My most "MASSIVE" prepping mistake......."EVER". Way-Way-Way out in front of my other prepping screw-ups.

[Sourdough]

You know what I just personally can't understand? Why people want to live THAT long in the first place. If you can't do anything anymore, and can't live where you want to live, wouldn't it be better to just die? That's my thinking. Life isn't that great that I need to hang on to it at all cost. I have no intention ever to go to a nursing home or make weekly trips to the hospital and doctor and have a suitcase full of medications

I'll tell you straight, at this point the only strong (staying alive) interest that I have is maybe, getting to see the next huge catastrophic event.

 

[Mountain trapper]

You know what I just personally can't understand? Why people want to live THAT long in the first place. If you can't do anything anymore, and can't live where you want to live, wouldn't it be better to just die? That's my thinking. Life isn't that great that I need to hang on to it at all cost. I have no intention ever to go to a nursing home or make weekly trips to the hospital and doctor and have a suitcase full of medications

I agree with what you're saying. Quality of life is more important that just adding up the years. My parents lived in to their mid 90's. Mom was getting around pretty good until she died. Dad had to go in to a nursing home, then he died 2 months later.
Our situation is a little different than most. If all we had was a farm I could see staying and working it until I died. Our winters can be pretty harsh here. Plowing and clearing 3 miles of road, maintaining several miles of fence is quite a challenge in the best of times. I know the day is coming when I won't be able to carry fence posts, rolls of barb wire and all the tools needed up and down steep brushy draws. Or setting fence posts in solid rock.
We aren't the type to go to doctors or load up on pills, unless something breaks. Two years ago the wife broke her leg, foot and ankle. She was in extreme pain and the hospital was several hours away over rough roads.
If, or when we move from this place, we'll live the same lifestyle that we live now. Only it will be much easier with a mildier climate, less steep and on a much smaller property.

 

[SoJer]

For people who want to keep living in remote locations, there are some great new technologies to call for help (if you chainsaw your leg or something).
Garmin make a series of products called InReach.....that use the Iridium satellite network to communicate distress (and your exact location).....

Aye.. Fwiw, we went with the 'Zoleo's (https://www.zoleo.com/) for Us / my Sons.. Which are Fine for the 'eComms' purpose we got them for, but... Have been recently considering Starlink's 'Roaming' Options for more 'thourough eComms / Internet-access purposes'... (and they're 'On Sale' rn, also.. ) The 'Mini Roam' Plan seems Super ideal.. $50. / mo. for 50 GB, and 'suspendible' (to save $$, for those tight in the wallet..

..Of course, that's only viable providing that the "Internet" still Exists / access by non .gov entities is still Allowed, and/or isn't totally run by 'SkyNet' by then..

jd

 

[EastenerWesterner]

We made the decision a year and half ago to look for an easier place for one or the other of us to be able to handle. Her for the physical work, me for without her income. Closer to town, less chance of wildfire, water in abundance, climate, politics, terrain, all were considerations.
Bought the smaller place, rented it back to the former owner for a year (included in our price offer). Made to deals for equipment for some additional months. Been going up every other weekend putting in some needed infrastructure. When tenant is out, I will start working on the house.
With my outside infrastructure, I am making it easy for my wife or me. Pull the hay trailer into shelter and park to feed for example
We should be able to pay off new place when we sell this one. Should be all in place when my wife can go on Medicare

 

[Hooch]

You should have been here last night: the 33 deleted post were great too. Lol

I guess the cleanup on isle 3 was successful. Thanks, Swing.

I'm sorry I missed out..

