Self sufficiency in BC - a pipe dream?
Sep 6th 2014, 6:39 pm
#1
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 858
Self sufficiency in BC - a pipe dream?
I'm not talking about Vancouver, but inspired by that great NS thread over there...
OK look the only good thing about Vanc as far as I can see is that the weather is not freezing cold, it's more moderate.
Are there other parts of BC which are mildly the same, AND you can survive on a lot less income. OK by survive I mean still have a car, a computer, a television, a house and a garden
But you can get off the rat race and live more sustainably, with more spare time, and still make a reasonable portion of money (with some savings) So I guess that is dictated by job availability...
What about running small businesses, or is that really a hell hole. Debt and really hard to make the money meet?
I don't know, just brainstormin', hoping for some help / perspectives.
OK look the only good thing about Vanc as far as I can see is that the weather is not freezing cold, it's more moderate.
Are there other parts of BC which are mildly the same, AND you can survive on a lot less income. OK by survive I mean still have a car, a computer, a television, a house and a garden
But you can get off the rat race and live more sustainably, with more spare time, and still make a reasonable portion of money (with some savings) So I guess that is dictated by job availability...
What about running small businesses, or is that really a hell hole. Debt and really hard to make the money meet?
I don't know, just brainstormin', hoping for some help / perspectives.
Sep 6th 2014, 8:01 pm
#2
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 14,227
Re: Self sufficiency in BC - a pipe dream?
The romance and reality of such lifestyles are entirely different and for the most part people would be crazy to even consider it.
If you mean just living somewhere cheaper, then sure, why not.
If you mean just living somewhere cheaper, then sure, why not.
Sep 6th 2014, 8:07 pm
#3
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 858
Re: Self sufficiency in BC - a pipe dream?
You may be right. 
Sep 6th 2014, 8:59 pm
#4
Born again atheist
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Europe (to be specified).
Posts: 30,259
Re: Self sufficiency in BC - a pipe dream?
It depends what's in the pipe. 
Sep 6th 2014, 9:10 pm
#5
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 858
Re: Self sufficiency in BC - a pipe dream?
Happiness 
Sep 7th 2014, 2:33 am
#7
Assimilated Pauper
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
Posts: 40,020
Re: Self sufficiency in BC - a pipe dream?
There's a poster, AlexInBC, who lives approximately as described in the first post.
Sep 7th 2014, 2:38 am
#8
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 858
Re: Self sufficiency in BC - a pipe dream?
Thanks, dbd33, I'll look Alex up
Last edited by dishwashing; Sep 7th 2014 at 2:46 am.
Sep 8th 2014, 1:35 am
#9
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2012
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 341
Re: Self sufficiency in BC - a pipe dream?
I will go and read the NS thread in a moment...
I run a small business, and have worked in them (my own or other people's) for almost my whole career. I also coach other small business owners on things like stress resilience (because it IS stressful). I'm not going to say it's a hell hole, because I love working for myself. So do lots of others, and there are reasons we keep at it. But it ain't a walk in the park. Many small business owners work very long hours, and have a good deal of stress, and not a whole lot of spare time. Making ends meet and managing cash flow are not always fun.
Having just upped and left the UK, where I had spent time building up my business, I'm now not quite back to square one, but back at a point where I need an additional income in order to make ends meet while I build it back up again locally. So I'm applying for part time jobs as well as starting over with my business. And dealing with the schools being off so having even less time than I'd expected.
But running a business can be a personally very rewarding thing to do - I don't want to make out that it's all bad. So do it if it is part of your 'happiness' plan, but be aware that if it's just for a source of income, you'll need to work blinking hard, and might find yourself wishing you'd just stayed employed by someone else.
Incidentally, I am finding that a lot of people who run businesses here in the Comox Valley also have part time jobs. Which is interesting.
I run a small business, and have worked in them (my own or other people's) for almost my whole career. I also coach other small business owners on things like stress resilience (because it IS stressful). I'm not going to say it's a hell hole, because I love working for myself. So do lots of others, and there are reasons we keep at it. But it ain't a walk in the park. Many small business owners work very long hours, and have a good deal of stress, and not a whole lot of spare time. Making ends meet and managing cash flow are not always fun.
Having just upped and left the UK, where I had spent time building up my business, I'm now not quite back to square one, but back at a point where I need an additional income in order to make ends meet while I build it back up again locally. So I'm applying for part time jobs as well as starting over with my business. And dealing with the schools being off so having even less time than I'd expected.
But running a business can be a personally very rewarding thing to do - I don't want to make out that it's all bad. So do it if it is part of your 'happiness' plan, but be aware that if it's just for a source of income, you'll need to work blinking hard, and might find yourself wishing you'd just stayed employed by someone else.
Incidentally, I am finding that a lot of people who run businesses here in the Comox Valley also have part time jobs. Which is interesting.
