How did you get to your stage in SS living?

[miss_thenorth]

First of all, I want to say I am sorry to hear of the rough time you are going through.

But it's true--you are now at a point in your life when you can start living a more frugal lifestyle.

I started with my frugality kick when my son was just born. Money was the big motivator, as we decided that I would stay home with the kids as opposed to going back to work. Then I became more and more concerned about the health aspect, and our footprint on earth.

I learned to cook almost everything from scratch--easy for me 'cause I like to cook. I learned how to shop the sales and stock up on staples when they are on sale. I started washing everything in cold water, and line drying my clothes--(in the basement in winter). We learned how to put on sweaters in the winter so we could keep the heat lower, and also develop more of a tolerance for heat so we are less dependent on air in the summer. We don't pay for TV, we have an antenna. We don't go out to eat alot, and we don't shop for "just something to do"--easy to do when your in town.. Second hand stores are our friends--I very rarely pay full price for anything-(my exception is pants--'cuz I'm really tall and can't find long pants used.)

I raise my own eggs and chickens for meat. Had goats, but they are gone, now looking for a cow for milk and meat. will attempt a garden again next year (it was flooded out last spring).

All this has enriched my families life-more quality time with the kids, and hubby. It , I'm sure, has made us healthier, cuz we're not eating alot of junk, and we find things to do as a family that don't cost alot of money.
(The internet has been a wonderful tool for all of this)

I had wanted to live in the country for as long as I can remember. Dh wasn't so keen on the idea. He finally got tired of listening to me, lol, so out to the country we went.

Granted, we bought our house, but I know for a fact that there are alot of big time farmers who buy farms for the land, only to tear down the existing homes on then b/c they can't find people to rent them. I have several cousins and my dh's uncle who do rent out homes in the country for around $300-$400 a month. they are usually lenient as to what you want to do out there, too--ie--chickens etc. there might be big savings in renting a country home.

Not to mention out in the country, there is less peer pressure (yes, peer pressure can affect "older" ppl too. You are not surrounded by ppl who drive a new car every three years, ppl who water their lawns just so they can mow it a few days later, ppl who get yearly contracts for lawn maintenance, ton kill all the weeds and fertilize it, etc. You don't see when your neighbour gets a new big screen tv delivered, or got new patio furniture just because their old furniture was getting faded, etc etc. That kind of pressure used to affect my dh, but now he is more focused on what is really important.


sorry, I rambled.....

Welcome to the forum!

 

[FarmerChick]

squash flowers are delish dipped in batter and fried.

my annuals and such...hmmm..never tasted a black eye susan....can I eat that?????

never checked on edible flowers. I think ya can eat a pansy.


well, now, you made me have to use more of my precious time cause I do need to check NC and see what native plants are truly edible and such...I know a few but don't know what I should! Too much knowledge, so little brain..HA HA

 

[patandchickens]

How did I get to this stage? Two words: grad school. LOL. Seriously, as others have mentioned, a very low income is a great teacher Some years of relatively low-paying postdoctoral positions (with, by then, a horse to support as well) kind of solidified things by the time I got a Real Job, which of course I then up and quit to move up here and get married anyhow

Plus which, I was raised by a Pennsylvania Dutch mother who, no matter what she does NOW, when I was a *kid* was very very frugal, sewed most of our clothes, grew lots of our veggies, canned, etc etc.

My main reason for continuing to behave this way now, and in fact doing *more*, like getting chickens and so forth (although that was not strictly a frugality or self sufficiency thing originally), is twofold: a) I just think it's the sensible and responsible way to live and to raise kids to live, and b) saving money and doing things ourselves allows some "extras" like living a rather long commute from DH's job so that we can be in a rural area, and retiring my two old horses and having another one around as a training project, and eating out occasionally, and so forth.

Pat

 

[Dace]

I am really so impressed with everyone's feedback and stories...you all are an inspiration.

miss_thenorth, we are in So Cal and there is not much farm land here. We would really need to seriously re-locate and I am sure no one in my house would go for that. 1/2 hour aways maybe. Since we need to relocate anyway...maybe I can find a nice place that fills the 'need to provide a nice home' along with my need for more room and lower overhead.

It is just so hard when we have such different perspectives....his view of success is a big house in the burbs with granite counters and a pool and mine is a little house with a garden, a large pantry for canned goods, tons of flowers, chickens and maybe a cow

 

[Dace]

squash flowers are delish dipped in batter and fried.

my annuals and such...hmmm..never tasted a black eye susan....can I eat that?????

never checked on edible flowers. I think ya can eat a pansy.


well, now, you made me have to use more of my precious time cause I do need to check NC and see what native plants are truly edible and such...I know a few but don't know what I should! Too much knowledge, so little brain..HA HA

So many flowers are edible, you would be surprised! Pansies, roses, calendula, nasturtium...suddenly I am drawing a blank. Google edible flowers and you will be amazed

 

[roosmom]

ROTFL, my mother, you all know MY MOTHER......she was being a smart *** one year and teaching the cemetery granddaughter all about edible flowers.....Well she made the mistake of telling her that, Yes dandelions are edible. OMG, my mother ate dandelions all summer because of that. You know you cant turn down a child who brings you a "PRESENT GRANDMA".

