Life "on your own" is tough at first--but worth it.

I wanted to reply to the question that Terry and Corey Michaels asked: My first answer: "Yes you can!" (Just leave it all, that is.) Many have--we did. However, I/we can offer many tips, and a little advice from those who have done it and made "lots" of mistakes along the way.

My wife Carol and I, and our son Chris, who was four at the time, tried it in the mid 1980s. Already being quite proficient at doing a lot with a little due to traveling the country, and living in many different places, we would just sell out, move to a new place and try life there for a year or two. It worked okay, but years later, we bought 20 acres here in northeast Pennsylvania, put a mobile home on it, and went broke! Too many things always seem to "crop up" and need to be done, and the money goes fast! Many years later (we have miraculously been together for 35 now), we are doing it again--this time with better planning, a smaller, more manageable parcel (four acres), and in a little better area.

The area you choose is important. Can you work there? Can the kids attend a decent rural school, or like us, do you plan to homeschool? Many issues need to be considered. An old Chinese saying is," A journey of a thousand miles begins with a first step." In our opinion, that is the hardest to do. Consider your choices wisely! Stash away as much cash as possible, and above all, start small! The change is a big one! Be prepared for all sorts of things that having a mortgage, regular job and seven kids in the "burbs" is not! Life on your own, trying to make your own way is tough at first, but very rewarding. My wife and I read ...