advice for the formerly ambitious young

[thirdeye]

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[Recovering Cornucopian]

If you're near Chapel Hill, NC:

http://www.transitioncch.org/

What was your major? Do you have any skills like carpentry, sewing, etc?

[Six Gun Jim]

Yes, if its' not too much would you run down what you have done as far as working? Any skills you list might give someone an idea.

[thirdeye]

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[HawtFrog]

Try a local wal-mart and or other bigbox store? It wouldn't be perfect, but it would be money *shrugs*

Or, check the local paper for adds. If you live near band land, try popping in there, the First Nations here are always looking for engineering students, along with the local town government.

[maurice]

Study the life of Florence Nightingale.

Life after the oil crash will look a lot like the hellish conditions in the Ottoman barracks at Scutari
during the Crimean war. Everyone knows that Nightingale turned it around and invented modern
nursing in the process. But Florence was MUCH MORE than a nurse. She was an astute
politician, a wise philanthropist and a mighty warrior. She was also a competent civil engineer
and a persuasive and innovative statistician.

[donk]

Marry "up". 

Or at least, do NOT marry "down" (or at all, if not for $/resources).  Single easiest way to put yourself in the worst possible position.

Everything else is a crapshoot, anything can happen...I can tell you from experience though, nothing can eff your life worse than a self-destructive SO hellbent on taking you (and everyone else) down with him/her.  It's one thing to just be with someone who'll possibly drag you down, quite another to share legal responsibilities and material...

I believe Matt has a kinda similar*** philosophy if I may be presumptuous enough to mention that...

***(I AM NOT SPEAKING FOR HIM OR HIS VIEWS...I am saying I saw a SIMILAR sentiment awhile back...)

[TheDignityofStruggle]

Get a job waiting tables.  Sock away that essentially tax free money.  Avoid the temptation to drink away the handfuls of cash.  You'll get free meals (depending on where you work) or at least cheap meals.  Live with roommates in a cheap apartment to save money.  Skip the frills.  Take a bus or ride a bike if possible.  You'll save on gas.  In one year you could potentially save ten grand, maybe more.  Buy two acres.

Then on the weekends, you can go work on building up this land.  You can get the soil ready, build a modest house, dig a well.  Stock up on preps, and cross your fingers.

[Unconventional Ideas]

Change your ambitions.  Change the way you view success.  It's no longer about money.  It's about doing things that matter.

Get familiar with and spend your spare time immersing yourself in:

1. art
2. literature
3. science
4. history
5. music


And, of course, learn everyday skills like:

1. growing food
2. carpentry
3. plumbing
4. other home repairs
5. etc.

And get used to the idea of using a bicycle and your two feet as primary forms of transportation.