Does it make sense to live in the country and save money on mortgage just to spend it on gas? - Page 2

[Ianthe]

Is there access to public transportation at all? I agree about the burning of fossil fuels, as well as gas prices.

I lived in a small town like you describe when I was a teenager, and I moved back in my early twenties.. not for me.. but maybe would be OK with children.

[~Megan~]

Originally Posted by Chicky2

I forgot to mention that the land we have (we have a 4 bdr, 4 bath home on 5 acres and we pay $1313/mo) enables us to save in other areas. We garden and have meat rabbits, chickens, and guinea fowl.

We are looking at something similar but without the acreage for about $400-500/month.

I get what you are all saying though. If we can get something in the city for only a couple hundred more it might make more sense.

[1growingsprout]

Originally Posted by Chicky2

I forgot to mention that the land we have (we have a 4 bdr, 4 bath home on 5 acres and we pay $1313/mo) enables us to save in other areas. We garden and have meat rabbits, chickens, and guinea fowl.

im so drooling DROOLING over the 5 acres... my kids would totally LOVE that

[Rebecca]

Hard to say. Figure out what your vehicle's mpg is and multiply that by the number of trips you suspect you'd take. How much money would that be? A tank a week maybe? If you lived in town, you'd probably fill your tank every 2 weeks, so you'd save $100/mo at today's prices. But your mortgage would be considerably more than living in the country, I'm assuming.

OTOH, is there much of a HS network in that town or will you be driving all over the place so your kids can have a friend? Will your mom occasionally take the kids and save you the cost of a babysitter if you want to go out?

20 mins really isn't much of a commute, especially if you have an efficient compact car. That's like 15-20 miles or so? Sounds like about $3/each way at today's prices. Are you going to have to travel for each dr appt, shopping trip, field trip with the kids? Will you have a social network there?

There's a lot to consider. Do you actually WANT to live in that small town?

[mommaof3boz]

We raise our own beef, have chickens and gather eggs, garden, etc. Our property taxes are much lower in the country, and we only have to pay county real estate taxes not city too. My kids grandparents live across our field and are very involved in their lives. No matter what, we will live in the country. My kids are fifth generation to live in this house and on this land, money isn't everything.

[AsYouWish]

Originally Posted by mommaof3boz

We raise our own beef, have chickens and gather eggs, garden, etc. Our property taxes are much lower in the country, and we only have to pay county real estate taxes not city too. My kids grandparents live across our field and are very involved in their lives. No matter what, we will live in the country. My kids are fifth generation to live in this house and on this land, money isn't everything.

Ummm, land is money, particularly when it was bought and paid for a couple of generations ago. When posting on threads such as this, please take into account the privileged position that you are in. Some of us would love to live the lifestyle that you are accustomed to, but that is a dream that will probably be forever out of reach because we will never have the money required to buy the land that would let us live out that dream, particularly when the source of our income is in the city or developed suburbs and such a long, expensive drive from all that expensive land. Most people were not lucky enough to be born within or marry into a family with all that land (money).

[mommaof3boz]

Ummm, land is money, particularly when it was bought and paid for a couple of generations ago. When posting on threads such as this, please take into account the privileged position that you are in. Some of us would love to live the lifestyle that you are accustomed to, but that is a dream that will probably be forever out of reach because we will never have the money required to buy the land that would let us live out that dream, particularly when the source of our income is in the city or developed suburbs and such a long, expensive drive from all that expensive land. Most people were not lucky enough to be born within or marry into a family with all that land (money).

Ummmm, get off your high horse. We bought this house and land from my husbands parents and have a 130,000 plus mortgage. Next time know the details before you get up in arms. And we also live in a rural, 10,000 people in our ENTIRE county, area where there are limited access to stores, theaters, museums, etc. Feel free to move here and you too can "live the dream". My dh and I both WOHM so we can. When I said money isn't everything...I meant yes we could move closer to where we work and save 500$ a month in gas (btw we spend 150 per week to get to work) but we would sacrifice in other ways. Which I believe is what the thread was asking.

[Belleweather]

Originally Posted by AsYouWish

Ummm, land is money, particularly when it was bought and paid for a couple of generations ago. When posting on threads such as this, please take into account the privileged position that you are in. Some of us would love to live the lifestyle that you are accustomed to, but that is a dream that will probably be forever out of reach because we will never have the money required to buy the land that would let us live out that dream, particularly when the source of our income is in the city or developed suburbs and such a long, expensive drive from all that expensive land. Most people were not lucky enough to be born within or marry into a family with all that land (money).

I think if it really, really IS your dream, you'll find a way to make it work for your family, rather than attacking others who are in a different position that you. We all have things in our life with which we are privileged, and I think it's pretty rare when the privileges and the dreams match up. If they do for the OP, then more power to her!

[Boobs]

OP:
We actually moved to the country 3 years ago with circumstances pretty similar to your own. Now, with gas increasing at the rate it is, I say stay as close to work as you possibly can.