Family life without spending money

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With costs going through the roof, Australian families are feeling the pinch. Meet a family that has left all that behind.

It's the second time round for Trevor Wittmar, Linda Cockburn and their son Caleb. And life couldn't be better.

The first time around, they were in Gympie in Queensland, conducting a social experiment - to see if a family with no practical experience could live completely self sufficiently for six months on a suburban block, producing their own food, their own water, their own power, their own everything, so money was unnecessary. Well, almost.

"I think we spent $300 and something over six months," Linda said.

For those struggling with rising interest rates and rents, ballooning grocery costs and petrol prices, Trevor and Linda say there is hope - if you think outside the square.

"Well, I am not sure for a lot of people there are ways to avoid a mortgage as such," Linda said. "But there are ways to help you cope with paying it off."

Trevor and Linda's new plan is to build an energy-efficient straw bale home on small acreage in south-east Tasmania's stunning Huon Valley, live sustainably and be 100 per cent mortgage-free.

"And that's all got to do with the whole of the project you know," Trevor said.

"The gardens and everything included, so that we can actually spend less money, on things that most people spend money on, like going to the supermarket, for instance, and running the car."

"So we take the whole project, is allowing us not to have a mortgage."

While Trevor's in charge of construction, Linda grows the food. And with Caleb, she cares for the animals.

Goats, for the milk, to make cheese and yoghurt. Bees, for their private supply of honey. Chickens, to provide eggs.

There's no denying this is a pretty rustic way of life, but Linda and Trevor say this is not about doing without, it's about living within - living within their means and the means of the environment.

Sure, it's not for everyone, but they say everyone can take a little bit of what they're doing and use it within the framework of their own lives.

"Yes, certainly, everybody can grow at least a few veggies," Trevor said.
"If you are living in a high-rise apartment, you can have a window box and a bit of parsley and some tomatoes. You can make yourself a tabouli."

"And that doesn't sound like much, but that sort of thing is addictive. Once you start getting that bug and you start getting the joy of actually eating your own produce and knowing what has gone into it and what you're getting out of it. It's a wonderful thing."

Spending less can become addictive, too. They say you should max out your library card instead of the credit card, make greater use of public transport or ride a bike to beat rising petrol prices, and grow at least some of your own food.

"It's a sense of being able to go on an adventure and it's an adventure that's good for us and hopefully good for the planet," Trevor said.

"And we can then inspire others and, just as a family, bring us closer together."

It's a blend of the old and the new. The billy-cart down the hill for Caleb and the information superhighway for Linda, who maintains her website for the growing number of people who are following their adventure online.

Her book "Living the Good Life" has been reprinted four times and has even found an audience overseas.

"Actually, it has been quite amazing; we still get a lot of response from all over the world now," Linda said.

"It has been published in the Northern Hemisphere and yes, we get emails from all around the world and a lot of what we have done has inspired a lot of gardens. And we both feel very happy about that."

"That's certainly a great skill to have in these particular times, not just for the environment but also financially."

It's a change of life that's worked out well for Caleb, too.

"I actually don't really think Caleb notices," Linda said. "To him, it's a normal lifestyle. It's grafted on now."

The second time round for this family is proving life can be just as sweet as a Huon Valley apple - straight off the tree.

Further information

The family assures us this experiment is long-term. To follow their progress, go to Linda's "Living the Good Life" website at www.lintrezza.com.