Any *TOTAL* Homesteaders out there?

[Matt B]

Anyone cut off from the grid, skirted the "system" and living completely on their own means? I'm sure everyone here must have some kind of "regular" job to pay for electricity for their computers. But does anyone know of anyone that is living a completely Self Sustaining life? If so can you share any details?

[canadiangirl]

hmmm *TOTAL*- kind of a strange concept. I'm kind of funny, I don't think of myself as a homesteader, but as a manager of resources. We run our property like a business. We are not off grid but neither do we have a "regular job" to pay for our electricity and we do have some alternative energy projects ( 3 wind generators and some solar and heat with wood). We are self employed and work out of our home plus what we take to the farmer's market and to me that is the most "self-sustaining" thing we do. Somewhere along the way you need $ to pay for what ever you need it for, whether it is electricity or internet providers or medical bills or canning lids or deep cell batteries or whatever. Self sustaining to me is that I can repeat it. So far so good, we work at home to pay for all these things and use our resources here to help with (subsidize)that (gardens, animals, wood). I think that would be as close as I could come to being a *TOTAL* homesteader.

[ErinP]

So far as making a self-supporting living, just off one's land, I'm going to guess those folks are few and far between and always have been.

My perspective from history:
In Nebraska, the Homestead Act settled the vast majority of my state and the prarie states around us. 160 acres. At least half of those never proved up, or proved up and sold it.
Even in those days, it was extremely hard to make a living on 160 acres. The rest of the state (the Sandhills, primarily) was never even tried for Homestead, instead it was settled under the Kinkaid Act. Same principle, but you received 640 acres. A full section.
Same problem, sub standard land meant that even a full section was often not enough to make a living on. Even when the initial land cost was free!

Modern homesteaders don't even have the break of starting with free land. And usually they're on considerably smaller parcels. Diversification, thinking outside the box (like alternative energy as canadiangirl has done) and more than a little luck and I think it's probably possible to be self-sufficient.

But I think far more likely is that a part-time job or some sort of non self-sufficient income will be in the picture somewhere...

[RiverPines]

I dont see how its even possible in some areas with all the codes and legal bull.

IMO society looks down on people not living modern lifestyles. As if there is something wrong with them, seems to be the idea.

And I am talking about self providing, not having a bunch of money and 'buying' the self sufficiency. Buying solar panels that cost a ton doesn't mean self anything to me.

[Beaners]

I would love to know what people do about taxes. That is the one sticking point every time my husband and I try to map things out. This state and especially this town has HIGH property taxes, but even in other areas of the country there are some taxes.

The town won't barter for the taxes, so what do people do? I would imagine you would either need investment income or you would have to sell something for cash to pay taxes.

Kayleigh

[ErinP]

You don't have to pay taxes, ya know... Some good friends of DH's growing up were tax evaders. Everyone knew it.
They lived their lives quietly, paid cash for absolutely everything. Bought homes (with cash), fixed them up and sold them to make money. They were usually only a step or two ahead of the feds.
I wouldn't want to live my life like that, but I do know it's possible...

[RiverPines]

Originally Posted by ErinP

You don't have to pay taxes, ya know... Some good friends of DH's growing up were tax evaders. Everyone knew it.
They lived their lives quietly, paid cash for absolutely everything. Bought homes (with cash), fixed them up and sold them to make money. They were usually only a step or two ahead of the feds.
I wouldn't want to live my life like that, but I do know it's possible...

Cant skip property taxes here no matter how you buy property. The tax goes to the property no matter who owns it and in order to own it you have to have a deed. So there is no way to avoid property taxes here.

[Jerngen]

There's a site by an Alaskan couple who live out in the bush and live a totally self sustaining lifestyle with the exception that he is a hunting guide for part of the year to pay for things they can't produce. I have it in my favorites somewhere...... perhaps someone else here will find it before I do

(no taxes out there)

[wstevenl]

Originally Posted by ErinP

Even in those days, it was extremely hard to make a living on 160 acres. The rest of the state (the Sandhills, primarily) was never even tried for Homestead, instead it was settled under the Kinkaid Act. Same principle, but you received 640 acres. A full section.
Same problem, sub standard land meant that even a full section was often not enough to make a living on. Even when the initial land cost was free!

