Comments on: Diversify, So That He May Live…. Rather Than Grow Rich

By: Scott Terry

Scott Terry — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:31:49 +0000

Ginny
It dose seem slow at times, but at least we’re moving ahead and not backwards. Keep at it and thanks for your continued encouragement.

Colin
“I want what I dont need And I need what I dont want” How true!

Tom
I remember your “inner farm” post. I know what you mean about living below the worlds “poverty level”….. I’m sure I don’t even qualify for “poor white trash” status.

Shawn
Thanks for stopping in and best wishes on your chicken coop project. Must be warm in Texas, ain’t here. I envy you southerners this time of year.

Nick
Your right “one step at a time”. Love the title of your blog!

Missouri Rev
Thanks for your thoughts, they are always welcome here! Thanks also for the BBQ sauce, that stuff is fantastic.

Clint
Thanks for your list. “Of course all these things come at a price or sacrifice that most people are not willing to make.”—- you hit the old nail on the head with that one.

By: Clint

Clint — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 15:30:35 +0000

For my family, living the simple life has been full of pleasures that most people never see. For example:

homecooked meals from scratch (people would pay premium for our food if we had a restaurant)

homegrown vegetables and fruit (we’d sell out at a farmer’s market)

a house heated by woodstove (they say it smells like cracker barrell)

a wife who works for her own family (most wives work for other women’s husbands)

a happy baby who gets plenty of attention (we turns to see who “gets” to hold the baby rather than who “has” to)

and no debt except for the house.

Of course all these things come at a price or sacrifice that most people are not willing to make.

By: Missouri Rev

Missouri Rev — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:42:50 +0000

Living a life where one uses cash for all things has its roots in the old aristocracies of Europe, especially England, where the rich did not work, but used their “investments” to live and maintain control of their society, which gave them such power and privileges. The common man worked the lands and was forced to turn over the lion’s share of its production. Marriages among the ruling class were arranged solely around maintaining or increasing their holdings. As industrialism took over Europe, many of the poor were forced off of the land and driven to work in factories and purchase the goods produced from them, including food that was produced on farms owned by the elite, such as beef and pork fattened with grain (a new concept, much different than the traditional grass feeding of animals). This was the start of what we know as modern agribusiness. One of the brightest aspects of the founding of our late republic was the concept that a common man could own land and work it where he could live off of its bounty . . . the American agrarianism Jefferson spoke of so frequently. Today we live in an evolved version of the aristocratic rule, where the aristocracy dominates the land through debauched currency (fiat money) and usury where they control the production through corporate monopolies and cause the common man to spend or borrow their wicked money to live as consumers of their products. The idea, therefore, of living off of what we produce without cash is quite foreign to the slave mentality of forced consumerism. To move into a life where one lives of their own sweat and production is quite difficult, but highly rewarding and most biblical.

By: Nick Wright

Nick Wright — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:15:53 +0000

My wife and I have been trying to achieve that kind of lifestyle for a while now. It’s slow going, like one of the other commenters said. But one step at a time eventually gets you there.

By: Shawn

Shawn — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 14:16:25 +0000

Amen, Brother. When I arrived here in Texas, it was under circumstances that assured me that there would be very little “money” once I left the workforce. (Seems I am still putting some lawyer’s kids through Yale.)
As such, I have tried to build a foundation here, where a lot of cash would not be necessary.

It can be done. You would actually be surprised on how little you can live well on.

Now, if we can just kill that stupid microchip porogram.

By: Northern Farmer

Northern Farmer — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 11:53:14 +0000

A post that hit the nail on the head! In our own family according to the government and every farm expert, we live in deep poverty, (on paper). But in true reality we’re rich as the Bible states. And not just rich in spirit, we live durn good! I think once I wrote something about this called the “inner farm”, the real farm. While we must yet have something to get us cash, the inner farm grows steadily displacing huge amounts of what was once thought of as necessary.

By: Colin

Colin — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 07:13:11 +0000

I suppose even the Amish need a bit of cash looking at the handi-craft ‘business’ that they have evolved.
As you say scott by far the most important focus is doing without.

I want what I dont need
And I need what I dont want

By: Ginny

Ginny — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 01:40:56 +0000

So true, yet so difficult. That is what we have been striving for, lo these many years, but it is slow going. However, we keep on going.