Live Off Your Land - Fifteen Steps You Can Take to Get Out of the Cubicle and Onto Self-Reliance

Want to live off your land? More people are pursuing a lifestyle of self-reliance, depending upon themselves for their food and making a living by homesteading. If you long to get off the office treadmill and onto your own land, here are fifteen crucial steps you should take to pursue your life of freedom:

Get out of debt

As any farmer will tell you, unless you own a corporation with hundreds, if not thousands of acres, you won't make a fabulous income living off the land. Those farmers who do own hundreds of acres and thousands of dollars worth of equipment (along with the mortgages to prove it) are struggling to get by. The secret is to live simply and downsize. Sell that newer car with those high car payments and buy a used model, preferably with no payments. Stop eating out as much and use that extra money to pay off your loans.

Get some land

You don't need hundreds of acres, but if you want to live off your land, you will need at least five. You will want enough space for a good sized garden, along with some farm animals. Live in town? Consider selling or renting that house and buying a used manufactured home set on a small acreage instead. Many people do it and live quite comfortably - and debt free.

Learn to grow your own food

Put in a lot of raised beds and grow potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and other vegetables. Learn to preserve your food through canning, drying and freezing, so that you go to your pantry instead of the grocery store, cutting down on cost and time.

Raise chickens

These wonderful birds will supply you with eggs, meat, and even income if you raise enough of them. Fresh chicken eggs are easy to sell. These eggs are delicious, and if they come from chickens who have eaten mostly grass and insects - chickens who live in chicken tractors, for example - they are also far healthier and more valuable than the store-bought brand.

Get your goat

Goats will supply you with milk, meat and cheese. Control their diet - only hay and grains - and your goat's milk will taste exactly like cow's milk, only sweeter. Plus, many people are realizing the health benefits of raw goat's milk, making it a marketable product. Get two or three female goats - or does - along with a billy goat, and you will have enough milk for your family and some extra to sell to cover your cost.

Diversify what you sell

Many people who try living off the land make the mistake of raising a single product in large supply and then selling it. But if the crop fails, then you are in trouble. Instead, raise a small supply of several items to sell. Sell chicken eggs and goat's milk, honey and produce when it's in season. That way if one item fails to produce, you have others to fall back on.

Avoid the exotic

A few years ago, raising ostriches were all the rage. At least they were until those raising them realized not many people are willing to eat ostrich meat. It is far wiser to stick with the standard fare - chickens, pigs, and beef, for example. Raising something unusual and hoping to get rich off it - like many get-rich-quick schemes -usually leaves you with an empty pocketbook and an animal nobody wants and you have to feed.

Raise only what you want to eat

This goes with the ostrich example above. If you don't sell those hundreds of bushels of Swiss chard, then be prepared to eat them. If you don't enjoy them that much, then don't grow them.

Be prepared to learn a new trade

My grandfather was a plumber, and even during the depression, he prospered. During hard times, people might not need an insurance adjuster, but they will need someone who can fix their leaky pipes. Consider learning carpentry, electrical work or mechanics. Learn to make practical, useful items that you can sell or barter with.

Simplify

Do you really need three television sets? They use electricity even when they are not running. How about that 3,000 square foot home? Do you really need all that space, and all that clutter you accumulated to fill it? Learn to live on less. Cleaning and protecting all those things simply takes up precious time and money.

Give up driving

You won't be able to homestead successfully if you are driving into town everyday for one thing or another. If you are a soccer mom and trying to homestead, you are going to become exhausted in a hurry. Caring for livestock is a full time job that requires you to spend a lot of time on your land. Plus, the gas and wear and tear on your car is expensive. If you don't like staying at home, the homestead life may not be for you.

Don't go it alone

Don't try to homestead by yourself. Accidents can happen, and when you live in the country, there will be few neighbors who will hear you call for help. If you are single, consider finding one or two like-minded individuals who will room with you and share expenses.

Join a community

Find others in your area passionate about homesteading. Look for a local online group or start one. Go to your nearby feed store and see if they offer classes on animal husbandry. Sign up for an organic gardening class. All of these will get you in touch with people who can share information with you and who will encourage you.

Give back

Be willing to help those who are just starting out. There's an old phrase that rings true: what goes around, comes around. Make certain that what goes around from you is positive, rather than negative.

