My Couchsurfing

One of the greatest tips of frugality that I learned came from Jeff Yeager and it is a beautiful thing called couchsurfing, the gift that keeps on giving. I have been couchsurfing for close to 3 years now and do not plan on slowing down anytime soon. Truth be told I have not made many, if any, extensive travelling trips in the last few years. Instead, during the high tourist season that is Chicago’s summer and fall, my apartment is majestically transformed into the best hostel on the Northside. For absolutely no charge, members that find me request accommodations at my humble dwelling for a pre-determined period of time during their stay in the windy city. Whether for a weekend or a week, I toss them a spare set of keys and voila, they have a place to stay and my wife and I have a rotating block of roomies for a few weeks every summer and fall.

Yes I am alive to tell this tale and every experience has been memorable. Couchsurfing itself is set up on a website similar to facebook. You can create a profile for yourself with pictures and as much details as you’d like to share. There’s also a cool way to verify you’re location, to show other people that you are a real person with a real place to stay, and not in a tent camping out in Lincoln Park. My favorite resource though, is the wall on your profile. It’s the best and most direct way to show other people your references, that you are experienced surfing, and are not a psychopath.

Since I have limited my travel, through couchsurfing I have brought the world to me. I’ve hosted some of the coolest people I have ever met from just about everywhere you can imagine from around the world. Now while every surfer is close and dear in my heart, I have to say that there’s a French couple we hosted this summer that, well, were the paradigm of what is a superb couchsurfing experience. From the moment we all met there was an instant connection as if we had all been friends for years. My wife and I showed them around some of the best sights we knew on the Northside, and they displayed and shared the best tasting culinary skills I can remember. We hung out like old friends catching up, and upon their departure, I admit, was sad to see them leave.

There’s like this common thread that ties couchsurfers together. We’re frugal and when we travel we want to experience a new area, not be tourists. We’re fun, insightful, adventurous and some of the most insightful people you will meet among any walk of life. So yes, this sounds like an endorsement, and no I gain absolutely nothing from couchsurfing for writing this. Aside from anything with “Dave” or “Ramsey” in the title, couchsurfing is one of the best recommendations I enthusiastically endorse J

Book Review: "The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to True Riches" by Jeff Yeager

In the world of living below your means and frugal living, Dave Ramsey is like the coach that gives you an overall philosophy, covers the x’s and o’s and shows you every aspect of how to win the game, while Jeff Yeager is the all-star alumnus whose retired jersey hangs next to the state championship banner his team won. In “The Ultimate Cheapskate,” Jeff takes you on a journey that will make you laugh, provide some awesome insight into the frugal lifestyle, make you chuckle at things you shouldn’t and think twice about how you approach life. This book is an excellent read for forming a defensive strategy with your budget and expenses. The emphasis really struck a chord with me in the fundamental belief that is shared in those of us seeking financial security: Living within your means is not good enough; we need to live below our means.

The single most important piece of information that reinforced and encouraged me in the frugal trail, was making your “starter” home your final home. By not upgrading as your family grows and purchasing a modestly priced home, financial independence becomes that much more attainable. Jeff does an unbelievable job covering just about every aspect of daily life and I am astounded at his objection to the “latte factor” argument (although I find it highly unlikely that I would ever find Yeager in line at any local “Fivebucks,” I’m positive he carries his own cup of homemade joe like the guy in my mirror).

I made a lot of comparisons as I went through it as well, seeing arguably who was the most frugal. And, being originally from Los Angeles, I saw myself as Kobe, and Jeff as Jordan. Jeff has done some amazing feats and sustained his frugal lifestyle for the bulk of his adult life, impressively achieving financial independence all the while not showing concern to the numbers. I, being the rambunctious young new kid on the block, would love nothing more than to dethrone the ultimate cheapskate (yes Jeff, you are the king in my eyes…currently) But thinking about it more, and dropping my competitive sword, I smiled and will always take solace that there is a frugal movement alive and well, and there is a group of us out there making financial responsibility cool.