All In!!, What made you finally Quit ????

Muleman · #1 04/26/14, 12:30 PM

So I assume everyone here is at some point along their path to building their own idea of a homestead. Maybe some are only sitting in your little cubicle daydreaming and planning, and there are no doubt others who are already living the dream and have cut all ties to the corporate world. So, what was the trigger, or what will be the trigger??? If you have already made the switch, what was the turning point?? Did you just wake up one day and say NO MORE!! Or did you follow a long, well thought out plan?? If you had a plan, what was the last piece of the puzzle??
For those who have not made the switch yet?? What are you waiting for?? What is it you think you need in order to make the switch to full time Homesteader, making your living from your own little (or Big) Homesteading operation.

PricklyThistle · #2 04/26/14, 03:53 PM

I was raised in rural area but very much in the mainstream world and very connected with it in a "I can't get out if I wanted to" sort of way. The day came that set me free of that, thank God, but that meant leaving everything: family, money, friends and security. I ended up on the other side of how the grid works. Flat broke and stuck in the city in a part of the world I knew little about. Horrid. I hate both the top and the bottom of the pyramid. Seriously it was only faith and prayers that got me where I wanted to be: living a simple life doing what I believe human beings are meant to do - farming.

The turning point was coming to understand how this world really works as opposed to how we're told it does. "It" can leave me alone now. I'm finished with it.

I can't say I had a real plan because I had nothing to make a plan with. Just a desire and a prayer. I waited several years for the answer.

Muleman · #3 04/26/14, 04:33 PM

I think I can honestly say if i was not married. I would not be doing the job I am doing today. I do not mean that in a bad way, just that I feel a sense of duty to provide for my family that I would not feel for myself. I have seriously considered quitting over the last several years. However, at this point in our life, it would mean giving up on some of the long term plans we have made and are making. I do have a plan and am working toward that plan for making a living at home on my own terms, through my own talents. My current job keeps me away from home 6 months out of the year, but it is also allowing me to build the infrastructure for some farming and home based business incomes at a more rapid pace than if I tried to do it on my home income alone. I am very hopeful in the next 4 to 5 years to be 100% done with working for someone else.
But who knows, I have quit other jobs before, when "the time was right", I have always known it. I have walked away with bills to pay and no idea of my next job and we have always came out ok.
I have told the story before of when I was in Wyoming, and at the time I was driving truck "Owned my own truck and had payments on it" I called my wife and told her "I just quit my job I am heading home will be there in a few days". People always ask, "Well, what did your wife say about it??", she just said "OK, see you when you get home". She has always had faith in me to make the right decisions, sure makes a difference when you know you have someone who will always be there along side you regardless of the situation. I sure look forward to the day we are both home all the time working together. Until then, I just try to stay the course and keep trying to stick to one plan, but is sure seems like it takes longer than we expect to get it to all come together as we plan??

PricklyThistle · #4 04/26/14, 04:40 PM

I can understand feeling a duty to provide and I'm sure that being married would have had a huge impact on some of my decisions if I were. I have to wonder, though, how much can we really count on future plans we make within the system that's now in place? I'm not sure at all that this way of life we're all so use to will be here much longer.

You're blessed with a wife that trusts your decisions. That's a very good thing

I waited what felt like an eternity for what I wanted. Keep moving forward, it's the best hard work you'll ever love.

1shotwade · #5 04/26/14, 04:46 PM

Mine came when for the 3rd time I had a boss that told me they were changing my position from salary with a 17% retirement kick by the company to an hourly pay rate 4 steps below what I was making and would be kicked out of that retirement system and into a 3% retirement kick in by the company.This was identical to what happened in my last position to the penny. After giving these 2 companies 26 years of service in an administrative position they both did the same thing to me.The only reason I went to work for either of them was the 17% retirement kick in and both of them kicked me out before I could lock in the retirement benefits.2 previous employers have done similar things so I got fed up with employers and bailed out,retiring on my own savings until I could get on SS.
That's what got me to the point I am with "homesteading" if you want to call it that. I merely call it "subsistence farming"!
It's pretty rough on your ego to be in charge of a 7 million dollar construction project one year and relegated to picking up garbage the next year.(With ALL exceptional reviews to by the way!)
Well,that's my story! Now I'm ticked off again just thinking aboutit!

