Escaping from C@pItali$m
What does it take?
Our family has plan to escape C@pItali$m.
But it isn’t going to be easy to execute. We’re fighting against so many systems stacked and weaved together to keep us trapped, addicted, and generating wealth for everyone but ourselves. The Capitalist society we have been raised in extorts at every chance it gets. That is its goal after all — to extort people and the planet for the sake of profits.
While every situation is different, I’m hoping there are some of you out there who might have similarities with our situation and find our escape plan to be helpful.
Rent and The Grid
Rent for our spacious but dated home is over $1k/mo. It keeps us comfortable enough, but the sub-zero weather these last few days has shown just how inefficient it really is. The utility bills (electric, gas, water, sewer, trash) get close to another $1k/mo.
Once we’re out at the Domestead, we’ll have a $150/mo RV payment. We will be using the difference to build out the Domestead’s infrastructure. Then, our electricity will come from Solar Panels, our water from rainwater collection, our waste feeding the BioGas system and food forest, and we won’t be generating enough trash to need our own trash service.
Debt
We have debt — medical, auto, and personal. The interest rates are ridiculous, such that making the minimum payment on things barely touches the principal amounts.
We have already agreed to stop taking on new debt unless it is a health emergency. This won’t magically go away when we move to the Domestead. But lowering our other expenses will help us snowball these to beat the interest rates and get out from under these payments. I am also reaching out to local banks to see about a debt consolidation loan to further speed up this process.
Food
Filling ourselves with quality food is the foundation for physical well-being. It keeps us healthy and limits our interactions with the medical system. Right now, it is a little less than another 1k$/mo to feed six mouths with quality food. We don’t eat out except for special celebrations or being invited for a social event. We cook most of our food ourselves. But keeping fresh produce and quality proteins on the table is not cheap when we have to buy it all from someone else.
We started some container gardening last year, getting a good start on some strawberries, and trying our hand at potatoes and tomatoes.
It is going to take time to lower our food costs, but we will be planting the beginnings of our food forest this spring. The more we grow ourselves, the less we have to pay for.
Fitness
Building on the food, our bodies need to be exercised for long-term health. Being pro-active with keeping my family moving is another way to keep us healthy and out of the medical system.
Don’t let anyone sell you your fitness. You don’t need some shiny product or gym membership to be fit. You just need your body, gravity, and your environment. I’m no fitness guru, but I love what Yoga with Adriene and Hybrid Calisthenics are doing. They’re putting out quality free content to teach people how to care for and strengthen their bodies. And they have content approachable from all fitness levels.
Personally, I do a mix of running (when the weather is nice), dance parties with the family, yoga, and calisthenics. There is no perfect regimen. But as Adriene says, I strongly encourage everyone to “find what feels good.” Just do something to move, explore your body, release stress and trauma, and build yourself up.
Homesteading/DIY
So many of our house-care habits require constantly purchasing goods wrapped up in un-recyclable plastics. It isn’t good for the wallet or the planet.
We have been experimenting with several ways to cut down our consumption and use of plastics. We’re successfully making our own yogurt, bread, and clothes washing detergent. We’ve tried dishwashing detergent as well, but are looking for a better recipe. I’ve also started darning my worn socks.
It is unfortunate that it makes more “economic” sense for me to spend my time doing consulting work for Capitalists, and just throw things away and buy new things every time something wears out or breaks. My time is “worth more” than the time it takes to mend and repair things. Part of that is the way modern goods have been designed — with short lifespans and constant consumption in mind. Part of that is the unequal pay in the workforce, where factory workers are paid way less for their time than people like me who have been fortunate enough to develop a “specialized skill” — even though it takes less of a toll on my mind and body.
Regardless of the “why” — I know it is wrong, and am trying to find a better balance. Long term, a lot of these things will become community efforts and gain some economies of scale as well as positive social energy.
Public School
I can’t work enough hours to cover all of these expenses unless my kids are in public school, filling them with processed foods, relying on screens, and being fed white-washed history lessons. I try to focus on the positives — the socialization, the fundamentals like math/writing/reading, the extra-curricular activities like band/archery. But I know we can have those without all the negatives, if only my time didn’t have to go towards paying the bills.
We tried traditional home-schooling, but keeping up with 4 different curriculums and keeping everyone on track turned out to be a full time job in itself. We do our best to correct the problems with public school when the kiddos are back home, but it is a drain.
I am hopeful that once we’ve made the transition to Domestead living, we’ll be able to re-visit home-schooling with more of an un-schooling approach that will play to the kids interests and have them self-motivated and not taking near as much energy on our part.
Why is it so hard to escape?
As I have been making my way into regenerative networks, I have met so many people doing great things. They are traveling and living light, building regenerative communities, and healing ecosystems. I often find myself jealous of them and how they have been able to easily re-arrange their life to make space for regenerative work. So far, I have not found many families that are doing regenerative work. And I think
did a pretty good job at outlining why.
My wife and I came from relationships that had a lot of similarities to the ones mentioned in that article. What we have now is magical, and built on the truest love I have ever known. So while we are together for love and not “for the children” — the fear of “failing” our children is still the biggest reason we haven’t jumped the capitalist ship completely already. Something fundamental about being a parent means that I can’t risk their well-being like I would my own. I can’t bring myself to strip them of their comfort and belongings all at once just so that I can chase my dreams of BioHarmony.
So it has been a slow process, showing them the life I dream of and teaching them to let go of material things and negative behaviors that do not serve them, and building up the Domestead to be comfortable enough and able to hold their most important belongings. We’ll get there, but there is a reason not many families make these kind of choices.
Getting Out
To truly escape C@pItali$m, you have to stop playing their games. You have to remove yourself from the activities that extort. And yes, this means giving up luxuries and comforts — for now.
Once we’re out, we’re building towards a future that helps more people escape. We’re building towards a Federated Network of Regenerative OpenSource Neighborhoods.
Once the Regenerative Neighborhoods are underway, people will have to give up less and less to be able to join them. They will be built with sustainable buildings, growing healthy food, and providing a safe place for all ages to self-actualize.
I am fortunate to have skills that can pay the bills while we make these transitions. I know it is a privileged position to be in. There are so many who are truly stuck in the Oppressive Systems of C@pItali$m. After the BioRegional EcoCenter is bringing in energy, the sister villages that follow will be geared towards those who can’t escape on their own — the homeless, the beaten, and the abandoned.
Thanks for reading! I am still new to the substack space, so please let me know with a quick like if you’re finding this sort of content helpful or inspiring in any way. If not, let me know what you’d like to see more of. Next up, I’m thinking about “What to do with all this stuff?” — an exploration of the ownership of material possessions, what we need, and what we can hand over to community.
If you would like to see us succeed, and document our journey as we escape from C@pItali$m, your support is most welcome. The end of The Plan has all the ways you can help us out.