Updates
Latest experiment updates.
This has been a good experiment.
I have improved a lot of core tech I use: my computer, phone, kindle, etc.
As these are daily drivers, small improvements can mean a lot.
Overall I have two big takeaways:
- Check out open source alternatives
Much of what I did on the software side was switching from closed source corporate software to open source.
I didn't do this for everything. E.g., I ended up using my MacBook with macOS for now. But for a lot of things, open source alternatives are great. Often the solutions are even better. E.g., I really enjoy Miniflux as it has the features I need and not a lot of bloat some RSS readers come with.
- Reconsider your assumptions
It's often healthy to experiment, even with things you assume are working just fine.
Jailbreaking my kindle is one such example. I enjoyed my kindle before but like it even better now that I also have the option of using KOReader alongside the normal kindle experience.
Switching from desktop to laptop with a cheap docking hub is another example. My setup is now simpler as I only have one machine.
November 2025 savings rate: 71%.
This is not accounting for pension payments that are made before I received my pay.
October 2025 savings rate: 59%.
This is not accounting for pension payments that are made before I received my pay.
Trying out Miniflux for RSS feeds.
I'm starting to have a bunch of "self hosted" apps. But I don't really have any disciplined way of running them. They are just random docker containers on my laptop. I don't think I really want or need a separate machine running my setup. But I would like to have a bit better setup so I don't delete some data by mistake or something like that.
Expense Tracking
I have tested two self-hosted apps for expense tracking/budgeting:
Both have their pros and cons and I don't think you can say one is better than the other. I think I'm going with Actual Budget for now but this is just a personal choice. If you want more options you can also check out the Budgeting tag on selfh.st.
I have decided the cancel this experiment for now.
Finding 'a home to share' made sense when my plan was to go on long trips abroad over the next couple of years. But I have changed my plans so this is no longer as relevant.
This is still something I would like to experiment with at some point. But for now it is on hold.
Original deadline: 2026-01-01
Went on a 2 day hike: 'Le Tour des Fiz'.
The weather was cloudy and rainy but I enjoyed it still. At higher elevation the rain turned to snow and covered the mountains in white. Quite technical trail at times and lots of elevation.
A good way to end my trip.
Overall it's been a good mix of time in nature and time inside reading and thinking.
I have started using metube to download and watch YouTube videos. I have tried using YouTube downloaders before but this one just makes it super simple to run everything in a docker container with a web UI.
Why do this?
A couple of reasons:
- Watch videos with no distractions. Helps me stay focused.
- No buffering issues. Watch at the highest quality even on a poor internet connection.
- Offline mode. Yesterday I watched a video while riding a bus on my way home from the Alps.
- No ads
So far the experience has been nice. Especially when traveling where I may not always have the best internet connection.
While the downloader mostly works, it has not been without hiccups. YouTube is changing constantly and so it is hard for the underlying downloader (yt-dlp) to keep up. I experienced this when the downloader suddenly stopped working and I had to wait for a fix. But hats off to yt-dlp for delivering updates quickly and doing their best to keep up with the changes.
I found metube via selfh.st. You can see other YouTube "alternatives" here.
The rain has continued. But not all is lost. I climbed a via ferrata yesterday in cloudy conditions. No great views but still a fun climb.
I've walked a bit around this cozy ski town and love it here. But today it's time to move on. I have two good days left and I want to spend them hiking and camping in the mountains.
Is the goal net worth or savings?
I have a savings goal and that is what I'm tracking. Net worth fluctuates and I have less control over that number in the short term.
Of course this means that outside factors could influence whether I have enough money or not at the end of this experiment. But I'll see at that point. For now my goal is just to save as much as I can.
Does this mean quitting work in 3,5 years?
Not necessarily. It means having a job to pay for living expenses becomes optional.
675 workdays in 3 years?
Yes. In Denmark we generally have about 250 workdays a year. With a mandatory 25 paid vacation days for all employees. Some companies have an additional 3-5 extra vacation days.
Even without the extra vacation days that would be 250 - 25 = 225 workdays a year. With full extra days it would only be 220 working days a year (which is my current situation. But I have just assumed 225 for a bit of extra buffer).
Really, the experiment is just about trying to hit my goal in 3,5 years. But 1277.5 days (3,5 * 365) just seems like a much bigger number to me. So I decided to formulate the goal in terms of days worked instead.
The 675 workdays also reflect the fact that I intend to take additional time off without pay. My goal is to work the equivalent of 3 years in 3,5 years. So I have 6 months of buffer to spread out over the 3 years.
Two days ago I climbed another via ferrata. I did it in the morning just after sunrise. Was a magical experience to be on the wall while the sun rose. I had views of the Mont Blanc mountain range while I climbed.
Other than that it has started raining quite a bit here in the Alps. Which means it is now the perfect time to slow down a bit.
I have done some smaller walks but mostly spent time in Airbnb apartments. I have moved a bit away from Mont Blanc but I'm still in the mountains. Currently in a small cozy ski town with mountain views from my apartment window.