Hi, I'm Pat, 54, divorced, working as a legal secretary in a very small town in about the middle of Michigan.  I started my plan for Independence several years ago and decided that the only thing I would be able to afford on my own is a mobile home.  I purchased land, 5 acres in the woods, and lived in a camper trailer while friends and family helped me put down a well, clear a spot for my mobile home, and then get it installed.  I purchased an older mobile home and got it set up.  This was actually over a period of a few years and I lived in it without having all my inspections done for 3 years.  Luckily, I got away with that.  I heat with wood and do not have a furnace.  I don't have insurance because I can't afford it and it's not required because I only owe on the land.  Sometimes, I can't really afford propane for cooking or hot water but I have managed just fine without it.  You would be absolutely amazed at what you can do without when you have other more important bills to pay.  I'm vegetarian and have a garden which is fenced in to keep out the many wild animals that live in this woods.  I figure that I will have my land all paid for before I retire and my mobile home was paid for in 3 years.  I'm making many improvements to my home as time goes by and mostly it takes hard work and planning to get it accomplished.  I will be posting pictures of my remodeling projects as time goes by.  In my opinion, there is no reason to have a huge mortgage for a home that you can't really afford since most of your time is spent either working away from home or just sleeping in it.  I think it should be beautiful and comfortable but I have no doubts that I could make even the lowliest shack a beautiful place to live given the opportunity.  I have everything I need which includes a new sewing room in which to create my blue jean quilts and other sewing projects so I feel fortunate indeed!  Someday, I hope to find a way to make a little money on the side with my sewing but I haven't figured that out yet.  Since I work full time, I don't really have the time to attend craft shows and there is no local market for my skills.  Everyone around here is just trying to get by too and cannot afford to buy quality crafts.  The bills still have to be paid and I only have myself to count on so for now, I will continue to develop my plans for living as simply and cheaply as possible.  My thoughts right now are that if I can get some of my work exposed, maybe something good will happen to enable me to make a little extra money and develop a good reputation so that later on, I might be able to actually count on some income from my sewing.

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