Here are my stats for Austin, TX for the past three years. Just sharing that life can be really good here in Austin, and that there's no magic involved in worki

Here are my stats for Austin, TX for the past three years. Just sharing that life can be really good here in Austin, and that there's no magic involved in working less. There's no "hack", you just have to have a valuable skill that you are able to charge a high hourly rate for (programming, accounting, lawyer, therapist). My wife is a speech therapist and I am a programmer. So my suggestions: live in a city that costs less money, see if you can live without a fancy car or smart phone, and find a good partner. rent - wife pays $450, I pay $450 For this amount in Texas, you get a duplex with backyard in a nice neighborhood, a coffee shop and bus stop around the corner, 2 bedrooms, a garage, and 1200 square feet. utilities - 150 student loan - 100 monthly unlimited bus pass - $25 (used to be $10 until recently) shared office in downtown austin - $150 (optional, but has already paid for itself many times over due to bringing in extra work) t-mobile prepaid phone - $100 per 1000 minutes, refill this every 4 months or so. food costs - never calculated insurance - on my wife's