The Campfire Trail: September 15 - DIY Homestead

September 15, 2022

Day 349 of the Adventure

Building Camp Run-Amuck

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ARTICLE: We have been in a waiting game for the past 2-5 weeks around here. We are still getting things done.....but........ the tractor is in the shop waiting for parts, we're waiting for the delivery of log siding, soffit panels, a wood stove and the interior pine wall boards. It seems like our "NEW reality" (some call it "Build Back Better", but I'm skeptical) is much more chaotic than our old reality. If there is such a thing as "Seeing the Writing on the Wall", I'd say that the ridiculously high prices and inability to get supplies should be a wake-up call to us.

When we decided to start thinking of moving toward a retirement lifestyle a couple years ago, I was seeing shades of this current economy starting to surface. I thought a "Low Cost, Low Impact" direction would be appropriate. I had no idea at the time just how out of control things would feel by now. We made the decision to go this route about a year and a half ago. Made the purchase of the property almost a year ago now and have seen things degrade economically since then. In retrospect, it makes our decision to take this approach sound brilliant. In fact, it was not. The timing of it just happened to work out.

I'm not sure how to frame this next statement. Not everyone will be feeling the same economic pressures and many probably won't even give the high costs or supply delays a second thought. Those who are able to withstand the gnarly economy probably wouldn't be reading this posting anyway. For everyone else that is feeling the squeeze of high costs and supply shortages, this may be the time to start rethinking your plan a little. We probably could have easily adapted to the higher prices as long as they didn't last too long. Trouble is, who knows how long this will last, whether it will improve or when it might, or whether things will simply continue to degrade. If you are feeling like you are a year or two behind the curve on being prepared for economic difficulty, then today may be the day to start a new course of action. One that puts you on the offense instead of the defense of your economic future. It would be a course of action that improves your self-sufficiency factor.

Carry On

Adventure Quote: “Adventure is allowing the unexpected to happen to you. Exploration is experiencing what you have not experienced before. How can there be any adventure, any exploration, if you let somebody else - above all, an economist or poltician - arrange everything before-hand?” (modified) ― Richard Aldington

Base Camp Coffee of the Day: Lost up the Creek (Colombia/Sumatra blend)

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