 

[patandchickens]

Don't underestimate how much you can grow in a rental property. Even if you have no yard to garden in (although often you will), there is a lot you can do with containers. People in Eastern Europe and in Asia (and even, here and there, in American cities ) grow amazing amounts of produce in tiny asphalted back lots or on balconies. You just have to suit your tastes in cooking/eating to what you can grow well - greens, peas, squashes, melons, tomatoes, etc rather than, like, corn and watermelon and potatoes.

And there are a LOT of advantages to living in an urban or suburban area rather than way out in the sticks. You are less likely to run out of major necessities -- there may be more demand but there is also more transportation coming right TO you, as opposed to someone living in Upper Elk Knee. And there is a much higher concentration of 'stuff' around in populous areas - thrift stores, garage sales, even things like junkyards and dumpster diving and curb cruising.

The main things you can't do so well in the 'burbs is grow yer own grain, raise yer own beef, and grow/cut yer own firewood. Which are much more hard work and unglamorous and uncertain than they tend to sound

So even if this is not where you might *choose* to be on the rural-urban tradeoff, there may be just about as many advantages as disadvantages, really...

Good luck,

Pat

 

[Dace]

Don't underestimate how much you can grow in a rental property. Even if you have no yard to garden in (although often you will), there is a lot you can do with containers. People in Eastern Europe and in Asia (and even, here and there, in American cities ) grow amazing amounts of produce in tiny asphalted back lots or on balconies. You just have to suit your tastes in cooking/eating to what you can grow well - greens, peas, squashes, melons, tomatoes, etc rather than, like, corn and watermelon and potatoes.

And there are a LOT of advantages to living in an urban or suburban area rather than way out in the sticks. You are less likely to run out of major necessities -- there may be more demand but there is also more transportation coming right TO you, as opposed to someone living in Upper Elk Knee. And there is a much higher concentration of 'stuff' around in populous areas - thrift stores, garage sales, even things like junkyards and dumpster diving and curb cruising.

The main things you can't do so well in the 'burbs is grow yer own grain, raise yer own beef, and grow/cut yer own firewood. Which are much more hard work and unglamorous and uncertain than they tend to sound

So even if this is not where you might *choose* to be on the rural-urban tradeoff, there may be just about as many advantages as disadvantages, really...

Good luck,

Pat

Very true..all good points. I already am pushing for compromise so I am sure we will end up staying local in our suburban community...but you never know! A girl can dream right?

 

[punkin]

punkin you sound like a farmerchick now

when ya give up the flowers and poseys and all and move over to gardens....you are there!

I did the same. Now I buy like 1 mum and place it on my porch with my 1 pumpkin...LOL...I used to grow flowers, plant annuals, do this and that....but I sure couldn't eat them if necessary..LOL

Shame I threw so much money on things that kinda made me happy yet didn't contribute to my life...but they did make me smile...I love flowers but I can see them everywhere...even on my 'mater plants..HA HA

Well, I do still have some flowers, but I have become extremely stingy when it comes to shelling out $ for them. I always buy perennials (on sale) and start my own seeds. I used to decorate alot for the fall. Now, I see that pumpkin setting rotting on the porch would have made a great pie, lol.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Well, to start, we went bankrupt! Wasn't planned, just alot of stuff happened...and it was an expensive and hard lesson learned to never sign for family!

Then we decided it was less embarrassing to start off in a fixer-upper and work our way up than it was to have it all and be forced to downsize due to bankruptcy

So we purchased a 30 year old singlewide trailer for $8k and moved it to property that my husband owned already. No running water, lived here the first month without electric.

Funny, now that I think about it, we are actually working hard to be in the past LOLOL On my want/needs list is a woodburning cookstove with a water resevoir!!

No, seriously, for us it started with purchasing a used trailer on land contract, paid it off as fast as we could. Planting a garden every spring.

Then we got the woodburner for our heat source so we could do away with the expensive 500 pound propane tank.

Then we "upgraded" our fancy car payments for a 20 year old van that was free LOL Then we also added a 10 year old van that was free.

Earlier this year I sold my beloved digital camera (I swear, it was attached to my hand!) so I could purchase some chickens. Then my mom gave me 2 ducks, 2 geese, and bought my husband turkeys for his birthday. Then a local guy gave me a pair of royal palm turkeys! FOR FREE!

I continue to add to my chickens, and I am now at 100+ (we took count yesterday)

Would like to get meat rabbits.

Oh and last month, we got goats.

We barter for what we can, and save for what we can't barter for.