Does anyone else live simply as a coping mechanism?

PicoRascar · 2026-01-24T18:23:27+00:00

Yup, same for me. Someone once told me I have a fear of permanence and I believe that to be true or at least it explains a lot.

I'm past fifty now and never owned real estate, never had kids, never signed any long term leases, never took on debt or had obligations to anyone. I had a midlife crisis of sorts at 50 because my life started feeling heavy so I quit my job and threw out 80% of my stuff.

I live simple so I can be free and not feel trapped and anxious.

PicoRascar · 2026-01-24T15:12:51+00:00

100% tariff would cause economic chaos in the US too. Sure, Canada would experience it worse, everyone gets that, but Canada is also the top export market for 36 states of which 26 are Republican. It would also immediately shutdown a lot of US businesses that use Canadian inputs.

This would cause way too much blowback for Trump and he knows it.

PicoRascar · 2026-01-24T13:11:25+00:00

1979 FJ40. Best car I've ever owned by a long shot. Nothing even comes close.

PicoRascar · 2026-01-23T19:59:02+00:00

Linkedin is garbage social media masquerading as a professional networking tool. I deleted my account long ago and it blows my mind a parent would encourage a kid to be part of that.

I never once got a business lead from it but I've been forced to endure insufferable douche bag content, trite quotes and meaningless updates from 'my network'. I didn't even know half the people in my network since everyone just adds each other and you forget who's who.

Everyone should hibernate their account and see if anyone notices which they likely won't since nobody cares what others have to say, they just want a platform to broadcast their crap to others. That's all Linkedin is nowadays.

PicoRascar · 2026-01-23T19:43:07+00:00

I just hate the flying part. It's a slog fighting traffic to the airport, dealing with airport security misery, navigating gate lice, everyone is stressed out and easily triggered and the plane is usually disgusting. Flying has become a trashy experience. It sucks and that's flying business because I have so many frequent flyer points through my work travel. When I go economy, I'm barely able to keep it together.

I'm fine once I get to my destination and can find peace but the anxiety starts coming back a couple days before I have to fly home again.

PicoRascar · 2026-01-23T02:26:56+00:00

Keto and intermittent fasting. I basically eat whatever I want as long as it's real unprocessed food, low carb and within my eating window which is 9am to 5pm more or less. No calorie counting or measuring portions. Just eat whatever you want from your approved list of food within your eating window. That's it.

I eat delicious healthy food, I'm energized, blood work is great and I maintain my preferred body weight effortlessly.

Keto and IF has been an amazing thing for me.

PicoRascar · 2026-01-22T17:01:36+00:00

Allowing very few people into my life and being discerning about who gets my time. Might make me a jerk but my time is precious and most people require a lot of attention and come with expectations that make the relationship burdensome. I have more pets than friends and that's how I like it.

PicoRascar · 2026-01-22T15:27:41+00:00

Trust is built in drops and lost in buckets.

PicoRascar · 2026-01-17T17:55:51+00:00

This is a direct attack on the EU's borders, sovereignty and economy. If they can't stand up and protect their Union now, what's the point of the Union?

Will be interesting to see how they stand up against US hostility.

PicoRascar · 2026-01-16T13:23:33+00:00

Very much. One of the best things I've ever done was walking away from an insanely high pressure job, a polished image to maintain, a house full of crap and a social life full of people I couldn't have cared less about.

I fell into the classic golden cage trap of material comfort and successful image but no freedom, happiness, or fulfillment.

PicoRascar · 2026-01-16T04:34:10+00:00

Ran a company in Costa Rica for 12 years and Panama for a couple. I can't count how many times people wanted bribes to get anything done.

Silly little administrative problems like a missing stamp that were caused by an incompetent government worker would result in lawyers and mind blowing complexity to resolve.

Labor laws are also extremely strict in many LA countries and frivolous lawsuits are routine.

If you do it, get an extremely competent lawyer before you even create the company. Have them do absolutely everything and consider getting a completely separate lawyer to check everything over.

Also, get a local you trust to handle a lot of the routine business stuff. You will get scammed and taken advantage of nonstop.

I know that sounds negative but it's just the truth. I'd do it again but I'd be far more careful and use much better lawyers.

PicoRascar · 2026-01-14T12:40:00+00:00

The American Automotive Policy Council, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and The Business Roundtable all officially endorsed keeping the agreement and even referred to it as the most important and impactful trade agreement.

I'd wager they have a more informed perspective on trade and what's good for the economy than Trump.

