Practical tactics

"wood stove. And I know before you all get excited, a wood stove in a camper. I know. I hear you. But if it's done safely, well, it can be a lifesaver. And in the middle of this winter when it got b…"

"I got it sitting on patio stone and then I put cement board behind everything as a heat shield and it's really worked out real well. And uh I'm quite happy with it. And uh uh I'll tell you, it make…"

"need a good stove, a safe chimney, dry wood, tools, and yes, time, a safe install, a way to move wood inside the house, and somewhere to keep it and store it. People romanticize wood heat until the…"

"on up and through. Get the double-walled pipe to go through the roof, rain cap and all that. And uh make sure I got heat shielding up there, heat shielding down by the where the stove is going to g…"

"camper as an additional heat source backup for when I'm here. And and uh because I I've always enjoyed a wood stove. I mean, I've enjoyed cooking on them. I enjoy I enjoy the type of heat that you …"

"The land I bought is zoned unrestricted. And that one detail changed everything because now I have flexibility. I can start with a camper. I can build later. I can take my time. I'm not forced into…"

"land, you think, well, I'm free. I can live how I want. Then reality shows up. There's septic requirements, building codes, inspections, utility rules, permits, fees, and you don't own freedom ther…"

"And if you do buy a piece of property, make sure you research it, and uh make sure that zoning is permitted, that you're buying unrestricted land. So that"

"You buy that land and then you find out you can't park a camper on it. You can't live in it full-time. You have to build a house immediately. And it has to be a certain size."

"keeping my costs as low as possible. Some people say, "Well, why don't you use the propane furnace?" Well, propane cost me more than I can afford. So, I got a diesel heater. It's cheaper to run the…"

"Well, my diesel heater only uses a gallon of fuel every 24 hours at best. And uh as long as I ain't running it on high, but you don't need to in such a tiny space like the that I live in. So I can …"

"backup heaters run. a diesel heater on a small battery bank. That's a weekend of steady heat without touching the grid, just like I explained earlier. And that's how you use solar as the power"

"energy. But what solar and battery systems are good at is making your backup heaters run. a diesel heater on a small battery bank. That's a weekend of steady heat without touching the grid, just li…"

"or less. So, cycling it between the diesel heater and running a small little 1500 watt little electric heater. Between the two, I do pretty good. Uh, and it does work. Like I said, the hardest prob…"

"Consider co-living arrangements with trusted family or friends, written agreements, clear boundaries, and mutual respect."

"also consider shared housing with roommates, co-housing, trusted friends"

"here. Individual housing keeps you paying. Shared housing reduces the load and keeps you alive. The elderly only needed guardianship because the culture destroyed multi-generational living in this …"

"here anyways. Group living with trusted seniors or friends. Two seniors sharing a two-bedroom home can survive on incomes that would fail separately."

"Explore senior co-housing. House sharing manufactured housing communities with protections."

"like I did. Explore legal RV living or tiny home living zones in your state. Sometimes freedom means downsizing at your terms."

"means learning to live in smaller homes if you can even afford one campers tiny houses shed conversions and too many of us are also living in older paid off vehicles and living smaller does reduce …"

"Tiny living. Shared housing. Moving closer to family. Moving to a lower cost area. You see, there's no single answer here. The goal isn't to fit into a category, either. The goal is to build a life…"

"Cook some more at home. Fix something instead of replacing it. Cancel"

"If something doesn't matter, well, it goes and life starts to feel a little bit lighter because it's less to clean, less to fix, less to inventory, and a lot less to worry about. And it's more time…"

"matters versus what doesn't. Um, again, for me, uh, less is more. Uh, coming down to to the fact that I didn't need all of that. I didn't need to be organizing it, cleaning it, inventorying it. Uh,…"

"did, fewer possessions of course, simpler routines and lower expenses."

"put in some kick plates so the dog I see so the dogs can't push out from underneath. So, we went and got some tent stakes, put a piece of wood there. That just prevents them from dish digging under…"

"a pulling point. So you want to go a little past the post so that way you're pulling on this draws put a little tension on the fence. Then you snake it"

"backup. There's no one here rushing to the bell. I mean, if I was to slip and fall right now, at least I have my phone. I can call somebody and someone"

"Have an emergency plan. Always know where the nearest shelter, church, or resource center is in your area. Keep essential phone numbers written down and don't rely solely on your memory."

