# How far would you take it?



## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

On the "depression" thread...I see that some folks are getting 500$ a month to live on...under those circumstances if one had a mortgage or rent to pay things would go to pot rather quickly..... so lets say its eviction day....but you've faced facts this past month and pared down to just what will fit in your vehicle...

Have you lined up a safe place to park/sleep?
Do you have a place in mind to bathe?
A place to fish?
A place for drinking water?

Being summer I'd try not to spend much money so I might afford a warmer place come winter or pay rent to family.

In my situation, I'd put a tent up in the woods behind my house and risk planting the gardens even if my house was being repo-ed...I'd park the car at my neighbors...a pond and a lake for bathing or fishing within walking distance plus I am familiar with the area and people (and the hunting/fishing/foraging).

(Sure I could go to family or friends, but that's too easy)


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Since I'm a senior citizen I'd apply for low rent housing. Depending on income I might not pay anything for rent. I'd have to be seriously desperate to do so but my dh is not well so a tent would no longer be a viable option. Fortunately, my home is paid for so no danger with repo unless we could not pay taxes.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

What are the waiting lists like for low rent housing? LONG here!!
....plus I almost think that since I'm under 40 I'd not like to live "in town".

If tenting is not an option...maybe a tag a long camper at the Wal-mart parking lot? Going to a different one each night in a week rotation?

Just a weird thought I guess, because when I hear people say they have no options...no job and no house...my thoughts are "yes you do have options, maybe not so cushy ones but there are options..."


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## PrincessFerf (Apr 25, 2008)

You're right, mpillow... there are ALWAYS options. Not fun options, not "best case scenario" options, not long-term options... but if you're in a real state of hurt, there are ALWAYS options.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

get a lawyer , they can delay the eviction a long time play by corporate rules , they drag out legal stuff for somtimes a decade.

if you think eviction from your home is comming, pack up everything you want to take have it all stashed in the car or trialer outside the house , but not nessecarialy in plain sight. you don't want to have anything you needed get left behind remember to leave a window unlocked just in case. 
go to all the court dates , tell the judge , use the lawyer ,make sure they show full ownership of the house and can show all the paperwork.

if you are unable to make a payment call the morgage company , ask what can be done keep a journal of all you interactions and what was said , recording is not a bad idea but depending on the state they may not be used in court if they were made illeagaly but notes , times ,dates , payments you offered , employee names and or identifying employee or agent numbers , the last thing a judge is going to want to have to do is put a family on the street , if he can see they are living simple , looking for work , and tried to deal with the morgage company there may not be anything they can do but if there is they are a lot more likely to do it if looks good to them.


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## edcopp (Oct 9, 2004)

First thing I would do is to rent a post office box. Before I had to be on the move. This way I could get my mail every so often.

If eviction was a problem that I was facing I would understand clearly that I am not evicted until the sheriff shows up with a court order and a moving crew to move me out. That is the time to pack up the car, no sooner.

Now there are about 16 million houses sitting empty in the united states. It would take a while to park in a different driveway every night to sleep. Some of these houses are quite secluded.

I live in a low income area and there are lots of places to get a meal. Many churches are offering a free meal once a week or once a month. I would look around before the need got too serious. The fellowship is good too. Some offer some commodities, no questions asked to help out too.

I already know how to cook outside in any kind of circumstance, but if I did not I would learn right away.

There are lots of ways to pick up a little cash. The problem is that this is usually not enough to solve the problem. Yard sales may work depending on the location. Flea markets are sometimes good, and some locations permit overnight camping.

Walmart was mentioned, and most do not object to someone spending the night (or two) there. I was in a community recently that had passed an ordinance against overnight parking in the parking lot adjoining Walmart (shame on you), Washington Court House, Ohio.

Now you did not hear me mention gardening yet. I do like gardening, but I would rather not do it and have to leave it behind. There is a lot of food available by learning what can be gathered in the wild, fishing, hunting, trapping and so on. Often veggie vendors will sell something very cheap if it is bruised or damaged. Some will give you things for free if asked. A soup pot can cover a lot of secrets.:thumb:


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

I was thinking of planting some just so I could visit and glean...a house for sale will not typically be "shown" before 7am so its possible to visit at sun up...

My house is paid for but qualifies as off the beaten path somewhat....and a visit to the library and use of the 'net would give you info. on similar places in your area.


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## chamoisee (May 15, 2005)

You don't have to rent a P.O. Box. General Delivery is free. 