 

[Swing]

I need you to think on something about a situation.
My Dad died in 2019 and I said I'd take care of Mom, so he could release. I lived with her for about 14 months, and all she would do is sit and watch tv, and make it hard for me to get her to required doc visits. (She had Parkinson).
Her sitting there like a bump on a log, not wanting to do anything looked as if she was sitting there just waiting to die. It made me really angry. My Dad fought up to the end to keep his life and mind (dementia got him) and Mom had life and was just sitting there being a bump.
It almost drove me to a mental break trying to take care of her as needed. (Blessed are the forums as they kept me involved with alive people). Anyway, We decided to sell the home with the 3.5 acres that was going to be mine when she passed. Took that and her SS and she went to an assisted living home.
That tore me up to do that. BUT, she got more life there. People, friends, music on Sundays and I know it was the right thing as her sisters and brother told me she looked better and happier than they'd seen her since she was a girl before being married. (Dad was very hard to life with).
So selling the stuff, and getting her taken care of gave her the best quality of life that she could have.
Yesteday was the 2nd anniversary of her turning off. (She had been in hospital for shortness of breath and was in a nursing home for breathing rehab for a few days. That morning the assisted living came to assess her coming back, it would be in a week , just to get stronger.
That evening I had to call and tell them she had passed.

So, object of the above, don't think the it will be horrible if you go to assisted living (if you can afford it), it could give you very good years of living.

 

[Hooch]

Getting older is a real drag..

A few years ago I had to have my gallbladder removed..the consequence of that was the bile that the gallbladder produces activates( T4 to T3 or vise versa, can't recall) the stuff from my thyroid to give me the daily go go juice ..so after over awhile I started having hypothyroidism issues because alot of it wasn't getting converted. Apparently some folks have issues with this after removal..lucky me.

This started happening at the sameish time I was fully entering into menopause fun..so ..the Dr. Kept saying..oh its just menopause. I kept insisting it was more..had to be ..I felt like a zombie, exhausted, I gained weight, could barely get through a shift, my energy level just crashed..I couldn't keep up at home..it sucked.

Finally I insisted blood work to check n yep..I got clued in on that issue after reading up and it took at least a year n half to bounce back ..but I'm still not 100% like I used to be.

I really questioned keeping this place, as it became too much to keep up alone, I still haven't build my place yet and since property values exploded here..I'd make a huge profit since I own it outright.

I almost put it up..but after talking to my brother..now he wants to move here n help out , finish what I started so he can get out of where he made the mistake to retire to, (ca) and we can help eachother out as we both age.

He has a few more years, untill I'm 55 to make it happen or I will probably sell this place, retire, buy a new truck n a little rv and go see America. Probably hang my hat somewhere cheap n easy n when I'm too worn out to continue..I'll check myself out.

I wish I had started this adventure well before 50 but..owell..if it all works out tho here,
I plan on keeping my set up as simple as possible. I think a big basement with even a nice little she shed topside will do it.
The basement will be living space to stay cool in summer n cozy in winter..topside she shed will be for all other times I want to be up n out.
Wood heat, solar n gennie n if it's too big for me n my brother to move..I don't need it.
I think a slide down to the basement too so when I'm 80 I just toss the groceries n firewood down the slide ..so all I have to do is not kill myself on steps..

 

[Swing]

@Hooch when you are ready to roam, you may want to read a bit on this site, as it is for nomads. Those that are van/car/etc living instead of apartments or houses. Either by choice or financial reasons. They really survive. https://vanlivingforum.com/

 

[d_marsh]

I need to remember to go back to the threads I have already commented on. I missed all the fun.

I recently posted a picture of a t-shirt I received as a gift that said "beware of an old man in a profession where most men die young". The guy who sent it was a teammate of mine on my July op and loved to comment on how much older I was than him, until I saved his ass. Then the joking stopped. Still that shirt made me start thinking about what I am doing and how long I intend to do it. I am far from the oldest security contractor out there, but I think we all planned on retiring in a way that was final and did not require a 401k. If you get my drift.

I can't remember where it came from, but a phrase just popped into mind that I think fits this thread well: "Get busy living, or get busy dying".

 

[Hooch]

@Hooch when you are ready to roam, you may want to read a bit on this site, as it is for nomads. Those that are van/car/etc living instead of apartments or houses. Either by choice or financial reasons. They really survive. https://vanlivingforum.com/

Ooh!! Thanks!!

 

[Tommyice]

I can't remember where it came from, but a phrase just popped into mind that I think fits this thread well: "Get busy living, or get busy dying".

Shawshank Redemption.

 

[12icemaker]

I need to remember to go back to the threads I have already commented on. I missed all the fun.

I recently posted a picture of a t-shirt I received as a gift that said "beware of an old man in a profession where most men die young". The guy who sent it was a teammate of mine on my July op and loved to comment on how much older I was than him, until I saved his ass. Then the joking stopped. Still that shirt made me start thinking about what I am doing and how long I intend to do it. I am far from the oldest security contractor out there, but I think we all planned on retiring in a way that was final and did not require a 401k. If you get my drift.

I can't remember where it came from, but a phrase just popped into mind that I think fits this thread well: "Get busy living, or get busy dying".

"Get busy living, or get busy dying".

Best of the day my friend!!!!!

You have the choice to fight for every breath and win or just go away.

I wont be raising a middle finger, I will be poking out an eye!!!!

 

[d_marsh]

Shawshank Redemption.

That's it!

 

[Tommyice]

That's it!

Lots to learn from that movie.

 

[Tirediron]

I figure I have at least into my mid 70 s to remain pretty functional, If the financial system still exists. well perhaps I did it wrong, but I really don't think so. we are well into a magnetic pole reversal , and now main stream "scientists"(peer review is NOT science) are admitting we are experiencing crustal shift, and by the angle measurements I took on summer solstice we are more than an hour off at noon, at 50 ish degrees north. when that really starts to let go things will change. And I will speed up my underground plan, like @ Hooch mentioned,

 

[Hooch]

I figure I have at least into my mid 70 s to remain pretty functional, If the financial system still exists. well perhaps I did it wrong, but I really don't think so. we are well into a magnetic pole reversal , and now main stream "scientists"(peer review is NOT science) are admitting we are experiencing crustal shift, and by the angle measurements I took on summer solstice we are more than an hour off at noon, at 50 ish degrees north. when that really starts to let go things will change. And I will speed up my underground plan, like @ Hooch mentioned,

World of signs , suspcious observers, and adapt 2030 do a great job documenting and talking about the changes already going on..
It's pretty interesting and exciting , kinda scarry exciting..I'm super curious how it will go down between Oct n April during the squaring of the gas giants all on one side with earth in between them and our Sun on the opposite side.. more volcanoes, earthquakes, more great floods, more wild weather to come..will it create a big gravity well drawing big floating rocks in space to wack earth ..that would be really wild too..
I guess we shall find out..

 

[mml373]

This could end up being a very useful thread for many members here.
Many here in their mid-sixties talk about running a chainsaw all day getting firewood, cutting and bailing hay, working their cattle, etc.
But when you prod them about how they will make it work in just ten years, they have NO PLAN, no kids to move there, and get offended.
They tell you that they will always be able to do that... FOREVER!!
@Peanut is the only one I know of that has been brave enough to document 'slowing down'.
Getting old happens, and it ain't nice.
Being hardheaded or stubborn will not stop it.
I have planned for it.
We will have 'helpers'.

Getting disabled happens too. Semi-elite competitive runner, successful in that sport. A flu shot reaction ended it all within 2 weeks of the vaccination, and I can barely walk now. Military service required an annual flu shot; that one did not work out for me. Happened in my mid-40s; 7 years later I still cannot run. It was my joy. You just never know what's going to happen in life...so plan and prep best as possible.

 

[OldSchool]

@Hooch when you are ready to roam, you may want to read a bit on this site, as it is for nomads. Those that are van/car/etc living instead of apartments or houses. Either by choice or financial reasons. They really survive. https://vanlivingforum.com/

The nomad lifestyle is a good one, in my opinion.

My mom and her husband (after my dad died) did that with 250k motorhome towing a truck with a Can Am Spider in the bed of truck, after upgrading from Honda Goldwing.

They aren’t preppers, but I saw great potential for that as an option for preppers. The motorhome was completely self contained. They could have lived anywhere they wanted to, and off grid, the addition of solar power would have made that easier.

