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By Tavani X.
October 31, 2001

I am relatively new here. I live in what most of you would consider the "Great White North" and am a ranching widow raising two kids on a quarter section of mixed grassland and boreal forest. We homesteaded this place and started with very little help.

I know I come from a very different place than nearly all of the people at The Motley Fool. I was/am profoundly shaken regarding the events in New York and watch the world news anxiously, though it is highly unlikely anyone would bother this remote neck of the woods. Still, it's a very small world.

I found The Motley Fool when I was researching how to invest, and get on my own two feet after my husband died suddenly. I have made and lost money in the stock market. I still believe the stock market is the place to be for me. I have made and lost money on animals. I am self-employed and ranching, which means I am all there is for my family. My youngest child thinks that I am as big as God.

However, other than a small widow's pension from the government, and a few tiny income supplements, and a small stipend for running the community adult/family reading and writing program, I don't get a paycheck until I sell something off the farm. I cannot lay myself off, or fire myself, so I don't have to worry about The Boss. I am The Boss. I could eat my employees (my animals), if everything went to hell.

I am therefore, intimately familiar with economics at its most basic level, as I produce consumables at the source. My dollars come from the sun, which produces grass, which feeds the animals, which feed my family when they or their byproducts are sold into the market. If we have too much sun and not enough rain, like this year, and for the past four years up here, everybody suffers. Even the consumer eventually suffers, though in our North American world where food costs to the consumer are kept "in line," I think sometimes we live in a fool's paradise.

I came to The Motley Fool's Living Below Your Means discussion hoping and expecting to get good ideas on frugal living and the "zen" of living in line with your means. I found a place where practically everyone is urban/suburban. I've learned a lot, but I wanted to provide my perspective. Why? Because, to be honest, some of you seem to really sweat the small stuff a bit too much sometimes.

My world is a little bit different. Up here, it does get down to 40 below in the winter. We get maybe 90 days of growing weather. We also get midnight, twilight, and long summer days to compensate. If you don't have your act together, you will freeze, or your animals will starve, or you will die because you are too far from ambulance service/hospital/doctor/you name it. We have no mail delivery or public transportation. Some people still don't have power or running water.

On top of it, I am not a very big person and, though strong for my size, there are lots of things I just can't do as I lack the knowledge and sheer physical oomph. I can operate machinery, do basic R&M, and as a registered gun owner, use my long guns if I have to. Is it a lifestyle choice? Yes. Will I stay here? As long as my health hangs in there and I can care for and manage my herd.

Like anything else, there are trade offs. I grow as much of my own food as I can, though there are limits to what kinds of plants will winter up here. Most of the "old timers" up here do live below their means, and you might be surprised at some of their coping mechanisms! Many of the younger generation leave for the cities. Yes, it's physically a lot easier being urban. You have multitudes of fabulous resources. Count your blessings!

I have greatly enjoyed many of the tips and strategies laid out here. It is good and necessary that there are still people who believe in volunteering their expertise to help others. This is how it used to be when people bartered more than they cash flowed. I am a bartering Fool.

Anyway, I must go haul water to the bulls (we have not yet had our "hard frost" and this is the warmest fall I've ever seen here). Thanks for all your ideas. Keep them coming. I'm an example of the variety of people using and enjoying this service.

Good luck to all!

The above was posted on the Living Below Your Means discussion board on Oct. 3, 2001.

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