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For all of you who prefer to live in selecued areas, what is your line of work?
Do you commute? If yes, what type of commute (highways, town-to-town, etc), and how far? Or do you have another residence used only for work?
Education level, and requirements?
For those don't mind; your salary.
I'm trying to gather information on how people hide out in the wild and hold jobs! See my other thread entitled "Converting to rural life how-to" [followed up] as it is one big thing I need to know if I am to live the rural life.
I'm a teacher, so it's a little easier on this end. We don't get paid much out there, but get paid about the same in bigger towns, so there's no real need for me to drive 50 miles to get to work.
I'll have a Masters Degree in Education as of 2011. I may make somewhere between 33-37000, depending on what rural town I teach in.
Water well drilling contractor. High School for both hubby and me. We clear a little less than my neurologist, working all year. We work more hours in the summer, the doctor works more in the winter. We do not drill November until late April. Investment in equipment, about one million. Paid cash for the last well rig, $300,000 without tools.
Retired from academic medicine and public health; about 2 years. I have retired my PhD along with my profession.
I'm in my 3rd post-retirement community.
I just took up an opportunity to write for a local, but decent newspaper, not very good pay but it may be a positive challenge as it takes me to all the local sites (downside: petrol costs are getting higher each day).
Most of the folks I know here, and the two other most recent rural communities I lived in (NM and VT) are self-employed, work for government agencies or commute rather long distances (10-60 miles one way). Another smaller group of my friends and acquaintances are artists, writers or crafts people, all of whom make a decent living. A handful are retired, and a smaller handful are living on some sort of inheritance.
We share a great deal: food, beverages, farming and woodworking equipment; lend each other an extra hand, or send over a strong teenager when needed; barter some; grow edibles often and keep our belts tightened.
We're semi-retired - I edit books on contract (although this is less and less attractive as the publishers have decided that "spellcheck" is enough) and the spouse is an engineering consultant, working across the internet and daily Fed Ex overnight when things are hot....
Spouse is retired, and I work seasonal at our local H&R Block. Take courses online over the summer and do some writing. Wouldn't have it any other way.
self-employed-together. All "virtual" work. No debt, live below our "means," and continue to save for "a rainy day"
Purchased equipment necessary to do all work ourselves-hiring plowing and mowing is EXPENSIVE. Heat with wood stove, the propane fires for hot water only and about a .5 hour morning/night to heat up while the fire gets going. Will get a decent garden going this spring (after doing a trial last year) to save on produce. Get a stand-alone freezer and buy in bulk and vaccuum pack. Grow what you can, do what you can, become part of the community and there are plenty of folks who can help you with advise/equipment/and labor-as long as you are willing to do the same!
I make and sell quilts, dolls, childrens clothes, soaps & have also taken up some needlepoint and will soon be offering mural painting as a service. Most of my work is done at home.
Also, there are alot of treasures in thrift stores that can be bought cheap and resold at a nice profit on ebay or at yard sales/flea markets.
If I need to make some quick $$$, I can clean condo's at the beach about 40 minutes away during the spring, summer and fall.
I'm also a hairdresser but due to health reasons, I can't be around the chemicals on a daily basis, however, I will barter for things I need (bag of dog/cat food, load of compost, fresh eggs or whatever someone wants to trade out) by giving haircuts.
I also live 'below my means'. I like having everything paid for and no worries save for the utilities and groceries.
The key is to get out of debt, live in an area where you don't need to worry much about high taxes, and then live as self-sufficiently as you can so you don't need a lot of money. Once my land is paid off I won't have a "normal" job. I'll make some money beekeeping on a decent scale, some trapping (though the fur markets are very unpredictable so some years you make money trapping some you just break even, but it'll keep me from getting cabin fever in the winter either way), and maybe some other things. Basically, I'll be self-employed...
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