Okay here we go...... This is the very begining of a journey and a dream...... Financial freedom, and the ability to be self reliant. Let's face it, the days of stable 30 year mortgages and housing markets are over, or close to over. Stable jobs, economy, banks, and possibly even currency might not be far behind. Can you picture yourself being able to retire in your 20's, 30's or 40's? All while raising a family and still putting food on the table. Or being able to take your kids on vacations whenever you want? Coaching baseball or soccer, being a full-time parent (at home full-time), instilling your morals and values on a daily basis, not the babysitter's.
Well I can, and if you are still reading......We can!
My story is not so simple, but it's not that unique in today's day and age either. I am married to a wonderful woman who also happens to share my dreams of self reliance and financial freedom. We have 4 kids, a modest home in the city with a mortgage, a car payment, another house that we own and also have a mortgage on (currently renting it out), utility bills that constantly fluxuate, not the greatest credit thanks to previous marriages, and a grocery bill that seems to grow every month as our children grow. Thankfully we dont have a ton of credit card debt because we started our plan earlier and made it disappear pretty quickly. I can give you some insight on that in a later post.
Our dream is to have our own chunk of land, nothing huge, a couple acres, maybe more if we can afford it. We want to build a cabin with our own hands that is paid for with cash, free and clear. I realize that alone sounds like a daunting task, but with a good amount of research and a few friends, it is more than feasable. We want a garden, not a teensy weensy city garden, grown with foriegn bodied, chemically treated, city water or stinky exhaust fumed, industrial polluted air. We want a garden that is fresh, organic, and big enough to grow enough food to feed our family, all year long. This can easily be done with a half acre garden. We also would like to grow our own meat. How? Well I don"t want to be a cattle farmer, so a few other examples would be rabbits, goats (also produce milk), chickens, or just plain hunting. If the meat growing isn't for you, there is always becoming a vegetarian, or buying beef in bulk and freezing it.
Most of all, we want to get off the grid as much as possible. For those of you that dont know what "off the grid" means, I am talking about making my own utilities. Whether it be solar, wind, or hydro for electricity. Passive solar, wood burner, corn burner, or fireplace for heat. Well or spring for water. Septic or composting toilets for waste. Whatever your choices, these are all free or close to free utilities once they are in place. Myself, I may choose to stay connected to the electrical grid for convenience, but be able to operate off the grid on day to day basis.
How do we get to this point of financial freedom? Of self reliance? Together, that's how. I have a set plan to get out of debt, save money, have money for emerencies, find and buy land, build my homestead, and lower my monthly outgoing bills to almost zilch. This is not a self help scheme where I am trying to sell you something. Fact is, I have nothing to sell. This is just a blog to brainstorm ideas, links, and stories to help my family and hopefully yours reach our dreams. I hope to here from all of you and hope to hear your opinions. So lets get the movement started.......Cheers mate! Here is to "The Good Life of the Future!"
