Most of the self-sufficiency articles, websites and books talk about the need to reject all of conventional life and the convenience that comes along with it. Unless you desire to drag yourself out into the wilderness, eat berries all day, and waste all of that college education you will forced to find an alternative. There are lots of people, like me, who want to simplify their lives and still enjoy some of the things that made society so wonderful. The ultimate goal is to reduce your expenses/increase profits, produce most of what you consume and help to improve the environment.
Reducing expenses and increasing income is something that people have strived for all of their lives. With self-sufficiency you can do both although you probably wont get rich without years of saving and investing. A traditional house typically costs the owner more money than it will earn a person after appreciation. When we compare the worth of having a roof over our head (true worth)and the cost of a house in the city we have seriously overpaid. However, houses in a rural setting are generally less than their counterparts in the city. For example, I can buy a 3 bedroom house on a typical lot...