From Riches To Rugs: From 6-Figure Salary To Life Off The Grid

I choose this way to become happy and healthy, again.

We all know the classic tale of a young person who started with nothing, worked hard to save money, and eventually became successful by opening a business or making smart investments.

And now they have it all.

Everyone wishes to become this kind of person of self-made man or woman.

One such rags-to-riches story is that of J.K. Rowling. As of June 2020, the writer’s net worth is $60 million. However, prior to her fame, she was a single mother who had difficulty paying her rent.

My story is the exact opposite of that; it’s the story of me who used to have “everything and now I find myself with nothing,” if you talk about the idea of success in today’s modern world which means money, prestige, and power.

But there is a but and I will explain it.

Since I immigrated to America when I was 21 years old to achieve my American Dream, I did everything by the book, following the map of success as described in the majority of self-help books.

Work hard, have grit, don’t give up and you will get there.

And I did. I made it.

And if I remember well, my last job was working at DOD as a nurse consultant with a six-figure salary attached.

I thought I made it.

I believed that I had succeeded by following self-help advice. However, I eventually realized that it came with a cost.

I had neglected my relationships, my family, and my own well-being.

I had disconnected from nature and the notion of life having a purpose.

While some may see my reaction as ungrateful, those who have worked in government or high-level corporate positions may understand that these jobs can feel meaningless and empty, despite outward appearances of success.

What did I do in my last high-paying position?

Nothing. Because that is what you do when you work for the government.

I used to feel drained and unfulfilled from drinking coffee all day or attending useless meetings. Despite having power, prestige, and financial stability, I felt powerless, and empty, and often experienced feelings of depression. My life felt unbearable.

I hated my life.

I was officially a golden-chained governmental slave.

Despite the good salary, it was not enough to live in an expensive city and pay all the bills, career advancement, continuing education, well, you get the picture.

I felt trapped on a never-ending treadmill where my efforts were futile because the constant inflation kept eating up my salary increases.

That’s why I said enough and changed my mind and went from a successful 6- figure salary in a big American metropolitan city to living in Spain.

That was the only extreme measure I could take.

That’s why I chose to move to Granada initially instead of choosing bigger cities like Barcelona or Madrid because I wanted a significant change.

Some people believe that changing your surroundings doesn’t make a difference because you still carry your thoughts with you wherever you go.

Wrong.

By separating yourself from a toxic environment and choosing a completely different path, your life can transform in every aspect — not just the surroundings, but also your perspective on life.

I choose to live in the mountains and off-the-grid with the purpose to give something back to nature and create a natural, pristine environment.

Of course, the off-the-grid road wasn’t easy and I had a lot of challenges but after 3 years of good planning and saving we bought our land.

Here in nature, I don’t need much money or income to survive because we cut our expenses by 80%.

I work as a part-time freelancer and take care of the farm while my husband works as a travel nurse in California for three months every year.

Thanks to our frugal lifestyle and income (from nursing and freelance work), we are able to lead a comfortable life without any financial stress for the entire year.

I don’t need clothes, cosmetics, brand purses, new-model cars, smartphones, etc.

Those luxury items are meaningless here.

We live a simple life in a small yurt located in a large forest without any clutter.

We have less cash but more time to do things we enjoy doing for free.

If I am bored, the bus from the nearby village goes every hour and it is only 30 minutes ride.

Here and now, I feel free, and content, and my life has meaning.

Growing carrots or celery in my garden brings me more happiness than any corporate presentation or achievement that I have accomplished. Also, it tastes better than the full of pesticide plastic-packed vegetables you buy in the supermarket.

Saving the life of my cat or dog brought me more satisfaction than any work bonus I received.

I now have enough time to do some activities such as cooking, gardening, painting, reading, walking, talking, and writing.

Just living life.

I am sure you know the story of a wealthy entrepreneur who wanted to help a fisherman become wealthy by starting a business. But the fisherman saw through it and said, “I already have enough and all the time in the world. I just need to keep fishing.”

The same goes for us. We don’t need anything else but what we already have — our life in nature. As time passes by, we are learning how to live with less money, but more freedom.

This is my story from riches to rugs.

The lessons that I have learned are invaluable and something I will carry with me for life; living a simpler lifestyle can bring more joy than having the most luxurious items money can buy.

Life is about experiences, not things — experiences and time that cannot be bought with money.

So, I invite you all to join me and let us enjoy life in its simplest form. Let’s live with less money but more free time!

Be happier, healthier,

and more alive

everything else

is a lie!

Thank you for reading!

FYI: I lived on a $150k income a year in the US and now I live on a $30k income a year in Spain but the quality of life here is 10 times higher.