The Starting Point

Everything must have a starting point, and my plans are no different. The starting point is not finding and buying your land, nor is it selling your house.

Step 1: The Starting Point is making the conscious decision to start doing something about your future, now! After you have committed yourself to making a move, you must create your action plan. It is very easy to procrastinate about making the change. Most of us, although alarmed by what is going on around us, are very comfortable where we are. Fear of the unknown keeps us in our place, unwilling to change from the familiar to the challenge of starting anew.

Step 2: Create a plan to guide your actions and set goals. If you are married or have a significant other, you must include their desires in your plan. The support of your spouse is crucial in making the plan work so each must be in agreement as to the steps outlined in it. It is entirely possible that making these decisions will end your relationship if the other person can not find common ground with your perceived needs.

This also will be the phase in which you decide where to buy land, what to live in, layout of your structures, how big of a garden and orchard you want, what livestock to raise and other "infrastructure" improvements to your land. By doing this now you can be aware of the price tag of designing your new homestead.

Don’t forget to include the “kid” factor if you have children. If you are remote enough you may have to homeschool. Research the laws that govern homeschooling in your new location as some states have better laws than others.

Be thorough in your plans, searching the internet for information and using the local library if need be to check out books before purchasing them for later reference. Diligence at this point will prevent possible failure at a later date because you didn’t research well enough. Book reviews posted on Amazon can also help determine whether or not to spend money on a book.

Step 3: Get rid of everything you will not need to start your new life on your soon to be new property. Sell your stuff on eBay, craigslist or have a yard sale. Put away the cash for either buying your land or use it to buy tools and preps you will need for later. Buying your solar panels and batteries now will give you the opportunity to learn how to set them up properly before you need to rely on them for power. Likewise, buy your gardening tools now if you don't already own them. Get at least 1 fiberglass handled tool of each type you need. Their long life will be worth the money spent.

Step 4: Inventory what you have kept, store it in numbered boxes, and further reduce your electronic footprint. Unless you are planning on remaining connected to the power grid, you must re-think your electronic needs. Buy a Kill-A-Watt meter and determine your electronic items power usage. http://www.p3international.com/products/special/P4400/P4400-CE.html
They are priced from reasonable to expensive ($18 to $40), depending where you buy. Look for 12volt alternatives to your everyday items. RV and Marine supply stores will have many appliances that are low energy draw or propane powered.

Step 5: Start eating more simply. When you move to your new property you may have to look for a closer job. It most likely will not pay as well as your current one, so you will not be able to buy as much prepared foods as you did before. If you simplify your diet now, it won’t be such a shock to your system when you do make the change. Plus you will save a ton of cash. Start rotating your least inexpensive storage food and that with a shorter shelf life into your daily diet. A little at a time is better than all at once if you are not used to eating those items.

Next: Part 2 of The Starting Point