I used to have a 9-5, full-time job and this year I quit. The reasons I quit are somewhat complex but I think it’s fair to say that aside from getting money, it was a complete waste of time in the sense that I wasn’t learning anything I cared to learn, nor was I using any aspect of my intelligence or passion to do anything. I also felt that the whole objective of my job was mainly to keep society going as it always has been: keeping our economy growing and destroying ecosystems in the process.

I do not plan to work any 9-5 jobs or any jobs for corporations ever again. I also think more people should think about doing the same, and instead find ways to be more self-sufficient by growing your own food and doing other similar things. By doing this, you will consume less, and thereby contribute less to our consumerist, capitalistic system that is destroying the environment.

Here I’ve compiled some basic tips that you can use to get started:

1. Forget about the typical lifestyle

If you go away from the norm, you probably won’t be able to buy a house that costs half a million dollars or go on expensive vacations very often. That’s just something you have to accept if you’re going to do something different. Unless of course you’re rich, but if you are, you probably won’t care to read this article.

2. Save up some money when you are working

If you are smart, get a well-paying job for a few years and save up some cash. For better or worse, you will need some start-up money to become independent. After a few years, hopefully you’ll have enough money and then just quit.

3. Learn to do more things manually without technology

Recently, my wife and I have started to wash clothes by hand, and so there’s no need for an expensive device like a washing machine. I’ve also learned that unless you eat meat regularly, a refrigerator ins’t really necessary either.

4. Move somewhere cheap

It goes without saying that your biggest expense will be finding a place to live to call your own. Find a cheap place out of the way and buy it. Research some areas first so you’ll know how much money you’ll need, and then once you have enough, you can quit your job.

5. Find alternative sources of income

It’s difficult to find a decent, sustainable source of income. I’d recommend creating some courses on Udemy, writing some books, etc. You’ll probably still need some money to live. You will have to “work” a lot as well but unlike a 9-5 job, you can actually do something that you’re interested in instead of serving the irrelevant needs of your boss and some faceless corporation.

6. Have the goal of being self-sustainable

Your ultimate goal should be to become self-sustainable. If you grow your own food and own a small property that is mostly or completely off-grid, you won’t need much money. Find cheap hobbies and contemplate the meaning of life, while propagating ideas on how to do something different than just greasing the wheels of our consumerist society.

Keep in mind that the whole purpose of doing so is to live at peace with our biosphere and not destroy it.