Wade

farmerted · #6 04/26/14, 05:10 PM

Craigslist, and having mastered a useful fairly unique skill, plaster repair, that could pay the bills. Lately though everyone on there is in a race to the bottom, 'I will charge less than anybody', it's killing me. I also had my truck paid off and zero credit card debt, well I did.

FarmboyBill · #7 04/26/14, 05:40 PM

I had a long term plan. Stay safe and alive till I turned 62, but get a ailment that would put me on full disability without hindering me much. Made it.

Tricky Grama · #8 04/27/14, 06:49 AM

We went he opposite way, sorta.
Bought 20 ac 12 yrs ago w/idea of building & living there. Its an hr N of us, we're in a n. Dallas suburb.
Loved it for nearly all that time but everything broke ALL the time. Tractor, golf cart, riding mower, etc. DH couldn't take it. So we still have it & after all that time of clearing brush, having a shed build w/porch, etc, to house implements, we hardly ever go there anymore.

Bubbas Boys · #9 04/27/14, 07:34 AM

I decided that meat manager at a big corp grocery chain was not for me. Crazy how different it has than my little IGA I learned at. After that with my wifes ok, I went back to my roots of construction and it has never been better. Little scary at first working for myself and wondering when the phone would ring but feelin great now. As far as the homesteading part of it, I would have to say this forum and all the great people here. We always wanted to build on this family land but our vision and "style" took a huge turn when my wife and I started reading on here. We can say now that we have our dream life and property. Still in the works but could not be happier!!

Gravytrain · #10 04/27/14, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FarmboyBill

I had a long term plan. Stay safe and alive till I turned 62, but get a ailment that would put me on full disability without hindering me much. Made it.

Wow! That's quite a plan...

PricklyThistle · #11 04/27/14, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tricky Grama

We went he opposite way, sorta.
Bought 20 ac 12 yrs ago w/idea of building & living there. Its an hr N of us, we're in a n. Dallas suburb.
Loved it for nearly all that time but everything broke ALL the time. Tractor, golf cart, riding mower, etc. DH couldn't take it. So we still have it & after all that time of clearing brush, having a shed build w/porch, etc, to house implements, we hardly ever go there anymore.

I don't even have anything to break, haha. I was reduced, from the start, to doing everything the hard way. I've had to cut small trees with a hatchet for fence posts, saw firewood with a handsaw and transport everything in a wheelbarrow. It gets frustrating at times because it's all slow going but I guess, at least I can count on my shovel not needing any expensive repairs. Just hope I don't break down.

Jan in CO · #12 04/27/14, 04:47 PM

We lived the 'other life' for a while, til hubby had to retire from the Air Force. He planned on flying for the airlines, but had been out of flying for too long, and the fuel crunch was on, so he either had to refresh his training with no assurance of being hired, or give that up. I was working, but not at a job I liked. We had bought a home before retirement in the city. A patient offered me a free horse, which we had to pay to stable, then we bought another horse....the search for property was on. Realtor called with this property, a definite fixer upper, so we sunk all our savings for retirement into this, and started working on it.

Soon I could see that dh coming out here to work alone wasn't going to be feasible. There was SO much to do, and most of it required two people or more. We bit the bullet and moved out here, fixing as we went. Eventually I ended up quitting that job and moving to a closer one, but had to leave that after a couple years to raise our granddaughter. We're still working on things, but have come a long way. We don't have much money, but have good neighbors who loan their equipment and borrow ours. We just do things as we can afford to, and live with some things. Learning more each year. It was REALLY scary to go from two incomes to only one person's retirement income. REALLY. But you learn to economize, and hope your gardens and animals produce every year.

We had saved all my income from a good job I had when we lived in Hawaii, thinking we'd sink it into our retirment home. IRS foiled that plan and we had to pay it ALL one year because we had depreciated a home we rented over the years, but not enough to break even. Sold the house and had to pay all that back. Lucky we had it, or we'd really been in a spot. We came here and used our mutual funds investiments to work on the house, build a barn and garage/workshop, new windows, siding and roofing for the house, and paid off the vehicles. If we'd kept the mutual funds, we'd have lost all of it in the crash after 9/11. Glad we did what we did.

