Frugal Acres - An Idea Whose Time Has Come?

In the latest issue of Southern Living Magazine there is an interesting article about a housing development in nearby McKinney, Texas. The article is “Strong Start, Strong Finish: CooperLife in McKinney Brings Good Health to New Horizons” by Gary D. Ford. Mr. Ford tells us all about Craig Ranch, a new housing development that is being built around the second outpost of the world-famous Cooper Fitness Center (the original is in Dallas). People who purchase and build houses in this development are very focused on their health. You most likely would not move there unless you had a deep and abiding love for pilates, spinning, and other arcane forms of modern torture. The Fitness Center offers EVERYTHING in the way of healthy living - nutritional counseling, a dedicated medical facility, and of course, lots of places (indoors and out) to exercise.

Now, as you all know, I have nothing against a spot of exercise now and then, but I’m not so dedicated to it that I would consider moving to a neighborhood 100% devoted to it. (Oh heck, who am I kidding- these houses are so expensive, I could never afford to live there! It probably would be kind of fun, actually. I would be a novelty there, too. Everyone who lives there is thin!). What’s so interesting to me about this is the bigger idea behind this - the fact that an entire neighborhood is being created with one focus in mind (in this case, healthy living).

So how about a new neighborhood built around the Frugal lifestyle? Houses would be built with this in mind. Or even better - maybe all the houses in the development would be reclaimed farm houses! I see this all the time around here: “House For Sale. To Be Moved.” These houses are on huge tracts of farmland that developers have purchased to put up new neighborhoods. Instead of immediately knocking down these lovely old gems, developers will first offer them to anyone willing to pay to move them to their own land (good for you, Developers). I have read that these houses are often offered for only $1.00 (of course, moving them must be very expensive). I love these houses - they are full of character. I’ve seen many in that ornate Victorian style that I really love - lots of gingerbread trim and scalloped siding. It would be something special to live in a neighborhood made up entirely of the reclaimed and refurbished homes of yesteryear (updated, of course - I need my ac, indoor laundry, and cable tv).

Or perhaps the homes in this neighborhood would actually be more of a reflection of the diversity that characterizes the Frugal lifestyle. In addition to reclaimed Victorian farmhouses, Frugal Acres might be dotted with yak-hair yurts, railroad-shipping-container condos, and 198 sq ft dream houses. However you like to be housed (frugally), Frugal Acres would host it (taking into consideration local weather conditions and building codes, of course!). Every person has their own idea of their ‘dream’ home, and Frugal Acres would accommodate that - big, small, old, new, green, non-traditional, there’s room for it at Frugal Acres.

Instead of more typical amenities like golf courses, country clubs, and man-made beaches, annual home owner association dues would support things like an on-site food co-op; a community center that offers regular seminars on Frugal living topics (”This week’s special guest - Mrs. Amy Dacyczn!”); a one-stop free-cycle shop where all neighbors can take stuff they no longer want and find free stuff they need; a five-acre fenced-in dog park (I don’t know if that’s frugal, I just like dog parks). And guess what? - in this neighborhood it would be absolutely fine to hang your laundry outside (a big no-no in most housing developments). In fact, all the houses would come with awesome built-in laundry lines in the backyard (maybe covered, though, to forestall bird poop on your clean laundry). And maybe, too, each lot would have already-started and fenced-in vegetable gardens!- you just do the initial planting of the veggies of your choice, caretaking, and harvesting. I know I would love it if somebody else would do the dreary preliminary work in starting a vegetable garden for me (because I am lazy, but I love the idea of home-grown vegetables)!

I know, I know. I’m just a crazy dreamer. But I think that this is a great idea! I can see that this neighborhood would have a very neighborly, non-judgmental, supportive vibe. It wouldn’t be communal living because we would all own our own houses, property, and stuff (personally, as a dedicated American capitalist I have no interest at all in living in a commune). This would be like-minded living. If it works for health-nuts, why can’t it work for cheap-nuts? (But really, if it’s your dream to live in a Frugal commune, we could dedicate an area of Frugal Acres to that, too. I say, Why Not?).

I would love to hear your ideas for Frugal Acres! What else should our hypothetical community have to help Frugals walk the walk and talk the talk? Is this a crazy idea, or would you buy and build (or move) a house here? Let me know what you think, neighbor!