save money on rural living costs

With every lifestyle choice, there are trade offs. Living in the country has many benefits—it’s safer and quieter, and it can allow you to live more self-sufficiently. The potential disadvantages can include living further from stores, having a longer commute to work, or finding that local jobs pay less.

While basic housing costs can be less expensive than a city or suburb, oftentimes gasoline, food, and health care can cost more in the country. On average, rural families spend more of their overall income on fuel—they drive 15 percent more miles overall and get 6 percent fewer miles to the gallon, according to the Consumer Federation’s 2007 study.

With limited access to supermarkets and less price competition, food can be more expensive. That said, there also can be more opportunities to buy fresh, local food that’s comparable in price to the grocery store. You also may be able to have a large garden or raise chickens and other animals for food.

If you live rurally, or if you are considering a move to the country, here are tips to reduce the costs of living out of the city and make smart choices that can help you weather financial crises. Put the money you save into your emergency fund so you can increase your financial and psychological wellbeing during economic downturns.

• Limit trips to town—try going once every two weeks. Shop warehouse stores and be ruthless about finding the best price. Bring a cooler with a bag of ice inside to keep cold and frozen foods safely chilled on the trip home.
• If you run out of something before your next scheduled trip to town, do without.
• Make a very strict shopping list based on a clear meal plan for the entire period between trips. Replace what you use from the previous weeks, and stick to your list.
• Leave the kids at home to avoid impulse buys.
• Notice the price of gas in your town before you head to town. If you see significantly less expensive gas during your shopping trip, fill up your gas tank before you head home.
• Keep a pantry stocked with dry goods, such as pasta, flour, rice, beans, sugar, powdered milk, and canned goods to tide you over between trips to the store.
• Bake bread—several loaves at a time—and freeze it. Granola and cookies are less expensive when made from scratch. If your kids like yogurt, buy large containers of vanilla yogurt and add your own fruit.
• Invest in a freezer to store food. Check local newspapers or online listings like www.craigslist.com to find a good used freezer.
• If you don’t have your own livestock and garden, consider trading services with a local farm family in exchange for meat and/or vegetables.
• Join a local food co-op that allows you to work a few hours in exchange for discounts.
• Do as much of your shopping online as you can. You often can find better deals and you are able to comparison shop easily. Watch out for shipping costs, however, as they can quickly eat up those savings.
• Create opportunities in your community: Form childcare co-ops, shopping networks (trade shopping duties to save gas), and periodic swap meets to find items you need for your household.
• Jobs in rural areas generally pay less than those in urban centers, but the shorter commute saves money. Look for work closer to home if it makes sense financially.
• Ditch the satellite TV and phone service extras. Hold book and movie swaps with your neighbors.