Meet Dan Price....a man of modest means, living modestly. Price's inspiration....Anna and Harlan Hubbard
There have been times in my life where I have lived fairly simply. Much more so than most people probably would like to live. But this, the way he is living, is just a bit too much for me. Or, perhaps I should say, too little for me.
It might all sound romantic ,but real poverty is every thing it is cracked up to be. I have been there done that, and worked very closely with many that did in the past and those that still do . Simulated poverty is not the same thig because it is denying your self something you actually own the resources to step back out of poverty. If I had the money I would have a well dug on my property, and have a pool to swim in when ever I wanted . One can justify all the things they want ,but cannot afford . In poverty your hoping to find a source for food and a safe place to sleep when it's cold ,and you have no one to turn to . Homeless do not necessarily live in poverty, which in a sense that is what this guy did . He choose to live off grid and adjust his income accordingly ,fully capable of reversal . I knew a man that lives off grid, homeless but with jobs, and affording a storage unit ,he can't sleep in. He won't sleep in a shelter due to its environment ,so he finds other palaces to sleep . I would not voluntarily thrust my self in to poverty, Hence I prep . if I do not prep against poverty than I am, especially if I do nothing, prepping for it. .
Me too. I grew up in real poverty - well - real American poverty and I ain't going back. Never! I freely admit it has given me a different viewpoint from most of those around me and I am stronger for it but...no thanks, never again. I understand his ideology but one can live frugal and simple without having to live in a hobbit hole. And, he's right, we do not need even half the 'stuff' we collect. Nevertheless, some of that stuff makes life a lot simpler in some cases and more pleasant in others. And, in our defense, we do try to justify our purchases, separating 'need' from 'want' to just plain frivolous.
Never been poor, but times growing up and since when I have had no money, no central heat, no running water, no electric, no indoor plumbing, but we were never cold, hungry or really lacking anything. Different attitude 70 years ago, our farm was the same as the neighbors, everyone in the one room school and at church was in the same shape and no one looked down or up at those who had more and the children of the poor and the rich received the same education. At least in the rural areas in the Midwest there used to be very little discrimination based on wealth or social status. Simplicity and poverty are very different things and most of the "hippie" generation soon found that the narrow divide between them encouraged them to join the main stream with all its benefits. Problem is that once you start down the road away from the simple life, it is very difficult to continue the lifestyle. You have to pay property taxes or rent, have to pay for medical care, even if you get the "government" benefits, you have to meet their rules. The Amish have learned over the years, you can have one master and choose, but you can not have two. If you do you are the best a Mennonite.
Been Ok, Been Dirt Floor Poor and been well off. Worked to damn hard to get out of dirt floor poor to revisit those days. That being said we spend around $7500 per year to live on personally (I keep the business and personal very separate) and live on a separate 5 acre tract of land adjacent to the Farm/business land, taxes on the personal land are $750 per year, electric runs around $1500 per year, and the rest if gas, diesel and stuff like coffee, flour and sugar that I can't produce myself or trade/barter for. I worked, SAVED and did not fall prey to the instant gratification disease that is a epidemic in the USA now days. No Mortgage, No Vehicle loans, No Credit Cards and for the most part no financial hassles. The wife is a investigator for Government agency and a year away from retirement and makes top pay scale and benefits. I run the farm and Chuck Wagon and on average make about 1/3 of what the wife does so we can actually save money instead of use it all to make payments for a bunch of crap we don't need and if truth be told probably really wouldn't want anyway. The Wife was a bit reluctant to marry my primitive ass and a big sticking point was whether we would live here or at here McMansion So we gave it a year at each. At 6 months of living here she sold her big fancy house and fell in love with the low cost and simplicity of living here. I did have to make two concessions #1. Grid electric in the Cabin and #2. Rural/City water ran to the property......... She does not like my wells or only having enough electric from the solar and windmill to power a refrigerator, lights, and a computer or a TV but not both at the same time So I put in a second 200AMP service on the 5 acres that burned me for $5000 and had the water dept run the damn water line at a cost of $32,000.......... The crazy crap we will do for women Now the solar/wind powers the lights and beer refrigerator in my workshop and the electric fences. Living in poverty sucks, making the choice to live simply and comfortably and creating the circumstances so that you can without a mountain of debt..... is paradise. Going back to being Dirt Floor Poor and having no reserve and only along hard, painful path forward....... nope that ain't going to happen in my life again! If nothing else I will have abundant food, water and shelter and the tools to maintain this life. Take the the electric and water away, well I still have two good wells and the wind and solar. after 8 years of Rural water and Grid Electric it still annoys me to pay for those things! More so since the 3rd world grid Electric tends to go out every couple of days for 1-8 hours. But hey if the guy is happy to live in self inflicted poverty and is happy.......... more power to him.
32K for a stinking water line? Damn, I think renting a trench digger and laying my own pipe would be about 29K cheaper?
I think the guy making the video-clip described Price as living in poverty, but I'm doubtful that Price himself would consider himself impoverished. Would Price be considered to be living in absolute poverty, and a reasonable response would be, probably not, given that he has shelter, food, clothing and other necessities which are adequate to his needs. Even with regards to health, and meeting his obligatory debts to society, he seems to find ways and means to legally address those requirements. Undoubtedly Price would be living in relative poverty; poverty relative to many Americans, for which, Price's lifestyle would be too austere and uncertain, for their own comfort and preferences. Price seems to have simple needs, adequately met by the means that he is available to him.....fortunately for society, folk like Price are sufficiently uncommon enough not interfere with the kind of consumerism that provides the demand for that very important project of unending economic growth.
That was the cost for 1.5 miles from the State Hwy down my gravel road. And did not include the $4,600 meter base. I liked my wells A LOT.
Sounds like he is living simply rather then in poverty. I did not finish watching the video clips. Living simply vs Simply living, IMO there is definitely a difference. I believe living simply is by choice, comfort level. Simply living is just existing,state of being. I believe that is more of a mental aspect.
Water filtration would has been much cheaper, and more practical . I get city water and still have to filter it before consumption.
If I understood the video correctly, the guy is in Ohio, near the Ohio River. Surface water there is much deeper
