21 Things I Have Learned From Unemployment
1) It is REALLY expensive to send a fax from Kinkos. It is like a buck a page, on top of the $1.50 charge just to send their cover page. The public library is a much better option.
2) People still send faxes. I know! It was shocking to me too! I couldn’t believe the unemployment office wouldn’t allow me to send a pdf of the documents they requested, doesn’t that seem easier and more secure? Apparently not.
3) You don’t have to wear a suit and tie to be productive. I was probably the first and last person to actually wear a suit and tie in Portland. I have been 10 times more productive since the extinction of my past breed; New York, take note.
4) Your expenses don’t care if your paycheck disappears. Yep, part of me hoped that once my paychecks dissolved, all of the bills and life’s responsibilities would just disappear with it. No such luck. But if any of you have found a way to make this happen, please send an email.
5) People will surprise you in ways you never expected. Whether it was thoughtful cards, job possibilities, or even buying me an ice cold beer, the kindness of friends and strangers (or new friends rather) has been astonishing. I only hope I can be as good to others, as they have been to me over the past month.
6) People view you as being on vacation, even if you’re not. Regardless of the fact that I’m waking up earlier than I did before I started working for myself, increasing my productivity 10 fold, and finally being passionate about the projects I am working on, a lot of people still just view it as a glorified vacation. Until I have the money to backup my efforts, to most what I am doing is pretty meaningless.
7) I want to take a vacation. Keeping yourself on task day in and day out is a very hard thing. Especially when it is just as easy to flip on the tv and play Super Mario 3 all day in my sweats, it takes some extra motivation to ensure that doesn’t happen. Hopefully Mario has never been to Thailand.
8) Motivating myself to go to the gym hasn’t gotten any easier. I thought for sure that having 7 full days in a week would make it easier to hit the weights most days. Ha! What was I thinking?
9) Everyone has their own story. There is no correct way to do anything. Everyone has done something different to get where they are, and if you want to get where you are going, you will have to take your own path. The more creative you are and the more fun you have doing it, the better.
10) Joey Harrington lives in my neighborhood and takes his baby for a walk every morning at 8am. Today was the third day in a row our paths have crossed.
11) The health care system in the United States really is as screwed up as they are saying it is.
12) Cars are WAY more expensive than you think they are. Be VERY careful before purchasing one.
13) Time management skills are essential. I am still working on this one. Who would have thought that having too much time could be detrimental to productivity?
14) Powell’s Books is big. REALLY BIG. If you are visiting Portland, check it out.
15) I miss happy hour. I used to go to happy hour a lot. Probably a lot more often than I should have. And now that I’m being thrifty, I’m not gonna lie, I miss it! Sure I still go from time to time, but just because there are a lot benefits to being cheap, doesn’t mean it isn’t without its drawbacks (see #19).
16) Travel immunizations are EXPENSIVE! 500 bucks for Japanese Encephalitis?? Seriously does anyone even know what that is?
17) Opportunities come when you least expect it. Point in case: I’m Moving to Thailand.
18) Using coupons actually is cool. Between Five Dollar Dinners and the weekly coupons at Safeway, not only have I become a much better chef, but I have saved a lot of money too!
19) Girlfriends hate it when you are cheap and eat nothing but Five Dollar Dinners.
20) You can live on a lot less than you think. Many of those expenses that used to be “essential” definitely now fall into the “excess” category.
21) Do what you want. The rest will work itself out.
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Great list Sean!
I think you bring up a very valid point about others not understanding. My parents thought I was crazy for up and leaving a stable career. They hate their jobs but couldn’t fathom being so risky.
I agree with the happy hour part. Those small things are always missed. But happy hour turns into $20 quickly, so it definitely needed to be cut.
How much were all of your travel immunizations?
David Damron
LifeExcursion
Hello!
I wanted to let you know something possibly helpful about vaccines… I moved to Brazil last year, and paid an arm and a leg for vaccines, too, because I thought I’d get asked for proof in the airport. No one in the Brazilian airport asked or cared, and soon after arriving here, I figured out that I could’ve gotten the vaccines here for free in any number of walk-in clinics.
