.<br>
<br>
What makes a blog attractive? Is it funny, short, arty or just contain as much content as possible. What has THE.CONTENDER done and considered to create this blog (the plan is at the end of the post)?<br>
<br>
Importantly what <b>CGBEB</b> (<b>C</b>ontender<b> </b><b>G</b>reat <b>B</b>ig <b>E</b>normous <b>B</b>lunders) have been made so far. Will it \ does it meets the needs of the readership? <br>
<br>
THE.CONTENDER has been a scientist all his life and worked primarily in large corporations.<i> </i><i>He  had been turned into the proverbial robot happy in herds</i>. THE.CONTENDER wanted to write a blog which is a personal pursuit.<br>
<br>
The main problem was that THE.CONTENDER has been a corporate employee trained to give up individuality and not to peruse risks. THE.CONTENDER asked himself how in the hell does one write a blog? Never excelled in English whilst only having expertise at corporate memos and PowerPoint presentations...<br>
<br>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>How does </i><i>THE.CONTENDER write something readable in a sphere where professional writers can knock me out for the count????</i></div>
<br>
To start the blog I needed a subject and a theme. The content was to be on financial and life planning - putting goals into a plan and making sure they happen. For a theme - boxing and the choice of the website url "<span style="color: blue;">www.<b>G</b>et<b>I</b>n<b>T</b>he<b>R</b>ing<b>W</b>ith<b>M</b>e.blogspot.com</span>". Life is a fight so the duel of boxing
 to win seemed to be a good fit.<br>
<br>
Secondly an alias name was 
required. MUFF was borne to convey the message  "<b>M</b>y 
<b>U</b>nconventional <b>F</b>reedom <b>F</b>ight" secondly the word MUFF is quite silly and can mean several different things and used in several ways. This did not work out and was subsequently dumped.<br>
<br>
Next was to get started. I had just stopped work in Feb 2012 to look after the kids. A couple of months were required to get accustomed to looking after the little ones full time. Exhausting to start with and my wife was just getting back into work mode. So I got started on this blog in June July and turned it on in August.........Is anyone going to read it?<br>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzWdTvv09vOGogOCSIsbCSZkqRO7tvj0rzseJR1BgoruNXV2Q5r-P42_o_LTuVBlfP5F9VLJheNOor7TgcjBH0iQmTheHUGSR5dUPFyfRU7BMn3tA4cg5mMuRH4gK4FTa65VeO4Zso5s-x/s1600/Bansky+Pulp+Fiction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzWdTvv09vOGogOCSIsbCSZkqRO7tvj0rzseJR1BgoruNXV2Q5r-P42_o_LTuVBlfP5F9VLJheNOor7TgcjBH0iQmTheHUGSR5dUPFyfRU7BMn3tA4cg5mMuRH4gK4FTa65VeO4Zso5s-x/s320/Bansky+Pulp+Fiction.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flop on my hands after all that work - time to change?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<i>The first couple of months saw very modest traffic. This told me that there was a lot I was doing wrong (as usual) can </i><i>THE.CONTENDER learn from his mistakes?</i><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Please read on for the <b>CGBEB</b> (<b>C</b>ontender <b>G</b>reat <b>B</b>ig <b>E</b>normous <b>B</b>lunders) I have had to correct (so far):<br>

10 blogging mistakes - Contender styleee!

Bansky - Graffiti Creative Brilliance THE.CONTENDER is writing this post about the respect and humility THE.CONTENDER has for the challe...

Get In The Ring?

Contender 0 Blog, Education, Finance, Freedom, Happiness, Life, Planning, Toolkit 09:53

