It was no small task to arrive where we are today. Though, until yesterday, I don't believe we even began our trek towards homesteading.
Where we are is Nashville, Tennessee. The move from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Nashville, Tennessee may very well be the most difficult move we've performed (or will perform). We left almost thirty years of history and family behind, and it was no small family. Over 150 cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, parents, friends, nieces and nephews were bid fair-well to in our quest for independence. The only family that followed us down initially was the Smith family. You can see their blog here.
The Smith family is already raising chickens, and planning soon on moving onto 1-7 acres for good. Their efforts are a motivator for me and my wife to take stock of how close we are to our goals.
We had some time yesterday to go over what it would really take for us to move to land in the middle of no where and survive, and more importantly put a price tag on each item. The grand total was $30,000 to $35,000. This price includes the 10 acres land, which we figure is about $20,000 ($2,000 per acre at most). What we've read up to this point indicates 10 acres is the minimum needed to be self sufficient.
The basis for the other $10k to $15k isn't that sound, but suffice to say we do need to build a structure on the land. We also decided we need a propane refrigerator and propane stove/oven to start as well as a generator and battery banks to run electric fans, lights, and power tools. We also will need running water, which can be accomplished with a small water tower, or even just a barrel on the roof. Those are the big ticket items.
The next variable the allowed us to budget was my current work situation. I've been an independent satellite contractor for 5-6 years, and the money is anything BUT steady. Recently, I went back to painting contracting, and the work is solid as a rock. We've figured our budget, and at best we'll be able to save around $1900 each month, which will let us reach all our goals in under three years. It will be a HARD three years though, working 50-60 hours a week. Yet, something tells me that things won't get any easier AFTER that.
I can't wait.
So the daily goal (during the week) is to work a 10 hour day. Each Saturday the goal is to make (and save) $200 performing side jobs. Sunday is a day of rest.
In the short term, we're moving to a rental unit that's hopefully close to Nashville but has at least an acre or so of land so the boys can get outside more. Here's some photos of an area just 20 minutes from downtown Nashville, but it's as country as you can hope to get.