I don’t know the case in Thailand but I imagine that it’s similar. Worth checking into, at least.
I liked your post on Iguaçu. I went there this year with a friend who came to visit. We went to the bird park, too, but I got attacked by some spotted turkey thing. Not the most pleasant experience, but a funny story today.
Good luck with your move!!
Danielle
http://daniellebrazil.blogspot.com
All good stuff. Very cool about Joey Harrington! I can appreciate your mention of faxing. I just sent one out this morning and it seems weird to me. Like it should be way outdated by now.
Sean,
Funny list. Here are a few thoughts:
Once you have the cashflow, buy a scanner and sign up for a fax-to-email service. Kinkos is a total rip off.
Is your motivation problem with exercise the exercise itself or getting yourself to go to the gym? There are a lot of ways to get a great workout without ever going to a gym.
Cars. Now that you’re working to be location independent, have you considered going car-less? A zip car membership with a bike and a transit pass could take care of all your needs.
Oh faxes. You’re the 8-track/betamax/laserdisc/minidisc of the communication sphere.
Hello.
Regarding points 11) and 16) I am so glad I don’t live in the US (no offence, really!). I’m in the UK, and last year got the Japanese Encephalitis vaccination before travelling in South East Asia and it cost me £7 ($12). I find it completely ludicrous that anyone could charge $500!
By the way, nice post and nice site. I look forward to hearing more about your move to Thailand. Good luck!
I’m still looking for a way to convince my financial responsibilities that they should go the route of my income…but then I think, as my income increases, am I going to want them to follow suit still? Better that they stay where they’re at, I think.
If you have a scanner, I think you can send faxes for free over the internet just by signing up for a trial with any of the gazillion efax companies.
Great list. I left my job in October 07. Found that I spent more $$ working than when I’m not — just luxuries- lunches, dinners, happy hours, clothes even though I live a frugal life to begin with. We live on one income (my husband’s) and we’ve always been frugal with few Latte factors so it made the shift easier. Identity thing really hit me hard at first….. comes with the territory I suppose.
I look forward to the day when we no longer have a mortgage or someone else is paying for our mortgage- (leasing our home)!! Great post. Love #20 AND #21 the best! We are living proof with mortgage and a child.
Hey SEAN, I have learned that you and I like Cigars and a cool fall night.
Much Love.
-Nick
Companys like faxes because it gives them a paper copy of whatever it is, even though they could just print it out themselves from an email.
I really enjoyed this as I am in the same boat minus Joey Harrington living in my neighborhood. Just like you wrote, people always assume I just go to the beach and chill all day when in fact I probably work harder (and hopefully smarter) than I did before. I look forward to the money rolling in so I can upgrade my $5 dinners & Happy Hour appearances as well. Cheers!
I was surprised about the fax thing myself. I just scanned my signature and have that as an image I can then add to documents and email them. Other things can just be typed into the documents. So far it has been accepted every time they asked for documents to be faxed.
Speaking of which, before you leave for Thailand make sure all your financial affairs are sorted. It is much more difficult to open and close bank accounts etc when overseas. Sure, Skype means you can call, it’s just sometimes easier when you are local. Especially if they require signed original documents.
Having a portable scanner on the road i good if you have the room, otherwise use a camera to take copies of documents.
Also agree with the immunizations. Hep A and B, yellow fever, tetanus, typhoid and the list goes on. Then there’s the drugs for things like malaria.
@David I got lucky in the sense that I had already gotten a few of the immunizations before I went to Brazil early this year. So between those and the ones I got this go around I spent about $500. I am still waiting on the J.E. I am thinking I may just wait and see if I can get it cheaper abroad. We’ll see though
@Danielle Haha its funny you mention that, when I was in Brazil the same thing happened. I expected them to make a big deal about checking them, but no one said a thing! Where in Brazil are you living? I loved it down there.
@James and Kristin, Yeah I was able to find someone that had a scanner and thats the route I took. I couldn’t bring myself to spend $10 to send one document…ridiculous
@Sam $12 bucks. Seriously. Man its time to get a new country! Thanks for the comment!