My grandfather (I'm 26 to give you an idea of when I mean) had a third of his father's land. The original land was 300 acres. My grandfather had 100 acres and rented half of his sisters. So, off of 150 acres he made enough to support his family with 4 kids. They primarily farmed row crops but always had chickens, and raised hogs for some period of time, and always had a garden. My grandpa never had a town job, and although my grandmother took some college, I don't believe she ever had a job either. Would you not consider farming for cash homesteading?? The big thing for me is that no one had to sign his checks each week, he provided for himself.

[ErinP]

I repeat:

My perspective from history:
In Nebraska...

because in my state, 150(160) acres has never been a whole lot. Especially the further west you go.
However, I also said: "it was extremely hard to make a living" & "that even a full section was often not enough to make a living on"

Nowhere did I say it was impossible. Especially if you live somewhere where it rains more than it does out here.


PS: I also said:

But I think far more likely is that a part-time job or some sort of non self-sufficient income will be in the picture somewhere...

Because one can always come up with some sort of self-employment to supplement self-sufficiency.
(I personally don't think of self-employment as self-sufficient necessarily, since more likely than not you're going to need plenty of input that has nothing to do with what you yourself can grow/create/etc.)

[canadiangirl]

Originally Posted by RiverPines

And I am talking about self providing, not having a bunch of money and 'buying' the self sufficiency. Buying solar panels that cost a ton doesn't mean self anything to me.

For starters if you provide the $ to buy things to help be more self- sustaining fine with me. My dh is building these items from parts. We bought the cells and are soldering them individually ourselves. We still had to buy the wire and cells and plywood. He does have an electronics background but is still finding some things need experimenting with mo clear directions on how to do these things available. He is blogging it a little bit here.

http://http://blog.mygreenworkshop.com

[bajiay]

I have some friends that live in the west that live completely off of the grid. They have 15 acres that they bought when they sold their house like 20 yrs ago. Their water comes from a creek, light from oil lamps and candles, heat from wood. Grow all of their food. Built a greenhouse for winter months. They both do odd jobs for people and get a long just great. They love their life. I have never been to their place but would love to go there some day so I could learn a few things.

[colemank]

Jerngen, I would be interested in the link to the Alaskan couple's website. Sounds like interesting reading.

[Matt B]

I guess I should of said "Any *TOTALLY* self-sufficient people out there?" instead of Homesteaders. I'm still trying to define what Homesteading means and it appears, from what I've read, to have several varying degrees of meaning.

[Betho]

Well, I imagine someone who is as self-sustaining as possible means not much cash money coming in, in terms of they just provide their own needs for themselves or by barter. My internet costs me about $30/month, and I think if I lived a life that was completely or even 99% self-sustaining, I wouldn't be spending $30/month on internet, so you probably won't find them a lot here on HT. However, I'm sure they are out there

[Shrek]

If you dont grow your own toilet paper, ya ain't totally an off grid homesteader and if ya are, you probably smell bad and have a itchy hiney .

This is as funny as the thread that gets posted every year or so where someone asks "How many are living as folks did 200 years ago?" and I get to say "weellllll lets see, first off we can eliminate anyone using internet connection..."

Seriously , about 80% self reliancy is about the maximum anyone can achieve. Even the pioneers and American indians traded outside their isolated communities when they could and the Amish and Mennonites today trade their goods and services to the technologically up to date society.

[Beaners]

Originally Posted by Shrek

Seriously , about 80% self reliancy is about the maximum anyone can achieve. Even the pioneers and American indians traded outside their isolated communities when they could and the Amish and Mennonites today trade their goods and services to the technologically up to date society.

I've been rereading my old "Little House" books, and I was noticing that they bought quite a few things that I didn't remember.

So has anyone found a solution for taxes yet?

Kayleigh

[BaronsMom]

would *total* homesteaders be on the internet??? I think if you've got access to the internet you are not even close to being 80% total homesteader....

If living off the grid and totally basic - and I wanted to splurge - I'd get real toilet paper before getting an internet connection...

[whocares]

Why could you not do it if you had an income like social security? Thats what we plan to use in 10 years when Hubby retires, he should get a good amount per month, not enough to live on, so thats why we plan on living off our land...

[akhomesteader]

Originally Posted by Jerngen

There's a site by an Alaskan couple who live out in the bush and live a totally self sustaining lifestyle with the exception that he is a hunting guide for part of the year to pay for things they can't produce. I have it in my favorites somewhere...... perhaps someone else here will find it before I do

(no taxes out there)

Frontier Freedom

no taxes out there

I wish