Hi from the middle of the US
Hi from the middle of the US
Hi all!
Have been a reader of this forum and many others of the same mind for years.
I have been called extreme many times in my life. I don't believe I think the way people have been conditioned from the masses and media and constantly ask 'why' on many things. This has caused a ton of unpopularity. And I am way okay with that.
I am starting over, yet again, again. I got debt free the first time in '07, and it was GREAT!! Was well on the way to start saving up for my freedom. As the saying goes, life happened. In the ensuing years, my hubby got cancer, fought 2 years, passed away, daughter grown and married and gone. I tried, I really tried to make sense of life after this, drank too much, didn't help. Got jobs, lost jobs, appeared like I was 'making it' according to others along the way. Yet, always knew that type of trying to fit in with the norm just was NOT for me.
Fast forward to now. Have been sober over a year now, recently became a grandma, and just remarried. The new hubby is new to this type of thinking, of the not being a slave just to have 'stuff', of aiming for freedom. The thought of early retirement and being financially independent is a whole new outlook and he is warming up to it very well. After raising his son for the past 10 years alone and living paycheck to paycheck, he is realizing there is a better way out there. So very thankful for this.
What I am hoping to accomplish in the next 5 years is a combination of both drastically reducing living expenses, and looking at different avenues to produce passive incomes along with hobbies that might bring in occasional income.
The reducing expenses avenue I'm looking in to is extreme: moving an older paid trailer onto paid for land, we have both between the two of us. This will reduce rent/mortgage expenses, and property taxes are cheap in my state. The land should be able to get a well dug, reducing another ongoing expense. Aiming to get a propane tank for heat and hook up to electric, which should be our only utility expenses, but will couple this with placing the trailer to the benefit of passive solar heating/cooling along with eventually adding solar when-if prices go down.
Will also want to garden for some of our food to save on groceries. The soil there I hear is really good. Going the homestead and permaculture if my black thumb will allow.
That is all for now. Look forward to reading on this forum and hear ideas and hopefully contribute some, as well.
Have been a reader of this forum and many others of the same mind for years.
I have been called extreme many times in my life. I don't believe I think the way people have been conditioned from the masses and media and constantly ask 'why' on many things. This has caused a ton of unpopularity. And I am way okay with that.
I am starting over, yet again, again. I got debt free the first time in '07, and it was GREAT!! Was well on the way to start saving up for my freedom. As the saying goes, life happened. In the ensuing years, my hubby got cancer, fought 2 years, passed away, daughter grown and married and gone. I tried, I really tried to make sense of life after this, drank too much, didn't help. Got jobs, lost jobs, appeared like I was 'making it' according to others along the way. Yet, always knew that type of trying to fit in with the norm just was NOT for me.
Fast forward to now. Have been sober over a year now, recently became a grandma, and just remarried. The new hubby is new to this type of thinking, of the not being a slave just to have 'stuff', of aiming for freedom. The thought of early retirement and being financially independent is a whole new outlook and he is warming up to it very well. After raising his son for the past 10 years alone and living paycheck to paycheck, he is realizing there is a better way out there. So very thankful for this.
What I am hoping to accomplish in the next 5 years is a combination of both drastically reducing living expenses, and looking at different avenues to produce passive incomes along with hobbies that might bring in occasional income.
The reducing expenses avenue I'm looking in to is extreme: moving an older paid trailer onto paid for land, we have both between the two of us. This will reduce rent/mortgage expenses, and property taxes are cheap in my state. The land should be able to get a well dug, reducing another ongoing expense. Aiming to get a propane tank for heat and hook up to electric, which should be our only utility expenses, but will couple this with placing the trailer to the benefit of passive solar heating/cooling along with eventually adding solar when-if prices go down.
Will also want to garden for some of our food to save on groceries. The soil there I hear is really good. Going the homestead and permaculture if my black thumb will allow.
That is all for now. Look forward to reading on this forum and hear ideas and hopefully contribute some, as well.
Re: Hi from the middle of the US
Welcome! Your journey so far has been very impressive. If you have cheap housing, a spouse on the same page, and tons of energy, I don't see how you're going to fail. I look forward to hearing more.
Re: Hi from the middle of the US
Hi pammys. You have successfully published your first post on this forum Welcome!
Did you have the chance to do the "21 day makeover" from the main site? What do you find most challenging regarding living expenses?
Did you have the chance to do the "21 day makeover" from the main site? What do you find most challenging regarding living expenses?
Re: Hi from the middle of the US
Will do on the "21 day makeover". Since this is my day 3 of being here, I will do the first 3 days:
Day 1: Finding a place to live- Currently in a paid older mobile home, lot rent is $180 a month which includes water/sewage/trash. It is 7 miles to dh's work and stores. It's 1120sqft, 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath. There are 3 of us that takes 2 bedrooms, the third is when my daughters family comes to visit, and any excess storage like tools and such. It's not too big or too small for us.
Day 2: Decluttering and managing stuff- I've got this pretty well under control already. I went from living in/out of my van (and only what could fit in to it) to paying cash for this older mobile home, nothing came in here unless it was: cheap (I was broke), gifted, or served a purpose. My dh and his son moved in and really only brought extra beds and clothes, they sold everything else before the move, I had everything else that was needed and I loathe clutter. They are already attuned to my rule of 'stuff' in the house, haha. Working on the car issues, at the moment. Currently at 4, one is up for sale. The son is graduating this year and will be off to pharmacy school, so that's his paid car '95 mustang, was gifted from my dear dad. The paid '07 Vibe is dh's daily commute, motor is losing compression, has been over a year but keeps going and great on gas, so will drive it til it quits. The paid '05 Grand Caravan is newly acquired, it's the family car and hauler (love those stow and go seats!). The paid '83 G20 big van is up for sale as we speak. This home does not have much storage, or a garage, so it's fairly easy to not have excess 'stuff'.
Day 3: Grocery shopping- Dh works at the grocery store, so his commute also translates to shopping trips. I shop the sale adds, make a list, he brings them home from work. I cook almost everything, eating out is a treat. There are always ways to cut it even more by bulk-buying, yet the big stores are an hour and half drive. I can't yet justify the gas to go get the bigger bulk purchases. Still working on the two men here that name brand isn't always 'better', home cooked tastes better than eating out, and cost per servings adds up. Our grocery expenses are in the $300-350 range. This will go down after son leaves for college (glad football is over, that boy could eat!!!) I'm always experimenting with cheaper meats, making from scratch, bulk cooking for the freezer, making from scratch and soaking up everything I read on the subject. Always room for improvement.
Will go ahead with Day 4: Drop the cell phone plan- Would love to!! haha I do have this cut down as much as possible and still keep the peace in the house. Three cell phones, no contract, pay-as-you-go, unlimited talk/text, no data, $60 a month for all of us. The phones can use wifi, and everyone can keep in touch. For now it's handy to coordinate since the son isn't driving yet, between picking him up for school, getting him to and from work, and physical therapy. Where I live we aren't in the range of a home phone line. Would be fine with me to have no phone, I hate talking on the phone! I've looked at other services that are cheaper, some towers don't cover this place. We've got at&t towers, airvoice was more expensive than at&t's pay-as-you-go. Straighttalk was spotty the month I tried them. Am hoping coverage up's their game and someone can be more competitive here for folks that just want a cheap phone with a cheap no frills plan.
Until later...
Day 1: Finding a place to live- Currently in a paid older mobile home, lot rent is $180 a month which includes water/sewage/trash. It is 7 miles to dh's work and stores. It's 1120sqft, 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath. There are 3 of us that takes 2 bedrooms, the third is when my daughters family comes to visit, and any excess storage like tools and such. It's not too big or too small for us.
