Dropping out of the Rat Race

[SarahJaynee]

7 years ago I was running a successful business in the UK. My husband was a successful day trader. We both harboured dreams of living by a beach in a warm climate and not being slaves building the pyramids of our day, however somehow we had managed to accrue all the trappings of wealth without having the time to enjoy them. When I fell pregnant we both decided the baby would be the catalyst as we both held firm beliefs about the first 3-5 years being the most fundamental in childhood development. We left the UK when our baby was 6 months, we rid ourselves of all our possessions, selling what we could and donating what was left. That was in 2002. The goal in mind was to use our money to have the best 3-5 years without working for the sake of our family. We decided to live in Thailand as (a) we had both backpacked around and knew there was a large expat community and (b) our money could stretch much further there. We left in 2002 with most people telling us how crazy we were and how my husband was dropping out of his career and would find it hard to get back in. I also that year had won young entrepreneur of the year (we were both in our twenties) and sustainable business of the year. We left anyway knowing it was what we had to do to be who we needed to be. We stayed in Thailand until 2006, when almost out of the blue an excellent job position arose for my husband (Asian CEO of an European investment bank). This job took us to Singapore and we have now been here almost 3 years. However we have recently had our 2nd child and we are feeling the need to move out of the rat race once more. Infact when I look around me I just see even more trappings of wealth than we had in London. we are spending more in 6 months living in Singapore than we spent in 4 years in Thailand, yet neither of us prefer our lives today over the quality of our life in Thailand.
So recently I read a book called the 4 Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferris. I now realise we already embodied many of the ideas back in our twenties and acted on them.
Its time to move on for us again, but this time I want to do it with more security. We are starting tonight by working out a figure of how much we need to more-than-comfortably to live on each month, and what therefore capital sum we need to derive this income. By the way neither of us are ready to "retire" as we are both avid entrepreneurs through and through.
I've decided to use this forum as a tool for encouragement, ideas and sharing our journey.
I have created a website for my organistation in the UK which I hope can derive me an income, plus I have set up a multiple product drop shipping company which is yet to go live. Once these projects are earning money and our savings have increased then we will feel ready to leave Singapore and drop out of the rat race once more. All ideas and opinions anticipated unreservedly!

[spirit4711]

Very cool to read what you did so far! Inspiring!

[MartinP]

Hi, just read an article about this:

How to Escape your Job

Hope it helps!

[tonytiger78]

I am a big Tim Ferriss fan, I will stay checking this thread!

[rocksupreme]

Originally Posted by SarahJaynee

...which I hope can derive me an income...

For the most part, it sounds like you guys are doing fine. This part just sort of jumped out at me.

If you an an entrepreneur, I'm sure this is not news to you, but it just seems like "hope" is a very bad strategy. If you are doing your research, you should really be well beyond the point of hope.

I assume you are probably OK here, but I just wanted to chime in about that.

On the off chance that you do need help with researching markets online and turning them into a profitable business, I would really suggest checking out Project Mojave, in my signature. It's all about finding profitable markets and creating products to sell in them. It sounds simple, but the materials are very sophisticated.

Anyway, best of luck. I also "hope" your current venture works out.

[SarahJaynee]

So have now set a date of August 1st 2010. This will be when our lease on our condo is ready to renew and it gives us 15 months to change our lives in preparation of leaving the 9-5 rat race. We might currently have a guilded cage and a larger one than most, but a cage it still is! lol
So in 15 months we want to have 150kGBP (approx US$240k). This gives us 3 years over-the-top luxury lifestyle of living, or 8 years of normal (to us) standard of living. Of course we will continue to do our various entrepreneurial projects as we love creating things.
We can save 63kGBP from my husbands current income in the next 15 months.
That leaves 87kGBP for us to earn and save from our various pusuits.
I have recently set up a website called Clever KnicKers which is aimed at women who work in all/any aspect of the sex industry. I already derive an income from counseling women associated with the website but none as yet directly from the website. I need to learn more about the web and how to do this.
I have also set up a brand called "the" and currently have a website being designed. The brand has multiple sites (thepetshop, thebabyshop, theofficeshop etc etc) and I intend to create this as a purely drop-ship company so will need help to learn about best advertising and marketing strategies.
I am also working on expathomeschool which is a site aimed at families like ours who live in various countries but want our child to be homeschooled.
On top of all this I will be ready to start algorythmic trading (futures) in about 3 weeks. I'm currently backtesting on a new platform and should be done in 2-3 weeks.
Oh I also homeschool my 7 year old and have a 6 month old baby and 2 dogs :-) so no time for (or desire) for TV, mags or booze!
I am really interested in looking at my sleep patterns and to gain some more time that way. I currently drop off within 3 mins at around 10pm and awake at 6:30am - I'd love to reduce this. I'm a vegan and I workout every morning.
I feel much happier that we have a date and a figure (oh and it is whichever comes first), as I can't wait to leave behind the malls, Jones' and souless environment.
The only site that is up at the moment is Cleverknickers, but now I have the idea realised as an actual website I've kind of lost momentum and find myself putting more energy into the next one rather than maximising the first one first.........
I'll keep posting my strategy and how I'm doing. Not forgetting manifesting 150kGBP into my reality!
All help, opinions, support and comments very much welcome! :-)

