Living the lifestyle on the cheap.
The great outdoors. There is nothing like it. To bad that the best places to go and get active are expensive. Have you priced out the new hockey gear for this season ? How about the new set of skis for some backcountry camping. Holy-moly batman this stuff is getting very expensive.
When I was younger, we used to skimp on every aspect of our life in order to have a lifestyle. Bargin bins, discount retailers, buffets, car pooling, public transit, walking, biking – whatever it takes in order to live the life. Most of us were working in the retail industry so we could get the pro-deals on the gear. Working part-time as a ski instructor so you could ski for free. Some gear was just to expensive even at our discount. I used to sell items that would cost me a couple months wages. I couldn’t afford that. We had to get real creative to find money to pay for things. I mean creative in the sense that many of us would sell photographs or artwork of our adventures. Who would think that years later adventure photography and adventure travel would be a huge industry.
Single parents, newly weds just about anybody you can imagine and from all walks of life. We helped each other and helped those who needed the most. The luckiest people where the kids of the single parents who were learning a wonderful lifestyle. A lifestyle dictated by looking after friends and friendships – not money. We just wanted to get out and do things. It just proves that anyone can do anything if you want – even without money.
Crazy stuff as I reflect back on the whole experience. But, the experience is something that I had while others did absolutely squat. Memories are all you have when you age. So, get outside and do something and make new friendships.
crisp clean clear 