When they want more, I say no.

By: jesse

In our quest to free ourselves of debt, the closer we come to reaching our goal, everyone seems to want more and they want it right now; in our fast paced world it feels like the billing cycle has sped up the most.

Our methods of reducing debt were mostly pro-active, we would try to anticipate what would save us the most, now it's the opposite everything is reactive, no sooner do we eliminate an expense than another external pressure comes to bear (gas prices being the most recent). We've eliminated our furnace and replaced it with a soapstone fireplace (no gas or electric usage), the hot water heater has been insulated within an inch of its life. I've recently put a generator together for the sole purpose of running my dryer, anything to get out of the clutches of the utility company. For my efforts I am called an extremist, an alarmist, a survivalist nut case, just because I want to keep more of my money. I'm considered the odd ball, amongst the brainwashed, zombified throngs that I work with, because I don't consider it a privilege to pay more for everything.

Looking for a better way of doing things, doesn't necessarily mean reinventing the wheel; my search for a better way has brought me full circle to a time when things were simpler, when things were built to last. For example, a wood cookstove has been in use in my family for several generations (a simple reliable device), while its modern day counterpart is expected to last 5 to 7yrs. maybe. I can hear it now, "You expect me to use a wood cookstove, no way!", again it goes back to convenience, do you want to learn how to use a wood cookstove or work the extra overtime to pay for the gas to run the modern day cookstove? Personally, I would rather spend more time with my family then one second more at work. So, everytime prices go up for a service or a necessity, I find myself looking at how things were handled in my grandparents or great grandparents time and have found a suitable solution everytime. Recently, I picked up a book, "Four-Season Harvest" by Eliot Coleman, he gardens year round in Maine, his system isn't a new one, it's one thats been practiced for generations; just not here in the United States. I plan to make year round gardening a staple in my family; again outside pressures drive me to look for alternatives; alternatives that are very down to earth and whose common sense is inescapeable. In our world where people are being conditioned to accept higher prices for everything and to not look for alternatives, to simply accept your lot, is unacceptable to me.

Lastly, I don't want you to think that one way of doing things is any better than another, it's simply a choice that "you" make. I don't want everyone to choose the path that I would take because, variety is the spice of life, if things weren't alittle different from place to place then the grass would never seem greener, just, on the other side.

Article Source: http://www.homesteadarticles.com

Husband and father, one time itinerate merchant and story gatherer, that has settled down to live the simple life and recount some of the experiences that have led me here. Author and Admin. at www.livingonabudget.net You can contact me here.

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