I am so excited to be featuring a guest poster NRP. He is going to be doing several articles, he always has such good advice and information on things. He has been a reader for several years and has always contributed thoughts on all the deep pantry and preparedness posts. So hope you all enjoy and be sure to leave him a comment welcoming him.
Living the/a “lifestyle”
Guest Article by NRP & Blue, February 16, 2021.
Before I begin the Article a few things about Myself and Ole Blue.
I am NOT a Survivalist, a Prepper, OR a Hoarder. Ole Blue is my 120 pound Black Lab, best friend in the world, picky eater and mean as a Junk Yard Dog (Yeah Right hahaha) I’m just some old fat dude that enjoys the “Lifestyle” I have chosen and agreed with Connie to share a few ideas and other thoughts with Frugal Living on the Ranch BLOG. I have no affiliation with Frugal or any of the affiliates or sponsors on the BLOG.
I’m going to try to get an Article out each week, probably on Mondays, they will be a mix of various subjects dealing with just about everything from Living A Lifestyle, to living with “Lights Out” (no electricity), to how to store just about everything under the sun (food/water/Dog-Food) you name it. If you, the readers, have a Subject you would like to discuss, please let me know. I will NOT do Political, Religious, or Firearm discussions, and a few other subjects, but ask away.
Ok, with that out of the way (and no I’ll not put this in each Article)..… How about some thoughts on “Living the/a Lifestyle.
I believe Confucius hit it right on the head with that Quote.
Ok, how you live your Lifestyle is totally up to you;
You have the choice of maybe living at 9000 MPH with your hair on fire, Sitting in a Jail Cell because you decided to be a Criminal, Doing Drugs and Alcohol rotting your brain.
You also may choose to live an extreme Lifestyle of a “Health Nut”, going to the gym 18 hours a day and eating Granola and Spinach 3 times a day.
How about a Work-Alcoholic that spends 80+ hours a week at an office and never seeing your family.
You may also have Health Issues that confine your abilities, you may be 95 years old and are limited in things you can do.
It is not for me to judge your Lifestyle.
Here’s where I’m at:
I left California 40 years ago and headed to the Four Corners. Late Wife and I had 6 figure jobs even back in the ’80s, we were spending 20% more than what we were making every month. AND not saving a single dime.
Something had to change….
On a 1 week vacation, we drove through this area and said to ourselves “What the heck are we doing”? Sold everything we had, paid off all debt, and moved to a 7-acre hunk of bare ground 1 year later.
NEVER looked back. It literally saved our lives, Hard work, you bet, it was NOT easy.
Ok, on to “the “Lifestyle”
You ask what is this old fool getting at … Simple…… ever hear the expression K.I.S.S. ???
“Keep It Simple Stupid”. Easy as that.
Do you really need that 2021 Chevy Duramax that cost $110,000.oo?
Or that 8000 SqFt house for 4 people?
How about those $15,000 vacations to the beach each year to the same place over and over again?
How about this:
Have you try to make sure you and your family would be safe if it Snowed 3 feet, the temps dropped to -20 AND the Power went out? Going on right now back east.
What are you going to do if the JIT (Just In Time) inventory (Food Supply) stopped for a week?
Do you have the knowledge to build a Fire in a Rain Storm?
How about, can you last a night out on a Highway stuck in your car when you hit a Deer and went off the road with nobody around?
Can you find Drinkable water in the middle of the Desert? Remember it took FEMA 5 days to get water to the people in the Super Dome when Katrina hit.
Fine edible Food where you are now? NOT 7-2-11 or Walmart.
Can you even “Can” the food you raise in your Garden? You do have a Garden….. Right?
How about Simple enjoying an evening with the Family with NO TV and Electronics? OMG no Cell Phone? Whatever will you do?
Do you know how to actually cook? I mean really cook, NOT stick a Pizza in the oven.
You really do need to think on where you AND the World are heading now and in the future.
Read the Farm Reports and Livestock Reports. Read of the pollution in our Water Supplies.
How about Inflation? Gas here just went up 23% in the past 10 days.
Do you really think the Electrical Grid in the US is 100% safe, would you bet your life on it?
Ok enough of that.
The point I’m trying to make is this, you have choices to make.
Do you live a Lifestyle that is reckless and flamboyant (IMHO)?
Or one that is built around Family, Nature, Slowing down, “Smelling the Roses”, actually finding yourself (you might be surprised, you might like who you find) and maybe, just maybe, finding out all that “Keeping up with the Jones’s” is not all it’s cracked up to be?
With this out there, I’ll start next week with some actual fun stuff and articles that will help you become more “Prepared” to live a different “Lifestyle”.
Thank you for reading my ramblings on.
Leave a comment if you like it, OR you didn’t, let me know.
Awesome writing. Kudos to you and yours for getting out of the RAT RACE! I often wonder if these things get shut off how in the world these do-gooders will survive. I was raised on two ranches where we had a well for water and no wasting water, bathed every other day, heated with wood, cooked on a wood stove, had fruit trees galore and canning was done every summer no matter how hot it was, vegetables grown that the family like so as no waste, had meat that was not kept in a freezer/refrigerator but kept in the breezeway between rooms and hung in the open at night to gather in the coolness of the night, chickens for eggs, milk cow for milk…and schooled at home and hard knocks. Am so much better for it.
Joani:
Thank you for the comment.
A couple of things I often think on;
Being raised in Ohio in a very remote “Burb” I still marvel at what I remember of my Family doing (will be going over a lot of that in future Articles).
AND yes I still remember making Homemade Ice-cream every Sunday afternoon with the old “Hand Crank” “Scream” maker.
As far as “Do-Gooders” having things shut of, or just all out fail (watch this current set of storms hitting) and the Power going off. I just saw another 1 million homes without mpower, and negitive temperatures. NOT GOOD if they are not prepared in some ways.
Hence what I believe is necessary in the upcoming days/weeks/months/years. I know Connie also thinks the same way, she has tried for years telling people what and how to “get ready” for TSHTF.
Anyone here think that those back East getting slambed right now are NOT going through a SHTF?
Thanks again for the Comment, Be well, Be safe.