ever want to just chuck it?

[happy acres]

Lately I've been wanting to just quit work ,get me a small farm, and say to the dogs with the rest of the world! I'm trying to get my farm a piece at a time, but it's taking so very long, and I want it now! sigh! I guess I'll go get ready for work.

 

[Jeni Ann]

My Hubby & I both would like nothing more ... but, alas, it is off to work we go ...

 

[Nyboy]

Ditto I work all Holidays

 

[so lucky]

Learn and save all you can. Get your stuff paid for. Before you know it, you will be old enough to retire. If you are lucky enough to live till then, that is.

 

[Ridgerunner]

What makes you think if you get a small farm that means you can quit work? The work has just started, especially if you have retired.

But it means you are doing something you enjoy. That makes a difference. A big difference. And getting it a piece at a time isn't all bad, especially if you get your fruit trees planted.

Hang in here. You have a goal. You'll make it.

 

[Smart Red]

Having what you want is your reward for getting up and going to work. The goal is to love what you do enough to sustain you through the tough getting up parts. In that, life often gets in the way and people are 'stuck' doing something they dislike just for the paycheck.

DH disliked his work -- he took it to support his father and mother -- but never missed a day. DH, much a self-make man who is also strongly self-motivated. After a very poor start to life, he determined he would work himself to success.

We bought a bit of rental property, slowly, one at a time as we could afford it. That did mean weeks of peanut butter sandwiches, triple-used cars, and peach boxes for end-tables as we tried to pay down the loans in half the time.

In the meantime we totally gutted the properties -- one at a time as we could afford it -- and fixed them up like new. Of course we were blessed in that DH and I could do almost all the work ourselves. Work on the properties went slowly as both of us had full time jobs and babies to care for. DH worked 12 hours most days which left little time for anything else.

We lived in the basement as we built this house; renting out the duplex we had lived in, both to generate an income and to save money. After many years, with all the property paid for (3 buildings containing a total of 8 apartments and this farm) we spent one year 'testing' whether we could live on just the rental income. Every other penny went into the bank. At the end of the year we even had some extra saved from the rental income so DH decided we could afford it if he retired at 57 1/2.

I loved teaching and with no thoughts of retiring, worked for another 11 years. By that time DH was wanting his go-fer back and I took a year off teaching to see if I could stand being away from my students. That was surprisingly easy-peasy, so I retired at 57 1/2 as well! I could volunteer at school and teach or not as my schedule allowed. "Guest" teaching was always off limits from April 1 through November 1 so we could work outside at home.

You really don't want to be "OLD" enough to retire. You want to be able to retire from formal employment and get paid doing what you like while you enjoy the goals you've met. It takes focus and hard work. It also takes everyone in the family working toward the same goals.

I also suspect it will get harder and harder to reach a goal of self-sufficiency in America as time goes on. It seems to me that a desire to be self-sufficient is frowned on in current society and looked at as being a "kook" or even "dangerous".

Best of luck, @happy acres!

 

[curly_kate]

Oh my gosh, DH & I were just talking about this the other day! Well, for me, not necessarily for him. He likes his job well enough because it affords him time off in the summer. Mine does, too, but I'd still rather make a living working for myself.

We do have plans, tho, to make this possible, namely by paying off all our debt like @Smart Red talked about. I'm happy to say that right now the only thing we owe on is our house. Unfortunately, it's a pretty big chunk of change, but we are able to pay extra on it every month and will hopefully have it paid off in 10ish years.

 

[AMKuska]

I think work has somehow become synonyms with "Drudgery". If you're miserable, it must be work. I think this TED talk on work was very enlightening:

When we move, my husband is planning to stay home, take care of the kid and work on the farm. I plan to continue working at my trade, but I don't feel bad about it. I enjoy my profession.

 

[happy acres]

Sometimes I really love my job, other times I hate it. When I say I want to "quit work " what I mean is having to work outside my home. I will never just sit and vegetate. But work at home, while hard and exhausting, is fun. I love digging in the dirt and taking care of my animals.

 

[bobm]

According to the USDA and IRS ... the VAST MAJORITY of people that own/ rent their farm are loosing money in their endeavors / self sufficient lifestyle and NEED an outside job to make ends meet. Since the Congress passes a law with signed approval of the president ... the IRS enforces the law by allowing losses on their income tax returns for only 2 out of 5 years or the endeavor is considered a hobby, so the only way to keep ones' way of self sufficient lifestyle is to change one's business plan OR he/ she or at least one member of the household have to go to work for someone else.