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Just to clarify, I use the word "worried" in my title to refer to being concerned for the safety of my family, close friends, and the earth itself in coming years - not paranoid about everything. So anyway, I am a guy in his early 20's who lives in the urban northeast. More and more as I live here, I come to dislike it. The whole rat race mentality makes me depressed. As it is, I am in few ways, if any, self-sufficient.
As for my desires to be self-sufficient, it comes not just from a desire to be able to support myself by myself in the event of some global economic meltdown or something, but from a desire to live in harmony with the earth itself, rather than destroying it for more human development (yes, I'm a tree-hugger to a degree as well). The difficulty here is excommunicating myself from the society that I've become dependent on. On one hand, I have to deal with previous poor financial decisions (namely, student loan stuff). The other is my family, who have always been good to me, but they wish me to finish college, which goes against every desire I have.
I don't mean to bore everyone with my story, but I'm looking for some generic advice and how a young man steps out from the confines of society and establishes himself as truly self-sufficient. If this thread goes anywhere, I'm sure I'll ask some more specific questions. For the moment though, one thing that has been fascinating me recently is the concept of earthbag building. Is anyone familiar with it? It seems like a home-building method that is eco-friendly, affordable, and durable. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Most parents are going to want you to finish college unless you've fallen into a fantastic career otherwise, and then they still will. This doesn't have to be an either/or. You could get a degree in forestry, agriculture, or not one at all.
There are a lot of rural spots not far from most 'civilized' places. You could look around where you are if you don't want to be far from family. Jumping into self sufficiency all at once is not usually how it's done especially if you have no past experience.
I just want to address the college topic. Having seen this from 'the other side' (as an instructor) for many years, I have to say if your heart is not into going to college, you're wasting time and money. The world does not revolve around a college degree--especially if you are serious about living 'outside' of the rat race, as you call it. I've seen way too many college students come into the system as a slave would go into a field. They don't want to be there. And putting it bluntly, they fail. It doesn't matter how intelligent you are, if you don't want to be there and your mind is elsewhere, your chances are really good of dropping out with a big student loan monkey on your back. Complete waste.
As for me, I don't know that college was the best choice. I've always been hungry for knowledge. Truthfully, I've learned way more via self-study than I ever did in college. Most people these days attend college solely for employment. I didn't. I went there to learn. I wanted information. That was my only reason. My employment income never improved at all because that wasn't my reason--although, it did allow me to teach, which is certainly easier than many things I've done in the past. A month ago, I went out and got a second job to save up some extra money. That job has nothing to do with my college degree and did not require college--I got hired full-time on the spot, first day I went looking. It pays more than my teaching job does, and truthfully pretty decent for this area. So, you CAN get a job without a college education if you're willing to be where the job is, look for it in the first place, and don't have an extravagant lifestyle that requires an ungodly income. I just proved it to myself, and I'm no spring chicken. When the time comes that I want to go back to one job (which will be when I finally move away from this damned desert!), I may well quit the teaching. It doesn't matter to me. I am not my job. That is not my identity. I've come to not believe in the state system of education over the years, anyway.
Personally, I think with such a big push for a college education these days, there will come a time when blue collar 'everyday' jobs or jobs that require brief specialized training may well be in high demand. Typically, a college-educated worker becomes somewhat of a 'snob' and will not take something that he feels is beneath him. They psychologically lock themselves into a certain level of income that they are not willing to go beneath and they think they can't live beneath or somehow 'deserve' better. I've never really been that way. As long as it pays me money and I'm physically and/or mentally capable, I'm game. You may be surprised by the wage that will earn you a living if you DON'T get caught up in that 'rat race' and insist on huge houses, fancy cars, and all the other junk toys our modern world dangles at the end of a stick.
Note: this post is not meant to offend anyone. We all have our perspectives. That's mine. You have yours as well, I'm sure. The comment I generally get when I share this perspective is, "I don't want to live in poverty." Neither do I. There is a huge spectrum between living in poverty and being a rich balls-to-the-wall money generator 24 hours a day. I'm just the type who is happy having sufficient for my needs. I don't really care to have much more than that. And when I do want more than that for whatever reason, I'll do what I'm doing now.
Okay, I'll hop down from my soapbox now and dust myself off.
It sounds to me like you need to come to Southeast Alaska. I don't say that lightly, but something about you makes me think you need a shot at the real world.
You know..you can be a tree hugger (no offense meant at all) on 5 acres at the edge of town and still have a day job
I'm one on 6 acres now for going on 12 years just enough outside of Austin. And I came from NYC although I could never envision myself going back. Close enough to have a day job yet far enough out to be "in the country" and have chickens and a garden and such.
Over the 12 years I saved and just bought myself a 45 acre place further out where I plan to take early retirement in a year or two and get into cows and sheep and goats.
It may take time..you need to plan your course in life so it takes you where you want to go.
Maybe that college degree will get you a job where you can work and save money and figure out what you REALLY want to do. By then you'll have money saved for your next venture in life.
Yes, and the doing/dreaming comment especially applies to the college issue. Don't go unless you really want to be there. I've seen 'doers' that didn't want to do it for 18 plus years now, mainly because it never was their dream. Doesn't work for 99% of them. Make sure that if you go, it's because YOU want to go and you will actually do it. Any college advisor worth his/her salt will tell you the same thing.
Also... During my jog this morning, I thought of this gentleman's experience and how it might help give you some ideas of what can be done. This was a thread he started a while back here on CD Forums:
He has a bunch of interesting Youtube videos on various aspects of 'homesteading' and self-sufficiency. He also does a blog and has a homesteading website that offers articles written by others who do this sort of thing. His website (which refers to some of his other websites):
He lives fairly close to me in Utah (at least for as long as I'm IN Utah, which I hope won't be too much longer) in a rural area to the east. He has some good ideas and it's interesting how he has made it work for him on VERY little money. A big part of his philosophy is living very frugally, minimalist, and outside the 'rat race.' This is pretty much my model as well.
Last edited by ChrisC; 06-15-2010 at 01:27 PM..
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