I would buy a travel trailer or a nice tent, and work my hiney off at whatever job I could find, whether it was pulling weeds, digging ditches, or temp work at the nearest chicken factory....anything.... and if possible, move to an area that was more hospitable, had cheaper land, or farm jobs, whatever. Also, certain areas of the country have better shelters, soup kitchens, and other resources...while others are downright hostile to poor folks. I would, if necessary, move to the areas that were friendlier and try to get back on my feet.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

the po box is a good idea , i am not saying pack the car as soon as they tell you your being forclosed on , but if you make all your court dates you will know when they are sending the sherrif with the papers so be packed up then and ready to leave ( renters if your being evivted especaily have everything you want packed) they may give you 15 minutes to grab cloths and medicines and such but your stuff is held till you pay your back rent or make a deal because it was in thier property, 

talking about somthing to do all day and a place to spend days,i would get yourself a comminity garden plot at mine,i moved a few things to the comunity garden when i ran out of space,they will let you park right next to your plot from sun up till sun down , so now that we have established a place to get water , be and not be a nucence ,sqautter , vagrant , or such finding a place to park from 9pm to 6 am shouldn't be a problem especialy if you have some freinds. 




we were just discussing sleeping at state rest areas , i said if you had a small travel trailer or the back of van equipt for sleeping that these are just fine to pull in at dark fix a sandwich and catch a nights sleep. that is basicaly what they were put there for

truckers pull off and sleep in thier trucks on on ramps all the time but gas is expensive stuff and all that moving around adds up so of you can find a way to not go far like parking infont of a freind or relatives house you would be much better.

hey if i didn't have to mow my lawn , cause the freind parked in my drive way got it while i was at work i think i would be just fine with them parking there for a while. acctualy rv's and travel trailers have been a common sight parked in peoples yards here for some time. always kind of figured it was folks living in them in freinds and relatives yards saving so they could rent an apartment when it got cold nov 1 till about april 30 when it warmed up again.


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## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

We used to live out of a truck camper to do the California flea markets. Your best off to have a truck and camper shell/camper, than a pull trailer. A flea market charges by how long you are and you dont want to pay extra to park the pull trailer. Or park your trailer away from you in the parking lot either.
There were couples who picked up junk left around the flea market and resold it the next day and did OK. As well as buying a few things for resale. 
We ate cold food and sandwiches all week then splurged at a all you can eat buffet once a week. Truck stops are a good place to shower and most flea markets let you park in line at night.
When we bought food we would buy just enough to eat, avoiding buying ice when ever possible. $2-3 a day was more than we wanted to spend.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Found this looks cool

http://cheaprvliving.com/


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## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

That van would be too tight for 2 people.
Every one I ever seen, put the bed across the entire width of the van. With space under the mattress for storage. Then had a dish pan and camper stove instead of built ins.


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## fordson major (Jul 12, 2003)

I always said I'd live in a van if things got bad.... I like the cube van idea better if only for the height!


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

My parents had a cube van when they did antiques and did the flea markets in Brimfield, MA...with an awning that rolled out from the passenger side...they slept inside over the long weekend using a coleman stove...I went once and it got mighty cold at night/early morning coffee and tea could not be made fast enough! Screen in the awning and life would be good!


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## countrymech (Nov 28, 2005)

Years ago I found myself living out of an S-10 Blazer for a few weeks and swore I'd never do it again. After that experience I focused on a camper, bought and paid for. Currently we have a 22 ft bunkhouse camper which stays pre-loaded with all the fishing gear, cast iron cookware, emergency com gear, canoe, etc. It is fitted with solar panels for the battery system and water filtration gear, first-aid kit, and basic hand tools and impliments. I also converted an older horse trailer into a cargo hauler for added capacity. All we have to do is hitch up and roll, not that I've thought about this much. Next investment will be a quality wall tent and packable wood stove. May never need to use this stuff, but we can camp anywhere we wish with 10 minutes notice. Cool thread.


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## Just Cliff (Nov 27, 2008)

I see on the news regularly people just walking away from their houses. Is it really worth the stress to try and keep it if you have to jump through so many hoops? For the sake of arguement I guess we are talking about the type of people on this forum.
I think a good thing to have is a resume, not of the typical kind but one that will list your skills. I own my farm outright. I don't have to worry about being thrown off. I could always use help though.
If it came down to a great many folks on the roads looking for a place to camp, I would be far more inclined to have someone with practial skills, like people here than an office worker. My place has far more potential than I can get out of it right now working by myself.


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## sewserious (Apr 2, 2010)

Just Cliff said:


> I see on the news regularly people just walking away from their houses. Is it really worth the stress to try and keep it if you have to jump through so many hoops? For the sake of arguement I guess we are talking about the type of people on this forum.
> I think a good thing to have is a resume, not of the typical kind but one that will list your skills. I own my farm outright. I don't have to worry about being thrown off. I could always use help though.
> If it came down to a great many folks on the roads looking for a place to camp, I would be far more inclined to have someone with practial skills, like people here than an office worker. My place has far more potential than I can get out of it right now working by myself.


Hey, some of us here ARE office workers! :bouncy: I understand what you are saying, I'm just having some fun! My office skills wouldn't go far on a farm, but then my "farming" skills don't go far in the office either! :goodjob:


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## Just Cliff (Nov 27, 2008)

Same here. People at work look at me like I am a 3 headed goat when I talk about farm stuff.

