Life as Jeffbob

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to not have a place to hang your hat at the end of the day? With all of the recent foreclosures in the news I started thinking about what it would be like if I found myself without a place to live. Then I started thinking about how much money I could save each month if I didn't have to pay rent and the various other bills that go hand-in-hand with living in a dwelling.

I currently share a two bedroom apartment with a buddy of mine and we each pay rent, cable, and electricity (our complex covers water). All together it only equals out to about $500 a month. Then I add roughly $150-$200 for food that I prepare on the cheap at home. That isn't much if you are making a decent living but if you are making a decent living you are probably living in a domicile that costs a lot more. To get a more accurate picture of how much I could possibly save by ditching my digs for the wide open sky I will also look at my estimating living expenses in a couple years when I'm out of college and gainfully employed (hopefully!). I'm guessing that my living expenses will increase to around $1,100 to $1,200 per month. This is using $927 for rent because that is the *census bureau median housing cost from 2008. The three main issues with living "home free" are: Where do I sleep? Where/What do I eat? How/Where do I spend my free time?


Sleeping

Because I have a car I would be doing all of my sleeping there rather than actually sleeping on the street. There are many places that a car can be parked for 7-8 hours at a time so you can get in your beauty sleep in. If I were going to actually try this lifestyle out I would probably try to adopt an alternative sleeping schedule that includes sleeping for several smaller amounts of time rather than one large one. I would likely attempt the Uberman sleep schedule which includes taking six twenty-minute naps throughout the 24 hour cycle. This way you only have to sleep in your car for 2 hours a day and you avoid having to sleep in a parking lot for 7-8 hours a night. Either way you want to do it you can get your required sleep in a somewhat safe manor. Trucks that are equiped with camper shells seem to be the most ideal place to sleep because you can actually stick an entire matriss in the back so you wouldn't have to sleep in the back seat of your car. Any way you slice it, it's going to be much easier to sleep in your car than on a park bench!

Cost = Free ( the gas you use to get to work and back is most likely the same as if you drove from an apartment or house)

Food

Here is where you are very limited in that you cannot store or prepare food in bulk because you have no means to do so. You can still save a little money by buying things that are ready to eat from a grocery store rather than from your favorite fast food joint. If you work in an office-type environment you could feasibly buy some food in bulk and try to hide it from your coworkers. I don't know how viable that is though because in my humble experience coworkers are vicious and deceitful when it comes to the office fridge and may God have mercy on your soul if you try to store anything there. On the other hand both breakfast and lunch could be largely non-perishable foodstuffs that don't require refrigeration (canned fruits and veggies, various kinds of soup, and dry cereals/granola). This could cut down on the price per meal and you would use less gas as well. I would have to say that there is going to be an overall increase in spending here over a dwelling because of the various limitations on your food storage space.

Cost = $250 (~$8.30 a day)

Internet/TV/Recreation

Photo Source

Now, where the heck am I going to go before and after work to take care of my most important and basic need: Internet Access? Places like bookstores, coffee shops and fast food restaurants offer free WiFi to their customers but the downside is that you still have to buy something to actually justify your presence in their establishment. Places like college campuses and libraries have free WiFi and also serve as places to hang out where you don't have to buy anything to gain access to their facilities. You can also add mobile broadband access to your existing cellphone plan for roughly the same price as you are probably paying for your cable internet. As for TV, almost all shows that are on cable are posted to their individual station websites or a collector site like hulu.com and you can watch them the next day on your portable computer for free. This is actually the only way I watch TV nowadays and if the cable wasn't built into my rent I would already have canceled it! If physical recreation (no, not that kind!) is what you are seeking then you wouldn't be doing that at home anyway so this isn't a big change. I pay $25 a month for my gym and it offers shower facilities as well which kills two birds with one stone. You could grab a morning workout and shower before you went into work.

Internet Cost = $25 ( Coffee shop and library access costs ) or $60 (unlimited 3g/4g mobile broadband)

Gym Cost = $25

Now For The Math Fun Part:

Cost of Living (currently)

Rent (everything included) = $500

Food = $200

Total = $700

Cost of Living (Future)

Rent (U.S. Average) = $927

Food = $200

Total = $1127

Cost of Living (Home Free!)

Rent = $0

Food = $250

Internet/TV/Rec = $50

Total = $300

Jeff's 101 in 1001

1. Finish all Xbox games currently owned/downloaded (as of the date this list was posted)
- Fallout 3

- Lost Planet
2. Read all Stephanie Plum Novels
-One for the Money
-Two for the Dough
-Three to Get Deadly

-Fearless Fourteen
-Plum Spooky
-Finger Lickin' Fifteen
3. Read all the Hitchhiker’s Guide books

-The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
-The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
-Life, the Universe and Everything
-So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
-Mostly Harmless
4. Re-read Harry Potter Books
5. Get a max-level character on “World of Warcraft”
6. Write 3 full-fledged short stories ( edited, revised, first readers, submitted to markets )
7. Obtain my bachelors degree
8. Write a screenplay for a pilot episode of a T.V. show (just for fun.. unless it’s good :P)
9. Play in at least 12 Friday Night Magic tournaments ( 0 / 12 )
10. Visit Hawaii
11. Play in at least 2 Pro Tour Qualifier Magic tournaments ( 1 / 2 )
12. Buy a new camera
13. Go on at least 15 photography-inspired outings ( 0 / 15 )
14. Visit a foreign country (excluding Mexico because we go pretty frequently)
15. Go to at least 5 professional jazz performances ( 0 / 5 )
16. Write a song (with lyrics and instrumentation), record it, and put it up online for scrutiny!
17. Write a jazz tune ( trombone and rhythm ), record it, and put it up online for scrutiny!

