A house in the country is the end goal, not the start. To get there you need to use your earned income wisely. Financially secure people who earnt their weath didn't start with a house in the country they start with an ex-local authority house in need of update in some dump. I was next to the M6, we only had peace and quiet when there was a crash on the motorway. Every town has an affordable area, buy one, do it up a bit, bank your mortgage payments, 3 years move and repeat. In 10 years you'll have a decent place in a reasonable area. Then you can refine your goals, and make those all important life choices without being poor, I.e. rent the house and live on a boat.
If you use all your savings to buy a boat you will be curtailing your life choices, everything you own will be in a depreciating asset, there will be no way back and you will be poor. When you are fit and active this may not be so bad, but when you get that little bit older, or have some health issues you will be screwed.
The one bit I do agree with, avoid renting when working.