BTW: I sure am glad you didn't multiquote, use underlined text, use all capitals in bold type or change color of the text! I would have really had my feelings hurt.


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

If I were evicted (slim chance as everythings paid for) for whatever reason, I could always plop down in several nearby relatives spare houses, or some of their hunting camps. Rent free. Or, I could head west, to a National Forest or National Park, volunteer 2 or 3 days a week in exchange for a cot in a bunkhouse, or a small cabin. Nice places to be, regardless of financial status. Beats sleeping in supercenter parking lots, or on the side of the road.


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

Ok this is cheating but none the less completely honest since I live on an island already but without a home due to a foreclosure etc? Losing all the furnishings and all my possessions....gulp, some special memories in some family things but...I would live upon the water....sigh....easy as can be! I could trade a car I own or the truck or our simple cabin cruiser for a sailboat and live aboard there for as long as I wish or had to..fish, crab or clams, maybe shrimp for my dinner and daily meat....gee so many places have free buoys to dock up or you can sink your anchor, pick the free fruit you find for canning. you would be surprised....berries in wild areas.....if you catch rainwater to bath with, gather your seaweed for steaming as a vegie, living aboard the right sailboat is very very cheap. A motorboat is considerably more as you must pay for the gas but you could still make that work affordably. Being a water girl, I wouldn't be tempted to camp in a trailer at a walmart, live in low income housing or stay with relatives...if it was just me or my sons even...a boat is where I will be! There is nothing like the sunsets over the water and being rocked to sleep by the waves.... A poor man would find much solace in this!


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## Just Cliff (Nov 27, 2008)

Romy: A woman after my own heart! :bow: (but don't tell my wife) :frypan: My sailboat has been sitting on the hard for 2 years at the farm waiting for me to finish the bottom. I had thought about that very seriously a few years back until things started going south for the country. Now I am just playing it safe and preping like a mad man. I know there are a lot of people that do that on the east coast now.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Love the boat idea! I could put a good sized boat in at China Lake but I'd have to pull it out before ice up....stores on either end of the lake...the ocean isn't appealing to me...

I know some folks that lived on a small boat for a few years down in Florida and my husband's uncle is living on his yacht in VA (he can't stand to live with his wife anymore!)

Supercenters here in Maine have enough grass growing to graze a cow on....its not like "busy" states.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

This type of situation was considered many years ago when my Mother became very ill and asked me to keep her out of a nursing home. I cut up all my credit cards and made sure the 6 acres & trailer (everything we did) were debt free. We owe nothing! 

Owning a small piece of land somewhere with its own water supply (a spring or flowing creek, etc) can come in mighty handy.


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## belladulcinea (Jun 21, 2006)

My family could live together multi-generational style. There would be ground rules and boundaries to help limit the "expectation" side of things. We all have dogs which would have to be worked into the plan. We have all traveled and camped together so we know each other very well. We would do it if we needed to. As it is we all live within a 1 mile radius so we can get to each other if we need to.

When my parents had their land, we would have put up a tent on the property, that would have worked really well! We have the biggest house right now, so I imagine family would have to come here.


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## poorboy (Apr 15, 2006)

Helianthus said:


> You don't have to rent a P.O. Box. General Delivery is free.
> 
> I would buy a travel trailer or a nice tent, and work my hiney off at whatever job I could find, whether it was pulling weeds, digging ditches, or temp work at the nearest chicken factory....anything.... and if possible, move to an area that was more hospitable, had cheaper land, or farm jobs, whatever. Also, certain areas of the country have better shelters, soup kitchens, and other resources...while others are downright hostile to poor folks. I would, if necessary, move to the areas that were friendlier and try to get back on my feet.


Nearby town's post office has stopped General delivery, you now MUST rent a box or put up a mailbox at your residence...I guess a person might find a rural location and put a box up where there is a group of others?:stars:


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## Aintlifegrand (Jun 3, 2005)

belladulcinea said:


> My family could live together multi-generational style. There would be ground rules and boundaries to help limit the "expectation" side of things. We all have dogs which would have to be worked into the plan. We have all traveled and camped together so we know each other very well. We would do it if we needed to. As it is we all live within a 1 mile radius so we can get to each other if we need to.
> 
> When my parents had their land, we would have put up a tent on the property, that would have worked really well! We have the biggest house right now, so I imagine family would have to come here.


We do.. we currently have three generations living here.. and soon it will be four once Mom stops being stubborn..:bash:

My DH, DS, myself, DD#2, her hubby and their two children moved in in April and next month DD #1, her hubby and two children will make the move here. 

We will have 8 adults (72yo to 23yo), and four children ranging in ages from 4yo-3 months...It is our new adventure... we decided not to wait until the SHTF but to start living now as we will then..thus making the transition easier..the good news today?.. Our very city style SIL weeded the garden today _and_ planted pumpkin seeds. All is working fine..


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## TheMartianChick (May 26, 2009)

We could always go stay at one of the other houses that we own. In a scenario where we've lost everything (including those properties), we could always go to the house that my parents used to rent out. The last tenant just moved out yesterday and they are planning to put it up for sale. In the event that it weren't available, we could always move in with them... Their house is huge and they are always well-stocked!


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## stranger (Feb 24, 2008)

that home made camper that is on the pick up could have been better if he had dropped the tail gate and built right on the tailgate, he would have gained about 14 inches in length and wouldn't have had to climb so high to get in the thing


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## soulsurvivor (Jul 4, 2004)

I've been reading around on other forums trying to get a feel for how residents of the gulf coast are doing. It's beginning to sound "not so good" from various folks and with the videos/photos they're posting, I have to believe that at least some of them are telling the truth. 

There's been a common theme coming from the residents in that they're scared that they will have to move to escape the potential health risks that are being linked in conjunction with this oil spill. 

Most all I've read say they're heading north, way north if they have to move. Then again, maybe I need to just keep reading and keep my mouth shut. I hope everyone gets to stay in their own home. 

My own greatest fear is that something would happen that would make me have to move out of my house. I can't imagine how awful they must feel in trying to make a best decision for their families.


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

soulsurvivor said:


> I've been reading around on other forums trying to get a feel for how residents of the gulf coast are doing. It's beginning to sound "not so good" from various folks and with the videos/photos they're posting, I have to believe that at least some of them are telling the truth.
> 
> There's been a common theme coming from the residents in that they're scared that they will have to move to escape the potential health risks that are being linked in conjunction with this oil spill.
> 
> ...


Anyone living close enough to the beach, for oil contamination to be a concern, should probably move inland.... as I hear it's sorta dangerous each and every time a hurricane comes through. If I were dictator, there'd be zero private homes, and only very limited commercial establishments close to the beaches. Since I'm not likely to become dictator soon, we, as a people, should insist (by simply refusing to mandate insurance coverage, and bailing out people who live on the coast) on an end to development, by economic means... your house washes away, you rebuild, all on your own... there's backwood hicks in east Texas that dislike subsidizing someone living in a beautiful beach house.


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## ChristyACB (Apr 10, 2008)

Aintlifegrand said:


> We do.. we currently have three generations living here.. and soon it will be four once Mom stops being stubborn..:bash:
> 
> My DH, DS, myself, DD#2, her hubby and their two children moved in in April and next month DD #1, her hubby and two children will make the move here.
> 
> We will have 8 adults (72yo to 23yo), and four children ranging in ages from 4yo-3 months...It is our new adventure... we decided not to wait until the SHTF but to start living now as we will then..thus making the transition easier..the good news today?.. Our very city style SIL weeded the garden today _and_ planted pumpkin seeds. All is working fine..


That is fabulous! Have you told the story of this anywhere on the boards I can find and look at? How did you manage it!? Would love to hear more. Blog?


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

aintlifegrand - if you've not told the story elsewhere, how about here? It sure is a pre-problem solution that others could learn from.

Angie


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## PhilJohnson (Dec 24, 2006)

I was living on 500-600 bucks a month last year and made it fine. My mortgage is mega cheap (200 bucks) and I have almost next to nothing for bills. If I started making less than that I would cut my electric bill and par down the cell phone plan as much as I could. If I needed food my one nieghbor often gets a lot of extra food from her tribe's commodity stock. She's offered extra food stuff on a few occasions and told me if I needed to she'd get me some extra on a regular basis. I'd also do a lot of foraging as well. I used to do it but now I make enough money so I don't have to (but it is making me fat  ). I also have a large fleet of beaters that could be cashed in for some emergency dough. I have done some very small scale logging and scrapping too when I needed some quick cash. But if for some reason I lost my place, and my parent's lost their place too (they own 40 acres not far from me) I would van it. I used to live in a van about 5 years ago. 










It was a 75 Econoline. I found I could sneak into camp grounds late at night and have the bonus of free electricity and showers. I could also (and did) park on main streets overnight without drawing attention. During the day though sleeping in the van was tough. The sucker would turn into an oven. Probably would have been helped by having some insulation on the inside. I'd pick up odd jobs here and there for some extra gas money. Also right around lunch most of the larger supermarkets had free samples so I'd hit them up for food. The biggest thing with living in a van is one has to make a constant effort to keep down the clutter because after a day or so of not picking anything up in the van I could hardly get around in it. 

I wound up finding a work for rent place and found a job soon after so my vanning experience was pretty short. But it was nice to have the freedom of going where every you felt like it. Someday I'd like to get another van and go vanning again.


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## BamaSpek (Aug 15, 2008)

texican said:


> Anyone living close enough to the beach, for oil contamination to be a concern, should probably move inland.... as I hear it's sorta dangerous each and every time a hurricane comes through. If I were dictator, there'd be zero private homes, and only very limited commercial establishments close to the beaches. Since I'm not likely to become dictator soon, we, as a people, should insist (by simply refusing to mandate insurance coverage, and bailing out people who live on the coast) on an end to development, by economic means... your house washes away, you rebuild, all on your own... there's backwood hicks in east Texas that dislike subsidizing someone living in a beautiful beach house.


I duuno... I agree with the not bailing people out from a governemnt standpoint, but the coastal living thing is just a gamble. Not everyone living on the coast is in a vacation house. Many move there to earn a living because that is where the money is....Or they fish for a living, or are marine biologists. The same thing can be said for people who living in rural areas where there is little work and get subsidies for being poor. I would not want it made ilegal to live out in the sticks...but maybe we should not give welfare to people who refuse to move to a more populated area to get work


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## juju_mommy (May 6, 2010)

I'm not close to the coast, closer to Baton Rouge but we are still worried. And I do have immediate and extended family all around and in New Orleans. It's a scary situation. doesn't loook like the oil will ever be contained so the oil coming to our marshlands, ashore, etc. will just get worse and more heavy. We keep seeing articles, hearing on the news, etc. about affects to wildlife, people making a living, our marshlands, erroding coast, etc. Whiel those are all important too, of course, you don't hear much of ANYTHING about affects to humans. That is what scares me. I do'nt consider myself a conspiracy theorist by any means.... but I'm worried.

I agree AintLifeGrand - I'd like to hear the "Story" too. I'm a big fan of multi-generational homes though I don't think my husband would agree unless no other option and I doubt many of my family would be up for it unless no other options. But I applaud you all for implmenting this NOW and doing so successfully. 

I always liked the idea of family members all combining their money to get a big piece of land. EAch have small, modest sized cabins or something on the land. Have a community barn where you share equipment and such. One large garden. Etc. My own little rural, homesteading utopia. Well, doubt that would work! LOL. But I can dream...

Great thread! I've enjoyed the ideas AND the descriptions of actual experiences. I think I like the idea of a very small "travel trailer"/camper. We don't have one but do lots of tent camping and now with small toddlers we've talked about eventually saving up for a used trailer. But that won't happen anytime soon. But I agree that having one, having it paid off and keeping it stocked and ready to go would be a great Prep whether for just hard times or bug out reasons. We saw a lot of that after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. My mom and step-dad's house was wiped out. They came to our neck of the woods and stayed in my aunt's (very luxurious and big LOL) camper trailer. It wasn't home but not a FEMA set up by any means. Many people that were dislocated were begging land owners in our area to let them put campers on people's land around here. Knowing many people displaced, if we were on our own land, we definitely would've offered a few spots.


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## Aintlifegrand (Jun 3, 2005)

Thanks for asking...

It has been a plan long in the making..In 2001, I became overly concerned about the country's economy... Although things were going great for us, I knew that this would not last and that soon the country would be in economic peril followed by civil unrest....so we began changing our life for those reasons. I felt compelled/driven to leave my life in the city which was heavily dependent on services... I still cannot believe I use to shop daily for our meals when now I have nearly 6 months stored......My Dh was not as enthuisiastic..but since has become quite the farmer.

After we bought our land and began building our home of 3000 sq ft with 5 bedrooms and three baths.. 2 family rooms...3 of our four children had all moved out and married during the course of the housebuilding.. the youngest stayed to learn homesteading as he will inherit the house and farm. We paid as we went and built the house from reading books and some help from my brother who had had some experience ( not much..none of us did..that is another story entirely).. we have lived rough.. without running water for several years.. without walls, heating or cooling...we hauled/heated and showered outdoors. You have not lived until you get a brain freeze on the outside of your head from washing it in 17 degrees...LOL.. we now have two gardens animals and are learning everything we can about self subsistence..we are seeking a very basic life...there will be 8 adults and four children when all move in by July 30th...it has taken a while to get everyone moved back here.. DD#1's hubby is AF and he finally got his request for a base of preference approved so they will move here in July...So all will live here except oldest, who did move back to the area, but his family has just bought their own house.

During our talking with the kids and their families we have decided that we will do much better if we pool all of our resources..both financial and human to accomplish this goal... all but one is or has moved in... My 72 yo mom is my next goal.. she is however somewhat resisitant...LOL.

So far things are great... we are all learning new things and working really hard...


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## stef (Sep 14, 2002)

Aintlifegrand said:


> Thanks for asking...
> 
> It has been a plan long in the making..In 2001, I became overly concerned about the country's economy... Although things were going great for us, I knew that this would not last and that soon the country would be in economic peril followed by civil unrest....so we began changing our life for those reasons. I felt compelled/driven to leave my life in the city which was heavily dependent on services... I still cannot believe I use to shop daily for our meals when now I have nearly 6 months stored......My Dh was not as enthuisiastic..but since has become quite the farmer.
> 
> ...


