I think every bit of advice here is good, but it might at least be worth mentioning that there are simple living people who are non-traditional. Some live in tiny homes, boats, or mobile trailers to reduce housing costs or allow travel or to follow their bliss. There's even a guy in Utah who lives in a cave and doesn't believe in money and has a book written about him. I have a friend who has made money dumpster diving and selling reusable items on ebay or garage sales, and another who built a straw bale house in the country and does odd jobs for a small income.

The model for some of these folks came from the Scott and Helen Nearing books that were popular a couple of decades ago and focused on self sufficiency and a rewarding life without working traditional jobs. The inspiration for a lot of us here in the forums has been "Your Money or Your Life" by Vicki Robin which has been recently updated. Either might be interesting reading for you.