I’ve almost finished with a book written in the late eighties titled “Your Money Or Your Life” about basically only buying things that fulfill us, and how to get to that point in life where you’re working because you want to not because you have to. It’s kind of like therapy for money. Anyways, I was thinking if I didn’t have my house and a mortgage what cool things I could do and all the money I’d save. So since I’m a land owner and there isn’t anything stopping me trying these cool housing alternatives I should try it right?
So this post is going to be about non-traditional ways of living on your land. Sure you can put an RV out there or a camper maybe even a manufactured home, but those things have been done and won’t impress the neighbors (although your views sure will).
So here are a few cool ideas I had for living off the land.
Have you ever heard of a yurt? Well there is such a thing and you can learn more about it here– Yurt Information. Basically, a Yurt is a circular domed dwelling that is portable and self-supporting; originally used by nomadic Mongol and Turkic people of central Asia but now used as inexpensive alternative or temporary housing. Cool, inexpensive and self sustaining. Like the Prius of housing… Well, maybe not that mainstream, but you get where I’m going with this…
Another cool idea: A really tiny house. Have you seen this guy — Tiny House Guy. He manufactures really small functional homes. They are tiny, but really cool looking and somehow functional. I’m trying to de-clutter my own home and it would be so much easier if every time I tried to buy something I could just simply think, “Hey, I’d love that. But it won’t fit in my tiny house!” I’d save so much money a year living like this I could afford another Tiny House just for my stuff! Oh yeah, that defeats the purpose… Plus, he’ll even teach you how to build your own at a workshop. Very cool right?
How about this idea- A rammed Earth Home. What is it? It’s walls made from earth that is smashed into forms. It has an interesting history: Rammed earth has a long history around the world and was popular in the United States before railroads made the transportation of lumber and other building materials commonplace. In recent years, the material has been seeing a resurgence as an eco-friendly option for home building. It doesn’t get much more natural than building a home right out of the ground around it!
Cool website:
smartypig.com— If you need a new computer, or should really start saving for your wedding or anything else, try SmartyPig. It’s a legit online savings account, but it’s focused on motivating you to save for your big purchase or event. SmartyPig’s accounts are FDIC-insured and offer a fairly competitive 1.75 percent APY (at the moment), but they’re set up a bit differently than your standard account. You make an initial deposit of at least $25, then choose which accounts to draw from on a regular basis. You can then share your savings goals through Facebook, Twitter, or a group email, and those people who have long, long since told you to get a new car can contribute. In other words, it might just stave off nice but useless birthday gifts in favor of real progress. When it comes time to draw out your money, SmartyPig also offers cash bonuses if you go through Amazon, Travelocity, or its other purchase partners. If nothing else, SmartyPig isn’t in the same online bucket as your banking, so it’s a semi-hidden space to stash away money a little at a time.
Have any land questions? Contact me. Seriously. Don’t be shy.
