Now, I am not married, and have no children, so most of my posts are aimed toward those who are, as we say, unencumbered. Obviously a first consideration is are you working, and have to continue to work, maybe for awhile? This is where living rurally, and not off grid, gives you greater latitude. I live in an unincorporated area called Landers, in the High Desert of California. An offshoot of a small town called Yucca Valley. I am 30 minutes away from Yucca. I live on a dirt road that is 3 miles off a small two lane road. I have only one close neighbor, but he isn't close by city measurements. Its quiet here, no noise, no traffic, no streetlights, and few street signs....you aren't going to be able to find your way around here after dark if you aren't local. I can see 360 degrees in all directions.
In Yucca is a Walmart, a Home Depot, Staters, Von's, Grocery Outlet, a few fast food restaurants, a 99 cents store, a Petco and a Marshalls (which I have never been in - LOL), a small medical center (which I also have never been to), and feed stores. Little mom and pop businesses. By definition still a small town. Business for the most part are on one main street and run for about maybe 5 miles max. Population is I think about 15,000 but that covers a pretty big area. An hours drive away, which isn't a big deal here because its a straight shot, no stop signs kind of thing, is Palm Springs, where all things city and five star are. So where I live is for the most part, ideal. I am away from them, if you stand in my yard, you have no idea all those things exist. No lights, no noise, no outer signs of civilization.
So for someone who has to work but still wants to live this kind of life, a place like this is ideal. I have two 2500 Dodge Ram diesel trucks. One is a 4x4. And you'd be surprised but it is needed out here from time to time. Several years ago, we got 3' of snow, and I was the only one who for a week, could get out. Late last year, of all things, we had a flood. It channeled all around the property but I had swales and gullies and it went that way instead of thru my property. Some were not so blessed. Many of the roads were out for months, and as we are unincorporated, well, road maintenance happens to a certain degree, we pay for it on our taxes.....but when something like a flood comes it is at the pleasure of the government that repairs are made or not made. So many had to form groups who live a little ways from me by the crow flies, to repair their roads. No mail delivery here, or UPS or Fed Ex. We have post boxes but mine is at the end of the 3 mile dirt road. All the common carriers deliver to our teeny tiny local post office, 15 minutes away. Post office is only open from 8-10 and 1-3.
You can see then, we still get the thrills and chills of off-grid living with less of a do it or die kind of experience.
My taxes? Now we all know California is a high dollar kind of place to live. But I pay a whopping $400 a year in taxes. It is a laid back place to live. So much so that I have been toying with the idea of getting a pony trained barefoot, and a wagon to go to town in the summer. Well, to be honest, I wanted camels. The man who lives a few miles from me has camels. And camels are a love of mine from previous lives - LOL. Although you can get a camel for next to nothing if you happen to live in Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan, camels are about $10,000 a piece and up here, so pony had to be my choice.
Careers. They are a bane of existence aren't they? I think its safe to say, it is not really possible to live here in the U.S. and not need money. And let's face it, without it, it can be a very hard, difficult life. We do not have the culture that we had in the 1800's, and it isn't going to come back....trust me on this...that is why I worked for a period in my life, 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, so I could live like this now.
But what job? What career? Trust me also that you are not going to be able to have a money source you can rely on if you want to dream about making jewelry, or pottery, or all those wonderful but not really needful commodities to the ones you want to sell to. I have a lot of work skills. I have had jobs where I made the big money. In the long run, I had to jump thru too many of other people's hoops, did not feel valued and it was quite honestly, depressing...not a way I wanted to call life. So I started some "inner" seeking....what could I do in this area...what was needed, that would remain a need?
I mentioned to you that I live an hour drive from Palm Spring. Where all the richies live. What do they all have in common? Big houses that need to be cleaned. HA! Well, I am sort of a perfectionist anyway; perfect job for me. So I placed an ad in their paper down there, $25hour, cash. To make a long story very short....I did it for 20 years, I had wonderful wonderful clients who considered me family and treated me as valuable, and I made a lot of money. No one was ever home while I cleaned, most of them didn't realize they owned kitchens, let alone use them.....life was grand and I had a visually beautiful place to work.
So think outside the box. The Chinese know about this.....it is called the law of supply and demand. Find a need and fill it. You aren't going to make much money selling eggs, or veggies. If you are going to invest in yourself as a commodity that can be a going concern, look with eagle eyes....for the need....and fill it.
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