I want to live a simple life out in the country.

[stickythighs]

I am on a computer at a public library, and I only have fifteen minutes left. So this post definitely won't be as well-polished as most of my posts.

I am interested in living a simple life out in the country. I want to buy some land out in the country and build a cabin on it. I could heat it with a woodstove. I could buy a well to supply my water needs.

If I did it, I might buy a septic tank, or I might just build an outhouse.

I would plant a garden and get a lot of my food from it. I would also get some food from hunting and fishing, but I doubt that I would ever get where that would supply all my food needs. I would probably go to the grocery store sometimes or at least buy MREs (meal-ready-to eat) from an army surplus store.

One thing that concerns me is I think it might be kind of creepy living alone out in the country. Despite the fact that women think my face is very ugly, gay guys think I'm good looking. One time a gay guy actually tried to rape me (He made a physical attempt.), and several times I've had gay guys hit on me aggressively. I'm worried about what any homos would do if they found out I live alone out in my cabin in the middle of nowhere. Furthermore, I ould have problems with someone merely trying to rob me in the middle of nowhere.

I am a true crime addict, and it was reading about Ted Kaczynski (the Unabomber) that gave me the idea. He lived a simple life out in the country. Just in case someone makes any ridiculous accusations, no, I don't want to emulate any of his terrorism.

Has anyone else ever wanted to live a simple life out in the country?

 

[hypatia]

Crime does happen in the country sides, it can happen anywhere you live. Even when I'm at my cabin in summer I take precautions, but not just for humans, but for animals too.

 

[Cyrus]

You should write short stories about your experiences in life. You remind me of a kid who used to post here with all kinds of wild stories as well, but I forget his name. He would go around talking to homeless people.

 

[edward]

I would definitely try renting a reclusive place before investing in the land and building. You may find out that you really don't like it all that much.

I would love to live a reclusive life out in the country. My wife on the other hand starts to have withdrawal symtoms if she is gets more than 10 miles from a shopping mall. We settled for a semi rural area on the edge of town.

 

[WarPhalange]

Life in the country would suck. You need to take a crap when it's freezing out and you have to walk outside to do it. No internets, not even one, and you'd have a wood-powered microwave. No thanks.

I understand when people want to take a break from all this technology that is bombarding them on a daily basis, but living out in the country isn't all gum drops and rainbows.

Reminds me of the people who want to live in the Middle Ages, forgetting that they'd have to walk everywhere, eat crappy food, work very hard, and die of a simple disease.

 

[turbo]

There are variations of "life in the country". My wife and I have a small log cabin on about 10 acres. We have our own garden and two large chest freezers so we are largely self-sufficient for many types of food. I make pickles, salsas, etc, and can other vegetables. Carrots and squash keep well in our cold cellar. We have phone service and electricity, and we heat our water and cook our food with propane. We have a small wood-stove that heats the cabin nicely with only a few cords of wood a season. The nearest village is a few miles away, and has a couple of hundred people - the nearest large town (more than 500 people) is about 20 minutes away.

Is there crime out here? Generally, it is confined to theft, but the possibility of violence is there. Last week, a couple of very tall skinny black guys held up a credit union in a nearby town (stupid, because the very small non-white population here narrows the list of suspects very quickly and their builds make them easy to spot and haul in) and then joined up with some confederates in a stolen car. The car was found abandoned less than 2 miles from my house. Their accomplices were Caucasian - a couple of men and a woman, and they would have been a LOT harder to ID if THEY robbed the credit union, but ... well, Darwin's principle will remove them from the gene pool for a while.

 

[oedipa maas]

I'm worried about what any homos would do if they found out I live alone out in my cabin in the middle of nowhere.

Homosexuals are like most people anywhere - they probably won't take any notice of you at all.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

I don't know who I am quoting, perhaps Will Durant.

No one loves the country like someone from the city.

 

[gareth]

I have often considered this, but I'd urge you to watch the movie "Into the Wild".

To quote from the movie;

"happines is only real when it's shared..."

On the other hand I think everyone should live a secluded life for a while, if you can't stand to be by yourself for a while, it might be an indication that you may need re-think the way your living your life. People are too distracted these days I think, everyone would benefit from a bit of rural living. It makes you appreciate company of others more, and gives your mind a bit of space.

 

[stickythighs]

Homosexuals are like most people anywhere - they probably won't take any notice of you at all.

I've had them take notice of me many times.

 

[stickythighs]

There are variations of "life in the country". My wife and I have a small log cabin on about 10 acres. We have our own garden and two large chest freezers so we are largely self-sufficient for many types of food. I make pickles, salsas, etc, and can other vegetables. Carrots and squash keep well in our cold cellar. We have phone service and electricity, and we heat our water and cook our food with propane. We have a small wood-stove that heats the cabin nicely with only a few cords of wood a season. The nearest village is a few miles away, and has a couple of hundred people - the nearest large town (more than 500 people) is about 20 minutes away.

