I mean I'm all for living within your means and planning and frugality but seriously, don't eat out except for the cheapest fast food around? That's the wrong way to go about it. Upgrade your cash flow, not downgrade your life.
My read is completely opposite, he is sacrificing free time and freedom in order to obtain cash-flow. Specifically he is constraining himself to living within 10 miles of employement, and spend 2x as much time commuting to bicycle to work than take a car. He suggests spending time shopping, cooking, and cleaning to eating out (perhaps 2x the time of eating out, 10x time of fast food).
As with you I really can't argue that this is a wrong choice, but I will argue that this is not an honest argument. The cost of his frugality, in terms of time, is something never mentioned throughout the article.
I'd say those are more of a lifestyle choice than a sacrifice. He's prioritized free time and freedom to enable that lifestyle. It may look like a sacrifice to some but it's part of happiness for others.
Yes, but on the other side, that "decent job" would (probably) significantly reduce the free time he can commit to photography. As one famous writer (or was it a philosopher?) once said that he don't have time to make money. ;-)
I’ve been talking to a friend of mine
He says making money’s just a waste of time
He’s a lazy gent, he don’t pay no rent
He’s all bent out of shape from living in a tent
...
One for a nickel and two for a dime
Time may be money but your money won’t buy time the sun on the moon, the sun on the moon
the sun on the moon makes a mighty nice light
the sun on the moon my man,
ooo, bow wow wow, honk your horn