agrarian q&a: how did you do it?
So, I drafted this post over six months ago. That might tell you about the state of things in my inbox, comments, and the blog in general. When Anders asked the following on our facebook page I wondered if anyone else had the same questions.
Q: How did you do it? How did you get yourself to the point where you had a 300 sq ft home on land? Were you in any debt before hand? My husband and I are trying to get out of debt ASAP so we can live our dream of land and a small home…we feel like we are spinning our wheels and have no clue what to do first…I know this is a lot of questions..lol But I would love to hear your journey and how you were able to get to where you are….
In case someone does, and in case this might help or encourage someone, I thought I’d start a random Q&A series here on our journey.
Well, the short answer is by God’s grace because, looking back, sometimes it seems like it was impossible. But I will back up and start from the beginning.
We were in debt before hand. I had student loans from college which Stewart took on as a reverse dowry when he married me. I wish I was kidding.
We knew we needed to homestead and we prayed for a way to make it happen by the time our eldest son was five. We didn’t know if we would make it by then, but we tried to be as diligent as possible in paying off those loans and saving enough to buy a couple of acres so that we could avoid going into debt again.
So between 2005 and 2011 we paid it all off. During that time I predominantly worked as a stay-at-home mom. So, on one income we paid off $25,000 and saved enough to get started modestly.
I don’t think there’s one “right” way to do it, but I personally think paying off existing debt and avoiding any debt going forward is hugely important. If you can do that, minimize any expenses on things like electricity or other monthly bills, then you have the option of living on very little income.
And living on very little income gives you the option to do what you need to with your time.
That is what we have chosen to do. We were willing to live ruggedly and build from the ground up. We had actually planned to live in a tent for a little while to get started, but a camper came our way at a price we couldn’t refuse so we started there.
We have prioritized food production over a larger, more comfortable living space (for now) and we have prioritized our time over the things that we might be able to buy if we spent more of our time working off the homestead.
So, our four-part process has looked something like this:
- Pay off loans with one income while I scrimp and save by doing things like cloth-diapering, scratch cooking, gardening, etc.
- Buy only as much land as you can afford and can reasonably develop within a few years.
- Start your homestead from scratch with only the basics of water, shelter, waste disposal, etc.
- (What we’re currently in the beginnings of): Build up your food production through sustainable means, create infrastructure like water catchment and root cellars, and then eventually build a larger (maybe underground) home that will double as food processing area/homeschooling central/office & workshop area.
But, obviously, there is more than one way to skin a cat as they say.
So, how have you made the jump towards sustainable living?
Thanks, Shannon, for laying down the steps you have taken to live a more self-sustaining lifestyle. Wow! How exciting to step back and look at the progress you have made! The way you and your husband have approached this lifestyle change is a very wise and prudent one, in my opinion. I’m sure many people will be helped and encouraged by your example. My husband and I have been working towards a self-sustaining lifestyle for seven years now. And we still feel like babies in this new world. One thing we have learned is that things almost always take longer than you think they will. But, if I may, I’d like to encourage folks to not get discouraged. There will be many phases of two steps forward, one step back, and baby steps with minute progress to show for it. It will be a life-long process so you have to have a marathon attitude, but it’s also important not to let excuses stall your progress. And if you believe in the sovereignty of God, you will know that whatever happens is for your good, and learn to receive things with thanksgiving, looking at the big picture. I hope that all makes sense. I’m all about keeping things real, as are you, and just want to encourage people to continue moving in the right direction, no matter how small the step.
Susan – Thank you for your kind words. It’s funny that you would say you still feel like babies, because we feel we have learned so much from you. It’s all perspective, I think, and you are dead on when you say things take longer than you think. I should definitely write about the smaller and bigger challenges along the way so that folks get a more accurate picture of what the journey is really like.
May I quote your statement “There will be many phases of two steps forward, one step back, and baby steps with minute progress to show for it. It will be a life-long process so you have to have a marathon attitude, but it’s also important not to let excuses stall your progress. And if you believe in the sovereignty of God, you will know that whatever happens is for your good, and learn to receive things with thanksgiving, looking at the big picture.” ?
I couldn’t have said it better myself. Thanks so much for your wisdom!
Shannon
I am in total admiration of what you have achieved, where you come from, and the way in which you write about it. My boyfriend and I are just in the phase of considering changing to a more selfsustainable life-style. We hardly have any savings, he has college depts, we only have one steady income at the moment. At this point it seems so unlikely we well ever even have or own ground, let alone a house. You are so courageous to undertake this adventure with children! To me it seems quite fantastic that we will even succeed on our own 🙂 Right now we are doing what we can in our small city garden, growing as much of our ouwn vegetables and fruit as we can in this small space. Mending clothes instead of buying new ones. Buying second hand rather than new if we really need something. Foraging wild edible plants and weeds… We will also be spending time helping out on an organic farm this summer instead of going on our usual vacation, to learn some of the skills we will need once we have our own homestead. Even though this is all small beginnings, for the first time in my life I feel like I’m actually doing what is right for me. And that is wonderful. Even though sometimes it seems like a frightening adventure! It is a tremendous support to read other people’s stories about how they got where they are now.
Isis – Wow! You are doing so much that sounds exactly like what we did and are still doing. Like Susan said it can seem like two one step forward, two steps back. I think keeping everything in perspective and realizing the important reasons why you are on this journey are crucial. Keep on keepin’ on!
We followed much the same route you all did. My husband initially panicked at the idea of me coming home to manage the household and have him work. It seemed to him to be counter productive. However, in the end, it worked out incredibly well to have one person who could put all their energy into the earning and the other person who could put all their energy into saving every cent and maximizing every one spent. Our house is now slightly larger than yours (380 sq. ft.) and we are about 3 years out from having the mortgage completely paid off, but the rest of the debt was killed this last year. People think we are crazy, and seem to have no idea about how little money it really takes to make a life work. It is much more about effort and right living.
Brynn – Well said!