Quote:
Originally Posted by kirkmcquest
True. But it also helps to reaffirm my choice to do this. I got some criticism and some odd comments and looks from friends and family when I decided to quit my old life and 'homestead/farm". Maybe its wrong, but it does make me feel good to know that I might have made the right choice ECONOMICALLY.
Let's face it, most people aren't seeing their paychecks go up (if they have one at all) but the cost of living is, and they are totally at the mercy of whatever happens. It gives me a sense of control to know that I am not totally at the mercy of market whims, whether real or manufactured.
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DH and I put the "pedal to the metal" almost 3 years ago, to get our homestead up to our standards. Yes, we are still at it, improving it every chance we get. Now that said, I agree with you, feel our choice to cut back every possible way we have and are continuing to, has paid off HUGE for us.
We pay ZERO to heat our home
We pay ZERO to dry our clothing
We pay ZERO to heat our water for most of the year
We pay ZERO to heat up our food/cook if we choose
We grow enough fruit/veggies to feed us year around
We hunt, fish, clam, go crabbing, shrimping, and stock up when good quality meat is on sale. We dehydrate, blanch/seal, and will be ramping that up even more. Our goal is to go off-grid, working on that... We are going to get goats for milk, too. I will get my root cellar this year, too.
DH designed and built an industrial log splitter, a wood stove (heats our water, clothes dry on suspended steel rack he built, you can cook on it, too). Our garden is now much larger, more fruit trees, more berry bushes, and the list goes on. We can log our own trees and also get FREE wood.
But, point is, all that would be hard to accomplish in a short period of time, but it could be done if someone had the time and resources to do it. Problem is, those starting out, need to be encouraged that their efforts will pay off, and continue to strive to become more self-sufficient. I want to encourage others to start! Not discourage those who have been working for years to save the money to buy property and are about to do just that.
Yes, people do feel downtrodden when their income drops. We are self employed and our income is less than 25% of what it was two short years ago. Fortunately, we can live on a lot less money now, too.
Family, LOL!!! DH has a few family members who laugh at us, think we are living a "hick" lifestyle, but recently one of them said, "Well, if the going gets tough, we know where we are going." Hmmm, DH has a few words about that...about them living in one of the garden sheds and W O R K I N G for their food. If the SHTF where they are?
They won't be able to get here! None of these people are prepared for even a week without power:baby04: Us, we are prepared for six months or even more. Soon, we will be prepared for a year, and then, hopefully off grid.