18. Create a techno song out of random sounds around the city and put it up online for scrutiny!

19. Actually decorate my apartment (posters, photosetc) so it doesn’t look like a hotel room!
20. Take 3 golf lessons ( 0 / 3 )
21. Finally figure out why couch cushion doesn’t fit right and fix it!
22. Organize Magic collection into binders by set / color / name
23. Organize bookshelves
24. Go diving at least 2 times ( 0 / 2 )
25. Watch/Re-watch all films on AFI’s top 100 movie list
26. Go golfing at least 5 times (if I cant find anybody to go with then 2 driving range sessions counts as 1 round of 18 holes) ( 0 / 5 )
27. Create and execute an apartment cleaning schedule and stick to it for 12 weeks ( 0 / 12 )
28. Make a conscious choice to cook at home over going out at least 600 times ( 0 / 600 ) I’m really serious about this one :).
29. Make a weekly goal list and finish all goals on it for at least 8 consecutive weeks (0/8)
30. Do at least 1 entire apartment clean-out and get rid of things that I can live without
31. Take at least one creative writing course ( online or at a CC )
32. Start a weekly podcast (15 minute minimum) and post an episode every week for at least 8 weeks (even if the audio sucks at first :P)
33. Finish the restoration of my 1954 Ford Pickup (At least have it ready for final paint)
- Chassis Finished
- Engine Ready to Fire
- Bodywork Complete (includes replacing wood in bed)
- Interior Complete
- Exterior Trim/Lighting Complete
34. Follow a “Fad Diet” for 2 weeks just to see if I can do it and to see if it actually works
35. Pull out the hard drive from my broken laptop and put it in an external enclosure so I can get all my files off of it.
36. Participate in at least one NaNoWriMo (see http://www.nanowrimo.org/)
37. Upload all my good photos to Flikr and continue to do so for the rest of the 1001 day period
38. Take a road trip up the California and Oregon coast
39. Visit 5 states I’ve never been to ( 0 / 5 )
40. Build another set of shelves for shot glass collection
41. Build something cool out of wood (excludes #40)
42. Go to a Broadway Show
43. Go to the Village Vanguard and listen to someone (anyone) play!
44. Replace all incandescent bulbs in apartment with new florescent ones
45. Go camping
46. Go to a Comic Con
47. Read something by 10 new-to-me authors ( 2 / 10 )
48. Buy at least two plants for balcony ( 0 / 2 )
49. Ride the bus to school instead of driving at least 50 times ( 0 / 50 )
50. Ditch class less than 10 times in a single semester ( does not include sickness related absences)
51. Create an exercise routine and stick to it for 6 consecutive weeks ( 0 / 6 )
52. Go to a Shakespeare festival
53. Go to a Jazz festival
54. Go to the Opera
55. Go to the Ballet
56. Quit caffeine for a week just to see if I can do it!
57. Do at least 5 volunteer activities ( 0 / 5 )
58. Attempt to bake / make / cook 25 new recipes ( 2 / 25 )
59. Pay off my credit card balance
60. Do a weekly total-car cleanout for at least 12 weeks (0 / 12 )
61. Go fishing
62. Go sailing
63. Pay off all debt associated with my truck (see #33)
64. Create a journal and do at least 15 minutes of writing (by hand) in it each day for 12 consecutive weeks ( 0 / 12 )
65. Write a piece of short fiction every day for 30 consecutive days ( 0 / 30 )
66. Be more social by going to at least 20 parties / social events that I would usually shy away from ( 2 / 20 )
67. Buy a new 4 line kite and fly it at least 20 times ( 0 / 20 )
68. Get all 150 stars in Mario 64 for DS ( 0 / 150 )
69. Make a new friend!
70. Engage at least 15 complete strangers in conversation. 5 of them must be of the opposite sex! ( 0 / 15 )
71. Ask one of the 5 women from #70 for their phone number :P (I’m really bad at this!!)
72. Read a book of poetry
73. Read at least 5 books on writing ( 0 / 5 )
74. Create a practice schedule for trombone and try to cement it into my head by sticking to it for 6 weeks ( 0 / 6 )
75. Shop at a farmer’s market at least 10 times ( 0 / 10 )
76. Read a book on song-writing
77. Walk from Tucson to Phoenix just for fun!
78. Buy a new cell phone
79. Try out an uberman polyphasic sleep schedule for at least 2 weeks! ( 0 / 2 )
80. Go to someplace verifiably breathtaking at least 15 times ( 1 / 15 )
81. Throw at least 5 parties! ( 1 / 5 )
82. Create a reasonable monthly budget and stick to it for at least 3 months ( 0 / 3 )
83. Write a novel ( other than #36 ) –revised and edited / first readers / first submissions
84. Subscribe to 10 more blogs that interest me ( 3 / 10 )
85. Co-write a non-fiction book about poker ( already have an idea in mind :) ) and publish it using a print-on-demand publisher
86. Take 5 voice lessons ( 0 / 5 )
87. Take 5 guitar lessons ( 0 / 5 )
88. Write a politician regarding a topic I feel strongly about
89. Buy a new suit ( bringing my professional outfits to a grand total of two! )
90. Sing karaoke!
91. Buy a skimboard and take it with me when I go to Hawaii
92. Trade out my current cleaning products for more environmentally friendly ones as they get used up
93. Take the bus to school instead of driving at least 50 times ( 0 / 50 )
94. Replace office chair that hurts my back!
95. Spend an hour a week writing down memories each week for 20 weeks ( 0 / 20 )
96. Finally buy the huge whiteboard I want for pre-writing and storyboarding
97. Seek out at least one person I’ve inadvertently lost touch with and rekindle that friendship
98. Support aspiring artists / authors by buying 10 books or other media from a self publishing site ( i.e. Lulu.com) ( 1 / 10 )
99. Set up at least 2 jam sessions with musician friends
100. Give myself a guilt-free out on one of these items.
101. Create a new list when all other goals are completed!