[DropoutDiaries]

Sounds very exciting! You already seem to have got much further down the line than me so good luck to you. I will follow your story with interest.

[ChaosKiwi]

I am interested in what your relationship was like with the local Thai community while you lived in Thailand? Specifically, did you feel there was mutual respect? Was the expat community insular? Did your children relate well with local children?

I ask because moving to a foreign country where living cost are much cheaper is of great interest to me!

[Lupe]

try low fat raw food diet also known as 811 diet will help cut your sleep.
you can find the gist of it in Raw Food Health: A Lifestyle Of Energy, Health, Strength And Joy
and ask questions to the 811 community here: Discussion Forum - 30 Bananas a Day!

[SarahJaynee]

Thanks Lupe, I'll take a a closer look at the links.

Chaowski, we integrate very well with the Thai people. We picked up the language easy enough and my daughter speaks Thai remarkably well and mixes very well with the Thai children. On the whole it is easy to mix, most people are forgiving and patient (both Thai and foreigner) so all get on well. Of course we have met plenty of situations where people don't get along, and its usually the foreign man who has picked up a much younger wife and expects the western ideal of romance, love and marriage which is totally different to the Thai version!
Thailand is also called "Land of Smiles" and once you've been there you will know why.

[SimonaRich]

You are talking about dropping out of the rat race but you cannot just drop in and out of it. Once you really understand how to handle money and you really understand employment con, you will never have to be in the rat race again.

I urge you to read Robert Kiyosaki's books, starting from 'Rich Dad Poor Dad', it will explain why people get into the rat race and why it is so easy to end up here if you have bad money habits.

As for the country to live in I would advise you to look at Portugal, because the quality of living is high but prices are low, especially for houses near beaches. This is because in such areas employment is low so not many can afford to buy houses there, but if you really try to become self-employed then it should not concern you.

[Will Edwards]

Good for you - the problem with the Rat Race is that even if you win it, you are still a rat!

Will

[lovelyn]

SarahJaynee,
It takes a lot of courage to move to another country especially when you have a family. It can be quite difficult to navigate even the most mundane daily tasks. I commend for having made a go of it successfully in Thailand. My family just moved to the UK from the States. We have a 15 year old son and getting him and school was a big challenge.

It looks like you have your business model set up and you pretty much know what your doing. Being self-employed is great. There are hard times of course, especially when you're first getting started, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Good luck! I'm sure you'll do great.

[SarahJaynee]

Its really great to hear replies from people - I'm so glad I joined this forum!
Thanks for the referal Simonarich but I have read a couple of Kiyosaks books but they didn't resonate with me. I think they are ok if you haven't heard of living life in a different way but if you have then there isn't much new to be had in them. I have had 1 "proper" job in my life, that was back when I had just finished college. It took me 3 months to realise I was on a dead end and so I quit and started my first business. Ive made my own money via starting businesses, learning to trade and the odd investment here and there for the past 12 years.
It is my husband who has the job at the moment. It is also the first real job he has ever had as when he was a trader he traded for himself. We were lured not only by the money but also because it was a CEO position and I suppose he was flattered/intrigued/excited by the prospect. But a gilded cage is still a cage! LOL

BTW we have both started on the rawfood diet that an earlier post suggested (thanks for the link!). Its been day 1 and not so tough for me as I am a vegan but DH is finding Sunday without meat very tough!

[JanB]

Hi SarahJaynee,

Your plans are wonderful. Most of us spend too much time stuck in the 9-5 rat race, myself included. I still haven't figured out what to do about that. We also have a seven year old (and a five year old).

Regarding your cleverknickers website - do you counsel women who work in the sex industry face-to-face or just over the internet and are you a psychologist or a counsellor? How did you get involved in that line of work?

Also you are setting up andalgorythmic trading - is this for a trading firm or hedge fund and are you a software/computer consultant?

Thanks for sharing your story,
Jan.

[SarahJaynee]

Originally Posted by JanB

Hi SarahJaynee,

Your plans are wonderful. Most of us spend too much time stuck in the 9-5 rat race, myself included. I still haven't figured out what to do about that. We also have a seven year old (and a five year old).

