We took the plunge!

[retiredearly2]

Hi, I'm currently 52, been retired since I was 48, and loving most every minute of it. Downsized from a major city in the west to a 5 acre (paid for) homestead near the frozen lakes of a northern state. Been living off savings and working the land this entire time, and will need to do so until my partner and I can collect a small pension in a few years. We have a combined portfolio of nearly 1 million that we intend to tap as soon as we are eligible, no leaving anything to the grandkids but until then the savings account is all we have. We live simply, but feel blessed that we have been able to leave the rat race behind and focus on things that are important to us. I look forward to spending time in the ER community......I do have a question about the ACA (imagine that!) Thanks for the opportunity!

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Welcome. I first realized the possibility of ER from reading a homesteading magazine and seeing how little the people featured in the magazine could live on each year. All out homesteading seemed like too much of a change for us, then we read about urban homesteading and got completely hooked on the concept. We have also been trying to follow simple living principles.

Do you do things on your homestead to make money or is it just for self sufficiency?

 

[retiredearly2]

Strictly self sufficiency. We have expanded the garden every year and so far have been lucky enough to can and freeze a bulk of the vegetables we use during the winter months which helps lower the grocery bill. We use firewood to heat and have a well for our water. It's a lifestyle many wouldn't dream of, but for us its perfect! It also allowed us to RE since the cost of living is so much less. Learning now what you can and cant live without will be a huge advantage is you choose to embrace those principles when you retire.

 

[RAE]

Welcome! We live near a bunch of frozen lakes in Michigan also, and although we live on the edge of a small town, we also have a big vegetable garden and try to "live off the land" as much as possible. We make wine from locally-harvested fruits, hunt deer, fish, grow Oyster mushrooms on logs, and I could go on and on. It's not the type of life everyone would enjoy, but it's a good life for us

 

[daylatedollarshort]

We just live in a regular suburban house and yard. Getting ideas on simple living and urban homesteading has really opened our eyes to how much we could cut from the budget just by making simple changes - buying more single ingredient foods and cooking from scratch, making our own cleaning supplies, switching to LED bulbs, using drying racks and eliminating as many disposable products as we can. The savings have really been adding up and chopped many years off us both having to work full time.

This urban homesteading site has been an inspiration for us, though we don't grow food or have any animals except pets -

The Urban Homestead® - A City Farm, Sustainable Living & Resource Center, A Path to Freedom towards Self-Sufficiency

 

[retiredearly2]

Wow RAE, we have a long way to go to be where you are at, I'm jealous, ha! Fresh air, good water....local food. What's not to love?

DLDS....congrats on the lifestyle changes. You have already accomplished much more than we did before the plunge. Matter of fact, we did it cold turkey so the learning curve was probably a little steeper than what you will experience.