Comments on: Modern Day Homesteading and Voluntary Simplicity: Giving Away Your Possessions and Living Off the Land

By: Debra Junker

Debra Junker — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 18:31:08 +0000

What does your wardrobe consist of?

By: Christine

Christine — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:00:40 +0000

I think the idea of voluntary simplicity with children takes a bit of courage, but I see it as a the kind of courage that says “We as a family can take control of our schedule, we can be in control of the family budget and finances, we can choose the life we want to lead and not have it chosen for us by advertisers and marketers.”

It’s liberating when you realize the guilt to keep up with the Joneses’ clears away and you actually feel more confident.

This book you mentioned sounds like a must read.

By: Heather

Heather — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:19:19 +0000

Great post! What you say is very true. In today’s society it seems so many people are saddled with credit card debt and extra weight the things we “consume” end up consuming us. Perhaps the Amish have it right after all?

By: Katy

Katy — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 01:48:59 +0000

Thanks, Jennifer for this informative post with great links. I would love to read the books you mentioned and learn more about this. Thank you!

By: Wendi Pinkerton

Wendi Pinkerton — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:54:50 +0000

I forgot to add that because we had no TV, radio or any other outside influence from the world, I learned to appreciate books by authors such as Shakespeare, Sylvia Plath, all of the Nancy Drew mysteries and all of the Hardy Boys mysteries. I read the Encylopedia, Black Beauty, Alfred Hitchcocks’ many works, and others. I was around 8 or 9 when I learned to appreciate books. This was also right around the early 70′s when there were a lot of chaos and things going on after the war and I don’t think my parents wanted us to be exposed to it, which is a little paranoid.

By: Wendi Pinkerton

Wendi Pinkerton — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:40:30 +0000

I was suprised to find a place like this. When my parents moved from Kent, Ohio to a place in the forest called Beallsville, Ohio. I was 7. My Dad called it “Homesteading” but I thought he had made it up. My parents bought 75 acres of really forest and brush with a small old farmhouse and an old barn. I remember my Dad going around the house with a huge sythe ( spelling?) Whipping down all these briars and tall weeds so we could plow gardens and at least make it to the barn as the place had been abandoned for some time. There were four rooms in the house and believe it or not,an outhouse.
I was raised with no TV, no radio,no sodas or sugar. We had animals that we ate and fruit vegetables that we canned and ate fresh in the summer. Had milk from our goats and fresh milk from the dairy farm way down the road. (non pasturized with the thick cream on it and everything and I never got sick or fat from it) Everthing I lived on was from our garden or some type of animal we had. We even tried goat and groundhog and that was disgusting my book.
To make a long story short, I thought it was pretty cool to find this place. I’m glad that people are still doing this..When I was growing up I hated it,but I learned to live without a grocery store, microwave dinners,fast food,cars,telephone,and all the crap the media tells us we need. I can grow anything, I learned what plants and roots you can eat from the forest, I can kill,clean and cook almost any animal. (No offence Vegan/Vegetarians)
Pretty cool huh? Keep on keepin on people!!!

By: Toblerone @ Simple Mom

Toblerone @ Simple Mom — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:49:35 +0000

Great post! I just “stumbled upon” you, and I’m so glad I did. I’ll be exploring more of your site. Thanks for sharing.