3 Financial Cons of Living Rurally

Although I don’t choose to live in the country to save money I do, in general, feel like living in a rural area is a good financial choice. However, last year I moved even more rurally – right in the middle of the woods, to be exact.

While I got a bargain on the house and very much enjoy where I’m at everything isn’t perfect in the savings department.

Here are the financial cons of living rurally.

# 1- Internet

When I lived in town I paid $25 per month for unlimited high speed internet. I assumed I’d be able to get the same when I moved. Boy, was I wrong.

The only internet we can get here is a Hot Spot from AT&T. Since I work from home, exclusively online, I needed a fairly high data limit. My internet costs me close to $300 per month.

# 2 – Cell Phone Reception

Along the same lines where I live I can only get cell phone service from one company and TV from one company. Because of this I’m stuck paying higher prices since these are my only options.

I can’t stream videos or use services like Netflix or Hulu since I’m working with a set amount of Gigs on my internet plan each month. And, the only satellite TV I can get is from the one company I like the least!

# 3 – Driving/Snow

Our house is down a fairly long, hilly, gravel driveway. When we bought the house we didn’t consider the fact that my car wouldn’t be able to make it up and down the driveway in the snow. We’re also located on a backroad right in the middle of an uphill S-curve. This posed a real problem at the first snowfall.

While we already had one four wheel drive vehicle we had to purchase a second so that my husband and I can both leave the house during the winter. Luckily my father in law owns a car lot so we were able to get a beater for around a thousand bucks.

While this con won’t hold true for everyone it definitely does for many country living enthusiasts. If you’re moving out to a super rural location where you’ll get heavy snowfalls it’s quite possible you’re going to need a four wheel drive vehicle to make it out of the driveway.

There are pros and cons to every living situation. I think the most important part is to be aware of these things before you make a move!