Originally Posted by
mangyhyena
The place I live right now is in a neighborhood on a postage-sized lot, so no homesteading here. I plan to sell this place within 2 years and use the equity and my savings to purchase a modest homestead in an area that is much less expensive. I've got a night job that I can transfer to any state I wish, so I've got income covered when we move. Arkansas looks viable right now, but we're looking everywhere. Once we do that we will not have a mortgage anymore. Guess I'm trying to set up to live on much less than it takes right now. And once we move we'll have the space necessary to take in extended family should they lose everything and show up on our doorstep.
Alternative power for the new home is a must, IMHO. If we can get away from the grid I'll have no utility bill and I'll even be able to recharge an electric vehicle sans the electric bill, which would eliminate my dependence on OPEC and the utility company. I believe this is important because I can see a time coming when gasoline and utilities will skyrocket. (Think back to California utility prices skyrocketing during that scam they pulled when the privatized the electric companies)
We'll begin with a chicken coop and build from there, hoping to one day produce the bulk of our groceries. Goats and rabbits are on the menu and gardening will figure prominently as well. I figure we'll get better and better at producing our own food as time passes and we get more experience.
So far we've saved half of what we'll need to make this move. I've just got to hope nothing major happens between now and then to derail our plans.
So the things I see as helping us to survive hyperinflation or a depression or an economic collapse are being debt-free and producing food, which should be good for barter. If nothing happens for the next 5 or 10 years then we'll accumulate precious metals as well. I hold a modest amount of stock in Walmart, thinking that if any company will come through hard times that one will; like a cockroach.:) And we're already well stocked with food, water, and basic survival supplies.
Anything you all see that I'm overlooking?
