How did you get to this spot................

[enjoy the ride]

Reading another post about differences in expectations of SS, I got to thinking about how I got here.

When I was very young, my Mom had an expectation that "ladies" did not do manual labor. That changed a great deal then my father went away on a tour of duty for two years at a point where they had just purchased a house, had one child in college and were not living on base or even near one. She couldn't afford or find people to do father-replacement household chores.

Then my mother parcelled out the work- I took to "outside" stuff while my sister took to "inside" stuff. I had a steep learning curve but found it fun to fix things and do maintennce, etc.

Then I took art classes in college- if you can pour a bronze or carve stone, it's hard to be pursuaded that you can't do lots of other things.

Then I moved to a definently non-uppercrust town, bought a house, sold and bought one with a large lot then sold and bought one "out in the country." I graduated with each house from a small garden to a grow everything you can garden to keeping some livestock at my own place. I took a small barn down and rebuilt it at my second house- I put in 13 raised beds and built over 200 feet of board fence and a small greenhouse. I learned to graft trees, etc., harvest and preserve food- just because it was satisfying.

Since this included horses, I was broke most of the time (equus keepus brokus) so when I wanted a hayshed at my new house, I couldn't afford to have it built, so built it myself. I stretched 100s of feet of fence, digging post holes by hand thourgh 3 feet of rocks.

Then I retired- I had no idea what a real budget was til then. Now I use what I learned to grow food to save money and eat better than I can buy. I have learned about wood heat and saving electricity. I raise my own meat. I try not to drive into town to save money, so I have become a make-do artist. I stocked food for longer and longer period if staying home.

So what is the short story on what you do and how you got there? Ethics, frugality, principles, stupidity (I have done that one- got into a spot and had to get myself out,) raised that way. ect?

What was your inspiration?

 

[Up-the-Creek]

I kind of fell into it. The youngest of four kids and the only one who would stay on at the family farm with the parents. I would say at times it has been hard and I could have done things differently,..but honestly I would not change a thing. I love it here, and love our life we have built. It's all good.

 

[abifae]

*

 

[FarmerChick]

I married into it.

I was a computer programmer when I lived up north. Horses was my passion so I was jumping for a while (til I fell, real bad, and quit that...lol)
I was high heels, expensive clothes, great nights out, etc. I lived great.

Dad got President of a company in PA and we moved there. No great jobs for me so I got computer manager of an independent ins. co. Being in the boonies in PA, I bought a horse and started trail riding. I didn't have to dress perfect like when I lived in CT. PA downgraded my lifestyle of fancy I guess I could say.

Parents retired to nice lake in NC. I decided to come since I wasn't married or tied down. When I got here I kinda downgraded again in work. I got a job with computer accting. in a company. Now getting far from my original compauter programmer career..lol

Bought 5 acres. Trucked my horse down from PA. Found my best friend who owns a dairy farm cause she had a QH and we rode horses everywhere. Bought my trailer and we hit the road on horses..lol
At this point I am out of high heels, out of expensive clothes and all that...haha

Lived great in NC. Just had loads of fun in my life with horses. I had trouble finding hay from my usual guy and Barb suggested Tony...right down the road.

Then I met hubby ---he became my hay supplier. He was raising spotted saddle horses at that time, and oooh I love horses and he had hay, oooo I needed that....and he had land and barns and once I married him we converted straight into money making farming.

And that is how I downgraded to get to this point.

I work much harder for a dollar than I ever did now.
I work outside vs. a cubby hole in an office.
I still have tons of fun in my life....so it worked out good for me!

 

[On Our own]

I was raised in what I used to think of as the suburbs. Then I met DH who showed me what a suburb was in his perspective! We had lots of fun over such issues as what constitutes a "garden" : to me a plot of maybe four feet by six feet with some vegetable plants was a garden. To him anything less than ten acres under tillage and not intended for commercial sale was a garden.

We moved out to the sort of country just when I started getting really concerned about food sources and sustainable living. I got over my need for high heels and Thai food (which I still miss) and learned to raise all kinds of crops, and a few animals as well as small children.

We have another adjustment coming as I move back into work and DH stays home - at least for a while. Most of my old suits and shoes don't fit anymore. I am the same weight, but it is distributed differently now!

 

[Henrietta23]

I don't honestly have an answer to this question. I think I just have been attracted to people in my life (work, church etc.) who are more SS than not. I'm just naturally drawn to it. I wonder if some doesn't come by osmosis from my dad who grew up fairly poor in rural Upstate NY. And there was a very Mother Earth Newsy period in our family in the 70s. Not that I found it all that attractive at the time!

 

[modern_pioneer]

I was forced to leave the farm when I was 14y/o and had to live in a run down city, Newport News VA.

I spent 21 years getting myself back where I am today, back to what is a harder way to live. But the rewards of living like I choose to do is everything I was missing those 21 years.

 

[framing fowl]

I was born into it. Grew up on a farm in Montana. My parents were struggling to make a go of it. We had a flock of chickens, huge garden, meat rabbits, pigs (only once!), cows, goats, sheep, and horses. We bought in bulk from a food co-op things that we couldn't grow ourselves. We would also glean in other people's fields at the end of harvest. They bartered for as much as possible. My mom even started a babysitting co-op with other ladies in the area.

Left to go to college, married and lived in the city for awhile, hated it. We're still in suburbia on 1/4 acre but working on having our own place in the country in 2-3 years. Meanwhile, we've just adjusted our thinking to creativity and smaller spaces!

 

[Dace]

I am not really sure. I guess a combination of a lot of things.

I am frugal by nature, never been the materialistic type. DH has always been self employed and there are a lot of ups and downs with that. I have always been a gardener and animal lover. I always knew margarine was a bad thing...that things closer to natural were better.

I had used coupons for a long time as a way to stock pile things in preparation for the eventual down turn (they always come no matter how high you are!) At some point i came to realize that I could raise a few chickens and have my own clean farm fresh eggs. The family thought that I had lost my ever lovin mind. I also realized that I could learn how to can my own foods and cook more from scratch which meant buying less. Then wanted a bigger garden.

I would love to move out to the country but that is not in the cards at this point. I am still hopeful!

 

[justusnak]

How did I get to this spot!? Hmmmm...well, I was raised in the country...gardening, chickens, and pigs for the freezer. Canning, jelly makeing..and sewing our own clothes. ( there were 5 of us kids, and buying clothes was something we didnt do often)
Dureing my teenage years...we had a house fire..and lost everything. Mom moved us into town. I was terrified! All the cars...tall buildings..noise..smells. I became sort of a recluse for about a year. Finally, I got a job at 17 yrs old, and met my hubby. We married after 3 months..and he joined the military. Hubby was military raised...so it seemed "natural" for him. I was scared to death of leaving home. I was the "typical" AF wife. Fancy clothes...parties, meetings, room mother, carpools, sports...dinners out. We raised our family in Oklohama, and Alaska...and as the kids moved on to thier own lives...hubby retired and we left the "rat race" Moved to a small town in Indiana..where my mother had relocated...and eventually found our little slice of heaven..a "mini farm" of 5 acres. I warned hubby...If you buy that place..the animals will come" He laughed..and we signed on the dotted lines. ( I think 10 pages of them) That was almost 5 years ago. We now have 2 garden plots, putting in a 3rd this spring...we have planted and will be planting more fruit trees, grapes, and berries. Fenced pasture for the barn, and put in the sheep. We built 2 chicken coops, and a turkey hut...and will be building a permanent pen and hut for the pigs this spring. I am happier now that I have been over the last 20 years. I work hard...sometimes untill I can barely move another inch...and smile the whole time.