Who here is truly self-sufficient?

[annmarie]

Who on this board is truly (close to 100% anyway) self-sufficient? Meaning, are you so self-sufficient that you do not work outside the home at all? Or even, if your spouse does work outside the home, are you able to save so much money living self-sufficiently that you yourself don't need to be employed elsewhere? Just curious! I'm guessing that for the majority of us, it's something we're working towards, but we're not there yet, but maybe I'm wrong. (Which wouldn't be a new thing for me!)

 

[patandchickens]

Those are interesting definitions of 'self-sufficient', but: I can't afford to work outside the home [Not that I especially want to at the moment, with 2 small kids].

My otherwise-good-paying niche in the job market just really doesn't exist around here, so I would end up pouring coffee or something like that for minimum wage (and I would be terrible at retail sales -- what, are you nuts? you don't need to waste your money on that, you could just... ).

I have sketched out the numbers, and the takehome pay would be distinctly less than we'd end up spending on childcare, extra gas, clothes, and things we'd spend lots more money on b/c I couldn't do/make/fix/tend them myself.

All of which is completely fine by me, btw

My husband does have a job, though; we could not, living here and in this way, afford for neither of us to work. But if he were not working for the gov't i.e. fairly layoff-proof, we would be living in a much different way so that living without any paycheck would at least be a lot closer to feasible.

Pat

 

[annmarie]

(and I would be terrible at retail sales -- what, are you nuts? you don't need to waste your money on that, you could just... ).

I guess we'd all probably be pretty miserable salespeople!

One of the reasons I ask this question is because I have a job that will likely be ending next July. Of course my dream is to buy a few goats, expand the garden and chicken flock, and think of whatever else I could do to make it possible to at least only have to find a part-time job, so I'm curious to see how others get by.

 

[roosmom]

I guess I am curious to what are YOUR plans. Sometimes it is easier for (me) to add something to an already existing plan than to come up with a new one.
where do you live?
do you plan on canning- preserving?
do you hunt?
do you have access to free water (well)?
how do you heat?
what can you do without (honestly)
what can't you do without (honestly)

I think we are all willing to help you with practical solutions to help you along the way. I also think we would all be glad to see someone succeed at this and be able to give us feedback at what does and doesnt work. LOL, no you are not a guinea pig.

 

[annmarie]

Okay, here's my situation
where do you live? - Vermont (1.75 acres, in the country)
do you plan on canning- preserving? - yes, this was my first year, water bath only, at this point
do you hunt? - no, I'm a vegetarian, my huband isn't but is just fine with only having meat when eating at family and friends houses (though now that we have chickens, he's "off chicken" He says they have too much flair and personality.)
do you have access to free water (well)? - yes, we have a well
how do you heat? - propane, our house was built to be a solar house (but it isn't, long story) so it has great insulation and passive solar qualities, which helps keep costs down
what can you do without (honestly)- well, we only own one car, we don't have cable TV, we don't eat out, we don't have credit cards, we're already quite frugal, but we do spend more on groceries than we would if I weren't working, those horrible "convenience foods" that I love for the convenience but detest
what can't you do without (honestly) - we can't do without a car, but that would be paid off by next July, even though it's an expense, I can't imagine doing without the internet (how else could I learn everything I do from you all?!), and then the obvious, can't do without food, heat, shelter etc!

We have 3 chickens right now, which provide us with enough eggs for ourselves, and usually to sell a dozen every week or so. We'll probably get 3 more chicks in the spring. We have a nice garden, but I can't imagine making it any bigger unless I had more time to dedicate to it. I'd like to raise a couple of dairy goats, for milk, butter, yogurt, etc. The problem is, is that we bought our house 4 years ago and I was ready to start gardening, get some chickens, learn how to can right away, and now that I've done that, I'd like to go further (goats, bigger garden, honey bees maybe) but I feel like I'm getting close to the breaking point, where I'd be getting into more things than I can keep up with, while having a full time job. So now, knowing that my job will be ending next July (probably) it's sort of a make or break point for me. Do I dive deeper in, or keep up being the worker-bee, for someone else? We do have a mortgage so I expect that I'd need to be working at least part time, so my husband isn't completely responsible for that. Neither of us make a ton of money individually, but between the two of us, we're able to pay the bills and save too.
Any suggestions for Ann Marie the Guinea Pig?

 

[Cassandra]

You are SUCH a guinea pig!!

(just teasin' )

I am working on doing this and have it all planned out! woohoo

Currently, I have a job pretty much just so I can afford to go to work. Daycare and gasoline (50 mile commute each day) take up a good chunk of my paycheck. Plus I bought a car a couple of years ago to get me to work (when we moved, I needed a more dependable ride for the longer commute.) So, the new car, and its insurance/upkeep takes up another HUGE chunk of my pay.

The few hundred dollars that I actually clear, well I enjoy having that money. But most of it goes to extra clothes, food and other stuff I wouldn't be interested in if I didn't have a job outside the home. Still, we couldn't afford for me not to work because I am determined to pay this car off. Or at least pay it down enough so that we can trade it in on an small extended cab truck (which would be infinitely more suitable to our country living than the corolla I currently have.)

So, if I hadn't needed that car to go to work, I wouldn't need a job right now. LOL ANYWAY... the solution.

Step one, girl, write down all of your bills that you MUST pay every month with you not working. Mortgage or rent? Lights, gas, water? FOOD! Clothes and medical. Insurance for the people, the car(s), the house. Any existing loans that you have yet to pay off. Just the essentials! Don't add your cell phone bills or cable until later. Find out how much money you are absolutely going to have to have to get by.

