# How much will it cost me to get you to abandon your real life forever? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 26, 2010, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-will-it-cost-me-to-get-you-to-abandon-your-real-life-forever/562020 "2010-11-26T23:16:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![fuzzypickles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9d8465/32.png) [@fuzzypickles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuzzypickles)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-will-it-cost-me-to-get-you-to-abandon-your-real-life-forever/562020/61 "2010-11-27T22:29:07Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Of course we’re not offering to drop you in Cambodia with pants & no cash. No one useful to our side is taking that offer. Location does matter, though. I’m fine with an isolated Caribbean island, or even a shack in the D.R. Congo (assuming you provide enough security & supplies to maintain a developed-world standard of living) but I don’t want to go any place that’s cold. What about personal possessions? Can I take my stuff with me, and if so, how much? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-will-it-cost-me-to-get-you-to-abandon-your-real-life-forever/562020/62 "2010-11-28T00:14:53Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Oh, I’m certain of that, but I also expect there will be surprises. When I started the thread on being isolated from all human contact for a year, I was shocked that anybody was willing to do it at all, whereas I think over half were willing to do it. I once asked people if they would be willing to sell a year of their life for a million dollars. I wouldn’t have been surprised if nobody had said yes. But not only did a lot of people say yes, many were willing to sell several years or take less money if necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-will-it-cost-me-to-get-you-to-abandon-your-real-life-forever/562020/63 "2010-11-28T02:25:22Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Though I will need to consult with Siam Sam about rental costs of Thai bar girls before I can be firm on that price. I’m thinking a 5 year Far East sex tour sounds real good about now. I get you special deal. Special plice for you because you handsome man. As for me, hmmm. Would Hawaii count? I am not fluent in Hawaiian, which is technically the native language there. I’ve lived in Honolulu, but I could hang on Kauai or the the Big Island for a while. Would miss the wife though. I’d say a billion dollars, unless she sees this, in which case the answer is no amount of money would make me do it. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-will-it-cost-me-to-get-you-to-abandon-your-real-life-forever/562020/64 "2010-11-28T03:11:58Z")
Wow it would need to be in the 10’s of millions but I think my husband would understand. I do have to insist however on somewhere warm - Greece would fit the requirements of the OP for me. That’s going to be one heck of a goodbye note. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-will-it-cost-me-to-get-you-to-abandon-your-real-life-forever/562020/65 "2010-11-28T05:44:48Z")
My buy now price would be $75,000,000.00, but I would be open to negotiation. Once the money is deposited I will be in Chile within the week. They have an area with a nice Mediterranean climate, so I’ll go and buy a vineyard and start making wine. On the plus side, there is at least one ski resort in the country. ---
**Author:** ![Gleena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-will-it-cost-me-to-get-you-to-abandon-your-real-life-forever/562020/66 "2010-11-28T05:57:01Z")
15 years ago I would have been cheap! It would have been an adventure! Now? Not for all the money in any currency anywhere. My life is covered in awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Enuma\_Elish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5e9695/32.png) [@Enuma\_Elish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enuma_Elish)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-will-it-cost-me-to-get-you-to-abandon-your-real-life-forever/562020/67 "2010-11-28T06:04:58Z")
I just had a good Thanksgiving at my brother’s house where my 3-year old grand-neice actually acknowledged my existance. Why couldn’t you have asked this question last week? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-will-it-cost-me-to-get-you-to-abandon-your-real-life-forever/562020/68 "2010-11-28T06:10:15Z")
I still think that “forever” vs. “five years,” and what that means for family contact/gathering, makes all the difference. Do I get to visit them at all? Only after five years? Vice versa? Can I ever move from the initially chosen place? How far do I get to take the post five year contact, if I do indeed have to stay away “forever”? ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-will-it-cost-me-to-get-you-to-abandon-your-real-life-forever/562020/69 "2010-11-28T07:07:46Z")
This is a really tough one. I don’t have kids or a wife but I’m not very social and don’t make friends easily so the loneliness is going to cost ya. Not having contact with family would be absolutely agonizing though, especially since my grandparents are at the age where that would likely end up being our final goodbyes. ☹ The guilt of abandoning them for money would likely haunt me to my grave. Let me keep in touch with my family and come home once a year, I’d do it for a decent job and $20,000 in moving expenses. ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-will-it-cost-me-to-get-you-to-abandon-your-real-life-forever/562020/70 "2010-11-28T08:03:03Z")
