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I think what sets rural people apart from more urban and suburbanites is that we plan and prepare better. Whether it be farm planning for next years lamb crop, or trips to the store.
Here in Maine in the winter you must really plan because snow might prevent you from your normal routine. We plan for power outages, getting sick, trips to the bank, etc. Generally if we are in town, we do the most we can as we go. In fact I make a list of all the things I need to do, then list them in order of where they are on a map so that as I go, I do a big loop and get as much as I can done. I do that so much, it is not even a chore or a thought, just habit now.
As a side note, I don't think us rural folks are better then urbanites or suburbanites, we just don't have the conveniences that you have. But that is okay, I got enough medicines here to take care of almost any ailment, whether it be my daughter that gets sick, or one of the sheep in my flock.
A aunt and I were talking about who would buy my lambs. We were laughing because this was before I even had any sheep. I said "listen to me, I am all worked up over figuring out who will buy my lambs and I do not even have any sheep yet!"
She said, "that is because you are a farmer. You don't want to buy sheep until you know you already have a market for the lambs that you will be getting."
In a lot of ways this is true. Farmers hem and haw over getting anything new, where as the people from the suburbs and cities often arrive here and say, "hey I got a dozen sheep, now what do I do?"
It really is just a different mindset. Some people from away adapt to this way of long-range thinking and some never do. They tend to be the ones that go back to the population centers disgruntled.
It's not uncommon for rural folks to have a combined storage area that is as large or larger than the main house... not taking into account a barn, livestock & feed or big equipment. That's just for people food, non-food staples, spare parts, etc. You'd be surprised how much space 3 or 4 months worth of food really takes up! There's no way we'd get by with one of those tiny surburban pantry cupboards... our pantry (just the stuff we keep in the house so it won't freeze) is about as big as a bedroom!
I live 20 miles from the nearest "city", which around here is 32,000 people. That's the closest Walmart. lol It's also the cheapest gas, by about 10-15 cents/gallon. Not that we'd drive over there just for gas but, if the needle is getting close to the "E" (my dad says my mother thinks that stands for "enough", and runs out a lot), we wait to gas up after Walmart. When you've lived in a rural area all your life (so far), you don't think anything about driving that far to shop. We do have a couple of grocery stores here, along with a Dollar General and Fred's. And Dollar General sells groceries too. If you need a gallon of milk, bread, something minor like that, you head to Food Giant. Need several things you think well I'll be headed over there in the next day or two, I'll just pick it up then. If you move to a rural area and not used to having a big mall close by, you'll adjust...if you want to. I've known a couple families who moved from another small town I lived in because they were 50 miles from the mall. Big deal! To me the mall is a bunch of stores that's nice to go look at but usually can't afford a lot of what they have. I shop by price, not what so and so is wearing or what's hot. I can head to Wally World and get just about everything I need. Found some bargains at Fred's and Dollar General too!
I agree kygman - malls aren't all that great. Even in our "city" (Fairbanks) there is only one "mall" and it's tiny. The only store in there that I've ever really had use for was the jeweler to fix my watch and clean my wedding ring. I buy clothes that are durable, warm and protect me from the elements... it's a bonus if they fit well and I look good in them LOL The only thing that can get a bit tough is when I want high quality specialty items like woodworking tools or farm equipment, since there's not much call for some of that stuff up here in AK it's nearly impossible to find and we have to order a lot and have it shipped up ($$$$$)... or at least get it sent in from the bigger city (Anchorage). Going in to Anchorage on a shopping excursion just isn't practical, it's well over a 12 hour drive, so we only shop there if we have to pick up something we've had sea freighted up from Seattle. After awhile you just get used to it
I don't have anything against malls, but they're not a main form of entertainment or anything I really need that often, so growing up, it was no big deal to live about 60 miles from one. By contrast, I currently live about six blocks from a large mall, and I probably go just as infrequently as I did when the nearest one was an hour away. Just a lifestyle choice.
i live in rural oklahoma. what i call rural is a little over an hour to a big enough city to have a walmart supercenter where you can get the groceries and other household items we need. we wouldn't go to the mall if we had one down the street so i am not concerned over that. there are a couple other rural towns between us and the city that have a small grocery store and lumber yard. the hardest thing about being so rural is the lack of medical care and emergency services. we haven't needed these things but i do think about what if we did. i love it here and would not want to trade this for the convenience of a mall or bigger grocery store. our town has a gas station/mini mart that makes fresh pizza, a mechanic and a post office. also city hall where you get the water and trash service. that is all. the school closed years ago and my grandkids are bussed to the next town, also small and they like their school and we have a lovely park here also. our town is safe and the kids play at the park and walk around town. it is nice and the climate is nice right now so i am feeling really good. urban life will never meet rural here in our backyard, i promise you..
So you live in a rural area, I assume that you are at least 40 miles away from the shopping stores in your area.
What do you buy or rent or a service that you hire on a regular basis that requires that you travel to that store? OR do you make most of you purchases online? (minus food)
I'm trying to figure out what you still need when you want to live off the land in a rural area. What services/products do you wish were more convenient in your area, assuming it would not comprise the small population you desire?
Thanks!
There is really nothing that we HAVE to go to town for. I have a few favorite thrift shops that I love to visit (I need more stuff like a hole in the head). I also like to hang out at Barnes and Nobel and write down the names of books that I like and then purchase them at abebooks.com for a fraction of the price.
I enjoy a few in-town restaurants but I could do without them nicely if I had to.
Really, Aldi's is the only reason I make the trek 40 miles to the North. The traffic is insane and the exhaust fumes give me a headache every single time. I'd much rather stay home, given the choice.
Probably not rural to any of you who are rural. Son lives in the Calif Desert and i mean Desert, to me it is out in the freaking boonies, because he is 50 minutes to another city where they do have shopping and restaurtants, and fast foods, and banking, and all the necessities of life. The thing about rural to me, is if you do need that emergency or medical help fast, no way it is going to get to you, and as i get older, i think about these things. Even though i am not out in the bonnies, and never will be, for those of you who love it, i respect that. There is only one grocery store, a gas station, and a restaurant and a hardware store. Medical not close at all.
I am 60 mi. from Kearney, NE. I have everything for survival and some interests in my nearby, small town.
I drive to Kearney for Key limes, new shoes, art museum, college classes, airport, petit syrah, vanilla beans and watercolor paints.
Amazon.com takes care of the rest.
I must add that my town has an extraordinary grocery store and city library.
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