• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Carla Burke
  • Nancy Reading
  • r ranson
  • John F Dean
  • Timothy Norton
  • paul wheaton
  • Jay Angler
stewards:
  • Pearl Sutton
  • Anne Miller
  • Tereza Okava
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
gardeners:
  • M Ljin
  • Matt McSpadden
  • Megan Palmer

Escape From New York: But Not The Cool One Directed by John Carpenter

 
Posts: 2
1
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
So my fiance and I are looking to escape the city and go somewhere more green.  Big surprise there, right?  We're thinking New Hampshire or Vermont for the moment.

Im a nursing attendant and my fiancee is a nurse with a good amount of school loans, so we basically make same amount.

We don't drive.  No building experience.  Since December, we started seriously saving for land (about 2-3 acres max since I personally think that's plenty) and moving and have between us a little more than $2K in savings but squirreling as much as we can every paycheck.

I'm considering owner financing at some point but this is after I do all of the research that I can and looking at my options as to not jump into anything foolish.

Does anyone have any experience and advice for making this work despite being broke newbies in the game, especially in probably one of the worst times to make moves like this?

Thank you in advance.  

And call me Snake.
 
pollinator
Posts: 1782
Location: Victoria BC
319
  • Likes 4
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
My vote is a 2-stage process.

Step 1, move somewhere that cost of living is very low compared to earning potential. I haven't got a clue where this would be for your jobs in the states.. I am assuking your current area is on the expensive side, enough that you can save a lot more elsewhere. Check this assumption...

Save like hell, and work on skills. Driving, basic gardening, basic construction, physical fitness... read, research, practice on a a small scale. Think about where you want to live longer term. WWOOF on interesting farms if you get some vacation time.

Step 2, is the actual escape. Much more likely to go well if you can accumulate more resources and skills first. Lots of room for multi-thousand dollar surprises with rural property, houses, vehicles. A financial cushion is hands down the most versatile tool around, in any society that isn't operating on a gunpoint basis.
 
master steward
Posts: 13930
Location: Pacific Wet Coast
8237
duck books chicken cooking food preservation ungarbage
  • Likes 4
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
What D Nikolls says!

Look at what your biggest expenses are:
Food is often a biggie, but crappy food at a restaurant is more money and filled with unhealthy calories compared to home-made, so learning strong cooking skills can save a bundle.

Clothing is another biggy. In your industry, uniforms are the norm, but do you buy your own or are they provided? Getting off the "fast fashion" bandwagon in favor of clothing that's sturdy and timeless and learning basic sewing and mending skills which can be applied to a wide range of needs on a homestead can save a bundle also.

Practice your repair skills of all sorts - basic wiring, small motor repair etc. Look for free/garbaged things just to take them apart and see if you can get them back together (hint - take photos as you go!)

Even if you don't live where you have a garden, look for people who might exchange garden access for pruning or lawn-cutting (and learn that lawns *like* being 4 inches tall and that dandelions are edible if you don't put nasty stuff on them!)

If you haven't made it over to the "PEP" and "PEA" programs, that's a great place to see projects that people are doing to learn or practice skills that can be applied on a homestead.
https://permies.com/f/178/    https://permies.com/f/382/pea
 
Once upon a time there were three bears. And they were visted by a golden haired tiny ad:
permaculture bootcamp - gardening gardeners; grow the food you eat and build your own home
https://permies.com/wiki/bootcamp
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic