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power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
I also believe that 100 is about the population limit for a cooperative community to sustain and govern itself. You can have less if all your bases are covered, but if you have more then you start getting freeloaders, animosity, in-fighting and decension.
Sounds like you have had a few experiences in these groups and distilled a lot of wisdom out of them. But I can so easily imagine "freeloaders, animostiy, in-fighting and dissension" with way less than 100 people! That's one reason I would never consider joining such an arrangement. Plus my personality is not suited to it in the first place.
I like the set up we have around here in the middle of nowhere... every household is pretty much an isolated pod of independence and self-reliance that is loosely federated to provide additional manpower and support when necessary. It works better for my personality that way! Even isolated people who think themselves introverted hermits look at me and say "Dang!! She's an introvert!" Seriously, I've got folks who barely talk to one another inviting me over for coffee and pie, else they'd never see me LOL
Except for RVers who have given up their homes and call themselves "full-timers", I had never heard of anybody who became homeless by choice rather than by financial necessity until I read this thread. The RVers are mostly retired people who travel a lot, have substantial financial resources, but figured maintaining the home was a waste of money because they weren't home very much.
I guess I am asking you folks for a fuller explanation of your reasons for choosing to become homeless (as opposed to being forced into it by circumstances). Yes, the OP addressed this in a couple of sentences, but I am just curious to know more. It is something I can't understand, but that is not the same as criticizing it; I'm sure many people do not understand a lot of the things I do. I appreciate this thread for broadening my knowledge of the choices some people actually make, and I am simply asking for more information as to the motivations.
Well, we're not quite 'homeless' yet, but we will be in about six weeks.
As Christian missionaries, we tour most of the year in our RV - we give benefit concerts at churches, schools, hospitals, and for other charities etc., and I'm a novelist, so we conduct workshops and give motivational speeches (talks, really) in a variety of venues, but we mostly work with churches (all churches). We also produce CDs, DVDs, MP3s, and You Tube videos so that interested parties can come along with us on the road via my blog En Route, which should be up and running in about six weeks too - I don't have time to do it justice prior to then, but so many people have asked to 'join' us, so..., well, let's hope that they like what they read/see.
We found that our house was falling into disrepair and we have neither the time nor the energy to fix it. (I'm legally blind and require to use a wheelchair, so I'm not as handy a builder as I used to be! ) We're about to set out on a five-year global tour (finally, after a lot of nonsense with visas and suchlike), and we've only been home for a few months. Prior to that we were gone for two-and-a-half years, so there doesn't seem much point - at our age and stage - in attempting to maintain a home that we rarely see.
We've traveled the globe for forty years, living in just about everything imaginable, LOL, so our modest 27' Class A RV (it's far from a new one) feels luxurious to us.
We come from the mountains (remote mountain areas), are both experts in survival (particularly wilderness survival), and we wouldn't be caught dead in suburbia anyway - well, maybe dead would okay, but otherwise... no thanks!
We're not planning to buy another home anytime soon, if ever, but if we did, we'd choose to move back to Maui - IF the Good LORD gives us a choice.
What a great thread. I'm so glad that Mahrie revived it.
I became a mother very young and did not have the opportunity that a lot of you had. I think I would have enjoyed it. Now my kids are gone and we are moving to a new city and my husband and I are considering full timing in an RV. We have two dogs though and that is the only thing that is causing concern. If it were just him and me, we'd just boon dock all the time in a small travel trailer or 5th wheel. With the dogs, we have to consider something larger and are better off in a campground.
Well, we're not quite 'homeless' yet, but we will be in about six weeks.
As Christian missionaries, we tour most of the year in our RV - we give benefit concerts at churches, schools, hospitals, and for other charities etc., and I'm a novelist, so we conduct workshops and give motivational speeches (talks, really) in a variety of venues, but we mostly work with churches (all churches). We also produce CDs, DVDs, MP3s, and You Tube videos so that interested parties can come along with us on the road via my blog En Route, which should be up and running in about six weeks too - I don't have time to do it justice prior to then, but so many people have asked to 'join' us, so..., well, let's hope that they like what they read/see.
We found that our house was falling into disrepair and we have neither the time nor the energy to fix it. (I'm legally blind and require to use a wheelchair, so I'm not as handy a builder as I used to be! ) We're about to set out on a five-year global tour (finally, after a lot of nonsense with visas and suchlike), and we've only been home for a few months. Prior to that we were gone for two-and-a-half years, so there doesn't seem much point - at our age and stage - in attempting to maintain a home that we rarely see.
We've traveled the globe for forty years, living in just about everything imaginable, LOL, so our modest 27' Class A RV (it's far from a new one) feels luxurious to us.
We come from the mountains (remote mountain areas), are both experts in survival (particularly wilderness survival), and we wouldn't be caught dead in suburbia anyway - well, maybe dead would okay, but otherwise... no thanks!
We're not planning to buy another home anytime soon, if ever, but if we did, we'd choose to move back to Maui - IF the Good LORD gives us a choice.
Hope this answers your questions.
Blessings,
Mahrie.
What happened to the ten years of prepper supplies stored in your basement? More importantly, why would you need ten years of prepper supplies stored in a basement if you're on the road so much and are planning a global tour?
I think you need to get your story straight because it seems like your novel plots are tripping you up.
WOW Linda
You got some real anger issues there don't you?
If you read Mahrie's post when she answered you on another thread, you would see that part of her preps are that she stocks Rubbermaid containers of Scotts Broth, which don't take up a lot of space for instance.
But why does it bother you anyway?
I lived in a 27 foot gooseneck trailer for several years while going to school. I always had a pantry full of enough dehydrated foods to last a minimum of 6 months to a year. My tools and other equipment were in a small 6x7 utility trailer that ran behind my RV, it ain't hard to do if you only take what you need and have good equipment and foods. The biggest problem to stock was water because of weight and bulk, but I did have a 100 gallon tank that fit my truck and a 30 gallon tank in the trailer, so I had enough for a while and if I located near a stream, river or lake I could purify enough to restock my tanks using a hand pump and a large pot to boil before I had a good filter.
Really, we should be reading these boards to find out new ideas for prepping in a more efficient manner instead of deriding or attacking others who take care of themselves.
Besides, there is a huge difference between prepping at a static location where you have infrastructure in place, and a mobile lifestyle.
She won't be taking her house with her, probably won't take her rototiller or plow either.
Really, I would like to hear how you prep (because you have already stated that you do) instead of these constant attacks on others who prep.
You were also the one that said survival is a community effort, well this board is a virtual community, why not join in and work for the betterment of all?
Or will you continue to provide an example of why many of us plan our preps by ourselves and don't count on others for anything but trouble in times of crisis?
What happened to the ten years of prepper supplies stored in your basement? More importantly, why would you need ten years of prepper supplies stored in a basement if you're on the road so much and are planning a global tour?
I think you need to get your story straight because it seems like your novel plots are tripping you up.
Evening, Linda!
Calling someone a liar isn't the best way to make friends, y'know.
Not that it's any of your business (just to be clear), but we held a 'Contents of House' sale recently, which is still ongoing, and what we haven't sold - including the food portion of our preps 'In the basement ' - will be listed on both Kijiji and Craig's List early next week, and what we haven't sold by the time we leave to tour, we'll donate to the nearest thrift store.
We kept a decade's worth of preps because we still had children at home and weren't on the road at the time. Now that we're almost constantly mobile, we neither want nor need them. We do plan to keep a few items in a small, climate controlled storage facility, but other than that, we're on God's Good Humor, as they say.
I'll always be a prepper at heart, and encourage it in everyone who has a stationary home, but that is no longer our reality, so... we're adapting. It isn't hard to do! Of course, we'll still be carrying a decent supply of meds, medical supplies, and supplements, etc.
I wouldn't mind trying it for one year to travel to different cities and to enjoy life. I don't think I'd save money by doing this though. Here's why:
1) Money - You can't earn the same income as you do with staying in one area. I make a high 5 figure salary. I'd be shocked if I could make 1/3 of that with odd jobs.
2) Health - How do you afford to see a doctor? Sure, I'm healthy most of the year, but maybe its based on my current living conditions. Being mobile can change that. And yeah, you can do an urgent care for $100 but what if its serious? What if its frequent?
3) Social - Yup, you can go out. But you won't really make 'friends' because you'll be moving the next day or week.
4) Car - What happens when you need service and the car needs to stay in the shop overnight or multiple nights? Hotels can get expensive and it might be hard to find someone willing to lend you a counch.
5) Overall - The cramped lifestyle wouldn't suit me long. I like the ability to get out of bed and stretch in the privacy of my own room. You can't do that in a cramped car. I've done 24 hour rides in cars and it sucks!
I rather save the next 3 years, take long weekend trips and drive or fly out to these places. I'll have the money to do it and still come back to something nice. I can't see there being a benefit to being mobile, at least not financially.
As far as I can tell, your concerns are valid, but if one lives simply, medical care is still affordable, and if you don't make much at all there's always Medicare in the States. My brother was recently diagnosed with stage 3 - 4 cirrhosis of the liver and with cancer of the liver. His first two diagnostic tests ran 'him' almost a quarter of a million dollars, and Medicare (or is it Medicaid?) picked up the tab - and will continue to - because my brother has a very low income.
Voyager Medical Coverage for travelers is as good as Blue Cross Extended Health Care, and only costs around $30 per month per family. That's what we use, and I've been 'sick' all my life.
You're right about fixing cars though, and we have a little Tracker and a 27' RV! Best to get them tuned up, patched up, and certified 'healthy' before you take off for the year.
If you don't like the idea of 'going moblie' then I doubt you'll like the reality. It certainly isn't for everyone, and you sound like the kind of person who likes a stationary domicile. Perhaps trips are the best idea for you.
If you'd like to follow us on our five-year book/concert tour, check out En Route With Jesse . My blog is still in the construction stage, but the info and pics are all there, as are my other contact pages. You're welcome to read and take in our day-to-day, and perhaps it'll help you to better decide if being on the road is right for you.
Yes, the driver's license is the hard part. Fortunately, before I moved to a mobile lifestyle, I lived in an area that did not deliver mail, so I already had a PO Box. I just kept the box after moving out. I'm not sure what you can do other than using a friend/relatives address for a DL.
You can use a UPS box that has a physical address.
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) We're about to set out on a five-year global tour (finally, after a lot of nonsense with visas and suchlike), and we've only been home for a few months. Prior to that we were gone for two-and-a-half years, so there doesn't seem much point - at our age and stage - in attempting to maintain a home that we rarely see.