Very interesting and inspiring.

Do you think about, or foresee building additional living quarters eventually?
Children grow up and sometimes folks just need some "me" space.

Or, perhaps, you have enough open land to get away from each other now and then?

Anyway, thanks for sharing. 


stef


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## juju_mommy (May 6, 2010)

Yes, thank you so much for sharing! I would love to hear even more when you have time to post. I wish I could get my family on board like that... just having my husband on board (to that extent) would be a leap for me. LOL


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

On free meals - I had a client who worked at senior citizens meals to get a free meal. Also, volunteered at a hospital and got free meals. He was performing a needed service and getting fed which was his need. Salvation Army usually provides at least a meal each day plus has a food bank. In some communities, there are soup kitchens. Food banks are pretty well tapped out these days but its worth asking. 

Senior housing in our area is very nice and readily available. I certainly hope I never have to take advantage of it, but its nice knowing its there. Currently there are no waiting lists. 

I don't advocate trespassing, but I've read of people planting small gardens in various out of the way spots along trails or in parks. They work or harvest when no one is around.


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## Aintlifegrand (Jun 3, 2005)

Stef said:


> Very interesting and inspiring.
> 
> Do you think about, or foresee building additional living quarters eventually?
> Children grow up and sometimes folks just need some "me" space.
> ...


The design in the house allows for a lot of space and the flow is excellent...we do have outside spaces and the weather here is nice most of the year...There also is two family rooms.. one up for the kids as they grow up... and one down for the grown ups..bed rooms are larger than most you see on the market today.. the smallest bedroom is 12x14.. The large eat in kitchen is 20x24 with a huge laundry room and pantry and a large separate dining room....time will only tell if we have to add more room...if things get as rough as I anticipate over the next few years we will be glad for what we have... The house is super easy to add onto how it is designed if needed..


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## Aintlifegrand (Jun 3, 2005)

juju_mommy said:


> Yes, thank you so much for sharing! I would love to hear even more when you have time to post. I wish I could get my family on board like that... just having my husband on board (to that extent) would be a leap for me. LOL


DH was fine with it.. he is so close to our children and loves the grandchildren..and having the son in laws to help is good for him as he is not as young as he thinks..LOL..My kids are all close to each other so that helps.. we also are ones who speak our mind at the time.. so we don't tend to hold things in.. and then have a blow up...which is important.. also we all are good about staying out of each others personal business which is necessary...I never take sides...ever.


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

It is very saddening to hear all the issues faced with coastal living and storms. Where the island I live on is located is in Washington State inland waters from the coastline which creates a unique ability to avoid many issues faced with coastal living and the storm damage! WE live on the top of the island recessed and back from the edge, most of the folks there on this island build to close or on the beaches with sand...we live on solid ground but have sweeping beautiful views and are very blessed! Storms blow right over us and the houses that are taller make good wind breaks! In other parts of the country, the living near the coastal waters can be quite dangerous and it is heartbreaking to hear how many homes have been swept away and lost! I have traveled to Colorado to attend a wedding, driving through a town that was half swept away by a flood caused by overflowing river water..... The Gulf Coast residents and those inland feel the terrible affects of the oil spill.....job loss goes further than the coastline from this disaster.....


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## Gercarson (Nov 2, 2003)

Aintlifegrand said:


> DH was fine with it.. he is so close to our children and loves the grandchildren..and having the son in laws to help is good for him as he is not as young as he thinks..LOL..My kids are all close to each other so that helps.. we also are ones who speak our mind at the time.. so we don't tend to hold things in.. and then have a blow up...which is important.. also we all are good about staying out of each others personal business which is necessary...I never take sides...ever.


You are such a "wonderment" - AND pretty darn fantastic!!!


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## cast iron (Oct 4, 2004)

Aintlifegrand said:


> also we all are good about staying out of each others personal business which is necessary...I never take sides...ever.


Ahh, now this is making more sense. Staying out others personal business is absolutely critical when you have multi-generations living under the same roof. 

It is the last bastion of privacy and individuality for the participants. Being in a group is fine, and people are social creatures to a large extent, but humanoids are individuals at their core and this needs to be preserved, especially so in a group living environment.

Otherwise you get into the petty squabbles that lead to larger squabbles that lead to a complete breakdown of the group structure. Things like one member buys a newer car and some others in the group start questioning where he, 'got the money for that'. Pretty soon you have members talking behind each others back and gossiping about how so-and-so should not be spending Their money like this, or so-and-so should not be doing this or that activity. Once the group reaches this stage (and it will, without a privacy policy) then it's all but over save for the long descent to break-up of the group.

