How did you get to your stage in SS living?

[Dace]

Thank you everyone for sharing your wonderful and diverse stories! I enjoyed reading everyone's input and honestly I feel so much better and you have all given me great ideas on taking more control in subtle ways.
I think I had gotten to the point of throwing my hands up and saying why bother! But you all have given me a lot to think about. I saw a book resource list on another thread and I am going to see if I can find at least one....reading can be so inspiring.

You all are a really wonderful support system

 

[pioneergirl]

You all are a really wonderful support system

Hey, its what SS is about...all contributing something to help the individual....we are all here for each other!!

*FarmerChick..stop trying to hold my hand, I'm not THAT mushy!!

 

[me&thegals]

Poverty putting myself through college got me started out well on not spending money I did not have, plus my parents' excellent example of living within or even under their means.

When I got married, I moved to the country again. A LOT of my self sufficiency comes from a desire to protect mother nature and not be wasteful. I really cannot handle knowing there are gallons and gallons of free berries in the woods going to waste or mushrooms, asparagus, etc. Why not use solar energy to dry clothes? And with a woods full of firewood, we decided to build our home in a way to be heated exclusively with wood.

I just think it makes sense to buy secondhand clothes, drive my cars to the dust, pay down the mortgage ASAP, make the bills monthly.

Sometimes it has been strictly financially necessary, but generally it has allowed us to feel safe even when cost of living goes up and job security looks a little shaky.

Another huge factor is the health of my family and my own health. Every thing I do I believe contributes to both

 

[Beekissed]

Another huge factor is the health of my family and my own health. Every thing I do I believe contributes to both

That's a big part of it for us also. I could never afford health insurance at work, so my health plan is preventative medicine! The proper fuel for your body plays a big part in the running of it. The growing, harvesting, tending and feeding of livestock...these all create the need for forced exercise AND produce healthy fuel. Its a win/win situation!

 

[me&thegals]

Isn't that the truth! So many of these ways of living seem to address 3-4 things at once--environment, money, health, joy for life...

 

[Wildsky]

Our first step was removing ourselves from the fast paced rat race that is southern california.

We moved a year ago - half way across the continent - we now live in Nebraska. We live on a small 3 acre plot, nice big house and everything we could really NEED.

We lived the rushed life, of parents looking for child care options as we rushed out the door to work, only to pick up dinner on the way home and flop on the couch! :/

I now work from home (same company) my husband works for a little shop in town - we don' tmake as much money, but I'm home with the kids when they need me, our food is all HOME COOKED. (ok 99% - there are no take outs near us) I even stopped buying dried mashed potatoes - I now make it from scratch <gasp>

One little step at a time....

 

[justusnak]

For us...being SS is just a way of life. We, like many others, have had to do it out of necessity. I was raised...well...poor. I was 1 of 5 kids. DH lived a very different lifestyle. He was raised an AF bratt! And do I mean bratt. He is the oldest of 5..and they never wanted for anything. He marvels at the stories when my family gets together...about scrounging for food from the back of grocery stores. That lifestyle has made me want to make sure our own 4 children never went without food. DH joined the AF, but we were never able to live the same life he had....I gardened every base we moved to. Either in the ground..or in pots. After DH retired...we moved to Indiana to be close to our parents. We finally bought our small farm...and never thought just how expencive a place could be. Every dime we have, goes into this place. Constant repaires, animal houseing...however, after 3 years of scrounging, and scrapeing we are able to see a small light at the end of the tunnel. I have been able to save, and barter for apple and cherry trees. I saved for the grapes...and was given several started plants of raspberries. There is already a persimmon tree, and lots of elderberry bushes. I make jams and jellies for us and for gifts, have even been able to sell a few jars. We dabbled in a small garden the first few years, learning just what grows well here, and how. So, our first garden area albeit small ( about 15 x 15 ) will now be the potato / onion bed. Next year we will have about 1/2 acre garden for canning, dehydrateing, and selling or bartering. Neighbor kids will do some pretty good "chores" for a basket of fresh veggies, and eggs. We raise our chickens for meat and eggs...and raise a few pigs for the freezer. Next year looking into getting Dorper sheep. I saw them mentioned in another thread.This will keep us from haveing to mow the 1 acre pasture...and will give us meat and milk. My last trip to the grocery...I spent maybe $50.00 for the month. ( Not includeing animal feed)I am alsp planning to get my herb garden in, hopefully with the advice of a BYC member, that has become a great friend. Becoming SS is not a choice in our case...but has turned into a dream come true.