So here I sit on what equates to my Friday night musing about an event that occurred last night that profoundly changed my attitude towards the crossroads I'm currently at in my life. This all happened while I was enjoying an evening swim to get some relief from the heat of the Arizona summer. After throwing the frisbee for my dad's dog, Nani, for a few minutes I ended upfloating on my back contemplating what the next few years in my life could possibly hold for me. I kept thinking how scary it was to truly be facing adulthood and a life on my own. I am graduating college next spring, if everything goes according to plan, and I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself after college.

Working full time seems to be a long road of long boring hours of sitting in front of a computer and very few vacation days. Or at least that's what I've experienced the past two summers working full time as a GIS intern. It also scares me to actually pick a profession because I feel like no matter what I do it won't live up to my expectations. The other path in front of me is a small business venture that I won't go into detail about but it deals with something I'm very passionate about but it also seems precarious at best. This is scary because instead of financial security and boredom I'm risking unemployment and copious amounts of debt. It feels like I'm stepping up to the diving board of life and behind me is my carefree childhood along with my teenage/college years and below me is the deep end of the pool of adulthood and on top of it all I've forgotten my floaties!

I've been thinking about this for a few minutes when I look up from my brooding and see Nani sitting patiently for me with her frisbee at her feet. That's when it hit me: this dog has it all figured out! I mean, sure she doesn't have the same cognitive reasoning skills that humans have but by God she has it figured out! She isn't pacing back and forth wondering whether the next frisbee toss will be better or worse compared to the previous one or what she is missing out on by chasing frisbees instead of using her time to pursue other paths. I swim over to where she's sitting and grab the frisbee preparing to throw it. Nani immediately stiffens with the anticipation of my next action and I quickly toss it to the middle of the pool. Without skipping a beat she runs and jumps with all her might and grabs the frisbee off the surface of the pool in one smooth motion. Never waiting, never second guessing, just going for it. As I dried off before heading to the shower I felt a renewed sense of confidence. It doesn't matter what I do as long as I dive into it with all the enthusiasm I can muster. I never thought I would learn one of the most important lessons of life from a dog and her frisbee.

Pictured is a new netbook by Always Innovating coming out in the next month or so that is very different from the current models on the market. Rather than using the ever popular 1.6 GHZ Atom processor (or 1.66 Ghz depending on the netbook), a regular hardrive and a Windows OS this little gem uses an ARM processor, Flash memory (no, not solid state, an 8 gig SD card), and a unique Linux based OS. The unique feature of this mini computer include its detachable keyboard ( all of the internals are behind the panel). You can use the touchscreen panel portion of the PC without having to "lug" around the keyboard. It uses a dual battery set up: one in the panel and one in the keyboard. The panel battery has a 10-15 hour battery life while the keyboard battery averages between 4-5 hours. This means you can pretty much run the batter for an entire day without having to plug in. The back of the panel is also magnetic so you can stick it on your fridge..I'm not entirely sure why..

After looking at this computer for a while I realized that it resembles an over sized cellphone. It uses a CPU that is very similar to the ones used in current smartphones, it has similar touchscreen functionality, it uses flash memory and many popular smartphone style OS's can be installed. I'm not entirely sure whether this makes this computer more or less appealing but it is definitely an interesting product that stands out in the current netbook market.