Young woman leaves Madrid for village life, cuts monthly expenses to 50 euros

Seeking a life of simplicity and self-sufficiency, 27-year-old Lucía traded the urban bustle of Madrid for a tranquil existence in a village of just nine residents. Her radical lifestyle shift has garnered significant attention, highlighting a growing desire for a more grounded way of living.

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For me, the month's groceries are around 50 euros

Lucía purchased a century-old property in a village within the Concello do Irixo for six thousand euros. Her monthly expenses are remarkably low, with food costs around 50 euros, thanks to her extensive garden and foraging. She dedicates a substantial portion of her budget to her animals, spending approximately 150 euros monthly.

Her primary goal is to expand her vegetable garden to minimize reliance on external purchases. "When the garden is bigger, my purpose is to buy only the essentials: rice, oil, and little else," she stated. This pursuit of self-sufficiency is deeply rooted in her years of studying permaculture, which made urban life feel like an "incongruence" with her love for the natural world.

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When the garden is bigger, my purpose is to buy only the essentials: rice, oil, and little else

Despite initial fears of change, Lucía found the prospect of rural life far less daunting than the perceived precarity, problems, and crime of Madrid. Upon arriving in the village, she felt an immediate connection, describing it as "love at first sight." She has been warmly welcomed by her neighbors, whom she considers her "family," contrasting this with her previous experience of not knowing her neighbors in the city.

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Honestly, I was more terrified of staying in Madrid with its precariousness, problems, and crime than coming here to experiment

The village itself, though small, is rich in history, featuring a communal bread oven, an old sawmill, and traditional architecture. Lucía is actively building her sustainable future, raising chickens and rabbits, and repurposing materials from dilapidated houses for her constructions, embodying a philosophy of producing rather than simply buying.

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It was arriving here and feeling a hunch, saying, I'm staying here, this is my home