Embrace hard work

The homestead life is wonderful, but it does involve a lot of hard, physical labor. You will be lifting hay bales, roping contrary critters and moving chicken tractors. I personally love the hard work (and the great sleep I get each night), but if you prefer a desk job, then naturally, the homesteading life probably isn't for you.

Think you can do these fifteen things? Then start working on getting out of debt and go forward! A life of freedom and purpose awaits you.

The Advantages to a College Degree for Today's Job Seekers

A college degree is an advantage in today's workforce. The number and of jobs available for college graduates is much greater and they often have higher salary and benefits.

Availability of Jobs

The number of jobs that require a college degree or where a college education is an advantage is increasing. In previous generations, there were many levels of jobs available for those without a college education or in some cases, even a high school diploma. However now many of these jobs simply do not exist any longer, or now require college education.

Industrial jobs, trades and skilled labor were more prevalent before the rise of computer technology. Now many industries require a smaller workforce because of technological advances. Even though not as many assembly line workers are needed, there are many jobs available in engineering, management and business administration in which a college education is an advantage.

Types of Jobs

The advantages of a college degree in scientific, manufacturing and engineering fields are very strong. College students can now study highly specialized science related degrees that apply directly to business settings. Safety engineering, environmental science and DNA analytics are examples of highly specialized fields that have become in demand in just the past 10 years or so.

One of the advantages of a college education is that students become aware of many subjects and fields that they never would have considered without going to college. Students are required to take a variety of basic education courses such as math, sciences, literature and basic computing. Electives are also required and students may take a course that just sounds interesting or appealing to them. Often students discover during one of these courses that they have a talent and/or passion for a subject and begin to understand its potential in the job marketplace.

While obtaining a specialized degree is necessary in some fields, sometimes just having a college education is an advantage, regardless of the field of study. Employers want to know that their employees have a well rounded basic education. The advantages of a college degree will be proven when your resume is chosen over those who did not make the commitment to complete their education.

Salary & Benefits

The advantage of a college degree equals to higher wages and salaries. In the Winter 2004-05 Occupational Outlook Quarterly, The US Department of Labor reported that "In 2003, workers who had a bachelor's degree had median weekly earnings of $900, compared with $554 a week for high school graduates--that's a difference of $346 per week, or a 62 percent jump in median earnings." These figures are a bold statement that the advantage of a college degree is its increased earning power.

Job seekers will also find that positions that may not actually require a college education will still pay more to those who have a degree. Jobs seekers with a college education will still earn higher salaries, even when the degree is not directly required for the job.

The jobs that do not require a college education often have fewer benefits. These jobs often provide no retirement or health insurance benefits which are imperative to financial security and the stability of the family.

The Advantage of a College Degree: Conclusion

Attending and graduating from college is the best way to prepare for a career that pays well and provides a means to a secure future. If you are determined and hard working, you can complete your education and begin a career that will provide now and pave the way to a secure retirement.

Watch New England Patriots NFL Games Online

Ever wondered how to watch New England Patriots football games over the Internet? I use too, until I discovered a good way to watch National League Football (NFL) games on my computer via live streaming feed. Many times I'm stuck at work when the Patriots are playing, so I started looking for a method to catch some football games on my pc because there is no television where I work.

I like the NFL, in general, but I love the New England Patriots. Their roster is loaded with players that I like to watch and cheer for, like Tom Brady, Wes Welker, Randy Moss, and even coach Bill Belichick. This year's team proves to provide an exciting season for fans to follow. It could be a great year for them to reclaim the AFC East division.

Last year, I had to miss a couple of early games until I figured out how to watch the New England Patriots online. It was really pretty easy. I just downloaded a software program that gave access to basically any football game on TV that I wanted to watch. The program I found is easy to use and provides a quality picture. Also, I get access to more sports, movies, TV shows, history, weather, news, kids channels, and much more.

There are a couple requirements necessary to be able to use the software. First, you must have a computer with a Windows operating system. It does have to be the latest and greatest, but it does need to be Windows. Second, your Internet connection needs to be DSL or cable. Dial-up connections are not fast enough to deliver a quality live streaming feed.

