Posted on 11/10/2008 9:52:05 PM PST by TenthAmendmentChampion
Absolutely!! We bought our previous house, and two pieces of rural land which we now own, exactly this way.
bump.
“Where do they use the bathroom? And just try that with nine kids - you’d need to rent a tractor-trailer”
amen sister.
I too bought a ‘fixer-upper’ (from HUD) that was off of the market for many years due to mold. Contrary to all of the repair estimates, I was able to DIY remedy and move in after only three weeks and an expenditure of less than $600 (versus $8700 ~ $20,000+).
You are correct that mold will rapidly grow on sheet rock paper. There is mold resistant papered sheet rock available though.
However, mold will also attach and grow to concrete, plaster and especially the wood studding. Wood is also the most difficult base to remove it from, often requiring ‘ice blasting’ for removal.
I had all three conditions and upon ‘gutting’ the cellar wall finish covering, I found the growth on the cement reminiscent of something out a 50’s drive in movie double feature. (I have pictures, but as a ‘newbie’ and considerate of bandwidth, won’t post)
The spores go everywhere so correcting the moisture problem is the primary goal. I will be removing approximately 30” of attic insulation due to mold spores. But, at least they are now dormant.
The money saved by paying cash was a factor, the personal satisfaction of DIY was a bonus. This for a house that everyone deemed in need of complete destruction/removal.
I wonder if there will be imputed and/or retroactive “fees” come 2009.
As to the other suggestions, I too have simplified my life style. Have more money, need less and don’t have a lot of stuff to dust.
Most importantly, I have time to learn what is behind the “headlines”.
‘Living the dream’ ping.
Here’s another way to live off the grid, at least as far as electricity is concerned: live in an RV fully outfitted with solar panels. The benefits to a house on wheels is that you can move it to the right climate as needed. Of course this likely precludes raising your own food, unless you have a plot of land to park your RV on during the growing season.
This guy has some interesting things to say about the RV lifestyle:
http://www.andybaird.com/travels/saving-the-earth.htm
And here’s another gentleman who lives in his RV with plenty of on board solar and battery power:
http://vagabonders-supreme.net/
He pretty well lives on his SS check, which is just over $1k a month, and income from the Google ads on his blog. He has quite a following, which helps, but his lifestyle is certainly inspiring. I suppose that’s partly why so many people enjoy reading his blog.
No, it's a basically self-indulgent point of view.
46. Campaign for a national health care system!
And also the note about swallowing your pride and asking for family help.
Based on those two ideas, this is an non-sufficient life style. The person has chosen not to be able to afford medical care, and expects others to pay it for them.
You usually don't have to swallow your pride when asking for help from family, unless you are asking for help with something you should have but did not plan to pay for yourself.
Some of the things are reasonable, but the basic reason they are stating for this list is that they didn't want to work hard enough to not need these tricks. As if I really want someone doing aid for the elderly because they think it will leave them a lot of free time.
There are other sites out there that will give "live cheap" advice without the socialist poison pills.
That is pretty funny! Suddenly we might all turn into the smelly hippies we've been mocking all these years - except with better music and good literature.
“Choose a vehicle with fold-down seats if you’re renting a car or truck. Find a safe place to sleep for the night, and you have instant, snug lodging.”
Need we say more?
_______________________
Also...just after checkout time, go to a local hotel/motel and tip the maid $10 to let you use a shower and towels in one of the rooms.
I largely agree with you. I do believe we could all probably be more frugal with our money. My husband and I have avoided all debt except for our home. We forego credit cards completely but use debit cards. What bothers me, too, is the reliance on others to sustain a self-indulgent lifestyle. It reminds me of two things: first, all the Moonies that used to populate the airports begging for money. I decided I didn’t have much respect for people whose “virtuous” lifestyle depended on others not living that lifestyle to support them. Second, it reminded me of that “poster family” the Dems used to justify expanded SCHIP, that Yuppie trust fund couple who worked part-time and begged for free health care for their kids.
As a side note, there was a recent Readers’ Digest article about a family living cost-free for a month as an experiment. While they learned something about materialism, I noticed among their tactics was mooching food at CostCo’s tasting tables with no intention of buying anything at the store and eating at least once at a food kitchen. Again, don’t rely on others not as virtuous as yourself to sustain you.
But, on the other hand, I am going to start being more conscious of my expenses and cutting back. I think whatever financial problems the nation has right now will deepen before it gets better.
It was interesting to read the comments on TMEN to the author’s ideas. Most of them opposed #46! Maybe there’s hope...
I’d welcome links to those sites on this thread. Thanks!
It was impressive reading about the gentleman who is a cancer survivor. His life is about as close to being free as one can get. Plus it's a lot easier for a guy to be footloose in a RV than a woman, considering the times we live in.
I have the feeling people with a few young children aren't going to be house sitting any time soon...
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