How to Survive Without a Salary

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Charles Long has his finger on the pulse of all wage slaves who dream of
walking away from their jobs. He recognizes that paycheques are
addictive. For those with a mortgage or rent to pay, car payments, and
credit-card debt, breaking the addiction seems nearly impossible. This
very readable work lays out the action plan.

Long is quick to point out that living without a salary is not the same
a living without income. That income, however, can come from various
sources and can be dramatically reduced if your needs are also reduced.
Not having money has nothing to do with being poor.

The plan has three steps. Want less; earn on your own terms; and make
what you earn do more. Reduce your needs and your expenses by
re-examining your values. Think small. Consider casual, freelance,
short-term, and temporary work. Become an entrepreneur. Look beyond the
conventional ways to fill a need (do you need a car or do you need
transportation?); explore alternative uses for goods and materials;
separate real needs from nice-to-haves.

The book is written for both Canadian and U.S. readers, with any
mention of pension plans, social programs, etc., referencing the
situation in both countries. The content includes budgeting; taxes;
security; insurance; assessing needs; casual income; debt and savings;
the second-hand marketplace (including nine types of auctions);
economics and the GNP; the conserver philosophy as applied to housing,
food, clothing, furniture, appliances, entertainment, and travel; and
more.

Long’s style is wonderful. He uses picturesque, zany examples and
refuses to take himself or anyone else too seriously. His
thought-provoking text is packed with information, ideas, and
refreshingly honest ways of viewing the material world.