What do you do for a living?

Did you build the log cabin yourself?

How much are your property taxes per year?

Don't you think it would be quite dangerous for a pretty woman to live alone in the country though?

 

[stickythighs]

You should write short stories about your experiences in life. You remind me of a kid who used to post here with all kinds of wild stories as well, but I forget his name. He would go around talking to homeless people.

Wild stories-- if I told you about some of my experiences in life, you wouldn't believe me.

 

[Cyrus]

Wild stories-- if I told you about some of my experiences in life, you wouldn't believe me.

Thats why I said write about them!

 

[turbo]

What do you do for a living?

Did you build the log cabin yourself?

How much are your property taxes per year?

Don't you think it would be quite dangerous for a pretty woman to live alone in the country though?

I live here:

I bought the cabin, built about 30 years ago. Property taxes are a little over $1000. It would not be dangerous for a person to live alone out here, as long as they establish security precautions and have the means to defend themselves, if necessary. We are too far from any police station/sheriff's office to rely on 911. About "what you do for a living" that's entirely up to you. If you have marketable skills that you can sell to others, fine. If you are willing to commute to unskilled jobs and accept lower wages, that's up to you. Once you get into a situation that doesn't require lots of cash to sustain, you can live with less. Unless someone is going to hand you a bunch of money to get you started out, you'd better concentrate on finding a job that pays well and that you can get to every day even if the price of gas goes through the roof. Living 'way out in the country can be a pain when you have to commute a long way to work and you have to pay the price of gas no matter what, so you can keep your job.

 

[Howers]

But then you wouldn't be able to watch gorilla football.

 

[binzing]

I think the homophobia part is a little...extreme...

 

[Howers]

I think the homophobia part is a little...extreme...

What do you expect from a "sticky thighs" ?

 

[ekrim]

I'm worried about what any homos would do if they found out I live alone out in my cabin in the middle of nowhere.

What the hell is wrong with you?

 

[binzing]

Don't you think it would be quite dangerous for a pretty woman to live alone in the country though?

Eh, pretty woman? Last time I checked in the Member Photo Thread and saw Turbo's pics...I'm sorry Turbo, your not my type...

 

[Borek]

If you have skills that you can sell through the internet, leaving in the country can be a good choice. You just need better uplink that Turbo has

 

[wolram]

Living in the country can suck if you are not a good organiser and keep you vitals stoked up

 

[turbo]

Living in the country can suck if you are not a good organiser and keep you vitals stoked up

Living in the country can also suck if you have no experience at it. I have been gardening for 50 years (since a little kid) and there is a LOT to learn before you can get good at it. There is a lot to learn about handling and safely processing the food so you can eat throughout the winter. There is a lot to learn if you hope to learn how to run chainsaws and cut your own firewood without maiming yourself. There is also a lot to learn about self-sufficiency, making do, etc.

During the late 60's-early 70's a lot of urbanites came to this area, looking to "live off the land". A few smart hard-working people are still around. A few slackers with heavy trust-funds who went through the motions of "living off the land" are still around. Those are the ones who got 3-year-old Volvos to drive every 3 years or so as their parents bought new cars and gave them the cast-offs. Yep! Peasant dresses, Indian print blouses, stinking of patchouli so you can't get within 50 yards of them. The sons and daughters of some very wealthy and influential people moved to Maine to "rough it" while their families "roughed it" in their summer-mansions in Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor, etc.

 

[lisab]

Peasant dresses, Indian print blouses, stinking of patchouli so you can't get within 50 yards of them.

I hate that stuff...its only use is hiding more objectionable odors, for which most of use use something called "soap"...

 

[Moonbear]

One should make sure living in the country is something they REALLY want before they plunge into buying property. I'm still a bit undecided (it's definitely a viable option here, but turbo's points about commuting to a paying job is a real issue, and what's holding me back a bit right now). Living in a small town is pretty nice too. Kind of the best of both worlds. Quiet, away from the traffic and crowds, but still close enough to the necessities of grocery stores and work. When I crave things in a city, it's a bit over an hour's drive.

Septic and wells aren't all that great in some places. A lot of developments around here are only just starting to tie into town sewer and water. Septic isn't too bad as long as it's maintained and emptied often enough (added expenses), but if you're not paying attention, it can back up on you. The wells aren't always so great. One person who got town water is glad, because after doing a load of laundry, it would take a while for the well to refill.

