What does it mean when you hear, “He’s going Galt?”
Here’s the urban dictionary definition of “Going Galt”:
The conservative version of “I’m movin’ to Canada!” Referring to John Galt from Ayn Rand’s novel “Atlas Shrugged”, Going Galt means leaving what you see as a society crumbling in on itself and going somewhere else to watch it all burn to the ground.
I like that definition.
This last weekend, on Saturday specifically, the girlfriend and I had a yard sale. We got up early on Saturday morning, (well, I got up early. She slept for a couple more hours, but that’s besides the point) and we loaded our two cars up with a bunch of shit stuff that we didn’t need anymore, and took it to ye olde busy street corner to let the gawkers gawk and the haggling begin.
We started our “sale” about 7 am and got done with it by about 11 am. We made a whopping $30 between us. That’s it. Yes I know, unspectacular. I agree.
The whole point of this little show though was to “lighten our load,” or as I like to say, “Let’s get rid of some shit.”
After the yard sale, the remaining shit stuff went to the library and to good will. I’m done packing that shit up and taking it home to store it in the garage, only to drag it back out, take it to the corner yet again, only to not sell much, if anything, than we did the last time we did a yard sale.
Get to the fucking point, Rob.
Alright, fine. It’s this:
Like in the movie Fight Club: “The shit you own ends up owning you.” Or something along those lines.
When you buy stuff, you end up paying for it at least three times.
- When you purchased it
- When you store it
- When you move it
Think of all the money you could save if you didn’t buy that latest whatever the hell it is that is on your television, your e-mail, on Twitter, FB, you name it. Think about the debt you could stay out of if you didn’t buy a bunch of shit.
Think of how much money you could save if you didn’t have to store that shit. I’m not just talking about having a storage unit or something equivalent. I’m talking about the four walls that you reside in and currently call home. The more stuff, the more space you will need to store said stuff. The more space you need, the more expensive that space is going to be.
Think about how much money you would save if you didn’t have to move that stuff around. The more stuff you have, the bigger the vehicle you will need to move that stuff, and the more expensive that vehicle will be.
Think about this one as well:
The more moves you make with all your stuff, the more expense you will incur with each move. Gotta get that truck again. Not to mention the physical cost of picking that stuff up and putting it down each time you move it. (Notice how when you need to move, nobody is able to help, they all have “plans.”)
Getting rid of stuff means less to move, less space to store it, and usually, a smaller space that is less expensive.
And you didn’t even have to get a second job or ask for a raise. Or take out a loan. Or apply for a line of credit. You’re welcome.
Having less means you can live on less. Having less means you don’t “need” to make a bunch of money. Having less money means less taxes. Less taxes means less people are able to live off of you. Less people living off of you (other than those you want to live off of you: spouse, kids, etc.) equals a happier you. At least it does for me anyways.
Do yourself and your family a favor and have a yard sale. Get rid of a bunch of shit stuff that you don’t need and aren’t using anymore.
Pair down. People are always talking about getting lean. While you are working on getting your body lean, why don’t you get your home and stuff lean too?
Less need for money = more freedom.
If you don’t have to work, you can walk from a job that sucks. Financially you’ll be fine.
Pair down on your stuff and find out what you can really live on. You might surprise yourself.
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Rob Says 