In the spirit of "know before you go", let's sketch some broad strokes concerning the pursuit of enhanced anonymity. Since the "how" will be covered later, consider these next few posts to be a quick overview; a way to evaluate your own circumstances and determine if this is right for you.
PRINCIPLE 1- It's Not For Everybody
Do you fully intend to remain in your current domicile? Are you committed to a person to whom a radical change in lifestyle would be unappealing? Children in public school and no intention of moving/removing them? If you've answered "yes" to any of the above, full implementation of these strategies would be difficult, if not impossible.
No matter how or where you live, a fresh change of address is mandatory to sever all links with the "old you". A lease or mortgage forever connects your name with that address-- as does the myriad of mailing lists and government databases you've become part of.
Adopting a privacy-centric lifestyle is very different than, say, starting a stamp collection, to which spousal ambivalence would present no problem. This is a major life-change affecting the entire family and requiring full-time effort. For the true believer, the privacy habit is an easy one to get into. Enhanced anonymity is a fun, interesting lifestyle, one where day-to-day social interactions are like being at a costume party full-time: The other attendees can never be sure who you really are unless you exercise your option to unmask. But a disinterested partner is likely to respond along the lines of, "Oh, come on. Who did you kill? All of this cloak and dagger stuff is silly."
Children pose significant challenges, especially considering the issue of school. Schools demand data and obsessively maintain records. Since Jimmy Carter gifted us with the Department of Education and Bush-The-Younger chimed in with "No Child Left Behind," the Federal government has become extremely interested in tracking your child, academically and otherwise. While there are workarounds to this issue, they can be cumbersome.
Although a privacy lifestyle can certainly be made to work with couples and families, it is best suited to singles--the undisputed masters of their domain. Living alone allows you to do what you want, when you want, and on your own terms. And since singles are less likely than their married counterparts to own real estate, they are usually more moveable.
Another factor involves your personal financial status. Enhanced anonymity is by no means an "on the cheap" way to live. "Going private" is akin to "going solar." In both cases you're moving off the grid (albeit very different ones) and are essentially paying more to get less. A full solar set-up typically requires a cash outlay well into five figures, all for the privilege of getting less electricity than wired homes receive for zero up-front investment.
