Happily Ever After

You can buy 20 acres of land for less than 10k in fly over states and build a small efficient home for less than 8k. If you do the work yourself. 3-5k for a solar system, an extra 2k on wind and 2-3k on long life high amp hour batteries and pretty much for the next 20 years you have free power. Wood stove and you pretty much have free or close to it heat. My mother spends 60 dollars a year in wood.
grow your own food, you can pretty much eat for free and sell the excess at farmers market and be healthier than any of us can through the super market. Collect rain water, dig a well (400-800 if you do it yourself 4-5k for a professional) and build a rocket stove for hot water. It burns sticks and produces concentrated heat for next to no fuel. You now live on nothing but land tax. No rent, no grocery bill, no fuel or heat costs and no electric bill. The only things left are optional like a car and insurance or internet. You could live off less than 2k a year, 1k if you forgo things like a car and internet. Its an investment in savings. I could retire off 200k.