Open Source Tools

Simple Aristocrats have a thirst for knowledge that allows them more indepedence. Free is also a plus. The "open source" world offers quite a few years of learning pleasure :

• Operating System : Xubuntu (Linux)
• Office Suite : Libreoffice, a complete replacement for Microsoft's office suite
• Video Conferencing : Jitsi.org and meet.jit.si. There's also Linphone
• Phone (VoIP) : Linphone
• Live-DVD System for Private Online Research : Tails
• Payments, International and Uncensorable (and Store of Value) : Bitcoin, an alternative to banks and credit cards
• Audio Editor : Audacity
• Image Editor : Gimp
• Video editor : Openshot
• 3D Creation Suite : Blender for modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, even video editing and game creation
• Simple Software Development : Geany, a simple but powerful text editor
• Desktop Publishing : Scribus
• Vector Graphics Editor : Inkscape
• Legal Documents : Docracy
• Annotate PDFs : Xournal
• Online Marketplace : Openbazaar. Still in beta, Openbazaar is developing quickly. It wants to be a free (free, as in freedom) ebay (or amazon marketplace) replacement.
• Creating a Simple Website : : Wordpress or Jekyll
• Free Images : : A list of 45 Websites to download free stock photos

Those interested more specifically in "creative" software might benefit from this list.

The more we keep our software open source and local, the safer we are and the less vulnerable we are to data leaks and hacks.

A Simple Aristocrat takes precautions to preserve his freedom (no vendor lock-ins) and privacy. Before using an online cloud provider, make sure you have an "out" (an easy data export option). Know your exits!

Working From Home

Whenever possible, a Simple Aristocrat will choose the freedom of working from home. The advantages are just too good to pass up :

• Home office deductions (income tax)
• No commute (extra time, less chances of catching a nasty bug, less chances of accidents, tickets, less car depreciation, no parking fees, etc)
• Fewer expenses related to "keeping up with the Jones" (less perfume, fewer expensive clothes and their necessary chemical-ladden dry cleaning, etc)
• Having everything delivered (e.g. groceries) and being there to receive them
• Homeschooling / Unschooling : it at least becomes possible, if you prefer not to send your kid to those juvenile deliquent centers also known by the name of "schools"
• Extra time with your children/spouse (although, in all fairness, that might actually be considred a minus for some people)

And working from home doesn't necessarily mean only "highly-paid programmer". Depending on the laws applicable to where you live (zoning, etc), it might be possible to have a small shop/store right in your house. It might even be worth it to move somewhere where that will be possible for the type of work that interests you.

No Commuting

An entry-level Simple Aristocrat (which, unfortunately, includes "Yours truly") probably still has to work... If one must work, where should one work as a Simple Aristocrat? Commuting, obviously, is out. A Simple Aristocrat will choose to work as close as possible to where he/she lives. Commuting is for the plebs. So that leaves us with three options : 1. find/make work close to where we already live, 2. move closer to work, or 3. work from home.

MrMoneyMustache has a great article on the benefits on living close to your work and the costs (financial and personal) of commuting to work.