If you're willing to embrace what most people would think of as radical self-sufficiency, you can live on almost nothing after an initial investment in basic infrastructure. Self-sufficiency has a bad rap as a kooky lifestyle that is, in the words of Thomas Hobbes, nasty, brutish, and short. But the reality can be quite different. It can be the basis of a life filled with beauty and abundance and one that strips away the soul-sucking superficiality of the detached urban techno-life.

I always marvel that people are obsessed with the "security" of financial independence just so they can afford to live the rest of their lives paying and relying upon corporations to provide life-sustaining services. That doesn't strike me as a particularly secure arrangement.

If you're really serious about this you need to approach it in a methodical way just as you would approach your personal financial plan. If you want to be self-sufficient you are now essentially in the business of converting sunlight and water into food and energy and other things of value. These free elements will be the foundation of your independent life, so move to a place where they exist in abundance.

Here is an aerial of my one acre homestead. Here's the no bullshit summary: For about $75,000-$100,000 you can build a small homestead that would easily supply you the 2,500 calories per day you need to live plus give you shelter, water, electricity, and some medicinal plants more or less for the rest of your (hopefully long) life. You can also grow enough surplus food to sell to restaurants for a supplemental income stream or you can simply work part-time. You will probably spend about $5,000 a year on stuff once your homestead is operational; "stuff" includes internet access, repair and maintenance of homestead equipment, dental and medical expenses, clothes, transportation, and the like. You will eat food that is superior in every category including flavor and nutrition. Once your homestead is operation the average daily labor burden is easily managed. During the summer you may work several hours a day to grow and store food. During the winter you may do no work for days on end. On the average you might work two hours a day.