"your wallet. And be sure to carry a backup card securely elsewhere. I also recommend keeping a card with emergency contact numbers separate as well, just in case you do lose your wallet and you don…"

"Lastly, keep a small emergency contact card, family, and bank phone number in your wallet and on your fridge."

"putting in one of them tiny grizzly wood stoves. So, just as an additional, you know, you know, I'm a firm believer in backup. I do have a gas furnace. Yes. And yes, it does work, but I prefer not …"

"of paying close to $200 a month in the winter to run electric heater. I think it's insane. And uh so, between my diesel heater and a wood stove, I think I can eliminate the electrical part of it al…"

"miscellaneous stuff like, you know, silverware and fans and things like that, you know. Eventually, you just run out of the market to be able to get rid of it. So, in that case, donate it."

"it. I don't need to sell it. I'd rather help somebody else with it. Some of it is good stuff. And my goal is to uplift somebody if I can. So, that's"

"rather try to help somebody else. Maybe they can use it and donate it to thrift stores, whatever. And uh, of course, the"

"because you can cycle it uh cycle your refrigerator. A refrigerator does not run constantly. It cycles on about four times in an hour. So that way you'd be"

"Right there has battery level indicator. It also has three modes of battery protection. So that way if you got this connected to your car, you can go ahead and select uh medium, high, or low as far…"

"can set it to to where it only pulls so much of the car battery. Uh so that way you protect make sure you can start your car at the end of the day. Uh, so it will shut itself off once you set that …"

"portable power station, uh, which which is kind of what I do when I go down the road. If I'm taking it somewhere, I just throw my little, uh, power unit in there. Then I don't have to worry about t…"

"Power alternatives. Invest in small-scale solar panels or battery banks. Even a $100 unit can charge your phone, flashlight, and small devices."

"you know, a more long-term solution. So, that's what I'm working on now. Checking different things out. I hope to find something that really works, right? Uh going to build a little uh solar farm a…"

"road. power, water, and heat. The off-grid trifecta. People think solar is a magic solution. It's not. It's a system you have to understand and maintain. Start with a small setup, maybe one or two …"

"dump mountains of food. Fresh bread, sealed yogurt cups, lettuce greener than the grass outside the fence, perfectly edible food. We throw away over 31%"

"Cooperative purchasing. Simple preservation techniques like canning and freeze drying."

"spoils. Freeze leftovers in mealsized portions. Make soup from vegetable odds and ends. Dehydrate fruit or use your oven on low heat to preserve food for"

"keep it. Canning, dehydrating, freezing, and vacuum sealing. Those are the big four. Canning scares people because they"

"$200 a month or whatever for a storage unit, I decided the box truck was a good way to keep what I still had left over instead of paying a monthly fee."

"it. Then, I want to take the truck and convert it into something I can use, like maybe a tiny home on wheels. So that way I can do a little traveling and go out and go to the local parks and you kn…"

"there. You can live there for rent free and just take care of the property and keep an eye on it." Now, to me, that was heavenscent. It solved my immediate problem. Where am"

"that backup power. Have a backup"

"is to build resilience and build community. Have that backup power supply."

"have backup systems, so it wasn't that big of a difficulty. I was able to have my coffee and get my breakfast going and get things like that, you know. And about time I was heading off to go do my"

"free senior transport services often offered locally,"

"Uh some of us, you know, carpool with your neighbors uh or your friends uh when heading to town. It saves gas and uh gives you uh gives us company when we go. Uh that's a good way to, you know, mak…"

"Carpool. I know not all of us are into that, but it does help. Senior ride programs, discounted bus passes. Don't let Uber drain you."

"bartering or trading services, when money just isn't there. It's not"

"Well, because instead of having to pull cash out of my pocket, maybe I could trade some repairs. Maybe I could offer some food prep. Or do a little maintenance for you."

"your own food for free. Don't know how to garden? Someone there does and most will teach you just for showing up and helping water. Barter and trade. Got time? Trade it. Offer to mow, repair, or ba…"

"figure out the septic or rent a porta potty like I do to get you started."

"So I use a portable rental john as you seen in the shop before. And uh that takes care of that need. So I don't have to worry about heating anything uh underneath the camper as far as water lines o…"

"Preferably before you list your home. Start the downsizing process. Because we all have accumulated so much stuff over the"