It's amazing how complicated it is to live "simply". (farming, barn)
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May I recommend you go to public library and see if they have a set of Foxfire books. They are a written collection of skills our ancestors used to live in wildernesses.Its several thick volumes and recorded so has to preserve them.
Living simply.....One could say that can be accomplished by staying on the dole and letting society wipe ones butt,No?
The thing about "homesteading/off grid" living is that one writes ones own story,there are no rules or musts to follow. I "homestead" in a fashion that fits me...Being near 70 and with a ticker that's somewhat worn "chopping" wood is off the chart these days but a food garden is mine even though a neighbor helps.
Everyone has the freedom to make choices...If you feel it's to much trouble,,,well that's your decision,probably best to follow your instincts as not everyone thinks or feels the same..I'm surrounded by small farms and know a few families that live very independent lives, all in a different fashion...One thing they all have in common is they live according to their strengths,don't sit back when theres work to do and pretty much don't overreach...I'd say they are successful folks..
Follow your dreams,,the clock is ticking...
Oh! lol
I guess I didn't realize how high your standards ARE.
We lived in a trailer house, but it's weathertight and warm. (I drive used cars, too and have even been known to do my own nails )
People live in houses like this their entire lives. It was just a few years for us. It never struck me as "having to give something up."
Personally, I'd rather spend a couple years in something less than a MacMansion if it means I'll own the new one free and clear.
Which we do...
It's no different than choosing to put money into the house, rather than on lattes or vacations.
I never IMPLIED you gave something up - I ASKED if you gave something up, that's why I mentioned living in a tent in the clarification - I believe some books talk about that (Roy's "Mortgage Free"? Don't remember any more). There is someone living in a trailer down the street here that looks like it should be condemned - that would be below my standards. We renovated the double-wide that came with the property/foreclosure and it is now a nice home, I even installed Pergo flooring throughout, nothing wrong with that.
We drive used and paid-for cars too.
Thanks for all the sarcasm in your reply though, feels really good to read it and know you are so full of respect for the people you talk to - must be all that rural goodness that comes from the healthful country air and the clean living
I am guessing in today's USA it all about extremes. Someone asks you if you had to give something up and you immediately fire back with a McMansion story as if that's the ONLY alternative.
Well I first replied that I didn't give anything up. (And what about Nor'Eastah or Sub? I believe they both built their homes, too. Why aren't you this interested in what they "gave up?")
But you didn't like my original answer, so you added
Quote:
Originally Posted by LordyLordy
No, I meant what did you have to give up while building the home? Where did you live, for example? Many people try to save money and camp in a tent or live in a leaky, old, sub-standard trailer for a few years while they are building. I would not do that myself and would consider that to be too high a price to pay
Even if we HAD lived in a tent, I still wouldn't have thought I was "giving anything up." It would have just been life, heading in a different direction for a while.
I've been on this planet long enough to know that because my kids are healthy and happy, my husband thinks I'm great, I have some really supportive friends, and my parents are still cruising around under their own steam...I'm pretty blessed!
To suggest that the housing I might or might not have would somehow change that, comes across as extremely shallow. So yeah, your comments were rather off-putting.
Last edited by itsMeFred; 02-22-2015 at 10:50 PM..
Well I first replied that I didn't give anything up. (And what about Nor'Eastah or Sub? I believe they both built their homes, too. Why aren't you this interested in what they "gave up?")
Ummm, I gave up my beard...
I can't speak for Submariner, but in my case, I was still living in our home down in Rhode Island, when we started building up in Maine. By "we", I mean myself, my wife's brother, and one of our sons-in-law. It was just the 3 of us guys; wives remained at home in RI, in comfort. When I bought the land, there was a 30' camper on it, which I "persuaded" the seller to leave, and he did. We also picked up a 5th wheel locally for cheap, and towed it in. These were not leaky or decrepit...they served us quite well.
So I and my SIL stayed in the camper, while the BIL occupied the 5th wheel. We had a great time...grew beards and everything! Hygiene wasn't perfect, but it was just us guys, and we were workin' hard! Once she was closed in and semi-finished (early Oct), I returned to RI to spend the holidays with wife and family. BIL stayed all winter, finishing kitchen and bath. He said it was "too hot" in there all winter!
Anyway, after an early spring trip up there to check on progress, I gave the go-ahead to the wife to start packing, and we moved in during June 2014. Let me say right here that my wife Cynthia is the love of my life, the mother of our 2 children, and my life's inspiration! I would be happy to live in a tar paper shack of 200 sf, but I would never provide her with anything less than a home fit for a princess. She is delighted with our new place, and finds it easy to clean and to work in the kitchen. She loves the outdoors, too!
(But she didn't like the beard...so that had to go! )
I'm not debating you. I'm just saying that without fire protection, it's likely a fire will level your house. Hell, even with a professional fire department, sometimes homes are total losses to fire. Despite precautions and safety measures, accidents can happen.
