To all would be homesteaders.....
So right now you have a great job.
And right now you live in an awesome city.
And what you are telling everyone is that you want to throw it all away to go live where????? And do what???
Okay....truthfully, everyone that knows me, at least a little, knows that I am being silly. I have my own homesteading desires and I have a thousand reasons that homesteading in a rural/semi-rural location is a great and healthy choice.
But I was listening to a nut named Paul Wheaton and he said this about his conversations with aspiring homesteaders:
- if they cut their expenses down to the bone. And if they can get a 10% raise at work....
then maybe, maaaaaaybeeee, in 15 years.... they will have enough money saved up.....to be able to buy a terrible piece of land...... AND that is just the beginning!
and ain't that the truth!???? Making the move is not an easy prospect!!! It is dang tough!
Land isn't cheap, and city life is expensive. You see good pieces of land and know you'll never be able to afford them. And you see your credit card debt or whatever, but haven't been able to be debt free inspite of your desire for 1 or 5 or 10 years now.
So! ....I am not saying it can't be done.... I am just reflecting on how "not easy" it is to do.
My wishes and hope go out to everyone on the land-buying=homesteading path. But it is going to take grit and discipline and hard work to actually get there!
Chin up! Set your mind! You CAN do it!!
Peace
Images from Pixabay unless otherwise stated!
We too would like to live more outside the city, but our jobs would not allow it....they are in two different directions, and there is no middle point that is rural.
We do plan to do a garden again this year. It has been a few years, and we miss the fresh produce.
:)
I have learned so much over the years; mostly in the last five years, about how to be more of what I want to be as a homesteader. I may not have acres and acres of land, live off-grid or even have a barn/corral full of animals, but we are doing the homesteading lifestyle our way.
Sure there are more things we want (mentioned above) but we know we have to do it in a progression stage. If we jumped in had first, we would have failed already. So slowly we are converting to where we want to be.
There's lots of deals we're seeing daily in Homepath (foreclosure properties). If we didn't have plans of leaving US we'd be investing on the acreages we found.
For example in Kentucky we found 99 acres with a nice cabin large pond and in the middle of a national forest. Price 109k that is just 1101 per acre and a house and many other improvements for free! We see deals like this all the time. Not on the west coast or east coast but in Missouri Oklahoma Kansas Kentucky. Crap you can grow hemp in Kentucky!
https://www.homes.com/property/booneville-ky-41314/id-1000071106866/
I guess the difficulty is how you can snag them with cold cash capital and not get back to being in debt...
Our property is paid for. We used no-interest credit cards to our advantage and paid our house off in 3 years. Our plan is to sell out and use that capital to invest in our farm. Then I can QUIT! Well, quit corporate work.
Homesteaders rock, we can do it!
Homesteaders do rock! I have a best friend that is doing it right now!! Not saying he is having an easy go of it, but he loves it.
Been better for the wife and kids too, much more quality family time.
Best wishes for you!
Yes, it is a challenge, but a worthwhile one.
Just need to be smart about it. Work with what you can and be flexible. Make sure your incomes are far exceding your expenditures or it will mean trouble later.
:-)
:) Thank you.
It is rewarding and we love it. Homesteading isn't easy but when all of us in the family work on it, tasks are less taxing. Correct on the quality family time! It's another opportunity to spend time with each other and have a little picnic.
I'm really hoping that crypto, STEEM especially, can help us finally reach our homesteading dreams <3 <3 <3 Best wishes @em3!
Exactly!! Same here! I been picking up a little cheap lately. Maybe by 2020 they will all have mooned and I'll be "buying the farm!" XD
Peace sister! :-)
I had planned to, but had to replace tires instead. Funny how life gets in the way of investing for our future!
What!r That never happens!
Or maybe it does.
I had had great luck with used cars until last year when both of ours quit within2 weeks.
Now that set ua back!!
Oh that sucks. Yes, stuff like that does seem to happen frequently.
Hopefully your auto situation is much better now! Used cars are definitely a better deal than brand new ones, but ever so often.....if you're not lucky, you can have big, expensive problems!
Thx
Me staying home and not working has cut our income by 50%. We have learned to be poor. Then as we ramped up our meat and egg production, built a huglekultur garden with water mitigation built in we were able to decrease our food purchasing. Water collection and make-shift water towers for animals and garden. Work, work, work in hopes to sell some eggs, produce and animals. Learning to preserve and store food for the winter. Fighting wild animals who all seem to love a good chicken dinner. Outdoor dogs for 24 hour predator watch, cats for mice control and plenty of guns for the occasional large animal. You need to be able to butcher your own animals. Learn to make your own wine. Roll your own cigarettes. Grow your own tobacco.
The list does not end. It goes on to infinity. It is the hardest job, and the most rewarding. Not for the faint of heart. Not for anyone afraid to get dirty 7 days a week with only church as a break during spring and fall seasons.
Sure was easier doing construction 6 days a week.
Haha...same!!
Poor is good. But yeah, the good life is tough!!
Thanks so much for sharing! Reality, in light of goals and noble desires, is good to see.
Peace!!
Peace! So are you ready? what we have been preparing for is right around the corner... I dont know if I am but I sure will survive one way or another...
There is so much truth to what you are saying. Matt and so feel like we have been spinning our wheels on the mud for years now. Even when you pinched pennies unforeseeable circumstances always seem to eat into your savings, or at least that's been the case for us. The journey has been challenging mentally, and emotionally .We stuck it out on the tiny house for 2 years and then swallowed our pride and moved in with my parents while we recompose and get our house built. We have learned on family and friends a lot and I am not ashamed. At one point in time communities were known to rally together, ow people keep to themselves for the most part. We hope you're doing well and continuing to pursue your dreams! -Aimee
Social support, networking, bartering and all are really important for homesteaders!
Can I say "It takes a village to grow a farm"?? XD
We had a change of 'pursuit' two years ago, and I have been making do since then. But hopefully, come June, we can reset some sights on achievable goals toward farm interaction and sustainability. Homesteading is still 5-10years away. But some small changes are hopefully coming soon!
Thanks!!
Yes! It does take a village to grow a farm. We've gotten help with acquiring land, places to stay, help with the kids and will be getting help with land development too.
I am glad you're not discouraged with the change of pursuit or the time frame in which your goals will take. Everything is taking us longer than we expected and we know that establishing orchards, swales, gardens, etc... is going to take time too. You are not alone!
Hopefully, you will be chronicling your journey here on Steemit. We'll be your cheerleaders!
-Aimee
Matt here, Aimee commented already :)
Yeah man, it is damn hard. We have had to cut to the bone and work hard to make it happen. We still had to borrow a bit but are going to pay it off as fast as we can. I think there are a lot of people that want this lifestyle but getting it is a really difficult so it remains a pipe dream.
All I know is standing in the forest makes me happy. Living next to and tending one will be worth the sacrifice.
Great post, thanks for giving everyone encouragement.
We all deserve to be homesteading! No one deserves to suffer this city life.
Lol. But there are masichists out there!
A friend with a cottage in the country would be a step in the right direction, in the least, right?!?
Peace
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