Finding home, part 2

Mugger: (pointing gun at Jack Benny) "Your money or your life?"

(pause)

Mugger: "I said, 'Your money or your life?'"

Jack Benny: "I'm thinking it o-ver!"

Money.

There, I've said it. The "M" word. Moolah, loot, coin of the realm, filthy lucre.

That which without, we don't reach our dreams.

In other words, it's gonna take some dough to get your homestead.

I'm a retired librarian, my husband is a musician. This does not put us with the 1%. Or even the top 95%. But we've paid off one home and managed the downpayment on another.

How did we do it?

We don't buy stuff. Yup, it's as easy as that.

Oh, you wanted more concrete, financial advise? Go to the library (first tip, do not buy finance books on Amazon or Ebay, the library is free. Cherish that institution) and get YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE by Vicki Robin. And maybe a book by Dave Ramsey. Ignore most books about investing and especially about getting rich. If anyone could get rich by reading a book, we'd all be rich. Duh.

Second tip, decide what you need to survive. Everything else, yes everything  is negotiable. Do you really want your place in the country? Do you want it more than coffee from Starbucks? More than cable? More than the newest cellphone or iPad? More than new clothes, makeup, a haircut? Unless you're truly destitute, you can put some money away. Disposable income can only be disposed of once. The price of one song download won't buy an acre of land but it will buy a packet of seeds to plant on that acre. Budget your dream, not everyone else's.

Third tip. Buy now! We've gone the conventional route of buying property with a conventional mortgage. If you can possibly do this, grab that low interest rate. Sellers are desperate (have I mentioned we have property for sale?*) and there are deals out there that won't last. And take it from this 60 year old--you ain't getting any younger.

Fourth tip, ignore most other people's advice, including mine IF it doesn't fit. There are many, many ways to get back to the land. Conventional loans are one way but there are miriad others--a short time on a search engine should give you some options.

It's your money AND your life, spend both living the life you want.

* http://bit.ly/IgHjgb