Jim said:
Ok just remember is will be a continental climate here
tho
Hot summers and cold ass winters! Ha!
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Ok just remember is will be a continental climate here
tho
Hot summers and cold ass winters! Ha!
It depends. In my area, the absolute cheapest somebody can own their
own place is off-grid. That doesn't mean that just anybody can do it.
For example, off-grid usually means farther from town. If one's plan
includes a lot of commuting, but paying for fuel and maintenance on an
old vehicle, then some or all of the off-grid savings will be lost.
We have a lot of retirees here - they cash out in CA, save more on
off-grid land than the power setup costs, and continue saving with an
overall lower cost of living. For example, we're paying ~$4k less per
year on property taxes. That's over 50 grand saved in 13 years, versus
about 25 spent on the power setup. Similarly, we're not paying for
electric, water, or homeowner's association fees, and pay less for
vehicle and home insurance. Other costs are higher, sometimes because
there's less competition in small towns. Moral of the story - you need
to look at the big picture.
In very broad terms, the problem with that is that on-grid homes have
the cost of providing the grid built in. Ideally you want to pay for
the grid or your own power supply, but not both.
If you can work at home or part-time, then that's an advantage on-grid
or off. Less time wasted sitting in traffic, and less wasted on
vehicle expense. Considering rising fuel prices and the fact that most
people aren't even capable of changing their own oil much less
replacing a starter etc., cutting down mileage is one of the best
things anyone can do. I've seen more than a few off-gridders whose
cost of living is really low *except* for their vehicles. It's easy to
hit a used car lot and get sucked into an over-priced bling-mobile
that gets 12 miles to the gallon and needs constant donations to the
bank,insurance company, and garage. It can really get out of hand with
multiple vehicles.
Wayne
OK
I agree you are correct abt car costs if one must drive
a long ways for everything.
Question tho.... when living out in the boonies what
does everyone do abt emergency medical care? Such as
heart attack, or falling down and cutting oneself?
Does everyone belong to some kind of emergency medical
evacuation group whereby for a yearly fee they will fly
a helicopter out to you and land right in the yard?
So how DO you get your water in the home? Well? Haul
it in?
I was thinking more in terms of buying a small lot in a
small dead town but where there WAS running piped water
and electric poles up and down the block.
Then couldn't a person still live semi off grid in the
town but always have the "grid" to fall back on?
Thereby reaping the advantages of bit worlds.... cheap
land and taxes, freedom to build what you want home
wise, etc?
Neon John said:
John.... do you feel that your cabin is built
efficiently? Insulation, design, orientation?
Neon John said:
Wow.... I never looked at it that way!! But you are
correct!!
Same situation for the local natural gas supplier here
in town as well.... i.e. a flat fee just to have the
pipe run to your house.
Neon John said:
wow!
great info John!
Thanks so much for taking the time to type it all up!!
Neon John said:
OK
Curious.... my biggest problem... that I can see
anyway.... to semi retirement at some point .... is not
food, power, etc... but instead is healthcare.
How do you personally provide for any health insurance
payment, maintenance drug costs, etc?
Some background.... I'm 49 and was "downsized" last Dec
with a small severance package for 6 months that
included some pay and group health coverage
I decide to go back to college and get a degree (doing
that now). BUT... the insurance coverage ran out along
with drug coverage.
I take a cholesterol pill and BP pill. I've found ways
to keep the drug cost down by using Costco pharmacy
(highly recommended). BUT..... I was turned down for
perm personal health insurance due to conditions I had
15 years ago!! Bottom line.... these health insurance
companies "cherry pick" their customers only taking the
least risky.
Having said all that..... I now am doing with temp
health insurance (high deductible) but temp insurance
does they will always keep you. If you get sick under
temp coverage they will NOT take you back once your
"block" of insurance is over with.
So bottom line.... how does one "droop out" and still
have some kind of efficient health care coverage?
Just so you will know..... I'm VERY good at exercising,
eating, doing everything preventive I can to STAY
healthy...but as we all know shit does happen (car
wreck, fall, etc). So how to prepare for that?
Neon John said:
Agree actually
Especially if you use software that is optimized for
"hit and run" approach of dial up
I use Agent news reader and that's what its good at.
Lets you compose and reply offline.... then dial up and
"work"..... hang up and repeat the process
I think you use Agent as well yes?
Neon John said:
what size and brand laptop you have?
14"
12"
bigger?
Excelon/PECO in Phila has a metering charge of $5.10 per month,
plus about 15 cents/kWh, starting from the very first kWh.
Just after I suggested gas submetering for a 25 unit Brooklyn co-op with
everyone paying a $15/mo min, which included more gas than anyone used,
(and which seemed easy, since they had 25 gas meters right next to each
other on one basement wall) NY state passed a new law outlawing that
I'm sure I wasn't the only one thinking that way.
Nick
T
Trygve Lillefosse
Comfortably on-grid, retired ("fifty-something"), have traveled a lot, could turn
into a hillbilly hermit now
Sounds like a nice life.
In about 5 years, I should have enough money to make my own jurney
down a similar path.
T
Trygve Lillefosse
Just after I suggested gas submetering for a 25 unit Brooklyn co-op with
everyone paying a $15/mo min, which included more gas than anyone used,
(and which seemed easy, since they had 25 gas meters right next to each
other on one basement wall) NY state passed a new law outlawing that
I'm sure I wasn't the only one thinking that way.
Not sure here, but maybee it's possible for you to register as a
utility, that will serve your co-op.
If that is possible, the gas would probarbly be even cheaper, but you
would have some maintinance costs etc.
T
Trygve Lillefosse
If you got yourself an external disc, you may connect it to your
friends machine to do downloads. Possibly even managing it from your
home. Then it would be ready even before you arrive. That way, you
could focus on the BBQ and chit-chat.
T
Trygve Lillefosse
He even uses a newer vertion than you.
"<ctrl> H" is the trick.Trygve Lillefosse said:
that rocks!!
hope it works out for you!
Trygve Lillefosse said:He even uses a newer vertion than you.
Yeah....I've resisted using the latest version on
purpose actually
Just no time to learn it
Plus I've been "thinking" abt starting to use Emacs and
Gnus instead.... no time for that either tho. <G>
Trygve Lillefosse said:
I do something like this with Agent on a thumbdrive
right now
Also have portable apps on thumb drive too
see link
http://portableapps.com/
V
Vaughn Simon
You already have a pretty good answer ... high deductible health insurance.
One important concept is to have SOME sort of coverage, preferably with an
established provider that has lots of provider contracts in your area. Those
provider contracts are pure gold. The idea is to avoid paying the "street
price" for anything. For example: When I get a blood test, the lab bills about
$500.00 for an ordinary blood test. My insurance company pays about $25.00 for
that same test. So even if I have not met my deductible, I pay $25.00, not
$500.00!
The system sucks, but it IS the system. Work with it.
Vaughn
