How do people afford this?

[h2oratt]

Ho

We live frugally so I can stay home while my husband works a good job. No big secret. Our house is smaller, but our place is larger. Pays to pay your bills first, save and get out of debt asap. We also waste no money eating out, buying gifts or going on vacations. All depends on your priorities in life.

w do you not buy gifts?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Ho

w do you not buy gifts?

Because they are unnecessary and in my opinion complicate life and holidays. We don't have kids, so I'm sure that makes a difference. Both my husband and I have everything we need, and if there's something we wish for we get it ourselves.

 

[lcwmt]

Wow! I'm loving how this thread has exploded with lots of upbeat stories.
-snnip- And finally, will this purchased item be owned by me or will it own me? Hubby often says, "I'm SO VERY GLAD WE DON"T OWN A BOAT!!!" We see folks pouring their time into tending their boats! While it may be fun to go out on a lake, down the river, or even out in the ocean, such things require more money and time commitment than we are willing to invest.

Ya done good. glad you posted it!

We live in a rural area that attracts hunters, fisher people etc. They bring lots of money into the ranching community and there are LOTS of boats and RVs and campers, almost year round. Y'know what "boat" means, right?
"Break Out Another Thousand". not our gig.

As for lifestyle, we brought our work with us, we each work from home [one of us is an artist, the other a techie]... and chose the house for the sky views. What matters to us is that our lives and work are happily intertwined. The cars are paid for, we have what we need and in a few months our only debt will be the mortgage.

 

[moomoodiddy]

I deleted a post last night, because I thought it might be taken the wrong way, but, after ruminating all night, I'm going to paraphrase and hope that I can convey my thoughts without them being taken out of context. There is a ceiling. It can be related to gender, race, religion, social class, even geographical location. Doing research yesterday on census stats, I found that the gender discrimination in the work place here in the state of Maine averages about 71 cents/hour (IIRC). That means, that as a female, I earn that much less, on average than a male of my age, occupation, experience level, and location would earn. Then, there is the physical ability, and health issue that affect one's ability to be successful (economically/socially) in life. These things are all acknowledge, and guardedly discussed. However one thing that IS NOT often discussed is intelligence. This does not refer to education, yet, intelligence DOES affect one's ability to further their education. We all know the individuals who are working their butts off. They are doing the best they can with what they have to work with. Some folks are more blessed with intelligence than others. For some, their highest economic level is limited by physical or mental challenges, and they DO not have an option of climbing the socio/economic ladder. Every time Arknaf speaks, I listen, and enjoy what he has to say. I have no doubt that this man is in possession of a very keen intellect. He can think circles around me. Yet, he is one of the few people who easily mingles with us "little people" without a condescending attitude. Ok, now, Arknaf... will I have to send a jar of Vaseline over to Israel, so you can get through the doorways?

My point in this long winded post is this: don't take the blessings you have for granted. Realize that, if you are in possession of a fit body, and a keen mind, that you'd best be using it to improving your world, as well as the world of the less fortunate. Ephesians 2:10.

In high school my class read a book called the Outliers. It was about successful people and how they accomplished what they did. In every case, the person had some way along the line either a person or opportunity that set them apart from the rest. One was a successful baseball player. He started kindergarten a year later, making him bigger and stronger than other kids trying out for the team. All those years of being favored lead to him becoming successful. I think a lot has to do with who you know and where you came from.

 

[lcwmt]

So glad y'all are liking the thread, I thought I would be called a whiny millennial.

hardly.
spending time considering one's life path is always productive. Good for you!

 

[moomoodiddy]

make chickens a career .... everyone needs eggs right ...or meat ... or milk ..or .... what i'm saying is become a farmer ... then you'll never have to leave your home...or sit in traffic ..or worry about losing your job ..or ...

This is what I would truly love to do, but I would have to worry about insurance and financial stability. I also think people would look down on me if I was not completely successful at it. Farmers in my area either are huge road croppers or poultry farmers for big companies or cattle farm as a side job.

 

[moomoodiddy]

Does anyone else think that "homesteading" and making small businesses out of farming has become main stream and may explode too much to the point of becoming unpopular again? What if I was to invest in something like that and then the public lose interest?

 

[song of joy]

Thank y'all for all the responses. I am a current college student struggling with what I truly want to do with my life. All the money I get from my part time job goes to bills and savings. It just seems like I do not have enough time to study and work, but I would love to open my own business.

Yes, it's possible. I did it while in graduate school. But, I had to be ruthless and realistic about my income and expenses. Even an extra $50 to $100 a month in expenses could make a difference between staying . . . or not staying . . . within budget, and over time, this adds up in savings or in debt.

A couple of years ago, we added a "free" horse to our homestead. This single animal has added an additional $100+ a month in expenses and $0 per month in income. There is no way I could have afforded this extra expense while a student, but the budget can support this extra expense now. Each and every animal results in additional expenses (food, housing, supplies, medical, etc.), and many do not "pay for themselves" (financially that is, I'm not counting non-financial benefits like enjoyment). I have to remind myself of this whenever "chicken math" rears its charming head.

 

[PirateGirl]

Does anyone else think that "homesteading" and making small businesses out of farming has become main stream and may explode too much to the point of becoming unpopular again? What if I was to invest in something like that and then the public lose interest?

I guess I'm not entirely sure what you are asking. I view homesteading as a way to be more self sufficient, eat healthier, maybe save some money, maybe not. It's not something I think of as a money maker. It's a way to take care of myself and my family and if I get good at it maybe I can work fewer hours at my job or buy fewer groceries.

 

[DuckMom2017]

I guess I'm not entirely sure what you are asking. I view homesteading as a way to be more self sufficient, eat healthier, maybe save some money, maybe not. It's not something I think of as a money maker. It's a way to take care of myself and my family and if I get good at it maybe I can work fewer hours at my job or buy fewer groceries.

I agree- as I'm trying to be more self sufficient. If you get this figured out you can still have a separate career, but you can save more in the long run