Regarding your cleverknickers website - do you counsel women who work in the sex industry face-to-face or just over the internet and are you a psychologist or a counsellor? How did you get involved in that line of work?

Also you are setting up andalgorythmic trading - is this for a trading firm or hedge fund and are you a software/computer consultant?

Thanks for sharing your story,
Jan.

Hi Jan,
Thanks for your reply. Have you read The 4 hour work week by Timothy Ferris. You might guauge some excellent ideas on how to achieve dropping out of the rat race.
Yes I do counsel women via Skype, but I also have some clients in Singapore. When I was 17 (Im 33 now) I did some modelling. My 3rd shoot was in the South of France (I was modelling swimwear) and the photographer kept trying to get me into bed. First he was charming, then he was arrogant and started getting out a load of French Francs and asking how much I wanted! I fled without completing the shoot and although I knew modelling wasn't for me I couldn't help but think of all the other girls and women who were in the same situation. many girls who start off in the swimwear or lingerie range end up doing nude shoots and this leads on to escorting, table dancing and maybe even porn. back then I had visions of a magazine but knew anonymity was key and there is not much of that when purchasing a mag. Then the internet sprang up and I knew this would be the medium. However at the time I had a very lucrative business which I felt launching CKS would hinder (the media will spin anything with sex in to demean and undermine) so I put it on hold although bought the domain. Now it is actually a site although only new and I haven't had any of my current clients from there - this needs to change! lol
I got together a focus group in the UK and the biggest service that they wanted seemed to be the counseling/coaching, indeed all the focus group bought counseling packages from me. It isn't psychotherapy as that takes too long. I use a cognitive, empowering and strategic method which allows the woman to empower her way out of the industry rather than to dwell on the sob stories we all have in Life.

I don't trade for a company. I have an account with a broker and I trade using e-signal, 7mins, 3 mins and 12 mins, usually the FTSE but also the Mini S&P.

I homeschool my 7 year old and I've recentlky registered a domain for expat homeschool as this is something else I have great interest in and I know it is difficult for many expats to find the right resources as well as arranging meetups and groups etc.

Sometimes I feel I am doing too much and am too scattered. othertimes I relish the diversity. Right now I want to focus on getting CKS producing an income, not because of the money but it has been in my brain for so many years! aaarrrggh

Great to connect with you Jan. xx

[JanB]

Thanks SarahJaynee, no I haven't read Timothy Ferris' book yet but I should order that one, thanks. It sounds like you have accomplished a lot in your 33 years, you're not scattered just very ambitious. I really feel like I wouldn't even know where to begin to set up my own business/websites like you have done (well first you need an idea for a great service I guess...but how to set it up on the internet - I just don't get it). I get the feeling this all comes naturally to you. Do you happen to have a blog with photos of your life in Singapore? Sounds so interesting!!

[SarahJaynee]

Hi DropoutDiaries, just checking your site now. Thanks for the link :-)

[DropoutDiaries]

Originally Posted by SarahJaynee

Hi DropoutDiaries, just checking your site now. Thanks for the link :-)

Those links are just in my signature, I wasn't proposing that you specifically should check out my site. I don't think you'll find it that relevant but thanks for visiting anyway.

[joelyle]

Originally Posted by SarahJaynee

I want to do it with more security…more-than-comfortably to live on each month, and what therefore capital sum we need to derive this income.

Interesting thread. Looks as though you have gone on holiday vs. dropping out. One can be a person of the world anywhere. (attached to the body, mind and maintaining materialism:living over-the-top) What is it that most want? security and comfort. You don't seem willing to drop that. Can you live in peace with true minimalism? To me the "rat race" is competition and comparision (keeping up with the Jones'). Bliss is my the desired state; not comfort or security.

[SarahJaynee]

Thanks for the reply Joe Lyle. It is true that I want more "money" now that I have 2 children. However it's not to purchase more things, merely to have in the bank as security. When we were on our own it really didn't matter to us if we got down to our last months savings, but when you have 2 kids thats not fair to plan for them. I've always been able to whisk back to the UK and make some money, but that's a lot harder with 2 young children in tow.
Although I do agree it all depends on a base level of inner security and esteem. Mine is much lower than my husbands. We differ here. Whilst I'm manifesting 150kGBP he is busy on manifesting 10millionGBP. There is some contention here and I suppose the Gift that has arisen from having these conversations is that maybe we aren't entirely on the same page with this.
I have told him I'm not prepared to wait for 10million to manifest, as soon as I have 150k I WILL be seeing my intentions through.