MARY MCENULTY
Countryside Magazine
http://www.countrysidemag.com/
There is no easy or simple way to get used to living
on half the income you
are now accustomed to having. Many, many families live
on less than $50,000 a
year. However, when you make the change to that
amount, it is going to seem as
if you are "broke" all the time. There is just no way
you can do it without
deeply feeling the differences. You are not going to
be able to be comfortable
in the same ways you are now. Be ready for that new
state of affairs and you
will be miles ahead. You are going to be able to buy
half of what you can buy
now, and "that is that." Your social position is going
to change. That brings a
nice freedom to you but also a mental adjustment. Be
as prepared as you can be
so that it doesn't shock you too much.
Prioritizing: Begin to carefully evaluate what is
needed and what is wanted.
As struggling homesteaders, you will need shelter,
clothing, food, reliable
transportation, money for property taxes, and cash for
animal expenses. The
degree of convenience involved becomes "want."
Transportation: You could probably sell the auto you
are now driving and buy
a $7,000 replacement. With the money left over, you
could start a savings
fund.
Savings: You are trying to get "positioned" for the
change by accumulating
lots of supplies and equipment now. That's okay, but
it's not going to make
much
of a difference once you have made the change-over. No
matter what you
purchase now, there will be even more that you
discover you want as time
passes. You
should probably stop accumulating things at this point
and start a savings
account to use after you move onto your property.
Why?Homesteading is a continuing struggle. The
challenges and rewards are
some of what attract you to homesteading, aren't they?
Well, as you engage in
the
struggles, you will realize that financial deprivation
is one of the major
ones. Only a very wealthy person could set up a
self-sufficient homestead with
all the buildings, supplies and equipment needed; buy
animals; fence in the
animals; care for the animals and make repairs on
everything that breaks down.
All the rest of us have to make choices every day
about what project needs the
money the most. It is a fluid situation, changing day
to day and hour to hour.
Often, it will boil down to, "Which problem is causing
me the most
inconvenience right now?"
You cannot know the answers to those questions now, so
it is wise to have
money in the bank to cover the expenses of the answers
as they arise. you might
accumulate things now to cover almost all
contingencies except the one that
bothers you the most after you settle into your
property.
Animals: Since you want to have livestock on your
homestead, you should
prioritize the expenses of their care. Don't even
think of getting the animals
before you have in place adequate housing and fencing
for them. Without that,
the
time and effort you will spend on protecting and
retrieving the animals will
become a major problem. Good advice would be to wait
for a year before getting
the animals. In that year, observe the drainage on
your property. Observe wind
patterns. Observe traffic on the road. (Many animals
do not like to be near
road noises and some motorists are abusive to
animals.) Observe sunlight
patterns. Observe wildlife trails. All this
information will help you make
better
decisions on where to house your livestock and what
kind of shelters to build.
Keep in mind that livestock feed has distinct storage
requirements. You must
keep mice and other varmints out to the best of your
ability. Cutting corners
there will cost you time and money later. Budget
adequate money for that
expense.
Clothing: Don't buy any more clothing for one year.
Not any. Put anything
from the clothing budget into the savings account. At
this point any more
clothing is a "want" not a need. Differentiating wants
and needs becomes more
and
more important as income is reduced. Make a challenge
out of doing that.
Debt: If you have debt, pay it off before you move.
The stress of carrying
debt in a reduced budget is crushing to the mind and
spirit. Don't charge or
finance anything else before you move. Debt is a trap
that will ruin your
homesteading life.
Anyone facing serious reduction of income is wise to
do an attitude check and
become intensely conscious of the needs vs. wants
issues. It is also wise to
stop accumulating things and start saving. Tthough we
can't know what lies
ahead of us in the future, we can be certain that
there will be expenses
involved
and that having savings on hand will be much
appreciated when they come.
Thinking we can see the future is a mindset that
implies we are in control. .
.and we are not. Homesteading teaches us that. We go
into it wanting to be
self-sufficient and "do-it-myself-ish." As we
experience the trials, hardships,
adventures and rewards, we learn that we cannot do it
ourselves and we cannot
be self-sufficient. We all need help from time to
time. We need interaction
with others who share the dream. We need input to keep
the dream alive. Best
wishes to you as you begin your adventure.
Last advice: Be as prepared as you can be, but be
ready to relish and enjoy
the surprises that you were hardly prepared for at all!
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