I received an email from Laura who wanted to share with me how their family had changed their life.
It was a very practical solution that Laura and Brian came up with. They sat down and while they talked about what they wanted in life they actually drew a picture of the life that they had envisioned: a life away from the city and the hectic schedule of everyday. They lived in Calgary and had always wanted to live in the country but acreages close to Calgary were not possible due to price and if they moved too far away from Calgary commuting would be an issue.
Brian worked as an IT analyst and Laura worked as an accountant in a large firm. Neither one of them had particularly satisfying jobs but they were comfortable with the work routine. They had lived in their house in Calgary for six years and figured out that if they sold it today they would clear $115,000.00 cash equity. They had a car loan with an outstanding balance of $5,000.00 and a credit card balance of $10,000.00.
They had three kids, ages 4, 6 and 8. Brian’s friend Jason told him about his work in Fort McMurray and how he had changed his life by deciding to ‘work to live’ and not live to just work. He had signed up for a six-week oilfield course to get the necessary safety certifications at a cost of $499.00. He also bought driving lessons to obtain an commercial driving license for heavy trucks for $1500.00. After completing the courses Brian secured a job in the oilfield earning $25 per hour, living in camp in Bonnyville, AB, working 14/7 - fourteen days on and then home for seven days. Including overtime he is now earning $90,000.00 for his first year in the oilfield.
They started to research communities in other parts of Alberta as they could now live anywhere because Laura did not have to work anymore. They chose Claresholm an hour and fifteen minutes south of Calgary. It is a small town in a rural setting with a hospital and several other health care facilities.
They bought a small ranch for $415,000.00 just ten minutes from town, put $80,000.00 down and have mortgage payments of $1200.00 per month. They paid off their credit card and the remainder of their car loan.
Laura is at home, loving their new life in the country. She sees nothing but fields and trees when she looks out the windows and she is still only 10 minutes away from the children’s school. She has a garden, helps out at the school and when Brian is home they spend lots of time together or working on their many projects they now have time for. They go for walks, renovate their house and go for picnics in the country with the girls. They installed a wood burning stove and Kevin bought a wood splitter he shares with his neighbor. Every fall they go into the back country and take as much wood as they want for the price of a $10.00 permit.
Brian does the oilfield away-from-home thing for his family. “Work is work” he says and he lives for the times when he is home and he then spends all his time with the family. Laura is grateful for this opportunity to stay at home and look after the children. Laura could get a job in any of the health facilities as a health care aide, working casual shifts. “Maybe later” she said, for now she is very happy with having the time for her family. They also see a lot more of their extended family and their friends as they often come down and stay for the week-end, camping on the 160 acres surrounding the house.
I am not saying that everybody can do this, abandon careers and move to the country, but many could. The future of the oil industry looks promising right now but that could change. Being prepared for change and needing less to live on every day makes the difference. They do have a backup plan for Laura to get employment and with their low living expenses. Brian would then not have to make as much for them to live on. They are setting money aside for retirement right now but know they can continue this lifestyle even with his loss of a high paying job.
You can contact me at this email link: greaterlivinginstitute@gmail.com
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