Private business, be it financial, hobbies, business ventures, work activities, faith, relationships, etc needs to remain the private business of each individual unless that particular individual chooses to share said information with members of the group.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Privacy is good! Soundproof bedrooms would be the way to go....I don't want to listen to crying babies all night, people arguing or making up and I wouldn't want to make others uncomfortable with my own noise....its rare to achieve any level of peace with teenagers around...."he ate the rest of the cake" "she drank all the kool-aid" " That's my shirt"

UGH! I love them all (but at a distance)...LOL


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## Aintlifegrand (Jun 3, 2005)

Gercarson said:


> You are such a "wonderment" - AND pretty darn fantastic!!!



Thank you.. we just have fun when we can and work when we should.. (my screen name says it all for me )


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## Aintlifegrand (Jun 3, 2005)

Wayne02 said:


> Ahh, now this is making more sense. Staying out others personal business is absolutely critical when you have multi-generations living under the same roof.
> 
> It is the last bastion of privacy and individuality for the participants. Being in a group is fine, and people are social creatures to a large extent, but humanoids are individuals at their core and this needs to be preserved, especially so in a group living environment.
> 
> ...





100% yes.


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## Aintlifegrand (Jun 3, 2005)

mpillow said:


> Privacy is good! Soundproof bedrooms would be the way to go....I don't want to listen to crying babies all night, people arguing or making up and I wouldn't want to make others uncomfortable with my own noise....its rare to achieve any level of peace with teenagers around...."he ate the rest of the cake" "she drank all the kool-aid" " That's my shirt"
> 
> UGH! I love them all (but at a distance)...LOL


LOl.. I am lucky... my bedroom/bath suite is actually a separate but attached wing of it's own...all the babies are upstairs in the main part of the house with their Mom's and Dads where they belong. I never hear anything.. and as for arguments.. the rule is they have to take place outside.. so as not to infect us all with the bad mood...


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## ChristyACB (Apr 10, 2008)

Aintlifegrand....

If you had the time and inclination, a whole thread with your journey would be such a lesson! Do you have a blog or something that goes through the entire process. I mean pictures and milestones and all of that.

So many of us are at (or have been) at that stage of knowing what needs to get done, but not gaining ground in getting the whole family to understand and get going.

Like you said, pooling the resources of a family makes for a more prosperous and healthy family..both in mind and body. So many things no longer have to be sought outside but can be found right there.

Super fab...tell us all, write a book!


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## Aintlifegrand (Jun 3, 2005)

ChristyACB said:


> Aintlifegrand....
> 
> If you had the time and inclination, a whole thread with your journey would be such a lesson! Do you have a blog or something that goes through the entire process. I mean pictures and milestones and all of that.
> 
> ...



I just might do that..I had not thought about it before and we have been so busy with the garden...but it might be fun... I have pics of the whole process from the beginning..thanks for the idea


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

I think it would be great to read about it all.


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## Aintlifegrand (Jun 3, 2005)

oz in SC V2.0 said:


> I think it would be great to read about it all.



Hey there my friend...good to see you here.


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

Aintlifegrand said:


> Hey there my friend...good to see you here.


Well I am glad to be here...:thumb:


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Aintlifegrand - I'd love to have you post this journey in this forum for us to admire and learn from. Especially any pointers that you learned along the way.

Also any photos or diagrams of the house lay out - especially since you all built it - I'd love to know about it all.

Angie


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## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

mpillow said:


> On the "depression" thread...I see that some folks are getting 500$ a month to live on...under those circumstances if one had a mortgage or rent to pay things would go to pot rather quickly..... so lets say its eviction day....but you've faced facts this past month and pared down to just what will fit in your vehicle...
> 
> Have you lined up a safe place to park/sleep?
> Do you have a place in mind to bathe?
> ...



.............Purchase a 24 to 30 foot , tongue pull travel trailer in good shape . Then find a good, used 3/4 ton , long wheel base van with low miles . Now , make a list of the essentials like kitchen utensils,etc . that are necessary for your daily routines for cooking and such . Old habits die hard so being able too make coffee and sit down for an hour or so each morning until your brain "UNfogs" will always make your life a little easier . , fordy


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

Good post Fordy,the van could be used for some storage too,remove some of the rear seats if you don't need them.

Right now campers are CHEAP,you can pick up something pretty new for less than $4000...if you go older they are even cheaper.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

My place is paid for so the only way I would lose it would be if property tax skyrocketed. Right now I have double exemption so property tax is zero, hope it stays that way. 

There's always the chance of fire, or invasion. In that case I'd load up as much as possible in the horse trailer and run. Hopefully to return when the fire was out. IF my home burnt, then I'd have the camping gear to camp out on the land while slowly trying to rebuild. 

I have acreage but don't have the ability to plant/grow a lot. I have a tractor that needs work to run, but no mower/baler to bale hay. I use the land mostly for grazing animals.

