Making the easiest way to come about a living, page 1

The thing about making a "living" is that you can never stop. A living implies doing work or labor in exchange for a sum of money which you will then use to pay for the necessities of life. (Minus all required taxes of course).

The way around this, or another option, is to make a "life". Making a life for yourself in the traditional sense means using your labor and work to provide your own necessities without the requirement of many middlemen and the exchange of money.

Now certainly, in our society you can't just up and decide one day that you're not going to work for money anymore and be done with it. Of course, when we talk about making a "life" we need to consider how to obtain the initial materials and resources required so that we can survive on our own. They don't want to make it easy for us but if you're determined, you can do it without a lifetime of servitude and economic slavery.

Knowledge is power and if you're willing, you can learn all it takes to live and thrive in an environment where little or no money is required and as a result be happier that you ever imagined you could be.

But first the leg work. Again, I'm not going to suggest you can accomplish the following without an initial investment unless you're some kind of extreme survivor man. But I bet the type of investment required is less than you think.

Let's start with housing. Did you know that it's very possible to build your own home for less that $8000? Some do it for significantly less but either way, once we can establish a small savings investment (which by no means should take years) we can be on our way.

Here's an example of a comfortable cabin built for less than $8000.

We also need the home to be self sustainable which for our intended purposes, is a lot less of an investment that what would be required to run all the amenities in your average household. We simply have nowhere near the same power requirements.

Next is land. Another investment required here but a lot less than the $8000 needed to build a home. Especially if you are way out of the way where acreage is extremely cheap. Of course, no "normal" person would want to buy land in the middle of nowhere, close to zero amenities, but it's perfect for our needs.

From there we move onto food. Here's where knowledge really means a lot. The average person has no idea of the thousands of wild edibles/foragables that are available in most areas of the continent. Go find some books, start practicing foraging and then gardening. To this we can complement it with fishing and hunting if you are so inclined. Many things to learn but many rewards to reap if you are dedicated.

When you learn how to grow and find food and do it well, then you're certainly on your way. Then comes the many methods of storing and preserving foods; which is important especially if you are in a winter climate.

* This is just a broad overview of a certain way to go about it. And by it I mean "life". Many people would abhor the work and chores involved in this kind of life, while others consider these ways the actual act of living. And in no way does this way of life preclude you from making cash if you so choose to buy specific 21st century materials/goods to improve one’s quality of life from time to time. The only difference if that how you chose to do it will be on your terms, using your skills, the same ones you use to live. For instance if I decide I want to buy a lamp that charges via solar power in the day so I can have portable light at night, then I can manage to do so without too much concern.

It goes without saying that if you like the city life, the conveniences that go with it, the occasional show at the cinema, out at a restaurant every once in awhile, buying yourself "treats" every once in a while, then this is probably not for you. Not yet anyways.

One regret I have is that I wish I had started to prepare for this (knowledge wise) when I was in my early twenties, so that after a few years of research and study (and saving money) I would be ready to make a natural move to this lifestyle.

Once you get caught up in the "race" and the chase for commercial goods and toys you soon find yourself accumulating debt faster than you'd expect. This debt, as we should all know by now, works VERY well at limiting our options.

Again, I want to be clear that in no way is this an “easy” way out. There’s A LOT to learn and a lot of work involved but the work entails you working for yourself and not someone else so you can “afford” to live. If you are interested, like many people are, find like minded people and work together to achieve it. Help each other learn and work towards it. Your experiences will be that much better and the sooner you can start to REALLY live.