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Solo Survival

3K views 16 replies 13 participants last post by  gypsysue 
#1 ·
OK, so I'm an empty nester, broke due to a recent divorce...from which I lost all of my preps except tools, books and smarts. Oh, did I say my position disappeared, and I'm not working fulltime? Or that the new Ex-husband wants his portion of the farm, and it sells August 1st? Talk about high anxiety! I barely know where to start!

My mind says wood and a fireplace or wood stove (live in MN), food stores and water filtration. I have clothes, meds, beddding, some cash....not enough, but it may just be useless! No gold or silver either.

I'm an avid gardener, with lots of heirloom seeds and growing skills, but no land. Raised a farm girl, but know little about small scale dairy or beef. Friend killed a Momma Bunny by mistake, so I rescued the babies. I'll probably have future generations to sell for meat...sigh.

I live in a town with way toooo many people, and can't afford to move. (2 Nuke plants w/in 150 miles now scare me more than 2012 predictions!) Lots of these people are refugees....many who don't have the language skills or maybe courtesy to follow simple signs, or wait turn in line at the stores. I CANNOT imagine this area surviving peacefully in ANY crisis like the Japanese have!

So, given all this....where would YOU focus your prepping?
 
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#2 ·
Hi Brambles,

Welcome to the forum. Welcome to the "other club" also....:p:rolleyes::D Been there myself over the last year and half. I did manage to hang on to the retreat, but lost job of 30yrs to loss of lung. Lost $$ due to divorce. Don't worry it will get better.

First thing is, determine what you want to ultimately do. Your the only one who can do that. Sit down make a list. Then make a list from that. Break it down.

Just concentrate on basic prepping. You have any shelves in your abode? Fill 'em up as a 1st step. Make yourself food and water independent as well as you can, to start, IMHO. Have 1 months worth to start, then 3 months, 6 months. It'll take some time. During that time study some of the skills you'll find here. Don't know how you feel about firearms, but that may be something you want to study too. Learn some outdoor skills, fire making, shelter making.

Your bunnies will be something to start with. Remember rabbit meat though high in protein, is very low fat. Good to an extent, but people have be known to starve on a steady diet of rabbit.

Are you in town? Do you know if the city bylaws are friendly to chickens and gardening? Your heirloom seeds are a major PLUS!!!

Anyway, that's a start. Good luck with whatever you decide. Everyone is here to help out.

Jimmy
 
#3 ·
Welcome Brambles. Sorry to hear about your tough breaks. You didn't say if you had any kids or not. If so, is that why you can't move elsewhere? When the farm is old it seems like you'd get 1/2 of the profit out of the sale. If so, I'd think seriously about taking some of the money and relocating to a less economically challenged region.

You have internet access, so you could be looking at real estate ads around the country. I know a few people in my area who're living in lake houses rent free in exchange for keeping the grass cut, bush hogged, etc. The owners only come to the lake on weekends, and don't want to cut or bush hog when they do. Their fire insurance rates are lower with someone living on the property too. It doesn't happen very often, but it does happen.

I hope that you'll be able to get a full time job again soon, regardless of whether you relocate or not. I don't know if you're a believer or not, but it's been my experience that God won't let a door close in a believer's life without opening anther one. He has allowed many doors to close in my life (some due to my own stupidity in trying to do things "my way" and/or not seeking or listening to wise advise) but has opened more in their place.
 
#4 ·
Welcome Brambles.......no one will say that you don't have a full plate.....a bit overwhelming I think...so..the best place to start would be at the beginning. You have been given great advice on here, start with a list, actually, start with where you want to live...Doesn't sound like you're in a great living place at all......is it possible you could move to a different location? Then start with what you can do....might not be much but it's the beginning.........I'm a believer so my start would be with asking God my father what I should do.... You will find much help on this site, these folks on here are givers..........of their time and all of their knowledge. Don't forget to breathe.......;)
 
#5 · (Edited)
Welcome aboard. Yall have had some tough times. Folks here done give ya good advice. Start with yer food an water, med supplies.

Now sit down an think bout what disaster could hit yall first. Flood, tornado, nuke problem an so on. Plan what ya would need fer the most likely first. Many items will cross over from one disaster ta another, some be more specialized. Yall live in snow country so besure ta be prepared fer winter storms an travelin durin em. Snow shoes may look funny, but last winter I had a long hike ta get ta one a my sons stuck in a blizzard, wouldn't a made it without the right gear.