Watching the 2009 Patriots games online gives me a lot more flexibility because now I just need to be somewhere where I have access to the Internet. In other words, I can be in town or on the road and just pull up the game on my laptop. I'm just glad I never have to worry about missing a game.

5HTP Side Effects

5HTP, a natural health supplement, has shown itself to be generally safe during the past forty years of scientific testing. 5HTP seems to be tolerated better by a larger number of people than its pharmaceutical cousins, the SSRI antidepressant medications like Prozac and Paxil.

Of course, nothing is completely without side effects so anyone taking 5HTP needs to be alert to the possible side effects.

5HTP has been tested enough to reveal a distinct pattern of side effects. The most common side effect of 5HTP treatment is intestinal or stomach upset. This is because about 90% of the serotonin in your body is actually not in your brain, but in your intestines.

Among other things, serotonin helps regulate the involuntary contractions of the intestines, called peristalsis, which flush waste through your system. Your intestines are loaded with serotonin so any changes in levels can affect this entire process.

Specifically which digestive side effects you might experience by taking 5HTP will depend on your personal state of health. Anything within the gamut of digestive system complaints could occur, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, cramping, even vomiting. Some people report this side effect being less severe, or even disappearing completely, if they take their 5HTP with a meal.

About 3 to 5% of people who take 5HTP report digestive-related side effects. They can range from mild to severe.

Digestive disturbances due to 5HTP treatment are most likely to be extreme with people who already have chronic digestive disorders. So if you suffer with irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, celiac sprue, ulcers or any among a long list of digestive problems, perhaps 5HTP treatment is not a good option for you. Please consult with a health care practitioner in your area.

Another reported side effect with 5HTP is vivid dreams, sometimes escalating to nightmares. This side effect occurs because dreaming and sleep depend heavily on serotonin. 5HTP and sleep go together like a chilly night and a goose-down comforter. This is why 5HTP treatment is so helpful for people with sleep disorders. 5HTP can help set the serotonin level back to a healthy level for better sleep.

On the flip side, because the biological process of sleep is delicate, 5HTP might cause your sleep to become disrupted. Everyone is different in this regard and while some enjoy extreme dreams, others find it upsetting. Often, people report that their dreams return to normal once their body adjusts to having a higher level of 5HTP and serotonin. Rarely, people choose to stop taking 5HTP because this side effect bothers them.

As you would expect, digestive disturbances and vivid dreams are both commonly reported side effects with all treatments that affect serotonin levels, such as the SSRI antidepressants, like Prozac or Paxil.

For best protection against side effects when taking 5HTP, start with a low dosage, such as 50mg or less once per day, and increase gradually. Sometimes it's advisable to give your body periodic breaks from taking 5HTP. Taking breaks can lower the incidence of side effects too. Some people experience relief from side effects if they take 5HTP with meals.

The incidence of side effects from 5HTP is lower than it is with many other medicines. This is because 5HTP is a pure substance found already in the body. It isn't a complex substance with many components that break down, spread throughout the body and wreck unintended havoc. 5HTP functions in the body in a relatively straight forward manner.

The same can't be said for other most other medicines. Virtually every medicine known has some components that are beneficial and others that aren't. It's these unwanted components that lead to unpleasant side effects. The more pure a medicinal molecule is, the easier the body can assimilate it and this fact is to the benefit of anyone taking 5HTP.

When compared to the number of people who find the side effects of treatment objectionable, 5HTP generally fares better than its pharmaceutical counterparts. For example, in a study conducted by researcher Dr. H. M. van Praag, only 3% of the study group taking 5HTP quit, while 9% of the group receiving an SSRI left the study.

All medicines produce side effects people find intolerable, it's to be expected. The question isn't IF people don't like the treatment, it's how many people object to the point of discontinuation? With 5HTP, the answer is generally less than with comparable treatments.

All in all, 5HTP side effects are minimal or nonexistent for most people. The vast majority of people who take 5HTP report a positive experience. Dr. L.J. van Hiele, who has been one of the leading researchers of 5HTP, reported, "no contraindications or significant side effects in our series of tests...follow-ups of the blood pressure, living function, urine and EEG's revealed no anomalies."

Of course, this generally positive news does not negate the fact that some people find 5HTP side effects intolerable. All medications should be judged by weighing the benefits against the risks. Only you can determine where the line is right for you.