What to do, now that I'm grown up...

[GallopingGuitarist]

I am in the middle of a cross roads time in my life. I am 20 (21 this year), currently living with my oldest sister and her husband. I moved here last June because of not being able to expand and grow as a person at home (very strict religious beliefs). Staying here with my sister is just a stepping stone. They are charging me a small ($100) board and I help around the house, help buy food, cleaning supplies, etc. This June I head out to BC for an internship for a while. Not sure how long I'll be there, but hopefully I'll be back here late fall.

My problem is, I don't want to come back and keep living at my sister's. I am more than welcome, and we get along fine. I just want to get started into life, like I was planning.

I am trying to decide if I should go to college (probably for LA veterinary if I did), or just jump into adult life and get a place and work a job.
I'm not the richest person around (what horse person is?), but I could save, budget, and generally live simply.

If I decide to jump into life, I am trying to figure out if I should rent or buy. I would prefer to be making payments on something that I could eventually own. My parents have always owned their land, so I guess the thought of renting kind of scares me.

If I decide to get a place (rent or buy) I will also have to get a truck and trailer. Right now I have a minivan (that has caused me nothing but problems), but I am planning on getting it fixed in spring and selling it before I go to BC. I know what I want with a truck, could find what I need with a trailer.

I guess I am just getting overwhelmed with all the decisions. I have the summer to think it over. I want to start figuring out stuff though.
Sadly I probably won't be able to find land around here because of the oil. Any available land is snatched up, and prices are sky high. There is nothing to rent either.

I have been looking around the Melville/Yorkton area, because I have lived there before and liked it. There are some acreages around there for not too bad of prices.
8.5 acres with house (5 bed 2 bath), barn, shop, fencing, wells--$180,000
22 acres with house (1 bed 1 bath), older barn, well, dug outs, --$179,000
29 acres with mobile home (1983, 3 bed, 1 bath), barn, water and septic hook ups--$180,000

I would get up to one quarter (160 acres) if I could, but an acreage would be awesome as well.

Any ideas and advice? I am trying to start getting a general idea in my head with what I should do.
Thank you!
Oh, and my sister thinks I should take some time before deciding and travel the world. That's all fine and dandy, but I don't have the money to do that. I would love to, but...

[Tessa7707]

Wow, if we had land like that for sale here in Northern Ca I wouldn't be paying $800 a month in rent for an apartment. It's always better to buy, if if you can. If you can't, don't beat yourself up over it. Make long term goals. Where do you want to be in 20 years? 10? 5? 2? 1? 6 months from now? Work backwards. What do YOU want to be? I, at 21, wanted to be a stay at home mom and I have always wanted to work with horses in some capacity. That's exactly what I am. I take care of my hubby of 5 years and my 20 month old son and I teach lessons and exercise horses, I love my life because I'm exactly where I want to be. It took me a long time to get there though. I was going to college full time when I got a part time job working with horses and teaching lessons. I stopped going to school to fully pursue my 'pony career' and it worked, but it was a risky decision that a lot of people told me was wrong. A, decide where you want to be, understand that your idea of where you want to be will evolve, and work from there. Do you want to be a vet, working at a practice with animals? I'm all for living simply, but that's just me.

[GallopingGuitarist]

Land in SK is pretty cheap, that's why my parents moved here in the first place. We make up for it with the winters and mosquitoes.
I've always wanted to try my hand at a bit of horse showing, whether western or english I don't really care.
I would love to have a few horses, some beef cows, a milk cow, chickens (layer and meat), and try my hand at being fairly self sufficient. I grew up with the milk cows, beef cows, chickens, etc. I know how to take care of them.
Veterinary, I am pretty leery of actually doing that, because I'm not sure I would like it. I am an outside person through and through.
Like I said, I am throwing ideas around, trying to find out if I am asking to much of myself and life, to have this all figured out at 21.

[Saddlebag]

You may find the job market doesn't pay much beyond survival. Pretty tough to pay a mortgate on $175000 piece of land as you have to factor in annual taxes, maintainance, etc. As for a horse trailer, it's cheaper in the long run to rent a trailer or share with someone. You can lay out several thousand dollars for a trailer that sits 80% of the time and that too needs maintainance. You may be in the workforce a long time so a better paying job is so much nicer than struggling to barely survive. Can't have a horse when money is that tight.

[DancingArabian]

First things first. You cants just go out and buy all these things without figuring out how you're going to pay for them. So...how are you going to pay for them? Unless your parents are helping you or you have some impressive savings you can't just go out and buy a place. I think you're oversimplifying it all.

Go to college, get a degree or two and then consider things like renting or buying property and all that.
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[~*~anebel~*~]

I would also suggest going to school. If you're interested in staying in Saskatchewan the Potash business there is probably one of the "better" industries to get into. There are some great mining engineering programs around you, as well a trades skill would be very useful.
Also, check out Mosaic, PotashCorp and Agrium online to see if they have any positions available. General labor, working in the shop and equipment operation are all great ways to "get a foot in the door" at the mine.

Good luck!

[GallopingGuitarist]

Thank you all for the responses! I have talked to a lot of people, and will be talking to a lot more. I seem to have a tendency to plan for things, and then expect them to happen with in a year. I have been told by several that I should travel (Europe, is mainly where I want to go) before making any choices.
Thank you again, I'll keep on researching!
Lydia

[Celeste]

You need to find a good career before you even consider buying a place. If you tie yourself down to one place, your career options are going to be limited. I would go to college, but go with a goal. Train for something that you can get a job with.

I am a semi-retired veterinarian. I would not do it again even though I have had a good life. I spent 8 years in college. When I got out, I made no more money than a registered nurse. You can be an RN in 2-4 years. College is so expensive now that you will end up in debt several hundred thousand dollars if you go the vet school route. If your heart is in it, you should do it for sure. But know that is what you want to do.

Once you are through with school, then find a job. After you work a while, it will be time to buy a place.

One of the most important things that I tell young girls is this. Do not give up your own career to get married assuming that Prince Charming will keep you up in style while you live happily ever after. Prince Charming may run around on you. He may be a lazy bum. He may become disabled. He may die. Plan your own life. Then when Mr. Charming comes along, you can be a real partner, not a servant. You can be with him because you want to, not because he owns your soul.

[GallopingGuitarist]

I'm thinking vet school isn't the route I want to go. I wasn't ever really interested in it, I asked about it, but I pretty sure I won't be going that route. I definitely want to do something with animals and agriculture. I was looking on Lakeland College's (in AB) website they have a one year course that I am interested in, colt starting/making a ranch horse. You bring a 4 year old unhandled stock horse gelding and you train it for ranch work. Other than that, I haven't found any courses that I'd like to take. Horse training doesn't seem to pay very well, so I'm not too sure if taking that course would be worth it.
Other jobs that interest me a bit are, working at a dairy, feedlot, riding for the community pasture, working on a ranch, being a groom, or a riding instructor.

I am a guitar teacher so I can use that to help support myself, depending on what job I would get.

[Celeste]

I have no doubt that taking that class would be an awesome experience. I do, however, doubt that it will get you any further ahead of where you are now financially. Since I went out of full time veterinary practice, I teach at a technical college. We place almost all of our graduates in jobs. I don't know a complete list of the best jobs that people get, but I will list some of our best programs as far as job placement.

Licensed practical nurse
Registered nurse
Radiology technician
Diesel mechanic
Welding

(I hear that the diesel mechanic program only takes a year, and some of the people start out at around $50,000 per year. I don't know if very many of them start out that high or not.)

All of these are good solid jobs that give you enough money to have the financial independence to own and enjoy horses.