It was like a really nice home on wheels, but they did run into maintenance expenses.

It’s not for everyone, but I saw the possibilities there.

 

[SoulSeeker]

For me it's building and making things. If I get started I might end up with something like the Winchester Mystery House. I could make a swing like this and a tub too if I have a place and the funds to do it!

 

[Caribou]

I'm not an anti prepper. I actually think that being prepared for whatever is the smart thing to do. But as I read these prepping posts I find it odd that more people don't discuss money issues. After all prepping is basically "what if". To me it's odd that nobody says "What if nothing happens" & I live to be 95 years old, will I be able to live. I say that because I have the family medical history from hell. My grandfather had his first heart attack in his 20's. His grandsons had their first at 28 (dropped dead in the er but revived) & 32 (medically retired). I more or less assumed that I would have a H/A early & maybe die early. (My first was 58, the oldest male in my family to have their FIRST H/A). While that's what I thought, I still prepared for "just in case" & started investing for my old age. And I've lived much longer than I thought I would (72 year old, only 1 male relative has outlived me). And to me there are 2 main ways to make a good income. Invest a lot of money & get interest on it or invest a little money over a long term & watch it grown. Rarely does anyone here tie prepping together with investing & they are both "being prepared for what could come". I don't understand that.

I too prep for everything going right into my old age. Having food, clothing, cash, no debt, and all the other preps are just as valuable if the economy keeps perking along as they are if the economy crashes, we have another 9.2, a major volcanic eruption, WWIII, et al. Prepping for one event is very similar to any other event. If nothing happens I still need to eat, I still have a use for TP, and all the other preps that I have accumulated. The only difference between a disaster and a continued “normal” life is that we still have time to enlarge our preps. We have lost many friends over the years. For them no SHTF scenario befell them, except for their own demise of course.

 

[Caribou]

I had vision issues just a few years ago. Depressing actually, I developed cataracts in both eyes. Had 2 surgeries separated by a year, dreaded all of it. Woe is me, I’m old. Turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I’ll never have them again and beyond 3ft my vision is perfect, I can identify weeds at 200yrds. Less than 3ft my vision is poor, need reading glasses. But I can’t see gun sights on a pistol and the target at the same time, one or the other but not both. Same for the rear sight on a long gun. I found a compromise this week when ordering a pocket gun. I got the model that came with a laser. Been shopping for laser sights for my other handguns since. Adapt, overcome! Looks like I’ll have to rely on shotguns for a long gun, or 30round magazines. Guess I’ll settle for being great at laying down suppressing fire.

Expect to have laser surgery on each eye in ten years or so. The plastic they inserted into your eye will build a plaque slowly over time and your vision will cloud over. The surgery is an outpatient surgery and it takes five minutes or so. You will spend more time driving to the appointment and more time for them to check you out than the surgery itself. It is real easy and immediately cleared my vision. I didn’t find out about the second surgery till years after the first.

 

[Supervisor42]

Expect to have laser surgery on each eye in ten years or so. The plastic they inserted into your eye will build a plaque slowly over time and your vision will cloud over. The surgery is an outpatient surgery and it takes five minutes or so. You will spend more time driving to the appointment and more time for them to check you out than the surgery itself. It is real easy and immediately cleared my vision. I didn’t find out about the second surgery till years after the first.

The gift of sight is priceless!
When they wanted to replace my cataract-clouded lenses with new cyborg lenses, I said: "Hell Yeah!!!".
They told me about the 'upgraded' lenses available, I didn't even blink an eye (pun) when I plunked down the $4K for the 'really-good' ones.
Yes, they are FANTASTIC!!!
I will have no problem passing the vision test to renew my drivers license with my 20/20 vision.

 

[Amish Heart]

For me it's building and making things. If I get started I might end up with something like the Winchester Mystery House. I could make a swing like this and a tub too if I have a place and the funds to do it!View attachment 160572View attachment 160573

Winchester Mystery House...ha ha. I grew up around there and went thru that house a bunch of times