I'm also said that building materials -- not building the house -- are expensive, and your savings from not having home owners insurance won't buy all that much. That's a fact. What are you going to use for a foundation? Cement blocks? Poured concrete? Slab? Piers? Concrete products cost money, but maybe you're going to manufacture them yourself. Are you planning on cutting and sawing all your own lumber? Making all your own shingles from cedar? Manufacturing your own drywall, copper plumbing, electric wiring, insulation? Even if you build your house from some alternative material like straw bales and do all the work yourself, the materials are still going to cost you $$$.
Money invested in a foundation or slab [Cement block, poured concrete] is pretty safe from fire loss.
Well I first replied that I didn't give anything up. (And what about Nor'Eastah or Sub? I believe they both built their homes, too. Why aren't you this interested in what they "gave up?")
I am interested in whatever experience people went through - you volunteered information so I asked you to provide more by clarifying what I meant, I realized my initial question was too short and terse.
Quote:
Originally Posted by itsMeFred
But you didn't like my original answer, so you added
It is not that I did not "like" your answer, it is that I realized I did not ask the proper question (from my point of view).
Quote:
Originally Posted by itsMeFred
Even if we HAD lived in a tent, I still wouldn't have thought I was "giving anything up." It would have just been life, heading in a different direction for a while.
I've been on this planet long enough to know that because my kids are healthy and happy, my husband thinks I'm great, I have some really supportive friends, and my parents are still cruising around under their own steam...I'm pretty blessed!
To suggest that the housing I might or might not have would somehow change that, comes across as extremely shallow. So yeah, your comments were rather off-putting.
So why build a house then? Why not live in a tent or a trailer forever? After all, YOU are not shallow
I don't think it is shallow to want to live in a dry and nice home with your family (after all you are building one too?). I would never live in a tent while building anything, it is too inconvenient, not to mention weather and logistics (how do you get internet if you have a job, where do you bathe, what about winter?). So for me that would be a no-go and if I had to do it, I would say I gave up my conveniences for the duration of building the home. That "giving up" would be the (hidden) cost of building the home.
I think in that case, if I was going to tell someone that I built a mortgage free home, I would disclose that life was rough for 12-24 months while I was building and "be ready, you will have to give up a lot, it is not for everyone". That would be MY disclosure. I realize that for some people that is perfectly fine though.
I can't speak for Submariner, but in my case, I was still living in our home down in Rhode Island, when we started building up in Maine. By "we", I mean myself, my wife's brother, and one of our sons-in-law. It was just the 3 of us guys; wives remained at home in RI, in comfort. When I bought the land, there was a 30' camper on it, which I "persuaded" the seller to leave, and he did. We also picked up a 5th wheel locally for cheap, and towed it in. These were not leaky or decrepit...they served us quite well.
Ok cool. That;s a nice story and you planned well!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nor'Eastah
Anyway, after an early spring trip up there to check on progress, I gave the go-ahead to the wife to start packing, and we moved in during June 2014. Let me say right here that my wife Cynthia is the love of my life, the mother of our 2 children, and my life's inspiration! I would be happy to live in a tar paper shack of 200 sf, but I would never provide her with anything less than a home fit for a princess. She is delighted with our new place, and finds it easy to clean and to work in the kitchen. She loves the outdoors, too!
Nice. I feel the same way about my wife. If we had children, I would feel the same way about them. I went through a period in my life when I was starving, no money and barely surviving. I did not live in a tent or a leaky trailer but I would never put anyone through that or the fear of not knowing what they will eat that day.
I think in that case, if I was going to tell someone that I built a mortgage free home, I would disclose that life was rough for 12-24 months while I was building and "be ready, you will have to give up a lot, it is not for everyone". That would be MY disclosure. I realize that for some people that is perfectly fine though.
I guess I don't usually think people are idiots...
You might hit your hand with a hammer, fall off a ladder, drop a window, get bitten by a spider, get hit by a crane...How much disclosure do you think should be included in a basic internet comment, anyway??
And life wasn't rough. We still ate the same suppers, went to the kids' ball games and watched movies on Netflix. And we no longer had to worry about a landlord selling our home out from under us.
Like I've said, we didn't give up anything. (Though apparently Nor' had to give up his new facial hair. And I guess you could say we gave up the insecurity of rentals. But Im not seeing how that's bad.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Submariner
Even volunteer FDs rarely lose a foundation.
Ours always prints up t-shirts for the annual fireman's ball.
"We've never lost a foundation!" is in regular rotation, as is "You come to our dance, we'll come to your fire!"
Last edited by itsMeFred; 02-23-2015 at 08:41 AM..
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...
and have even been known to do my own nails
)
I guess I don't usually think people are idiots... 