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqSHxBb_VsqKo0kkIJNsxGUkpyu_Oe9SXJ6w6KofHsp2AhOeh5qfyBP8wKid-Dw0Drg1SFnTOtVtOwl5X8e7bY6MvtDGqLio9uEI2fOjVkUDA1GSSJ82iv819QX_t4WYz_byprTgp6ELtM/s1600/AngelfishGlovesOff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqSHxBb_VsqKo0kkIJNsxGUkpyu_Oe9SXJ6w6KofHsp2AhOeh5qfyBP8wKid-Dw0Drg1SFnTOtVtOwl5X8e7bY6MvtDGqLio9uEI2fOjVkUDA1GSSJ82iv819QX_t4WYz_byprTgp6ELtM/s1600/AngelfishGlovesOff.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>FISH | Financial Independence and Seeking Happiness<br /><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></b></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><b>CoNTeNDeR</b>: "Who is next in the ring?"<br /> </i></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><b>PLAN.AHEAD</b>: "The future my son he is unforgiving, surprising and always your shadow"<br /> </i><br />
<i><b><i><b><i><b>CoNTeNDeR</b></i></b></i></b>: "A venerable adversary what do I need to learn if I am going to face him?"<br /> </i><br />
<i><b>PLAN.AHEAD</b>: "</i><i><i><b>CoNTeNDeR</b></i>we constantly need to learn. <b>THE FUTURE</b> is there he is real and he is constantly changing. Are you ready to getinthering my lad?<span style="font-size: small;">"<br /> </span></i><br />
<i><i><b>CoNTeNDeR</b></i>: "I am only on this planet once and I intend to make the most of it lets get on with it"</i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Welcome! Lets get straight to the chase this blog is all about gaining <b>financial</b> <b>independence </b>as quickly as possible<b> </b>while<b> </b><b>seeking  </b><b>happiness</b> along the way.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>THE.FuTuRe</b> <i>"I'm one step ahead of you boy, look left, look right, around every corner I am ready to strike. Go home boy to your job, your routine accept your fate."</i> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">W</span>hy<span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-size: large;">the FISH</span></span> Blog? </span> </div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Our Tribe have been on quite a ride for the last 15 years.<br />
<br />
We have taken some hard knocks from <b>THE.PaST</b>, picked ourselves up from the canvass <span style="font-size: small;">and are </span> expecting <span style="font-size: small;">surprises from </span><b>THE.FuTuRe</b>.<br />
<br />
All the time we have grown a little older and hopefully a little wiser :0) Learning bit by bit how to set ourselves up for life.<br />
<br />
We are in better shape for <b>THE.FuTuRe</b> after a dramatic change in lifestyle over the past seven years saving like mad to gain financial independence.<br />
<br />
This change has caused us to addressed the challenges of a growing family, education, finance and work. We have changed from short term consumer thinking to long term goals of the <b></b>pursuit of financial independence and happiness.<br />
<br />
Old habits have died hard (reckless spending, hedonism, just living the now) and replaces by new ones where we can clearly see <b>THE.FuTuRe</b> and are taking him on <i>on our terms</i>.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>This blog is a collection of articles and tools that we found useful in planning for Finacial Independence and Seeking Happiness. </b></div>
<br />
Here are a few backgroun articles from the site:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html" target="_blank">Who Am I</a></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.com/2012/07/round-5-15-secs-muff-family-financial.html">Family Financial Independence in 7 Years! Almost FI this is how we got there</a></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.com/2012/11/30-rules-of-very-early-retirement.html">30 Rules of Very Early Retirement</a></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.com/2012/10/10-career-skills-for-early-retirement.html">10 Career Skills for Early Retirement</a></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.com/2013/10/stuck-generation.html">Stuck Generation - Generational cycles and the impact on the next generation</a></span> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.com/p/all-posts-get-in-ring.html" target="_blank"><img alt="All Posts" border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjubHYk5t29Fqnad4iyBU8MwpHCm64Sra9FAbn7f2mv4S0lmGPCeQTyAYUPbIHPkt8w0TS2Kj5ykp1WPHMHo5J9mhyks53jwlS8yINVf5-zLtQ-Pz5W4yGrWhCgUdOFDgsqtdVIkPYAc6SZ/s1600/Focus1.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">How do you become Independent?</span><br />
<br />
Gaining financial independence and working out what you want requires alot of research, thinking, learning and doing. Some of the key sources of information are linked from this site.  <br />
<br />
Skills need to be honed in finance, health, work, education, environment. Unfortunately it is is easy to get overloaded by information and sidetracked by marketing.<br />
<br />
<div>
<i>This blog is primarily about providing the information in one place. Discuss how to create a personal financial 
independence plan and how to put it into action. It further considers future 
trends and why become financially free and seek happiness in the first place.</i></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"It's all about money, not freedom, ya'll, okay? Nothing to do with 
fuckin' freedom. If you think you're free, try going somewhere without 
fucking money, okay?"<a class="extiw" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American:_The_Bill_Hicks_Story" title="w:American: The Bill Hicks Story"> American: The Bill Hicks Story</a><i> </i></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">FISH Blog Goals</span><br />
<a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.com/p/muff-tools-and-check-lists.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<br />
<ol>
<li>Poke some fun at conventional wisdom</li>
<li>Share useful information</li>
<li>Investigate topics such as finance, health and education and their impact on happiness</li>
<li>Provide a set of simple<b> </b>planning tools for you to hopefully view \ use \ get some ideas <b>>>>> </b></li>
<li>Have some fun </li>
</ol>
<span style="font-size: large;">A bit more information on the Blog</span><br />
<ul>
<li>Work out how to be <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">financially
independent</b> and understand WHAT is happening in this world and
how to GROW wealth regardless of world events</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
a.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">     </span>Real World Education – what are we <u>NOT </u>taught in school about finance</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
b.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">     </span>Getting the right job and the benefits of multiple income streams</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
c.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">     </span>Compound interest - One of the wonders of the world and its impact on growing your   savings and investments.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
d.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">     </span>Investigation of different investments and how to evaluate their worth <br />
<a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.com/p/stock-screen.html"></a></div>
<ul>
<li><b>Applying Simple Business skills</b> (project planning, negotiation, influencing
etc.) to plan for financial independence<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
 <span class="huge">"Children are smarter than any of us. Know how I know that? I don't know one child with a full time job and children."</span><span class="bodybold"> </span><span class="bodybold"><b>- Bill Hicks</b></span></blockquote>
<span class="bodybold"><b></b></span></li>
<li>How to get a continuous balanced <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">real world education</b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> for life  </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /> </b></li>
<li>What is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Self-sufficiency
and resilience </b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">what can be useful whilst not being extreme and living in a hut in the woods.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></li>
<li>What can constitute a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">good life?</b></li>
</ul>
<b><a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.com/p/stock-screen.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjkWERHEhnInixQ4cAtQT5ZaCq_dErIUiYnskPiigKOXguD7T99k75RBX1_6TVJhhqISp9hv-Vw337yUzmaQ_4KtWPIrSmgZvGZZ2rHL2jkUV-z8lTQ7DP0RYpum-UJgWvBMITewH2x8oQ/s1600/Focus3.PNG" /></a> </b><br />
<b>Please feel free to have a look around perhaps start with the </b><b><b><a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.com/p/all-posts-get-in-ring.html" target="_blank">All Posts</a> </b> </b><b>page which has summaries and descriptions of the sites articles</b><b> </b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="huge">"I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, 
"Where's the self-help section?" She said if she told me, it would 
defeat the purpose.</span><b>" - </b><b>George Carlin   </b></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>FISH</b> Tools </span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;">THE.CoNTeNDeR</span></b><span style="font-size: small;"> has developed a<b> F</b>inancial <b>I</b>ndependence and <b>S</b>eeking <b>H</b>appiness</span><b><span style="font-size: small;">  </span></b><u><b><a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.com/p/muff-tools-and-check-lists.html" target="_blank">Tool Kit</a></b></u>. Hopefully the tool will be a valuable addition to the financial freedom and life hacking / planning community.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.com/p/muff-tools-and-check-lists.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Financial Timeline Planner Tool" border="0" height="489" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjksOogbmFVUGjJEgu-zrad7E4slMAeQRT46ENZplM7GBGKj6N-RWeRiNfvQcwr9bf2rfv_AzYx755mNNAHtdNqwUfX7QvwUDSpy81CJ7gDp6UE9LcHl-nUL0L2AleROi6N_rWBfXRMOETz/s1600/Focus2.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The tool covers financial freedom, health, education and general life. It is really a continuous self education planning tool interspersed with investment choice and management. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="huge">"Most people work just hard enough not to
get fired and get paid just enough money not to quit.</span>"<span class="bodybold"> - </span><span class="bodybold"><b>George
Carlin</b></span><i><span class="bodybold"><br /> </span></i></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eyWsFfd9pqE?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">A CoNTeNDeR after all? </span></span><br />
<br />
Whilst our Tribe has made some blunders on our road to Financial 
Independence that is part and parcel of the joys of learning from 
mistakes. On top of that life has a habit of throwing up the unexpected.
<u> Don't worry they are all covered in this blog</u>.<br />
  <br />
These blunders were a gift to us that helped us learn some skills that are benefiting us to this day. Does <b>THE.CoNTeNDeR</b> have a chance against <b>THE.FuTuRe</b> after his scrapes with <b>THE.PaST</b>? They will all be documented here on this blog.<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
Peace and prosperity and I hope to see you soon,</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b> <span class="notranslate" id="altHeadline"> </span></b><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://getintheringwithme.blogspot.co.uk/p/about-me.html" target="_blank">THE CONTENDER</a><br />
<br />
Kindly share this post >>>></div>
</div>

