Syonyk - thanks for sharing, that's sounds like an awesome move. Do you plan to FIRE at any point or are you content to work PT and live the country lifestyle? One of our debates right now is whether we would buy small and closer to work, or further out with a couple acres. Right now I'm leaning towards closer so that we can radically cut back on driving.
I'm really not sure. Ask me in 10 years.
I'm trying a rather different path towards FIRE, if I end up there. I don't really trust the assorted markets for another 40-50 years of growth, as we run into various headwinds with the limits of growth, climate issues, the downsides of globalization, etc. So I'm certainly invested in them, but I don't trust the "Put lots of money in the markets and, boom, you're done!" approach to FIRE enough to rely on it as my only path.
What I'm trying to do is focus on "early retirement through low and flexible expenses." So, a few acres, paid off house, working on making it productive land for growing and storing food, chickens/goats, aquaculture, everything paid off, some solar for power, and pretty much front loading my expenses while I'm working so that longer term I don't have to work as much.
I also have a fairly diverse set of skills I'm working on improving, so I can do "random project work" long term - I rebuild battery packs, I do some web development, I'm working on improving my small electronics manufacturing/repair skills, etc.
The basic concept is that if the markets do well, I have more money to spend on travel and potting about the country, and if I have less, I spend more time around the property and focus more on food and such. I intend to be able to grow a significant surplus if I need to, and help people in the community out/barter/etc.
I'm trying to build anti-fragility into my life as much as possible. I don't know what the future will hold, so I'm trying to prepare for a wide variety of possible futures. It's not as efficient, but efficiency is generally fragile (no surplus to handle unexpected events).
So, yeah. Not really the standard path on here, but headed in the same direction through different means.
Quite a bit different reaction from some of my extended family :/
Clearly, you must stay in the city so you can earn more money so you can live the good life through buying lots of luxury goods!