British couple looking for donations to fund ‘self-sufficient’ lifestyle in Costa Rica

A British couple with an “off-grid” approach to parenting want to make their dream of living away from “the system” come true and are asking other people to help pay for it.

Matt and Adele Allen from Brighton, U.K.,  want to move to Costa Rica with their two children, five-year-old Ulysess and one-year-old Ostara, to start what they call a “self-sufficient” way of life.

“We are inspired … to create a business, home and lifestyle which can show people that they don’t have to comply to the constraints of ‘the system,’” the couple wrote on FundMyTravel.com.

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The family is asking for £100,000 (around $173,000) which would be used for travel and for buying land in Costa Rica. As of Thursday afternoon, only £245  have been donated.

On the website, they don’t say how they will be self-sufficient. But they detail their alternative parenting style which includes allowing their children to pick their own bedtimes.

Adele still feeds both children breastmilk, because they say it is a “great supplement, not just for infants,” and their older child “can decide when he wants to stop breastfeeding.”

As for school?

“Education is important but  we don’t think we should be pushing traditional learning on the kids at a young age. We will eventually start to home school him rather than mainstream school,” the couple writes.

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When asked about their lifestyle by the Daily Mail, Adele admitted they have seen criticism from many people.

“My mother has always been very supportive of us as a couple, helping us out over the years, but lately we have agreed to disagree over the way we are bringing up our children,” she said.

“We accept other people’s choices and do not judge them, so why judge us?” Matt told the newspaper.