Communal Living

Narj

Narj

Narj

Soldato
Joined
19 Feb 2010
Posts
13,254
Location
London
I didn't realise this was a thing until one of the guys I know through one of my hobbies mentioned that he lived in a self-sufficient community. I always thought this was for hippies, having run across a few communes full of pot-smoking types in Australia whilst backpacking.

It seems that nowadays this doesn't necessarily mean living in a shack in the woods with no facilities - you can invest to get into a community that is either partially or completely independent off the grid and works to grow/rear its own food. Many people have part-time jobs and invest time and effort into the community for a different work/life balance.

I had an idle thought last night that if I were to get redundancy, I could rent my house out and maybe give this a go for a complete change of lifestyle given that I've spent so long in the rat-race. Not sure if I could go through with it in all honesty but I was wondering if anyone else has tried it and how did it go? :D
 
The problem I see with these things for myself is I value my independence to do what I want, when I want.

I wouldn't mind some of these schemes where you go help someone for 1/2 a day and get something back or something like the themossciderproject.org where you give them apples and get a couple of bottles of cider.
 
Kuros said:
The problem I see with these things for myself is I value my independence to do what I want, when I want.
Click to expand...

Are you really free to do what you want, when you want? I assume you have a job which means you have to get up at a certain time and be in a specific space at a certain time. Without sounding melodramatic, freedom is a myth.
 
One thing I quite fancy after looking deeper into this is a Cob building course. Could be fun! :D

I think the amount of independence you get would vary depending on the type of community. I don't see why it'd have to be onerous.
 
Which is happier: a sewer rat or a field rat? You can't escape group dynamics, and places like this rise or fall largely on the back of them. Further you aren't really bailing out of the rat race either: people are rarely, truly idle and there'll always be work to do. So it becomes a matter of what sort of rat race you prefer. And if you can't commit full-time, then even that sort of choice vanishes. Then there's the matter of access to public services and healthcare to worry about, especially if go abroad or get caught in a natural disaster or two.

Have fun. :)
 
datalol-jack said:
Which is happier: a sewer rat or a field rat? You can't escape group dynamics, and places like this rise or fall largely on the back of them. Further you aren't really bailing out of the rat race either: people are rarely, truly idle and there'll always be work to do. So it becomes a matter of what sort of rat race you prefer. And if you can't commit full-time, then even that sort of choice vanishes. Then there's the matter of access to public services and healthcare to worry about, especially if go abroad or get caught in a natural disaster or two.

Have fun. :)
Click to expand...
Interesting and quite true. The way I feel about it is that one is a way of life and I suppose it comes down to the individual to decide which will make them happiest.
 
datalol-jack said:
Which is happier: a sewer rat or a field rat? You can't escape group dynamics, and places like this rise or fall largely on the back of them.
Click to expand...

Yep, this is why so many of them insist on interviewing potential applicants over a period of time. Being a lazy slob isn't going to go down well if there's gardening to be done. :p

Good point about public services and NI contributions. I wonder how people get around that if they're not working in "the system"?

Not saying I'm heading off to give it a go, but it's something I would consider when I no longer have a mortgage. Part of me would like to escape the corporate, consumerist existence but actually doing it is a different kettle of fish. :D
 
I've friends who dream of such a lifestyle. The funny thing is, these are also the people that spend the most time on the internet, own every gadget possible, super dooper internet speeds, cars, boats, half dozen holidays a year etc etc they'd not last a month before quitting to go back to their normal lives I expect.
 
It's funny, I got flashbacks of romantic naturists that, having got fed up of it all, had abandoned the satanic mills only to die of exposure and starvation. :p Always thought living on a boat would've been a safe middle ground, but it's a tough gig and costs a bomb, I hear.

Narj said:
Good point about public services and NI contributions. I wonder how people get around that if they're not working in "the system"?
Click to expand...

There's a difference between not working and not having an income. If you planned to raise rental income from your property, you could continue making your NI contributions. As for public services in the UK, I'd imagine it's similar to how caravans and people on the canals manage. It's not perfect and some creativity is required depending on just how off-the-grid you really are.

There's a big spectrum between paleo, Amish and Shoreditch Orchards. :p
 
datalol-jack said:
It's funny, I got flashbacks of romantic naturists that, having got fed up of it all, had abandoned the satanic mills only to die of exposure and starvation. :p Always thought living on a boat would've been a safe middle ground, but it's a tough gig and costs a bomb, I hear.
<snip>
Click to expand...

I know a few people that have done the boat thing. They didn't last long! I think you have to be completely realistic in your expectations and they were just swept away by the romanticism of it all without thinking through how hard it would be.

Good points btw. The closest I've come to being "off-grid" was living in a beach hut with naff all around for a few weeks in SE Asia but that doesn't count as I could head down to the shops on the motorbike for stuff I needed! :D

Saying that, some people simply can't deal with being away from technology but I'm quite happy to "forget" my phone when I go away on holiday. I'm probably more suited to a halfway-house solution in all honesty, whatever that is. ;)
 
My former business partner got a little into this stuff.
He started with a community system where you do something for someone and it earned you X credits, depending on the service. You can then spend those credits on a service from someone else. So you mow three people's lawns at 5Cr each, meaning you can afford the 15Cr for a plumber to come fix your bath taps, or something.
Obviously you're limited to what services are offered within the group of those who signed up to it.
His commune-thing fell apart when people started valuing their own services too high and arguments ensued.

He then went full-hippy and tried to live off-grid (while his partner maintained a job as an IT professional, which was interesting), so moved into somewhere that tried to be self-sustaining.
Funnily enough, that one also failed because some people reckoned they had put more in, so deserved to get more out.
 
Interesting idea, and one that can work, but the words I've heard many times over the years "never share a driveway" come to mind - & all too often. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom