Friday, June 15, 2012

Enjoyed Viewings - Inspiration

A while ago there was a posting about how people have happily over leveraged themselves. We of course are quite comfortable with this in most societies. It even has a perfectly acceptable term. Mortgages. It is a way that everyone can have instant gratification. Instead of saving up to purchase land or a home etc we take out massive loans and leverage our future time against it to pay them off.

These last few years owning our home (My first, V's Second) has allowed me to develop my understanding on the whole concept of what is a home. What defines it. What do we personally need as individuals, as a couple, and even an eventual family (I would say the cat and Us comprises a family already. ;) ) in order to be happy. Secure.

I've spent plenty of time scouring the internet and youtube on the subject. One of my favorites, although I enjoy each one we are subscribed to, is Jane's "Hardwork Homestead" blog. It is because of the spirit behind it. Working towards self sufficiency. Although I would boil it down to simply security. A feeling or intuition that makes a dwelling a home.

While we have not 'over' leveraged ourselves with a massive mortgage payment over the next year or so I would like to move towards that goal. Purchasing an acre. Building a 'Tool shed' with the accompanied solar array and rain catchment. The secret hidden bunker underneath to house the potatoes. ;) Paid outright.

I'm learning that it really isn't about how much you make in a year. It is about the margins of disposable income. The meaning of this is simple. If you can reduce your over head to its absolute minimum, then even with modest income, you'll find that you have the disposable income of a higher wage earner.

If your 'home' is paid off. The land is yours. You harnest the power of the sun for your energy needs. A bountiful veggie garden view out the window. What do you truly have left other than taxes? ;)

One could travel the world at that point based on savings from minimal wage positions. Now please do not misquote me on this aspect. I still wish to remain a plane flying career, veggie eating, cat petting, all around cool dude. The idea is to bring life back to what it was.

I am fairly certain that nature did not develop the human being simply to spend the majority of their days working to get by. Personally it seems a shame that we have switched ourselves from the majority of our time gathering food, storing it, creating textiles etc to one of working forever to pay off your 'over leveraged future time'.

On that note should you be so inclined, feel free to watch a documentary that hits all the little nerves inside my skull. :) Oh, yes. I want a tool shed as is seen about 50 minutes in.

Thank you!


13 comments:

  1. Very well said. I think that is the major place where we have gone wrong as a society. Debt became not only excepted but EXPECTED. We stopped doing things for ourselves and are paying someone else to meet all of our needs. We cant even entertain ourselves without paying for something to do it for us. Then we spend the majority of the day and our lives working at jobs we hate to pay for the stuff we really dont need. A vicious cycle.

    And I am so glad you like my blog. Thanks :)

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  2. Instant gratification is the bane of society. I've thought this for the longest time-even when I fall into it. If/when B and I get married and have babies, I'm hoping to quit my job and make big strides towards self sufficiency. And I hope that B and I and our 4 kitties count as a family right now, so you and V and your kitties definitely do. :)

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  3. "Live like no one else, so you can live like no one else." Dave Ramsey

    or my favorite

    "Live like no one else, so you can give like no one else." Dave Ramsey

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  4. Eventhough we don't have a "tiny" house our way is already very much directed toward self-sufficiency, with providing most of our food, going solar and having hydroponic to produce in winter. Technically we can be absolutely cut off from town services and not miss them. We compost our leftovers, have our own ceptic system and water well. Now if I could only convince him to have few chickens for eggs.... :)

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    1. :) Good to see it isn't just me wishing to move towards that goal in society.

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  5. Years and years ago, I made up my mind to never buy anything on credit. I saved the money, let the bank pay me interest, then paid cash for everything. I haven't had a car payment or a house payment in the past 30 years (remember, I'm 73 now so you have a way to go). We sold our fancy home for a good profit and paid cash for a smaller home....who needs fancy? We own a low mileage 2007 Silverado and a 2010 Malibu. We saved up and paid cash for both. Let "the Joneses" have their mansions and their Mercedes and the payments that go with them. We're comfortable, we have everything we want, and I don't ever have to worry about the bill collector knocking at my door, or my home being repossessed. Life is good.

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    1. That sounds utterly amazing, Granny. Count me in for that path. :)

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  6. Great post. One of the most freeing points in my life was when I lived for 2 years in a poor town in Brazil. When I comeback to the states I was able to see how much extra and unnecessary stuff we have in the US. After working with people who were lucky to have 1 pair of shoes, it seemed wrong to have 25. We always seem to want more, and it has to be the newest, the best, the biggest, and the brightest. I have learned to be happy and grateful for what I have.

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    1. How true. I would add on that note. Money itself or possessions are not inherently evil or unethical. It is the intentions behind them that possibly could be. If you have the means to sustain your life style and overhead then great. However, if you find yourself working for a living simply to stay afloat...perhaps it is time to reassess. :)

      I enjoy all the gadgets and high end finishes. I just do not wish to spend all of my living time paying them off.

      Thanks for your insights!

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  7. Great post. Totally agree. I like what you said just above my comment. We enjoy the gadgets too, we just like to save up to get them and then know they are owned and paid for. We are paying off the farm as soon as we are able. I've often told Jane at her blog (and Dani at hers!) that they are so inspiring to those of us that want to live off grid. We're not there yet, and it will be a few more years of course, but we feel that by purchasing the farm house and the land now, we are a big step toward that. We've laid the groundwork, and we call it the infrastructure toward our self sufficiency. It's a great feeling knowing that we are moving in that direction.

    And the farmhouse is 950 square feet. Not small/tiny, but not huge like some might want. It's so freeing and liberating getting stuff for it that's practical and yet beautiful to us and knowing that we don't have to fill 10 rooms, or even have things that put us in debt. There isn't a single thing in the farmhouse that we don't own outright. The only 'debt' is the mortgage and we're working on that.

    Thanks again for the post, I'm watching the documentary now!

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