Forever? No, can’t do it. If there was some kind of time limit maybe, but even if I was eventually allowed to email family and friends, never being able to see them again for the rest of my life is too much. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-will-it-cost-me-to-get-you-to-abandon-your-real-life-forever/562020/71 "2010-11-28T20:30:08Z")
Money just isn’t worth that much to me. No sale. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-will-it-cost-me-to-get-you-to-abandon-your-real-life-forever/562020/72 "2010-11-28T20:39:22Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Money just isn’t worth that much to me. No sale. :mad: You refuse to lie, murder, or be greedy. Can’t you do SOMETHING to make your damnation easier to arrange? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-will-it-cost-me-to-get-you-to-abandon-your-real-life-forever/562020/73 "2010-11-28T22:23:43Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > :mad: > > You refuse to lie, murder, or be greedy. Can’t you do SOMETHING to make your damnation easier to arrange? Oh, honey. Aren’t the apostasy and fornication enough? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-will-it-cost-me-to-get-you-to-abandon-your-real-life-forever/562020/74 "2010-11-28T22:27:48Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Oh, honey. Aren’t the apostasy and fornication enough? The management in the Other Place is far more open-minded than you may have been led to believe. The Lion doesn’t actually care about being worshipped or given offerings, and as for the fornication issues, the current policy appears to be that genitals are there for a reason. You have to do some actual evil stuff. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2010, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-will-it-cost-me-to-get-you-to-abandon-your-real-life-forever/562020/75 "2010-11-29T01:09:28Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Money just isn’t worth that much to me. No sale. Who’s doing it for the money? It’d be a great personal growth experience. It’d just really screw with my life. The trick is that money can generally be exchanged for intangibles as well as tangibles. Like time. If you can’t do something, you can give money to people who can do it for you. More people, you can get things done faster. I learned this when I had 15 days to move out of an apartment. In this case, money would be exchanged to rebuild my life _after_ the personal growth experience. Maybe with a little something extra, like enough to take care of my parents in their dotage. But don’t look at me, I been listening to the Lady with the Owl longer than Skald has. Well. And the Lady with the Apple. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-will-it-cost-me-to-get-you-to-abandon-your-real-life-forever/562020/76 "2010-11-29T01:24:44Z")
I can’t imagine doing that for any amount of money. Leave my SO and family and friends for 5 years with no contact? No way. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2010, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-will-it-cost-me-to-get-you-to-abandon-your-real-life-forever/562020/77 "2010-11-29T01:45:58Z")
Money can also be used for improving/changing/modifying oneself while you are on that 5 years of secrecy. Hm, in 5 years you could get a bachelors degree in something, or continue your education and get a masters, or even a doctorate if you already have your masters. You could have a sex change operation, depending on how long the program requires you to go to a shrink. You could check yourself into rehab and quit smoking/heroin/overeating. You could check into an in-patient weight loss/behavior modification program. Buy a full set of gym equipment and hire a personal trainer and personal chef and sculpt yourself. Learn the language of your choice by a combination of personal tutor and moving to the country in question. Though some languages/country combinations might be a bit dangerous like tibetan … Move to Japan and get a yakuza style full body tattoo done [ouchies] ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2010, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-will-it-cost-me-to-get-you-to-abandon-your-real-life-forever/562020/78 "2010-11-29T02:12:48Z")
To be clear on a few points: Is the money paid up front, at the end, or in amortized payments? And is it paid to the deal-taker, the deal-taker’s family, or some combination? Also, when you say that if we have a farewell, we must explain the situation, is it enough to say that someone offered us a deal that would involve being out of contact for years but which would pay X amount, or do we have to specify that the deal was offered by gentlemen from a plane in the ventral position? And others have already asked, but what happens when the five years are up? Is one allowed to move back home, or move one’s family to the new location? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-will-it-cost-me-to-get-you-to-abandon-your-real-life-forever/562020.md?page=3)