Day 2: Decluttering and managing stuff- I've got this pretty well under control already. I went from living in/out of my van (and only what could fit in to it) to paying cash for this older mobile home, nothing came in here unless it was: cheap (I was broke), gifted, or served a purpose. My dh and his son moved in and really only brought extra beds and clothes, they sold everything else before the move, I had everything else that was needed and I loathe clutter. They are already attuned to my rule of 'stuff' in the house, haha. Working on the car issues, at the moment. Currently at 4, one is up for sale. The son is graduating this year and will be off to pharmacy school, so that's his paid car '95 mustang, was gifted from my dear dad. The paid '07 Vibe is dh's daily commute, motor is losing compression, has been over a year but keeps going and great on gas, so will drive it til it quits. The paid '05 Grand Caravan is newly acquired, it's the family car and hauler (love those stow and go seats!). The paid '83 G20 big van is up for sale as we speak. This home does not have much storage, or a garage, so it's fairly easy to not have excess 'stuff'.
Day 3: Grocery shopping- Dh works at the grocery store, so his commute also translates to shopping trips. I shop the sale adds, make a list, he brings them home from work. I cook almost everything, eating out is a treat. There are always ways to cut it even more by bulk-buying, yet the big stores are an hour and half drive. I can't yet justify the gas to go get the bigger bulk purchases. Still working on the two men here that name brand isn't always 'better', home cooked tastes better than eating out, and cost per servings adds up. Our grocery expenses are in the $300-350 range. This will go down after son leaves for college (glad football is over, that boy could eat!!!) I'm always experimenting with cheaper meats, making from scratch, bulk cooking for the freezer, making from scratch and soaking up everything I read on the subject. Always room for improvement.
Will go ahead with Day 4: Drop the cell phone plan- Would love to!! haha I do have this cut down as much as possible and still keep the peace in the house. Three cell phones, no contract, pay-as-you-go, unlimited talk/text, no data, $60 a month for all of us. The phones can use wifi, and everyone can keep in touch. For now it's handy to coordinate since the son isn't driving yet, between picking him up for school, getting him to and from work, and physical therapy. Where I live we aren't in the range of a home phone line. Would be fine with me to have no phone, I hate talking on the phone! I've looked at other services that are cheaper, some towers don't cover this place. We've got at&t towers, airvoice was more expensive than at&t's pay-as-you-go. Straighttalk was spotty the month I tried them. Am hoping coverage up's their game and someone can be more competitive here for folks that just want a cheap phone with a cheap no frills plan.
Until later...
Re: Hi from the middle of the US
Welcome! Posting to follow.
How long did you live in the van? Would like to hear more about that (I did it for two years and plan to do it again this year; not too bad)!
How long did you live in the van? Would like to hear more about that (I did it for two years and plan to do it again this year; not too bad)!
Re: Hi from the middle of the US
@bryan: I only did it officially for 6 months, however I've had vans since January '15. I did take many extended long trips to different states while still having a place to stay, and lived out of the van while doing that when I wasn't completely living in the van. The 3 vans are a Ford E150 hightop, a Chevy G20 (that's up for sale), and now the Grand Caravan with stow and go seats. The freedom was great!! Was all set to stay living mobile and keeping the minimalist/nomad lifestyle when my current cheap house fell into my lap. I aim to go that route again in the future once I get some things worked out. Income on the road was a big hang-up so I decided to further my schooling to be able to have a mobile 'job' to get to FI (presently in school for Health Information Management, which I aim to be able to get into the medical billing/coding that is done remotely so I can travel before hitting FI). Also, being a chick, the shower hunting wasn't the best fun. Electrical needs at the time were small so I didn't get in to the whole solar setup, as I charged things while driving, this may change in the future.
All in all, great experiences and lots of learning on what I should have done or will need to do in the future. I still avidly read on vandwellers, keeping info for future fun. The hubby is liking the thought of having a cheap home base and being able to hit the road in the future, and that is what we are planning.
All in all, great experiences and lots of learning on what I should have done or will need to do in the future. I still avidly read on vandwellers, keeping info for future fun. The hubby is liking the thought of having a cheap home base and being able to hit the road in the future, and that is what we are planning.
