Moving to the Country: Why it Might Be Cheaper to Live a Rural Lifestyle

I have a few relatives in the state that literally live in the middle of nowhere. They live at least 50 miles away from a town of even 5,000 people. It's hard to imagine, but there are a lot of people that do it. If you're lucky enough to have a job that doesn't depend on your geographical location, it might make economic sense to live in a very rural area.

Real estate prices are much cheaper. The old adage that says the three factors which determine price in a home are location, location, and location. Not very many people desire to live in homes that are out in the country, because it takes some effort to get into town to get work and chores done. Since the demand is much lower, the prices are extremely reasonable compared to more urban areas.

Never pay a water-bill again. Many people who live in rural areas reside of well-water, which I've always found to taste better than what comes out of the faucet in the city. I'm fairly sure it's cleaner as well, and it's a lot cheaper to use than paying the city utility bill.

Get Cheap Veggies - If you're out in the middle of nowhere, chances are you have quite a few farms around you. Since farmers have such a massive supply of vegetables, chances are they'll be willing to give you a basket of vegetables or fruit for little or next to nothing. My rural relatives often get farm fresh eggs, vegetables, and steaks for very little. It's like having a large farmer's market, except the prices are all very close to zero.

Create Much Less Trash - If you live out in the country, you can compost just about everything that's biodegradable, and in a year it'll turn into lovely soil for your garden. You can bag and burn a lot of the non-toxic stuff as long as it doesn't violate any EPA regulations as well. You definitely don't want to be burning any toxic chemicals, electronic equipment, or anything like that, but things like paper, boxes, and the like, go ahead and bury or burn it!

Consider A Windmill - If you're really adventurous, you could get a windmill and hook it up to the grid. Usually it's a lot windier in the country (especially here in South Dakota), so you could make some very good use of a windmill. It would dramatically decrease your power bill, if you have one big enough, the power company might even send you a check each month!

A Corn or Wood burning Stove - If you've got a ton of trees around you or a cornfield next to you, you can get a stove that'll heat up your house real nice during the winter for not much money at all.

Living in the country certainly isn't for everyone. Some people just can't adjust to a more rural lifestyle, but if you like the fresh open air, moving to the country might be for you. You might have to spend some more money in gas traveling to a nearby city, but you'll definitely save money in most other areas.