Over the past several years we have toyed with some fairly unusual ideas. I’d guess our family and acquaintances would call us weird, eccentric, off the wall, and/or crazy. (I guess biking across the USA was kind of a crazy idea.) The ironic thing is I think we are the most normal people I know. That being said I’m glad only a few of our friends follow this blog as it would be somewhat embarrassing if everyone we know knew the thoughts and actions we have on a daily basis. Hopefully the people following this blog are kind of similar to our value set and not the kind to poke fun of the weird guys. Anyways, I was thinking there is usually a conventional way people do things and unconventional ways things are done. I don’t really think the conventional way is right or wrong nor do I think the unconventional way is worse or better. I’m always very glad to hear different ideas and opinions on the way people think things should be done. Here are some thoughts and actions I’ve heard in the past little while. These are not necessarily my thoughts so don’t start throwing rocks at me for these crazy ideas.   Conventional thinking I need a good job to pay the bills Unconventional thinking If I don’t spend money I don’t need a job If I work less I’ll have less taxes and expenses and can probably get by just as well as when I work longer If I find ways to save money I won’t have to work as much I can work for myself   Conventional thinking People must plan for retirement Unconventional thinking I’m going to retire right now and worry about the future later These are the best years of my life I’m not going to waste them The earth is going to end before I get to retirement age Conventional thinking I’d like to own a big house with a white picket fence Unconventional thinking I want a small house I want a unique house My children will share bedrooms The outdoors transition area is just as important as the house I want to live in a motor home the rest of my life I’d rather rent a house than buy   Conventional thinking I will have a contractor build my house Unconventional thinking I want to build my house myself I will use local building materials I will use healthy non off-gassing materials I will have friends and family help build my house I’m going to use solar and wind as alternative electrical sources I will life off grid   Conventional thinking I need to go to the grocery store to get food Unconventional thinking I want to buy local food I will buy food in season I can grow my own food I want to know where my food comes from and how it is produced   Conventional thinking Every family needs two vehicles Unconventional thinking I can use a bike to get to work or school I can ride the bus to a neighboring city I can hitch hike   Conventional thinking My kids will go to school when they are four years old Unconventional thinking My kids will learn from me at home My kids can learn at their own pace on their own schedule Life experiences are just as important as formal education   Conventional thinking Debt is normal Unconventional thinking I will buy everything with cash I will not go into debt to buy a house I will not go into debt to buy a car I will not go into debt to get an education   Conventional thinking I need a sprinkler system for my lawn Unconventional thinking I will harvest rainwater I will use a gray water system I will grow plants that are accustomed to the local rainfall patterns   Like I said above, these are not necessarily my thoughts. We probably fall into conventional thinking just as often as unconventional thinking but I applaud anyone with the guts to go a different way. So my point in writing this is to look beyond the conventional, everybody’s doing it way. Conventionality shouldn’t dictate how you or I decide to things. But being unconventional doesn’t really mean it’s better than the conventional action. Another point. The more people do things unconventionally the more that same action becomes the norm. I suppose the best way to do things is to look at your life and determine what is best for yourself and your family no matter what everybody else is doing. I wonder what flack I’m going to get from my friends and family over this post? And no pointing fingers or throwing rocks at me the next time you see me. What other ideas do you think of when considering conventional versus unconventional thinking?