Things to Consider When You Plan to Move to the Country

You've dreamed about it all your life - the thought of living in the woods. You've pictured yourself in a cabin in the middle of the woods, with a fresh, bubbling brook flowing nearby; the smell of the forest trees and wildflowers drifting through your open window; groundhogs and deer gathering to eat and play near your woodpile down by the wooden fence you've recently began building. You see yourself sitting on your front porch in the late afternoon, sipping lemonade and listening to various songbirds, trying to identify one bird song from another. After relaxing awhile, you gather some firewood for your woodstove and prepare a meal under the light of a kerosene lamp. For now, you're content with the simple pleasures of your self-sufficiency. Maybe in a few months you'll put in electricity, but for the moment, life is perfect as it is.

Dreams of living in the woods are sweet for some of us. It may be a dream that you've had since youth, or a dream you've had since certain events have occurred in the world. Whatever your reason, this article will serve as a valuable resource while you plan, prepare and make your move to the wilderness.

Creating a 10-Point Plan
Preparing for the move involves creating a practical plan that will get you from point A – the city or your current location, to point B – into your wilderness hideaway. The plan can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be, but keep in mind that the more details you have in the plan, the more realistic the plan will be to you.

Here are some ideas of what to include in your plan:
1. Your current expenses. This should include all debts: car payments, insurance, credit card bills, etc. (More on this in the chapter three, “Getting out of Debt”). Consider how much you can afford per month on a place. Perhaps you can buy a plot of land outright? Take a look at your finances and see just what you can do.

2. Where you want to move. This can be a list of small towns in the approximate area where you want to go. Do you want to live near mountains, in the country, near a large piece of water? Be specific on what you want.