I know we have dicussed the topic of lay offs a few times here, but now I can tell you what a benifit this lifestyle really is. Before my exposure to Countryside and the lifestyle I would do as so many do and frantically rush for any job I could get, now I can calmly look at all options. After four months without work within my field of education, I see at least 11 different directions to look for income equal to or better than what I did have and am also considering going back to school for some business classes and hiring a few of the people I worked with to staff a small operation similar to the environment I worked in while employed by the industry giant that canned me. Before Countryside and the self sufficiency realization I would look at these ideas and ask "How could I even think of this?", now I can say "There is no reason not to try." We all talk of self sufficiency in terms of raising livestock, planting gardens and living off grid, but it is also seeing income prospects right outside your doorstep and having the self confidence to realize your skills and deal directly with customers and vendors instead of filing billing and purchase orders with some administrative group in a company ivory tower. And best of all, the frugality of the modern homesteading philosophy has helped dampen the effects of layoff for me so that now I seldom feel anxiety because our basic needs are easily met and we have our simple country luxuries to enjoy.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), November 13, 2001

Answers

You'll be fine Jay. You have a great attitude. Frugal is good! Just curious, what did you do.....before?

-- Kathy (catfish201@hotmail.com), November 13, 2001.

Way to go Jay!!! I am in a similar situation....trying to make the best of it. More time with the family has been another bonus to me.

-- Jason in S. Tenn. (AJAMA5@netscape.net), November 13, 2001.

Kathy,

I was an engineering r&d support technician with an electronics manufacturing company. I now find myself with six agronomic possibilities, three vocational potentials, two speculative and a literary direction to consider. As I pointed out in the original post, the most influential aspect of the philosophy is the frugality. Before my termination, we were able to eliminate all debt except our mortgage and utilities and our food budget was reduced by 80% thanks to the SFG gardens and dehydrators. I can see the difference from these aspects over the last four months and can see the path into next summer if I don't find employment. And when I do get re- employed, I certainly intend to stick with modern homesteading. It's the best unemployment insurance I have ever seen.

When any of you ever face unemployment, please look outside the box "Countryside style" first. It will ease the anxiety and hyperventilation better than a paper bag and give you direction to a new comfort zone. And of course , Ken's e-book is a great anxiety controller also.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), November 13, 2001.

Jason,

Time with family is a big plus. It's great now being able to interview for day jobs and spend more time with my wife and son.I especially like being able to cook dinner with my wife. She wants me to find a job before spring though, because she knows I will be happy being a garden farmer in bib overalls and writing.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), November 13, 2001.

I agree Jay. I have the same general issue, only viewed from a different angle. I am planning on transitioning to a new career. It is something that I've wanted to do for quite some time, but once I make the transition my income will probably be cut in half. In the past I would not have even considered this move because I couldn't even imagine how I would survive without my current salary. Thanks to the "frugality of the modern homesteading philosophy" as you term it, I know that I can not only survive but also thrive in these new circumstances.

-- Sherri C (CeltiaSkye@aol.com), November 14, 2001.

Yes, the frugal homesteading life can give all sorts of freedom to make choices that we didn't have when we were completely controled by the "system" of debt and dependence. We now live without any income from me accept the egg money and a little of this and that, and half as much as what Gary used to make. We are very happy and do not feel deprived at all. I have even been able to save enough money for a couple of mission trips that I had always wanted to do.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), November 14, 2001.

Hi Jay,

I hear you! My husband is in the airline industry and we all know how that has been going lately. He could be laid off shortly but for some reason neither of us is very worried. When we moved here in January from IL after another layoff, we decided to cash in some investments and buy our 13 acres outright. Wise choice in hind sight as we would have lost a lot of that money this year in the market. We know we can live off the land here and even if one of us gets a part- time job for some spending $$ and to pay the electric (our double- wide mobile is totally electric) and taxes, we will be fine! Not a lot of people can say that facing a jobless situation. All the best in your persuits! Darlene

-- Darlene in W WA (tomdarsavy@cs.com), November 14, 2001.

Another thought. For extra cash , go to Wal Mart and see what is for sale, then go home and make something even nicer that you can get a handsome price for. A lady I know pointed out to me that she saw tabletop Christmas trees in wally world with fiber optic lights for $40. She bought a fiber optic strand light at a closeout store for $10 and built a three foot tall pine cone tree around it and sold it for $120 because it was hand made.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), November 14, 2001.