Beginning the Adventure

We purchased our 5 acres of bare land in July of 2011. The "adventure" into modern homesteading, self-sufficiency, or as we call it "economizing" began in earnest. We wanted to be as debt-free as possible. We didn't want a huge mortgage, car payments, credit-card debt, and all the other burdens of modern times that weigh families down. We did want a nice house, one we could be proud of, one we built with our own hands...so began the adventure of living in a tiny home while building the big house. The land was owner carry, contract for deed, and it had a well and septic on it. No neighbors around, although there was a house in the beginning stages next door, and behind us a dilapidated barn and mobile home with a bunch of beef cows milling around.