If you live in the country you will be faced with different advantages and challenges in saving money. Let’s examine some of the most common.
Take advantage of the following ways to save money with rural living:
1. Country living usually means more opportunity to live off the land. In this case, you can save money on food by having a garden or raising chickens.
2. Easier access to quality handmade goods. Whether you are crafty yourself or just live near a rural community, the opportunity to purchase and sell quality handcrafted items is plenty. With rural living offering farmer’s markets, 4H shows, and county fairs discovering quality materials way below market prices are simple.
3. Less competition. When you escape the crowds, you also escape the materialism. When surrounded by hillsides instead of storefronts, the incentive to buy more than you need is less.
Overcome these challenges for some rural living money saving tips:
1. Less selection and competition when shopping for goods and services. Generally speaking there is less to choose from when shopping rurally. Luckily the world of the web has helped with this small town dilemma. Even if you do find a better price online, you still may need to pay a shipping cost. Therefore, a good money saving tip is to check the competition online even if you have to go to a local library to get Internet access. Then, at the very least, see if your local retailer or service provider will match the online price.
2. Everything is a long drive away. The rising cost of gas really crunches the wallets of those in the country. Your best bet is to plan ahead. Make all your trips to town on one day. It is better to stock up on basic items then have to make an extra trip to the store. Another idea is to carpool with neighbors or take turns sharing shopping trips.
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