Does your husband make that much money? If not, where can you cut back? Check your insrance rates. Can you save up an extra $1,000 now (while you are working) and increase your insurance deductibles to lower their rates? Shop around insurance companies while you still have the leisure to do it. I saved $300 a year by switching insurance companies.

Can you downsize your automobile(s) to save money?

Can you refinance your mortgage at a lower rate to lower the monthly payment?

As hard as this sounds, don't acquire any more animals that aren't going to pay for themselves. This might not make sense for everyone, but it makes sense for me. Unless you have a dog that REALLY works, it's just costing you money in feed and vet care. So, until you have money to spare, you must consider non-working pets an unnecessary item.

Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze! Get all your bills down as low as you can.

I am learning from experience that gardening isn't exactly cheap at first! There's a lot of equipment that needs to be had. Even if you are just going to use a hoe, make sure you have the equipment you need while you are still working (that's one thing I am doing now while I'm working is buying up all the gardening equipment I'm going to want when I quit.)

I have paid off all of my "other" bills and I'm now at the step of paying down my car loan as fast as possible.

After you have done all of that, then you can sit back and think of ways to cut other expenses-and eliminate the need for paying people to do things that you will now have time to do for yourself since you won't be away from the house ten hours a day like I am. Such as:

Cut everyone's hair yourself, mend your own clothes, make food from scratch (hillbillyhousewife has some unreal cooking tips to save money on groceries!). Learn to change the oil in your car and rotate the tires. Buy a good "DIY" home repair book and study it so you can do minor repairs yourself. Practice healthy living to keep healthcare to a minimum.

NOW! How how is your husband's salary looking related to your expenses. Any better?

Cassandra

 

[annmarie]

Cassandra,
Thank you. There's a lot of good suggestions in there! I can tell you have been working towards this for some time now, and really do have it all planned out. Good luck!
One thing I could definitely benefit from is more DIY experience, especially in building and repairs, and also general car maintenance, like oil changes. We're a bit too dependent on our friendly but costly mechanic and contractor! My mother bought me a sewing machine last year and I couldn't get it threaded and now it's up in the attic. I guess I better get it down and start fiddling with it again! I've definitely been amassing the gardening tools and canning supplies. You're right about it being rather expensive the first few years! Well thanks to you, it looks like the guinea pig has a lot more homework to do!
Ann-Marie

 

[k0xxx]

I'm in a pretty good situation, considering all. I'm retired, so I have SMALL income. My wife doesn't work, as she is the full time care giver to my father-in-law, who has ahlzheimer's. Also, we are fortunate enough to own our home and property outright. Not having a mortgage is a real blessing.

So that leaves me with a lot of time to devote to the garden, animals, and such. However, we are nowhere near self sufficient, and probably never will be.

Without my little pension, one of us would definitely have to work. Still we keep plugging away trying to become as self sufficient as reasonably possible. We enjoy having common goals and working together toward them.

 

[enjoy the ride]

One thing I think most people forget (which I certainly did) its that because something is paid off doesn't mean it will have no more expenses. I got a good lesson in this earlier this year when in two months the refridgerator need repair, roof vents on 6 year old house started leaking (all need to be replaced) and a jerk neighbor tore up part of my water system.
Any one of the costs of these thing would have been painful but all coming together was more than painful. Even though it totalled under $1500, it threw my savings for normal recurring expenses way off and I have been scrambling to catch up ever since. 8 monhts later I have just about caught up.
So you may have to do what you have to do but don't forget what my mom always told me- have that little savings account to put in any (ANY) extra money and that is not touched except by absolute neccessity- that gives some security and peace of mind. She called it mad money.

 

[FarmerChick]

It is a hard call when money is kinda tight and you are not sure if you should quit work for good.

3 years ago I had my daughter, I quit my real day job. I run our farm...but we have 120 acres and truly sell produce, about 100 dozen eggs per week, I make and sell goat milk soap from my herd and have about 100 sausage hogs we process and sell.......and I make very good money on this but expenses do take their toll of that amt. After making all this product, handling animals etc. all week, then I sell every Saturday morning. 3 of us do...Tony, my Dad and me all hit the markets.

One thing I learned.....working for yourself is wonderful...BUT...working for someone else means the responsibility belongs to them also. Just going to work and making a paycheck was actually EASIER than working this farm, making my products and then selling them. Working at home can become more hours than a job.....so no matter how you cut it....if you are needing money from a home business, you are still working ya know. I got a big shock and didn't realize how hard I would be working now vs. my old regular job..LOL

truly self-sufficient to me is BIG money in the bank to rely on, no mortgage and everything is paid off, you are not striving to want more, like a bigger home with land, or new this or that...you are content and happy where you are and get by on the money you have...this type of self sufficient for me works in my environment, where I am still using the world and have to pay for it....LOL....but real self sufficient is when you go off the grid, heat with wood, barely ever go to the grocery store, maybe have an old beat up car that cost $500, and expenses per month to live are super low...like $500 per month which you can easily do.....I read up on homesteaders that live like that.....there surely is nothing guaranteed in this lifetime at all.....so it is a crapshoot in the way we make decisions on whether they are perfect for us or not.

if you quit and are not happy or need money you can always find a job later.
hang in there, some decisions just take time to kinda fall into your lap. just way the pros and cons and think about it and come July when you are out of work, maybe you will find you don't want to stay home, some don't.....and maybe just a part time job will be enough for you.

stay strong!!