As fer heat, would be nice, but it gotta be free, cause if yer countin on it fer yer sole heat source, it gets mighty expensive ta buy wood to. We get a fair amount a wood offin craiglist, folk wantin it cleaned up. Otherwise word a mouth works well to.

Come hear an ask questions, folk always glad ta help.

Ya can grow lots a stuff in 5 gallon buckets, an many times there free ifin ya ask!
 
#7 ·
EEgads Brambles! What a mess!
Start with the basics.. food, water, then shelter- preferably elsewhere, out of the range of angry hungry hordes and out of the range of nuclear plants. The land in the south is least expensive right now- and taxes are lower too, in general. Tenn is a great place to nose around the real estate. Its going for less than $1,000 an acre rt now and no state income tax. Anything over 10 acres and ya get a break on the real estate taxes too. (like a greenbelt exemption, where ya only pay a percentage of the normal realty taxes). Do your homework online. What state has good soil- clean air - atleast 4" or rain a month, less drastic winters and inexpensive real estate. Decide 1st what you want.. then where you want.. then move towards that goal.
 
#8 ·
OK, so I'm an empty nester, broke due to a recent divorce...from which I lost all of my preps except tools, books and smarts. Oh, did I say my position disappeared, and I'm not working fulltime? Or that the new Ex-husband wants his portion of the farm, and it sells August 1st? Talk about high anxiety! I barely know where to start!
So, given all this....where would YOU focus your prepping?
If the farm is sold and you do get a share, you should maybe think about using your share to lease a house with land and maybe a barn, now is not a good time to buy, a 15-20 yr lease may be good.after you have the place to store, then you start with the prepping.
 
#9 ·
Keep a positive attitude and good luck!

Is there any way for you to keep a portion of the farm?
Water filtration, food, shelter.
Find the nearest LDS warehouse, they are cheap and very nice and helpful. My local place even has a grocery store that is only available to people in need.
 
#10 ·
OK, so I'm an empty nester, broke due to a recent divorce...from which I lost all of my preps except tools, books and smarts. Oh, did I say my position disappeared, and I'm not working fulltime? Or that the new Ex-husband wants his portion of the farm, and it sells August 1st? Talk about high anxiety! I barely know where to start!

My mind says wood and a fireplace or wood stove (live in MN), food stores and water filtration. I have clothes, meds, beddding, some cash....not enough, but it may just be useless! No gold or silver either.

I'm an avid gardener, with lots of heirloom seeds and growing skills, but no land. Raised a farm girl, but know little about small scale dairy or beef. Friend killed a Momma Bunny by mistake, so I rescued the babies. I'll probably have future generations to sell for meat...sigh.

I live in a town with way toooo many people, and can't afford to move. (2 Nuke plants w/in 150 miles now scare me more than 2012 predictions!) Lots of these people are refugees....many who don't have the language skills or maybe courtesy to follow simple signs, or wait turn in line at the stores. I CANNOT imagine this area surviving peacefully in ANY crisis like the Japanese have!

So, given all this....where would YOU focus your prepping?
Hey Brambles, I was reading your post again and noticed that you had seeds and knew how to garden. Do you have space to put some 2'x4', 4'x4', 2'x8' or better yet 4'x8' raised beds? I only rent 1/4 acre, but have been pleasantly surprised how much produce can be grown in a small space (in relation to a conventional garden).

I have friends who have 6 - 4'x8' beds made from 2' tall tin (they just added the last 2 last year so this will be the first season with all 6). They grew over 350# of produce last season before they stopped even recording the weight.

Given the area you live in and your belief that nobody in the area would survive peacefully following a large scale natural or man made disaster I'd have to make relocating to a better locale priority #1 at this stage.

God bless and good luck,

Dave
 
#14 ·
We have a big rv that we use now for vacations, karate tournaments and to use as a guest house on occassion. Its fully self contained if needed. We ,however, live in a house - as Ive said before- not at the ends of the earth exactly, but you can see it from here. We are way out so likely not to have a problem for a very long time but if one should arrise, we will handle it appropriately. We are now working on planting more trees to hide the house from being visable from the road at the bottom of the hill. Almost finished. Corse all the trees are nut or fruit trees (like mulberrys) so they serve a double purpose to us. Our children will come here should life in a small town become untennable.
 
#17 ·
Wow, Brambles, sorry to hear about all you've been through. I can tell by your original post that you're the kind who starts planning for the next step before the dust settles, by the way you're already thinking about these things. Good luck! We're all rooting for you, praying for you, and wish you the best.

:)
 
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