So, it has come to my attention that many, many, many, of us middle class working Americans are pretty unhappy with the way we are living our lives. Both in the jobs we have and do and in our family and home lives. I think we all fall into one of two categories. Either we want more, more, more, money, stuff, travel, house, cars... Or we are in the growing group that takes a step back, and thinks why? Why are we busting our asses in this way for all this relatively unnecessary stuff. I say relatively because, well it is, everything is relative, I think?
Now, If you could give it all up and be absolutely debt free do you think you would? And if so, what would you then need in order to sustain a reasonable, possibly happier, existence?
In my own case this leads to an unending string of questions about what you really need, what you can really do and how alienated from the rest of society you will be with each step you take away from rat race that is the norm today.
What prompts this post? I get a frantic email from my mother earlier this week about how everything sucks and we're so insane for busting our butts, chasing all these wants and needs never getting ahead never having enough. Then her proposal, that one or the other of our families sell their house and move in with the other. Pooling our resources to eliminate debt and thus reduce monetary needs of both families. So the wheels begin to turn. While that idea alone, selling one house, would produce enough money to likely pay off most of the debt for both families. And significantly reduce monetary needs. When I start to think about reducing monetary needs I think how do I eliminate trips to the store, And I'm not talking about taking a truck to town once a month and loading up. I'm talking about grown your own food, sustainable garden or small farm. That is a lot of work right? So what's wrong with spending your time working to grow you own, rather that bustling off to a job you hate everyday to earn a little money and then taking that money to the store to buy basically inferior quality foods? Sure not to bad. you could maybe even manage to stay working in the job you hate and still grow quite a bit of food at home for your family. You're going to need some money anyway right? Right! You still have property taxes, which in our town will be considerable at roughly $200/mo. Utilities, lets say $300/mo. City Water at likely $80 for the hole clan. Then you have what ever groceries that you couldn't raise, fuel and registration for vehicles, clothing, health insurance and medical bills. You get the idea, you're still going to need quite a bit of money, even without your mortgage and car payments.
So what if you take it a step further? Move away from town. Likely far away from town to get your taxes down to a manageable level. And Off the utility company's grid that is costing you so much. Now you'll have your own well or other source of water so that cost is gone too. You've eliminated or significantly reduced the costs of nearly everything in your life. But now you are going to be responsible for providing it all and keeping it working. But if you can do it, wouldn't that be great? No more JOB. OK, so you may still need some money for the stuff you just can't manage to make or grown for yourself. And are you going to buy health and life insurance? Hmm?
Just to recap this is how far down the rabbit hole I'm looking at this point.
We've sold our houses, moved far away on a larger piece of undeveloped land. And since we have no utilities we are going to build our own house. Likely an earth bermed(mostly underground) house, that is most energy efficient since you barely have to heat or cool it due to constant temp of the earth around it. Or possibly a straw bale home that is very cheap to build and very well insulated. We are responsible for powering that home so it will be built with efficiency in mind every step of the way. Powered,with solar, small wind or hydro. This means batteries and inverters and a backup generator. But it's all ours, no monthly bills, they don't own us anymore. Taxes will be very low out in the boonies on,"undeveloped land", they don't own us either. We will now have to raise/grow most of our own food that is fine there will be at least four adults and 3 to 5 children around to help with chores and gardening duties. I'm talking two or three beef steers each year maybe a couple hogs a year, chickens probably at least 12 layers and several more for meat, a few sheep for wool, maybe on dairy cow or a couple of milking goats for milk. All animals will be free ranged organically on the best grasses we can manage on our land. In the garden we will raise copious amounts of tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, peas, carrots, squash, pumpkins, peppers, and sweet corn. There will also be fruit trees; Apple, pear, cherry, peach. Grape vines, Someone is going to make his own wine or start a home brewery lol. Some one in the family will also become proficient at sewing for mending and making clothes, remember our income will be nil. Money will be very unnecessary for the most part. Lets account for what well be needing monetarily now: We'll still need some money for fuel and maintenance on a small tractor for the farm and a vehicle for that, once in a long while, trip to town for supplies that we just couldn't make, grow or do without. We'll also still have some kind of property taxes although they will be very small on our "undeveloped land". Then there is the question of insurance. In the case of life insurance I'm not sure of its utility if we are living with out debt? It's a large cost if we are not going to get any use out of it and what use is money if we are using very little of it. Health insurance on the other hand is an even larger cost but we put ourselves at great financial risk if we go without it and have an illness or accident in the family. I haven't done the math but this alone could break he hole deal. It seems likely that at least one person will have to work off the farm as source of insurance and small amount of income.
This all seems a little Walton's or Little house on the prairie to me but appealing in so many ways.
What are the chances that I would get out there and every thing set up and then the grass would look all to green back on the other side of the fence working in a boring job in town with fancy houses and cars running here and there for everything? Oh... Suck... It's a lot to think about.
Ready for more questions? So, What is the government going to have to say about all this? Ya I have no idea. But how are they going to tax a bunch of people that aren't making much money? I'm sure they are going to have something to say about it. Is there a tax form to convert each chicken and tomato into a dollar value so that they can then tax you on it?
