[ICvegan]

Originally Posted by Schousse

Intentional communities are not my cup of tea, but a self reliant lifestyle (as much as possible) is.

I do shop for my supplies at Walmart and at the farm store. But I also raise my own meat and vegetables and cook from scratch. I also re-use materials and items as much as possible.

You can do it on your own.

I AM doing it on my own as much as I can, but it's awfully lonely this way. I'd like to meet like-minded people. The people I work with tend to eat from the vending machines in the breakroom or go pick up fast food. They spend their paychecks on more clothes, bigger cars, etc. So, I have nothing in common with them. Same with the people in my apartment complex. I shop at Reasor's (spelling?) because it's within walking distance and Wal-Mart is scary in how it treats people. I cook from scratch...whole foods only. I can't raise my own veggies as I live in an apartment complex. I've always been majorly into recycling and re-using. Except for underwear and bras, I buy all my clothes at Goodwill. When I moved back, I furnished my apartment with hand-me-downs from family members, things I bought at Goodwill, thrift stores, and garage sales and things I found sitting by the dumpsters. I don't have a car. That's as much as I can do now in my present situation, but I want to do better than that. Also, I left behind my entire life in Korea and am starting over here...that includes friendships. But, it's more than just friends...I want a place where I can belong and I think I'll have the best luck in finding that in place where like-minded people live. *looks up and to the right and smiles a little with the dream of it all*

[peggydavis]

Hold on to your dreams. Maybe this would be a group to check out, but they are not an intentional community.
The New Victory Gardens - At one time urban gardens were part of a ...

Maybe you can meet some people who will want to form a new community with you.

[colleeng47]

I am so enjoying these posts because I spent a number of years living very "frugally" (buying clothes at Goodwill, making my children's clothes, cooking from scratch, etc.). We were living in Colorado at the time and on a $30,000 annual salary we saved over $11,000 one year, two adults, two children and two pets. I hope I don't come across as a little deranged, but I keep trying to impress on my children that they should become self sufficient and learn how to take care of themsevles without "society". Both my son and daughter have taken firearm training and have spent time (with a venture crew) living and surviving on the wilds. At one camp they had to catch, clean and cook their own dinners for the week. I want my son to learn how to work with his hands (which he's good at), and my daughter how to grow and preserve her own food. They laugh at me and think I'm crazy, but you never know when you have to depend upon yourself for survival. No government. No handouts. Just you. It's not so crazy when you look at the aftermath of Katrina.

I really like the idea of a whole community committed to self reliance living. Hmmm.

This is hard when you kids see all this over abundance of "stuff".

[peggydavis]

I like the idea too, and one winter about 24 years ago I practically lived on rabbits. That is fun to look back on, in a way.

I like being able to grow my own food, and I have branched out a lot in the last couple of years to new vegetables, and we could live on those and fish, deer, eggs, persimmons, blackberries, pecans, sorghum syrup, peaches etc. if we had to. I know people who lived in this area who did live with their families on what they could grow, with no electricity, and it was a pretty hard life.

I like to know how to harvest and prepare the wild foods available, because you really never do know about the future. I do a little canning and preserving too, but it is a hobby really. My kids know how to do a lot, but they would rather not. I go to the grocery store plenty, though.

I was thinking, Colleeng47, your son might want to look in to brick masonry as well as carpentry. We have plenty of bricks here for construction and after a few years as an apprentice learning the trade a guy can make pretty good money laying bricks.

TulsaVegan, have you been to the farmer's markets around Tulsa. I am sure there are some. You might find some like-minded people there too. Just think, you are saving so much money with your life style that soon you will be able to buy some land.

[Mattie Jo]

Since my Berkeley years I used to wish I lived on a commune, but then I never tried back then. And now I wouldn't because people that live that close together get into it eventually.

I would love to be able to be self-sufficient, and hopefully one day to have a veggie garden that works.

I buy a lot of my clothes at used stores and garage sales. But I also spent a lot at other places, like furniture stores and L.L. Bean, but only for items you can't get at used stores, that is, when it comes to L.L. Bean. So they don't get much out of me. Shoes I always buy new as with undergarments.

[peggydavis]

I bought all my office work clothes at the Junior League thrift store in OKC. These were clothes with very expensive labels I got dirt cheap. Many people donate their clothes that don't fit anymore to charity so it is a good way to cut down on waste.

[colleeng47]

I was thinking, Colleeng47, your son might want to look in to brick masonry as well as carpentry. We have plenty of bricks here for construction and after a few years as an apprentice learning the trade a guy can make pretty good money laying bricks.

******
I'll suggest it to him. One of the things I thought carpentry would be good for is he could one day flip houses. Out here you can make some serious money doing that. Now he's also talking about culinary -- but he never goes near the stove, so I don't get that idea. I have a plaque on my wall that says it all: "Raising teenagers is like nailing jello to a tree."

[peggydavis]

I hear you on that one.

[spark240]

Here is the way to find the intentional community that may be for you:
Communities Directory: Search

This site searches listings of more than 1,200 intentional communities in the United States (plus hundreds more in other countries). Check off the things that are important or attractive to you, leave the rest alone. Make sure you've selected the states you would consider moving to, otherwise you'll get worldwide results.

The best way to do this, if you're serious, is to choose a few places that sound attractive, get in touch with them, and arrange visits to all of them. If possible, take a long road trip in which you visit all of your possibilities in succession.

You may want to read this book before taking your tour:
Amazon.com: Finding Community: How to Join an Ecovillage or Intentional Community: Books: Diana Leafe Christian

Let me emphasize that there are ALL KINDS of communities out there. No matter what sort of person you are, unless you're just flat-out antisocial, there are communities out there of like-minded people... and there are communities out there that you would find weird or intolerable. There are genuine commie communes, if that's what you're looking for, and there are communities that are just like "typical" neighborhoods, except everybody knows each other a little better, and they have more frequent block parties. And there's lots more. You MUST read the descriptions carefully. Some of the larger or more established communities have their own websites with more detailed information, which are linked from the directory site.

Good luck.

[truepeacenik]

sorry for the necro threading, by my experience is people watch communes for a very long time.
TulsaVegan, look to Norman: there is a farm of like minded folks there.

But stay far, far away from Elohim: remember McVeigh's contacts there?