If your employer gave you 10 free days: no emails, no phone calls and no reporting, what would you actually do? I decided to answer that question for myself. So, I’m running a 10-day freedom test. It’s the perfect time to do this. It’s July school holidays and I’m on leave. It’s been interesting not to worry about work, traffic, school drop off or lunch box menu. It’s Soccer World Cup too. I could sit all day and cheer, not productive though. Pity about Bafana Bafana; the Canadian red maple leaf proved too strong last night.
I spend a lot of time writing about buying back time through investing. This experiment is my chance to discover what owning that time actually feels like.
Financial Independence vs. Being Rich: Why Lifestyle Design Matters
Planning and intentionality go a long way. Without a plan, freedom can actually become your downfall. Physical exercise is a big piece of my freedom puzzle. If you live by chance, even freedom can become boring or create room for laziness.
It’s not the free time that’s the problem; it’s the lack of intentionality. No plan, no peace. The bigger lesson is that freedom without purpose and intentionality eventually becomes boredom. Often, our day jobs simply consume that time. There is another way. You can intentionally design a life worth looking forward to outside your day job.
Why Hiking Is One of the Cheapest Ways to Feel Rich
Saturday was amazing, a long 5-hour hike and spotting some zebras was time well spent. A homemade sourdough sandwich was better than an overpriced, unhealthy restaurant meal. And of course, good laughs, enriching conversation with a friend in nature. Now that was an ideal Saturday. If I have a chance, I will probably do a long hike once a week. Saturday night was chilled sports on TV and dinner with family.
What Does Financial Freedom Look Like in South Africa?
Sundays are usually reserved for growing my faith and strengthening my spiritual connection. This Sunday I slept in; I was exhausted after the 10 km hike on Saturday. So, Sunday was slow: time for reflection, writing and a protein-packed brunch, which is my first meal of the day.
Intermittent fasting works well for me. That’s why I think breakfast is highly overrated. A casual drive to the local coffee shop, a braai and then the late Bafana Bafana World Cup match. Since South Africa is out, I will be watching with one eye. Time for some more adventures, my 10 days are speeding rapidly.
Escaping the Monday Morning Grind with Financial Independence
Yes, it’s Monday. No paid work today, only a 12 km slow cadence run. What a pleasure to be on slow motion on Monday morning, it’s been interesting not worrying about theSpaghetti Junction traffic, I feel like a sloth. Imagine a relaxed sloth in the African savannah. Sounds absurd.
That’s what this freedom test feels like. I’ll be off for some nice lunch shortly. Thanks to my wife, two is definitely better than one, scripture was spot on. Particularly when settling bills. This Monday definitely feels like a Saturday, that’s how every day should be when you own your time and your life.
Budget-Friendly Southern Drakensberg Getaway: A Father-Son Road Trip
The higher it goes the cooler it becomes. It’s July winter school holiday, time for a father-son mountain adventure. We’ve just arrived in the Southern Drakensberg, in the foothills of Sani Pass. We won’t go to the highest pub in Africa.
Yes, I am with a nine-year-old, no need to get in the pub, excuse my pun it’s freedom overload. I should have my 4X4 on our next Sani Pass visit, hopefully by saving and investing more I can afford to press the four-wheel drive button. These mountains are not called dragons for fun; to say we had a blast is an underrated statement.
The below-freezing overnight temperatures were refreshing, especially with warm fires waiting back at the hotel. Freedom isn’t really freedom without time to explore the world. No plane tickets required. Even a simple road trip created memories that money alone cannot buy, but that money and time made possible.
- Freezing drinking water bottles on the golf course
- Incredible local Berg pizza
- A shivering 10-degree cold plunge in the outdoor pool
- Exploring the Himeville Museum like a historian on holiday
- More hiking, we are in the mountains
- A slow drive to nowhere, thanks to the fuel price drop
Those, my friends, weren’t expensive experiences. They were memorable experiences.
While financial freedom doesn’t buy happiness, it buys you options and choices. Having the freedom to choose how you spend your time is often what brings happiness. This is the reason I preach financial independence: not riches, just enough money to enjoy and explore what the world has to offer.
If I could change one thing though, self-catering remains the ultimate freedom meal planning over a hotel buffet. It’s way better than soggy scrambled eggs in a bain-marie, which is the cost of mass production. This is when creativity and adventurous thinking become your superpower.
It takes work and effort to design the life you would want to live, not the five-star movie life that’s so superficial. The worst part? By the time I head back to work next week, my leave balance will be sitting at minus eight days. Way lower than the Drakensberg temperatures. Talk about paying for your freedom.
Since time is my biggest limitation, I invest to buy it back one hour at a time. Truth be told, if I had more leave, I could easily have extended my stay in the mountains from four days to two weeks. Imagine getting so tired of being on holiday that you would take more holiday when you get home.
Now that’s real freedom, worth every rand you earn this month. If time is that precious asset, then every amount invested is the price to purchase that valuable asset.
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