/diy/ - Do It Yourself

I'm actually about 3/4ths tthe way through Henry Thoreau's Walden. It's a great, poetic ready about a man who goes "into business" with the forest. His philosophy is to not let your possessions own you, work for yourself and enjoy nature. Link to .pdf version:
http://www2.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/thoreau/thoreau-walden6x9.pdf

I've been contemplating this for a long time OP so perhaps I can give some ideas. Chickens, root vegetable garden and a seasonal job. Chickens are a cheap and low maintenance source of food. Root vegetables like potatoes, beets and carrots are rugged and can grow year round. Goats are nice but as Thoreau sees it, large mammals are such a large responsibility that they infringe on your freedom and can be costly to keep. (I'm sure people on this board may disagree)

For housing, this board is very well known for it's tiny house enthusiasts and cabin builders. If you just lurk around on this board you'll learn a lot of interesting things.