An outhouse is just plain unsanitary. Unpleasant odors, having to head outside in the middle of the night, regardless of weather conditions (rain, snow, wind), is not really desirable.

 

[wolram]

Oh heck i just remembered the jerry under the bed at grandads house, it was either that or brave the outhouse, the spiders and newspaper were not very welcoming.

 

[rewebster]

Oh heck i just remembered the jerry under the bed at grandads house, it was either that or brave the outhouse, the spiders and newspaper were not very welcoming.

My grandparents had one, either leftover from when the farm didn't have plumbing or as a backup--I stayed with them for three summers. One thing is to not make sudden moves-----it also often housed paper wasps--and if you moved too quickly, they'd dive bomb you---I got stung three times by one of them after one visit.

(and before it comes it--nooooo, I got stung on the back by the shoulder blade)

 

[scorpa]

.

Septic and wells aren't all that great in some places. A lot of developments around here are only just starting to tie into town sewer and water. Septic isn't too bad as long as it's maintained and emptied often enough (added expenses), but if you're not paying attention, it can back up on you. The wells aren't always so great. One person who got town water is glad, because after doing a load of laundry, it would take a while for the well to refill.
.

Our well water was no screamer that is for sure. We could not have white clothes because it always turned them a yellowish color in the laundry, it even dyed our bath tubs. A few years ago we had it tested and it came back as unfit for human consumption and of course we had always drank it, although usually we distilled it. Our sewer always had problems and my dad is always out fixing it. Living in the country is amazing but you have to be prepared to work and know how to fix things.

 

[Dr Transport]

Why don't you get a piece of property and try one of these for a summer to see if you can hack it...

http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/

 

[rewebster]

I'm a farmer

 

[edward]

Make it easy to return to society if necessary.

http://www.rvtravel.com/blog/weirdrvs/uploaded_images/burningmanrv-723321.jpg

 

[Integral]

One should make sure living in the country is something they REALLY want before they plunge into buying property. I'm still a bit undecided (it's definitely a viable option here, but turbo's points about commuting to a paying job is a real issue, and what's holding me back a bit right now). Living in a small town is pretty nice too. Kind of the best of both worlds. Quiet, away from the traffic and crowds, but still close enough to the necessities of grocery stores and work. When I crave things in a city, it's a bit over an hour's drive.

Septic and wells aren't all that great in some places. A lot of developments around here are only just starting to tie into town sewer and water. Septic isn't too bad as long as it's maintained and emptied often enough (added expenses), but if you're not paying attention, it can back up on you. The wells aren't always so great. One person who got town water is glad, because after doing a load of laundry, it would take a while for the well to refill.

An outhouse is just plain unsanitary. Unpleasant odors, having to head outside in the middle of the night, regardless of weather conditions (rain, snow, wind), is not really desirable.

What? You never heard of a chamber pot?

 

[stickythighs]

What the hell is wrong with you?

One time a gay guy actually tried to rape me (He made a physical attempt.), and several times I've had gay guys hit on me aggressively.

 

[stickythighs]

Ok...To build a cabin and live alone in the middle of nowhere, I would need to pay property taxes (property less than a thousand dollars a year), buy a septic tank and have to pay to have it emptied from time to time, buy a woodstove, and buy a well (in addition to some other things).

My dad told me that it would cost about $3,000 for a well and another $2,000 for the drilling for the well (or maybe it was the other way around- but whatever the case, I remember the total was five grand).

How much would a septic tank cost? And how much would it cost to have it installed?

How much does it cost to have the septic tank emptied?

 

[stickythighs]

I live here:

I bought the cabin, built about 30 years ago. Property taxes are a little over $1000.

Turbo, what state do you live in?

Ok, so your property taxes are a little over $1,000 per year. So if I bought one acre and built a cabin on it, my property taxes would probably be less than $200 per year; correct?

$200/year- that's not bad.

 

[Moonbear]

Turbo, what state do you live in?

Ok, so your property taxes are a little over $1,000 per year. So if I bought one acre and built a cabin on it, my property taxes would probably be less than $200 per year; correct?

$200/year- that's not bad.

Not necessarily. And, again, taxes vary greatly with location and land use. Taxes could easily be $900 for the part of the property including the house and $100 for all the rest of the undeveloped land. NOBODY but the local tax assessor can give you a proper answer to the question of taxes.

I think you're highly underestimating costs. Note that once you have a well, you need pumps to get water out of the well, chlorination and/or filtration tanks to purify the water, etc., and all of that needs maintenance too. If you have both a well and septic, you need to make sure there is adequate room on your property to locate the well safely away from the septic leach field to avoid contamination of your well water. The cost of a well also greatly depends on how deep the water is.

Also, keep in mind that taxes can go up at any time, and usually do.