My biggest fears were about being able to run my sole person business from this location, the logistics of working remotely with my existing clients, and finding new clients.

Well, so far everything has worked out better than expected. I’m actually working less and making far more than before. Some of this would’ve happened anyway, but the ‘working less’ is a benefit I wasn’t expecting. And my client base has expanded to include a large client on the other side of the country.

My commute these days is 5 steps from the kitchen to the office, not 30+ mins a day stuck in traffic; grocery shopping is 1 minute away and takes minutes, not at least an hour as it was in the city. While food and general goods are more expensive here, the range is less and there’s less ‘need’ for the stuff we used to buy. We use less fuel because we’re hardly using the cars. In fact, the two cars will probably become one soon. Working exclusively from home means I don’t have to maintain an every-changing business wardrobe, thus I’m also saving on clothing, makeup, manicures etc. While this all sounds as though it’s about saving money, it’s not. That’s just been a side benefit.

We have no desire to return to the city. The air is fresher here, people say hello in the street–seriously, supposedly we don’t have to lock our cars (though we haven’t tried that yet!), and my ‘office’ overlooks a backyard full of fruit trees and native birds. I can’t think why we put up with that whole city lifestyle for so long.

We haven’t yet started to build the dream house, but after having lived for close to 6 months in a much smaller house than we had in the city, I’m rethinking our list of ‘must haves’ for the dream house. It really is easier living with less stuff! (though I wouldn’t mind an extra 1 metre of kitchen counter space!)

Oh, and I’m totally with you on kids working. My sister and I worked in our parents’ business from about the age of 7, helping out after school, on weekends etc. Only occasionally can I recall resenting it–mostly when I was a teenager going through typical hormonal imbalances. My sister’s kids and step-kids now work in their parents’ financial advice business, and have done so since they were teenagers. They are the most well-adjusted 20-somethings you’ll ever come across. I can heartily recommend to all parents to actively encourage your kids to work. They’ll learn the value of money, the benefits of saving, and that the world doesn’t owe them a living. And they’ll also learn that there are plenty of people in the world who are not like them – and that can only be good!

Apologies for the long post–you *really* struck a chord with this one.

Big business spends billions convincing us to buy all sorts of crap we don’t really need by playing on our anxieties about our status. The sooner you can see through this the happier you will be. Interestingly this all becomes more obvious once you ahev done some marketing yourself. You can start to deconstruct ads and see what buttons they are trying to push.

If you want to be happier, forget about that SUV you have been hankering after.

Take your time… dont live too fast,
Troubles will come and they will pass.
Go find a woman and youll find love,
And dont forget son,
There is someone up above.

And be a simple kind of man.
Be something you love and understand.
Be a simple kind of man.
Wont you do this for me son,
If you can?

Forget your lust for the rich mans gold
All that you need is in your soul,
And you can do this if you try.
All that I want for you my son,
Is to be satisfied.

Boy, dont you worry… youll find yourself.
Follow you heart and nothing else.
And you can do this if you try.
All I want for you my son,
Is to be satisfied.

And Eugene … all I can say about the inherent conflict between #1 and #3 is that there are hard tradeoffs sometimes. I moved away from my Mom and Dad, and it is REALLY frustrating to not have them more active in my son Josh’s life (he is 2). I know it kills my Mom to be so far away from her grandkids. The good thing is that Josh is close to his Dad’s side, as all my in-laws live pretty close by.

I was the last sib to move out of the Bay Area … my sister moved to Texas 12 years ago, and my brother to Pittsburgh about 8 years ago, for work and quality of life reasons. We miss each other terribly, but all have very fulfilling “nuclear family” lives. I guess you can’t have it all, at least all of the time!

Good luck!

(And VERY cute kid Eugene, judging from the pics on your blog.

– Tim Berry

A little over two weeks ago, I moved from New York City to Durham, NC to start my virtual assistant practice. I sold my apt and I used the proceeds towards the down payment on my new house and living expenses until I get my business up and running (NYC real estate has been very good to me!). As a single mom (7 yo daughter), with only one income, it’s a very scary thing for me to do, but I was unhappy living in NYC, working a job that I hated and not spending enough time with my daughter. So far, so good. My daughter loves camp and we both love our new house and neighborhood. I’m pretty busy trying to build my business, but I am happy and feel free from the burdens and stress that I felt when I was living in the city. This is the best decision I have made for my family. Thanks for the article!

Take care,
Davida