As for water, I have solar panels and a converter for the well, plus a hand pump. The camp shower could be used here or anywhere. I keep all the camping gear in the trunk of the car so with that and the stuff I'd toss in the trailer, I hope I'd be in good shape to stay just about anywhere.


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## Win07_351 (Dec 7, 2008)

Spinner said:


> Right now I have double exemption so property tax is zero, hope it stays that way.


Just curious what that means and how do you do it?


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

As time goes by and the economy sucks deeper, I think this thread needs some re-visiting.

It takes 6 months or more to have your mortgage foreclosed on....things can be purchased and put into someone else's name...


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

more houses go empty every day around us , on our corner 2 are unocupied 1 more on the next corner they gave thier cats the boot the day they moved out now they are roaming every were making a nucence , it's a shame they just gave them the boot and no one is feeding them , got one ,one to go.
Grandma took the kids trick or treating so i didn't see but one father was telling me it looks pretty sparce , we figured 1/2 the houses without lights or people also had no one living in them. you can get a 3 bed house with a 3 car garage that a few years ago would have gone for 120k for 79k now even have a 2 bed brick for 59 with a 1 car garage, houses everywere for sale our neighbors father is a relator in town our town is 3k and in the last 6 months 25 houses were sold ,he sold 12 all other realetors combined sold 13 that is 2 a month barly enough to keep the agency open , the biggest problem seems to be even if someone makes an offer very few can get the credit , the house across the street has an offer but they can't get finacing.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

Win07_351 said:


> Just curious what that means and how do you do it?


I'm glad this thread was bumped, I had missed this post.

In Oklahoma we get a homestead exemption if we live on the land. When you turn 65 you get an additional exemption. Each exemption lowers the property tax. It's easy to get, simply go to the court house and tell them you want the exemption. That's all there is to it.


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## Catshooter (May 11, 2009)

Win07_351,

In Florida if you live full time here you can file for "homesteading". That means the first $50,000 value of your home isn't taxed at all. For me, I live in an older mobile home on my own land that the county values at less than that for both the land and the home. So my property tax is $0. 

Very helpful on a fixed income.


Cat


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## denaliguide (Aug 30, 2008)

Lets see - them guys is gonna try to foreclose? First I go to legal aid and file against the lender, and the lender's servicing co. You asked me how far I am gonna take it? First stop is the legal aid. 2nd stop is find who has a class action suit against the mortgage "slice & dice" game, so you dont know who holds your mortgage. Read "LIAR'S POKER" to understand this situation. Join the Class Action suit. 3rd Stop? State Attorney General, make sure your recorded as being foreclosed and ask for relief. 4th, Local Congressional District Office, raise simple hell about what Wall Street has done to Main Street and make sure they know your being foreclosed an REQUEST RELIEF !
5th move - call mortgage service company and tell them you are in that home until further notice or they bring a bulldozer. Next, demand proof of their holding the mortgage, in other words you want a valid paper trail, to prove their position, and demand an adjustment or forebearance in your mortgage payments.

Now you got some breathing room to get your camping stuff together, IN CASE YOU HAVE TO MOVE. Pretend your moving, and put anything you want from any given room in your house, into 1 cardboard box per room. Maybe find yourself some ground that can be leased and put a Connex on it an build inside that. An old school bus is a good start and solid housing that can be moved, defended and locked. Now that you got a few days, weeks months or years, you can take the time to outfit it right. 
I lived by choice in a tipi while holding a job, with kids, for 3 yrs. Educational, instructive and sometimes fun, but always an adventure and we went thru cold weather as well, down to weeks when it averaged -20F for one or two weeks. 
Doing this can be rude, wrenching and heartbreaking, or if you got time to prepare, it might be ok. It aint fun to start out, but you could do it if you prepared.

DG


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

Back to the OP, I had an encouraging discussion with my neighbor today. They are an elderly couple and the husband was in a plane wreck about 4 yrs ago and has never fully recovered. That puts the burden on the wife. I've been cooking extra food and taking meals over to them a few times a week. Today, she asked how my doctor's appointment went yesterday and I told her not too good. She then told me if there was anything she could do to help me out around our place, to let her know. I jokingly told her that I'll remember than when it's time to work the garden next year and to milk the goats. She literally lit up. She loves working in gardens and working with animals. So, we struck a deal. DH will prepare the soil and her and I will work the garden together and share the proceeds. She's also going to help me milk goats. 

With them being on SSI, things are getting harder and harder for them. This way we can help one another out and all of us will benefit.

Now I'm working on my neighbor on the other side of me.


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## Common Tator (Feb 19, 2008)

I know many folks here will find this distasteful, but I would rent out spare bedrooms (at our house in the burbs) before letting it be foreclosed, in fact, I could rent out the whole house for at least twice what our mortgage is. I couldn't see myself getting into the (day before foreclosure) scenario.

And as for our ranch, it is owned free and clear. We intend to keep it that way.


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