Homesteading in retirement?

[Koolau]

I'm fascinated by the concept Alderman is relaying. I love the pics and hope there are more.

But DW and I proved to ourselves when we were in our mid 20s that we aren't the homesteading types. Our garden died. All our fish in the pond died (due to one bad freeze blocking sunlight - maybe we could have saved them by scooping a quarter acre of 5" of snow - assuming it didn't blow back. But we didn't know that.) I nearly killed myself with a chain saw and misjudging a tree fall.

Oh, and DW doesn't like snakes.

So now in our 70s, I guess homesteading has passed us by. We will live vicariously through Alderman's on-going reports.

 

[pjigar]

I am also in the middle of the road category. I grew up in small town with lot of land around us. We just moved to an acreage (over 10) on the fringes of Dallas. We have city water (but not in city limit!) and grid access. Nearest Walmart is 12 minutes and nearest hospital is 20 minutes. I want to do garden, orchard and some grain farming. But animals are something I am not committing to since they can tie me down to the farm. We do have 15 colonies of bees (which gives us a tax break) but they are independent and smartest animals to have on a farm. I love to spend time on my property but I also want flexibility to travel. We are young (under 50) and not RE yet so we have a long way to go. Nevertheless I want to age in place and I suspect two things over next few decades will help me do just that: City will grow around us and driver-less cars.

 

[pjigar]

It depends on the person, I've seen plenty of neighbors injured and messed up because they were too stubborn to get professional help for some jobs.. My DH is right on the line with this, it's the I'll do it myself mindset.

That's what my DW keeps telling me. I have yet to have a handyman step into my house after 20 years of home ownership (except AC guy to repair/replace central HVACs). Now I switched to mini-split HVACs at the farm so no more AC guy either.


PS: And yes, I got scars to prove it! I am getting wiser about assessing the risks and personal safety. Last scar was over 5 years ago so I am getting better. Dang, I just jinxed it.

 

[Badger]

It depends on the person, I've seen plenty of neighbors injured and messed up because they were too stubborn to get professional help for some jobs.. My DH is right on the line with this, it's the I'll do it myself mindset.

You sound like my wife. Is there some kind of national support group? By the way, she is right and I am trying to change. Not easy and I have a stack of medical bills to prove it.


Cheers!

 

[LRDave]

We retired to what was our getaway cabin in the woods on 2 acres - no grass and no place for a garden. We later purchased 10 acres across the road that has some open field but is still mostly heavily wooded (mixed hardwoods). Since we have room for a garden, we will try it (next year or maybe by the fall). We burn a lot of wood in the fireplace in the winter and so far we have been able to cut and split our own firewood. We find this to be hard work but very satisfying.

We weren't aiming for a Dick Proenneke-style of life, nor were we looking to be self-sufficient/off the grid. We had two objectives:

1- Immerse ourselves in a relatively natural and wild environment. Nature watching is our number 1 source of fun and togetherness.

2- Minimize expenses early in retirement. Our getaway cabin was paid for, stupidly low taxes, relatively cheap utilities, much cheaper insurance, etc.

We were both children of suburbia and we both had lived in the same county in metro ATL our whole lives. We both felt like it was time for a change. We've loved it so far. We do ask ourselves if we can keep this up for 20 years or more......

 

[old medic]

[/B]
I agree very much so, with that statement.

I do to... I see some folks that there longest walk is in the walmart parking lot.
We are very lucky in the fact my younger brother has always been around to take care of stuff when were gone... took care of the animals at the old place.
Hes even fussed at me for not getting chickens back... tired of store bought.

 

[RAE]

I am getting wiser about assessing the risks and personal safety. Last scar was over 5 years ago so I am getting better. Dang, I just jinxed it.

Yeah, I have had to make some concessions as I got older also. I still do most home repairs/maintenance and yard maintenance work myself (at age 66), but I won't go up high on extension ladders anymore. I've had a few friends seriously hurt from ladder falls, so that's something I no longer do. But I don't mind most other stuff. I love my big vegetable garden, for example, and would be very unhappy if I could not keep that up every year. The physical work required to do these things helps keep me in shape. I'm sure there will come a day when I can't do a lot of it, but I hope to continue for quite a while yet.

 

[Dtail]

I feel decently informed of the risk/reward ratio of DIY vs. hiring out.
Some examples are below.
I take care of the pool/gardening and some aspects of the lawn, all investment and financial decisions. I will not go on the roof, try to fix cars, perform any major building project related to the house.
The decision making process actually is easy for me.

 

[pjigar]

No roof for me either. We have a metal roof now.

 

[skyking1]

I still do most things myself. I will farm out the drywall and any major flooring work on the new build if it happens. My lower back speaks and now I can hear it. Not too fonda the spondalosis.

 

[FreeBear]

I feel decently informed of the risk/reward ratio of DIY vs. hiring out.
Some examples are below.
I take care of the pool/gardening and some aspects of the lawn, all investment and financial decisions. I will not go on the roof, try to fix cars, perform any major building project related to the house.
The decision making process actually is easy for me.

Yep, the only regret I have since retiring over 6 years ago is NOT Blowing more Dough on our move to Arizona. We did our own packing & wrapping, rented PODS, with rented muscle at both ends. Easy? Well, it's have been physically and mentally exhausing. I wish I just brought in Bekins/National/Allied and tossed them $20K+ to move all our crap while we went on vacation somewhere. Any money saved not hiring a full service mover like Bekins was easily blown on delays and long distance travel between houses.

I'm learning my leason. Proof: when mice and rats were moving into the attic, I just blew dough to replace a couple of hundred circular screen vents with something more robust. The rodent exculusion guys cost me 4 grand and I had 5 guys crawling all over the house exterior sealing entrance points all day. Well worth it and I never touched my ladder. The stock market payed me back in a couple weeks, at worse.


