Yep. I bought a piece of land last month. It was part of my plan for the last 2 years:
I am a divorced mom of 7 children. We just sold our temporary McMansion! YEA! We bought the house on short sale 2 years ago (50% of it's value), lived there and remodeled it, and now sold it (in 10 days!) for a BEAUTIFUL, HUGE profit! So, I bought a piece of land with cash I had saved (8 acres-3 meadow, 5 woods) about 7 miles from the local college and hospital. But, there is almost nothing in that 7 miles! So, it's out in the country, across the street from the river (I have the oldest irrigation rights on that river, too!). I will now take the profit and build a completely self sustaining, off grid, new cottage-- much like the place I was in before (MUCH smaller house in town--but BEAUTIFUL, and would work even better in the country!
Downsized the home substantially, and now I'm going to be independent, off grid (but within biking of school and work), and 100% paid for!!!! (And, I'm building it with tax free money, because the profit I made was barely within the capital gains tax limits!) And, we will build as much as we can ourselves, keeping costs reasonable, but end up with a new, super energy efficient passive solar home with few (if any) repairs for years to come! The kids are super stoked! I'm super stoked!
And, I didn't have to touch my retirement accounts at all! :D After this is built (est 6 months), because it's off grid, and paid for, my living expenses will drop 80% from the current, leaving me to live off 20% of my income, and save 80%!!!!!!!!!!
(**Seriously dancing over here!!!**)
That's what I did with my land in the "boonies".