How to live like a king for very little
monofonuspress.com
monofonuspress.com
"Learn to fix things." Let's resolder my motherboard's BGA at home!
Most risible to me, though, is the comment on bicycle physique. My employer is a certified bicycle-friendly company... and based on my bicycling coworkers, if calories are not restrained, you just get muscle under fat. If you're lucky. (Also, many bicyclists will tell you that once you're at your goal weight, there isn't the delta between food costs and gas costs you were hoping to have.)
OTOH, given the all-caps and fuckety fuck fuck, it's not surprising his author page has a photo like the one at the top. http://monofonuspress.com/artists/thor-harris
Stay fit.
I go through periods of being "average" (probably significantly more than most people in the UK do). That will involve doing a little exercise all the time - cycle to work (15 mins each way - but try to get the heart rate up). Take stairs. Walk places or cycle when I can.
I have other periods where I am probably capable of running a marathon. I get out at the weekends regularly and do a long mountain bike ride, or go whitewater kayaking. I start to get annoyed when I don't get my fix. I get ill less often and the hangovers seem easier when I am in this second phase.
Eat well.
Cut out processed food. I am skinny so I never need to worry about weight (probably related to the exercise thing). Learn to cook, its fun, more interesting than watching TV, and you get something tasty at the end. Add lots of vegetables particularly colorful ones, seems to be a very simple rule to get lots of nutrients.
Try not to stress.
If it is about work, are they really paying you enough to get stressed about it? Back to point 1, getting out on a hard mountain bike ride, with some decent downhill is easily accessible for me, and is a good way of de-stressing.
Don't be overly paranoid on hygene.
I used to travel a lot (worked as a river guide), especially in less developed countries. Drinking the water in places like Mexico city is maybe a big no, but brushing your teeth with the tap water and gradually getting less worried about eating of of slightly dodgy looking street stands will build up your immune system. Admittedly I did get ill a few times, but not as often as when I did a once a year holiday to France when I was younger.
OK, most of that is anecdotal, but I have a lot less sick days than most people I see around me, and when I am fitter I seem to recover faster. Also hangovers don't seem as bad.
So, mostly, reasonable points. Worth taking a minute to think about, since our society pushes us toward wasteful spending (most advertising, many TV shows, other peoples' expectations, and so on).
I'm sure it can be proven that kids are expensive, though.