We don't have good soil, but we're working on it. There aren't jobs out where we live, although dh found one for a while with a trash hauling company and the extra money helped for a bit. We keep our bills paid off and don't over extend on toys or electronics, etc. It's a good life, but not the one either of us planned on having when we retired!

Danaus29 · #13 04/27/14, 06:46 PM

I need 4 more soc sec credits. Once that is done I'll probably quit. I'm always too tired and sore to do much of anything at home. Dh will never be able to retire. He would drive me crazy and he likes to spend money too much to be able to retire.

Silvercreek Farmer · #14 04/27/14, 07:03 PM

When I have enough to live off of without having to worry about living off the homestead! No kidding, having live off the homestead would worry me to death, between the coyotes, hawks, foxes, wild dogs, groundhogs, rabbits, coons, voles, bean beetles, Japanese beetles, potato beetles, squash bugs, June bugs, weevils, borers, fungi, blights, wilts and whatever else destroys my harvest, I am nowhere close to providing enough food for the family, much less enough to sell and pay the bills. But, it sure is fun!

Oh yeah, I forgot about late frosts!

where I want to · #15 04/27/14, 07:12 PM

My sister, who was a year older than me, suddenly died, as she was starting to plan for retirement. She never got any time for her plans.

Vosey · #16 04/27/14, 07:29 PM

We're only half in. I work for a non-profit organization, much more rewarding than being a rat on a wheel in a corporation. I now make enough that DH doesn't have to work, which is good as there are no jobs out here for him. It's a great gift to be able to give him. He loves to grow things and work on our land. I try to put up lots of food every weekend as we make steps towards being self-sufficient.

But I don't want to work forever, and honestly, it's really hard to go to work every Monday! I hope to go to part time in 5 years (early to mid-50's). I am very aware how many people die suddenly over 50 or get cancer, life can just be too short. We also need to decide around then if this is where we're going to stay, move back to Maine or go to Idaho near my sister.

So it's a loose plan. The last step for awhile will be my working part time as I don't see us making money from our homestead, it's just not in our personalities.

oneraddad · #17 04/27/14, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FarmboyBill

I had a long term plan. Stay safe and alive till I turned 62, but get a ailment that would put me on full disability without hindering me much. Made it.

So you are one of those that have learned to milk the system ?

gweny · #18 04/28/14, 01:13 AM

I waiting for my 30 years working for the railroad so I can get that infamous 'railroad retirement'

Westexas · #19 04/28/14, 06:36 AM

I have wanted to live in the country since childhood, having escaped from a large city every summer to my grandparent's farm in the beautiful Missouri Ozarks. God had other plans, as he has shown me many times, and I feel my patience has been richly rewarded at age 58. When my plans were not in line with His, obstacles would arise one after the other and it would eventually take much longer than if I had just allowed His will to prevail. It is the epitome of "go with the flow", and I get better at it all the time, but have a long way to go yet. Learn to listen for His voice - your heart will know it - and be PATIENT!!! We always want what we want on our timetable, but He will lovingly guide us on the path that is BEST for our soul and ultimate happiness and peace. (Can you tell I just got back from a mission trip to Mexico?!). I try not to worry about the future, and it is easy when I marvel at how he has shaped my life - with sorrows and triumphs both - into the wonderfully complex tapestry that it is. Give your dreams to God and trust that when the time to harvest them is right you will be overjoyed with the results.

jersey girl · #20 04/28/14, 07:04 AM

We did it one at a time. My husband quit his job first, because he could do more of what farm work was needed at the time. (barn building, fencing) He got our businesses started and was not doing bad, but not enough for me to quit. within a few years, we were at the point of no return, couldn't build the business any more without me home, but still needed some income from my job. (we were debt free which helped) While we were trying to figure life out, my company offered a buyout. I could quit with a lump sum of money, and a paycheck for one full year after I quit. We took that and ran. Never looked back. We now live completely off of
our farm businesses.