Re: Hi from the middle of the US
Day 5: Find a free hobby- Free hobby is reading, love it!! I read economics, philosophy, self-help, DIY's, gardening, and non-fiction of whatever I'm researching at the time. The library people know my name. Other hobby costs roughly $150 year for the subscription. Future hobby will involve gardening when I get the place to do it.
Re: Hi from the middle of the US
Sounds great! What was the longest you went without a proper shower? I remember a few times where it had been a few days and the hot shower at the gym just felt like the best thing ever.
Solar seems mostly over-rated, but probably worthwhile if you plan on parking in one spot for a while.
Solar seems mostly over-rated, but probably worthwhile if you plan on parking in one spot for a while.
Re: Hi from the middle of the US
Day 6: Clothes- Already a non-issue. At present I am going to school online, I can wear pj's. I rarely go anywhere I have to dress up, and when I do, it's casual. I very much prefer the thrift-shop over store bought for many reasons, being, used is way cheaper, and I can see what is crap and what isn't as it's usually had some wear and washing so you can spot the better made items. In the past year I might have spent $100 total. The hubby had hardly any clothes preferring to buy them for his son, but we've rounded out his wardrobe a bit from the thrift-store. He was like a kid in a candy store, haha. He's spent maybe $150 in the past year that also includes work attire. The stepson already has a closet full and isn't real big on needing a lot of new clothes. He might get an item or two between birthdays and Christmas and he's happy. I see no reason that any of this will change.
Re: Hi from the middle of the US
A week was about all I could stand. Baby wipes help a lot and a good ole tub of water and washrag does wonders. But, a chick with shoulder length hair, a week was about the longest I was pushing it without shampoo. In the future I'll probably go with the gym membership route.bryan wrote: ↑Tue Jan 09, 2018 3:50 amSounds great! What was the longest you went without a proper shower? I remember a few times where it had been a few days and the hot shower at the gym just felt like the best thing ever.
Solar seems mostly over-rated, but probably worthwhile if you plan on parking in one spot for a while.
Agreed on solar. I was driving for most of my days or had electric available when parked, so it wasn't feasible to drop the dough on solar.
Re: Hi from the middle of the US
You'll notice my avatar is that of two van-dwelling essentials: mouthwash and baby wipes!
Do you live near a city or just small town America? Also, does DH get grocery discounts?
Do you live near a city or just small town America? Also, does DH get grocery discounts?
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- Location: Midwest, USA
Re: Hi from the middle of the US
Welcome! I'm looking forward to reading about how it goes with the move to the purchased land. You might consider starting a journal over in the journal forum. Those day entries would be great to start with!
Re: Hi from the middle of the US
We live about 7 miles from our rural town that is about 30k population. Big enough it has everything we need, small enough it's not overwhelming. And yes, he gets a 10% discount.
Good idea! Hope it's okay to copy and paste to start a journal.SavingWithBabies wrote: ↑Wed Jan 10, 2018 5:24 pmWelcome! I'm looking forward to reading about how it goes with the move to the purchased land. You might consider starting a journal over in the journal forum. Those day entries would be great to start with!
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Re: Hi from the middle of the US
@pammys That is what I would do (the copy and paste). I'm suggesting that so I can subscribe and read about the land when you get there! I want to do something similar here (I'm also in the middle of the country -- I'm in Michigan). I'm still researching the various rules in the counties around here to figure out what is allowed and what isn't.
Re: Hi from the middle of the US
Welcome Pammys! I've enjoyed reading this and your journal. Incredible resilience! I'm excited for you to move onto your mortgage free land. Looking forward to reading more + bantering.
Re: Hi from the middle of the US
Welcome. Moving first post.
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Re: Hi from the middle of the US
Hello..... Everyone
I am new here
Hope so you all doing well
Will be friends soon
Thanks
I am new here
Hope so you all doing well
Will be friends soon
Thanks