Get In The Ring?

FISH | Financial Independence and Seeking Happiness CoNTeNDeR : "Who is next in the ring?" PLAN...

Welcome to FISH !
You have come here looking for answers. How to get out of debt? How to save and invest? How to retire early and how you want to live in retirement.

Well this is the right place for you as out tribe has been through all of these steps. We no longer work for a corporate employer and have saved enough to retire early. How we did this is shared here on this site for you.

Our little tribe found out these secrets to financial independence in our late 20’s. Since then we have taken early retirement, in our late 30's, in just 7 years. We now live in the South West of France with our two young children.

Along the way I decided to share everything I learnt. My articles and tips on aggressive saving and compound investing are there to help you meet your financial goals fast. I discuss ways to help you decide what you want by building a life plan. This helps to work out how to get where you want to be whilst avoiding the pitfalls along the way.

My expertise was built up working in blue chip corporate jobs, extensive reading and putting it into practice. I have condensed this knowledge into simple strategies to help you meet your goals and not those of the bank or the place you work.

There are free planning tools on this site that help you make a life plan. A plan for your future. The tools calculate how to reach your financial goals in a timeline that suits you. The tools help set out your life goals, make them happen and how to exceed them.

There are tips on how to simplifying your life to remove day to day headaches. These include ways to pay off debt fast buy eliminating wasteful spending habits. How to reduce your monthly bills through choices that actually improve your health and wellbeing. Identifying things you don’t need that sap your time and wallet.

There are little sustainability projects to reduce your dependence on shops and utilities whilst saving money to spend on things you want.

All of these little steps will show you how save 50%+ of your salary so you can meet your goal whatever it is. This huge saving rate can be compounded for very early retirement. I am sure you will find something here for you.

Darren Lee (A.K.A the Contender as in my blog)

FISH | Financial Independence Seeking Happiness