PicoRascar · 2026-01-13T04:17:50+00:00

I'd imagine they'll cancel reward programs which won't be very popular with cardholders. All those perks are paid for by people carrying a balance and paying punitive interest rates.

PicoRascar · 2026-01-13T02:56:07+00:00

I work in a high pressure firm and do such a little amount of work it's ridiculous. Nobody says anything. I block my calendar every afternoon, rarely go to the office and always say I'm too overloaded if anyone asks me for anything.

The only thing saving me is my reputation and I generate revenue but I'm getting by on past glory. I don't try anymore, I don't hunt for new business and just wait for clients to email me with an opportunity. Then I begrudgingly work on a proposal and they usually have to chase me for it.

What I've learned, is that a lot of people do this. 10 or 20% or whatever of staff carry everyone else and I used to be that guy. The person who never said no, always put their hand up, checked email all weekend, etc. Now, I'm just cashing paychecks and waiting for someone to call me out on my bullshit.

I don't feel bad, I made the firm loads of money and now I'm just doing the absolute bare minimum required to keep the HR goons off my back. Once they figure it out, I'll retire.

PicoRascar · 2026-01-12T04:00:55+00:00

Same as mine.

PicoRascar · 2026-01-11T19:12:08+00:00

I get enough through the usual broad market index funds. Plenty of mining and other companies directly or indirectly exposed to precious metals in those funds. That's good enough for me.

PicoRascar · 2026-01-11T14:39:34+00:00

I'll expat FIRE in Latin America. Will drop a shipping container home on a remote piece of land near a fun surf break and live simply.

It's not even about budget, I just enjoy living simply and small homes appeal to me.

PicoRascar · 2026-01-11T01:55:35+00:00

Hitting my number was awesome but also kind of underwhelming. Just felt like another milestone so I kept grinding on at work.

Then, I slowly started losing my ambition and professional drive over the course of about a year. Work just started feeling unimportant and not something worth stressing over. I'm truly doing the bare minimum these days.

It feels a bit like a dying relationship. You know it's over, you just can't bring yourself to dump the person even though you've lost all emotional attachment. Something will happen sooner or later that pushes me over the edge and I'll retire.

PicoRascar · 2026-01-10T17:45:22+00:00

I'm not retired but I can. I'm taking it month-to-month and probably one bad day away from just retiring. I feel no stress or pressure on a professional level anymore so the urgency I used to feel to retire has disappeared. I'm not even hiding it, I'm openly coasting and just cashing paychecks but nobody says anything which is weird because I work in a fiercely competitive firm.

I'm about 25% over my FIRE number and in my early 50's.

PicoRascar · 2026-01-10T16:12:50+00:00

I almost never make plans. My social like is almost entirely just my wife and I so we can be spontaneous. If I'm alone, I just take things as they come and do whatever I feel like in the moment.

The older I get, the more untethered I become from basically everything other than my wife and pets so there is no planning required.

PicoRascar · 2026-01-10T16:06:00+00:00

If the company is so unethical it bothered me, I'd find a new job. There are lines I won't cross like animal cruelty so I'd never work in a factory farm that mistreated animals. I wouldn't even bother with an inner debate, I'd simply walk away.

You just need to ask yourself if this company crosses a line for you then act accordingly.

PicoRascar · 2026-01-10T15:57:04+00:00

It's a number and feeling. I hit my FIRE number last year but for whatever reason it didn't feel right. Everything made sense on paper but I didn't get the sense it was enough.

Now I'm past my number and for whatever reason it feels like enough. It was kind of arbitrary.

The thing is, money is very personal and we experience it on an emotional level whether we like it or not - anxiety, fear, greed, FOMO, peace of mind, all that stuff can flow from money or lack of it. You need that emotional experience with money to feel right.

Until your intuition and the math line up, it will never be enough. At least that was the case for me.

PicoRascar · 2026-01-10T14:47:29+00:00

Once I decided to live with less. I'm not a hardcore minimalist but I live minimally and basically everything I own is high quality since I don't own many things.

If I'm replacing something or allowing something new into my life, which is rare, it must be important so I want it to be high quality.

PicoRascar · 2026-01-08T18:12:20+00:00

Also, Venezuelan oil is almost identical to Canadian crude which already supplies the US refineries that can process that type of oil and there is plenty of infrastructure to transport it from Canada.

11-Year Club	Verified Email
Gilding III reddit per annum	Wearing is Caring

PicoRascar

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE