Life at Gray Gables: Back to the Basics... Homesteading 101

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Back to the Basics... Homesteading 101

So, I recently read this article posted on http://oursimplelife-sc.com/ and kind of found some inspiration in what Tracy and her family live by, standards wise.

We are stuck in a society where it is all about material possessions, who has what...keeping up with the Jones...and less about truly living a great, meaningful life.

Now, I am not ready to stop shopping...but I get it, I read it and I wanted to share because some things hit close to home about the ideals that I want to set up for my own family.

Here is what Tracy had to say (I have to share!) :

AS POSTED ON : http://oursimplelife-sc.com/back-to-basics-living-philosophy/

Back To Basics.

Let me tell you a story…

Once upon a time there was a couple who was overwhelmed by consumerism and drowning in debt, doomed to a live a life of unsatisfying purchases and surrounded by like-minded people. As Americans, they gladly followed the crowd to fit in, but behind closed doors they dreamed of a life where how much they made and what brand of clothes they wore didn’t matter. With one swoop of a for-sale sign, and a business up for auction they traded in a life of possession obsession for a life of personal fulfillment.

Determined to live a life where what we had was more than enough to survive, they sold everything and moved to the country to live on a farm. Fast forward six years and the “Back to Basics Movement” is in full swing. Who would have ever thought twenty years ago when consumerism was at its highest those same consumer-driven people would now be looking to simplify their lives by living off the land?

By now you probably have realized that this is our story...as pitiful as it sounds it was us drowning in debt and living in a house that was far too big for two people and working long stressful hours just to keep the bills paid. It wasn’t an easy task to sell everything we had and move to the country, but it was what was needed to keep our sanity. We can now do more with what we have, and that is the heart of our back to the basics living philosophy.

How has this back to the basics living changed us?

Instead of shopping, we work in the garden.
Instead of looking for things to do on the weekend, we have endless DIY projects that keep us busy.
Instead of dinner and a movie, we have drinks under the stars.
Instead of buying new, we reuse and recycle what we already have.
Instead of looking for money to bring us happiness, we are happy by not spending what we have.
Instead of dreaming of all the places we can go when we retire, we dream of what the fruit trees will produce in ten years.
Before we were empty, now we are fulfilled!