Next challeges: exterior paint and HVAC. The exterior paint job nearly tempted, but the chiropractic bills and missing out months of fun due to recovering from our dyi interior paint job may keep us "sober" and off the ladders.


Faithfully saying NO to the high pressure paint sprayer calling me at Harbor Freight,

FB

 

[Ronstar]

We live on 5 wooded acres on a lake out in the boonies. Lots of yard work, tree cleanup, home maintenance. Built and maintained mostly by myself. But our place is too wooded and deer invested to grow our own food. Very peaceful. I don't see another person other than DW for days sometimes.

 

[Dtail]

Yep, the only regret I have since retiring over 6 years ago is NOT Blowing more Dough on our move to Arizona. We did our own packing & wrapping, rented PODS, with rented muscle at both ends. Easy? Well, it's have been physically and mentally exhausing. I wish I just brought in Bekins/National/Allied and tossed them $20K+ to move all our crap while we went on vacation somewhere. Any money saved not hiring a full service mover like Bekins was easily blown on delays and long distance travel between houses.

I'm learning my leason. Proof: when mice and rats were moving into the attic, I just blew dough to replace a couple of hundred circular screen vents with something more robust. The rodent exculusion guys cost me 4 grand and I had 5 guys crawling all over the house exterior sealing entrance points all day. Well worth it and I never touched my ladder. The stock market payed me back in a couple weeks, at worse.


Next challeges: exterior paint and HVAC. The exterior paint job nearly tempted, but the chiropractic bills and missing out months of fun due to recovering from our dyi interior paint job may keep us "sober" and off the ladders.


Faithfully saying NO to the high pressure paint sprayer calling me at Harbor Freight,

FB

Yes good examples.
We paid 17k to have movers move us down from the Northeast to Florida. They did everything including all packing. Money well spent.
I will not paint the outside of the house either.

 

[old medic]

t our place is too wooded and deer invested to grow our own food. Very peaceful. I don't see another person other than DW for days sometimes.

LMAO.... we are on 4, basically surrounded by 3 large 80+ acre tracts with one being an orchard.... Ive made the comment... "most of what we grow tastes like venison" I'm on the orchards deprivation permit and hunt off my porch.

 

[EllisWyatt]

After 10 years in our country place, and multiple near and not so near misses, "She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed" has laid down some hard and fast rules for me..
No chainsaws, ladders, (especially chainsaws on ladders), or bonfires without adult supervision..
Probably more to come. Lol.

 

[Koolau]

After 10 years in our country place, and multiple near and not so near misses, "She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed" has laid down some hard and fast rules for me..
No chainsaws, ladders, (especially chainsaws on ladders), or bonfires without adult supervision..
Probably more to come. Lol.

Sounds like a very wise woman. You'd be well advised to listen though YMMV.

 

[sparky08]

After 10 years in our country place, and multiple near and not so near misses, "She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed" has laid down some hard and fast rules for me..
No chainsaws, ladders, (especially chainsaws on ladders), or bonfires without adult supervision..
Probably more to come. Lol.

That sounds like my list, except I can't give up my semi-annual bonfire. But electrical and plumbing are soon to be added.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Sure, it helps. And probably for a lot of people, if they weren't doing chores they'd probably get no exercise. But the problem with chores in the country is that they never end, even when you need a few days off.

Moving to the country when you're older and don't have physical background can be a rude awakening for many, and possibly a path to injury.

Maybe take on a good hired hand ...

 

[LRDave]

After 10 years in our country place, and multiple near and not so near misses, "She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed" has laid down some hard and fast rules for me..
No chainsaws, ladders, (especially chainsaws on ladders), or bonfires without adult supervision..
Probably more to come. Lol.

I still chainsaw, but never alone. I've got to figure something out about gutters.

Between ladders and gutters, I opine the ladders are the bigger risk.

 

[Koolau]

I still chainsaw, but never alone. I've got to figure something out about gutters.

Between ladders and gutters, I opine the ladders are the bigger risk.

We had a guy at w*rk who tangled with a chain saw. Have you ever seen a guy with 187 stitches - in his face? Thank goodness, I'd already sworn off chain saws by then.

Then there was the acquaintance who almost died on his (can't recall, but think 900+th) sky dive. Took him 6 months to recover and then he went back to it. I'm old school - never jump out of a perfectly good airplane - but I digress.

YMMV

 

[street]

I still chainsaw, but never alone. I've got to figure something out about gutters.

Between ladders and gutters, I opine the ladders are the bigger risk.

There are attachments to work gutters from the ground. I think just about every brand has an attachment.

 

[old medic]

We had a guy at w*rk who tangled with a chain saw. Have you ever seen a guy with 187 stitches - in his face?

I have had several chainsaw/ladder related calls over the years... with several fatalities. but record for face stiches was a 10 yearold boy... sitting in the back seat and went face first into the windshield... 162 stitches...

 

[Fermion]

We had a guy at w*rk who tangled with a chain saw. Have you ever seen a guy with 187 stitches - in his face? Thank goodness, I'd already sworn off chain saws by then.

My chainsaw had a tag that specifically said "Not recommended for shaving"

 

[Koolau]

I have had several chainsaw/ladder related calls over the years... with several fatalities. but record for face stiches was a 10 yearold boy... sitting in the back seat and went face first into the windshield... 162 stitches...

Yeah, the guy with 187 had multiple "slices" - I didn't even want to imagine why there was more than one major cut. After a few months, the guy began to look human again, but he will always bear the reminders of one instant's intention or perhaps bad luck. In any case, YMMV.

 

[statsman]

No roof for me either. We have a metal roof now.

Given the hail storm that blew through Central Texas last month, I was starting to wonder if that was going to be in our future also.