@Tyler My car is currently pending sale! I found a buyer yesterday and now I am waiting on the paperwork. I am literally hoping it goes through in the next 2 hours so that I can hop on a train down to Eugene for the week! And the exercise is mostly about getting into a routine, other things always seem to take priority.
@Colin haha so so true…
Great list Sean! I totally agree with #6. I can’t believe how many more hours I put in now that I’m my own boss, yet people everywhere seem to think I sleep all day, watch TV and generally just laze around the house. That is wrong on so many levels, especially considering the dangerously high pile of dishes in the sink.
This is a fun list and gives me a good picture of what your life is like right now. A couple of thoughts I had – if you haven’t gotten the japanese encephalitis shot yet,consider doing it at your destination. It will be a lot cheaper!
Also, girlfriends might not like $5 dinners but they love it when you cook for them!
Hey Sean,
Great post!
Hear you, been there…
Here’s another reason I may have seen between the lines:
Less is more.
Not to be a minimalist-because I am NOT–there is a beauty in stripping away the unnecessary shellac and veneer that coats our life. Those things you may miss–like Happy Hour–can become replaced with other things more meaningful/fun/engaging/etc.
I just posted Making Your WHEN Happen Now on my blog. Maybe there’s a nugget in there for you.
Happy Thanksgiving.
(I hope you’re not cooking that meal–there’s no way you can do that one on $5!!)
Take Care,
Jill
One of my favorite posts from you.
Really great! I know that my husband has been out of work for a really long time. He has been interning now, which is really great. But I do know what its like to be in the situation of not know what is coming next, and I think these insights are really wonderful.
Awesome writing…
Cool list, Sean.
I agree 100% with #21
Rasheed
I’m another fan of this post. I think #9 was the most important step for me in being able to create my own nomadic lifestyle. We are trained to think that the rules are already laid out and there are only a handful of paths to choose from. But once you realize that this is not actually the case, you’re able to venture into the unknown with confidence and enjoy every step of your unique journey…as you will with your move to Thailand.
As a side note, you can receive all of your immunizations in Thailand for about $50 total…I had them done at a clinic in Chiang Mai earlier this year.
Hi Sean,
Next year I’m slightly apprehensive about moving back to New Zealand. I will be “unemployed” and trying to start my own business. I really needed to see your post today. It makes me feel I have a kindred spirit (you) who I know has gone through it before me. Cheers.
Interesting… speaking of your girlfriend and Thailand. Is she going with you? How are the two of you handling THAT??
Sell the car, ditch the gym membership and that takes care of 4 (part of it anyway), 8 and 12. Walking everywhere will be great exercise!
I’m with you on the car thing – I’ve saved thousands by not having one (even though I cheat and get lifts from family members).
The attitude that anything that isn’t paid work isn’t work is incredibly frustrating – not just studying, setting up a business, but childcare too. I get so angry when people refer to maternity leave as a holiday or ‘lazy’ stay at home/part time employed mums. Anyway, getting a little off topic with the ranting there!
That must be frustrating that others think you’re on vacation. Some insightful thoughts. Thnx!
Ooh I love 5 dollar dinners! What a great site.
Number 6 is an interesting tidbit. You’re working harder and much more efficiently, but conventional society thinks you’re lolly gagging the day away. Never thought about how frustrating that might be!
Mate, love 18 and 19. Awesome
[...] Another thing I really appreciate about Sean is that his path isn’t defined by those around him. He defines his own success, and he doesn’t let deterrents slow him down. Case in point: “21 Things I Have Learned From Unemployment” [...]
Awesome list Sean!! It’s so fun watching your life transition… and see your experience with quitting your job, being more frugal, and changing up your experience. Love #21….
Karen
I just read this list and it looks to me like a list made by a free man. And I mean it. You are looking at life with a fresh perspective, you re-invent important parts of your reality and you still manage to have a life. Congratulations
[...] from Colin, on 21 Things I Have Learned From Unemployment (The concept of the fax has given me more headaches over the past two months than anything else): [...]
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