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How To Retire Without Money
By Bob Belmont
CHAPTER 4
RETIRING ON A SMALL INCOME
Page 4 of 5
You see,
fifty years ago it was still practical in our country for a
family to live on forty acres of land or less and make an
adequate living. Every state in the Union had tens of
thousands of such small farms. However, as the agricultural
revolution developed it became increasingly difficult for the
small farmer, with his horse or two, his few cattle, his
often-rocky fields, to make a go of it. Every year thousands
of farms were given up and their occupants went off to acquire
jobs in the city.
In many, many
of the beauty spots of America, and I name only
New England
and the Ozarks of Arkansas, as two examples among the many,
these farms remain—for sale at a pittance. You'll find long
lists of them in the farm newspapers and magazines. Or,
possibly better still, get in touch with the United Farm
Agency, 2825 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri, which
specializes in selling farms. They'll send you free catalogues
and lists. In the same city is Strout Realty Company, 20 W.
Ninth Street, which also specializes in such sales and will
also send you free literature on such places.
And not only
is the initial investment on these so small, but you'll find
that costs of living in general in such areas are far below
those to which we are accustomed in the cities. Meats,
vegetables, fruits are to be purchased from the neighbors.
Chickens and perhaps a pig or two are practical to have in
your own backyard. Indeed if amateur farming is of interest to
you, such a hobby can pay off nicely.
I am not suggesting, if you are city-bred, that you can go out
and buy one of these former farms and make a full living upon
it by working on a part time basis. It's been done, of course,
but on an average you will find that if a farmer, born and
raised on a farm, was not able to make a living on this place,
neither will you be able to. But you don't have to. With your
five hundred dollars a month basic income, you would only be
supplementing your diet, picking up a few dollars here and
there by selling your surpluses— not attempting to make a full
time go of it.
Thus far, I
have dealt with retiring in the United States on a minimum
amount. And there will be many who have no desire to spend
their lives outside the boundaries of our own country.
>>> CHAPTER 4
RETIRING ON A SMALL INCOME Page 5
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