Changing the direction of our life was a gradual process, one that is still ongoing and I hope will continue to evolve. One of the first realizations we made when considering the idea of homesteading was that we would need to live on less money. Step by step, we started to let go of the ideas of having more and having new.
Mike’s compensation package as a golf course superintendent always came with a truck, therefore, we did not have the “need” to purchase a second vehicle.
We have had just one car for our family for many years now. There are many advantages. One advantage is that we save money - only one car to keep up with repairs and maintenance, pay for registrations, insurance, and so on. We make careful choices about where we go and when as we have to consider all family member’s needs and plans. Therefore, we use less gasoline and are driving a vehicle less which is good for the environment. Having one car keeps us closer as a family because we can’t split up and go in different directions. We don’t have that option. One child can’t be taking a class at the same time as another, for example. As a result, we spend more time all together. We have more time to spend on our homestead doing the necessary chores that help to sustain us.
The car we drive now is a 1992 Suburban with 236,000 miles. We were blessed to find it two years ago this March for just $1500.00. With the birth of our sixth baby, we all could no longer fit in our 10 year old mini-van. While we bring our Suburban to our mechanic every few months to give it a look over (to make sure nothing is about to break from rust, etc..) and we have had to do some repairs, all and all it has been wonderful for our family.
Having one vehicle has been a necessary step for our family on our journey in order to keep our life simple and our expenses down.
Warm wishes, Tonya
