Homesteading- Health, Debt and The Long Haul

          

Health-
You have to love health insurance, if you have it. It sure beats the alternative! I recently had an eye exam, and am getting new sunglasses. Total (with inner eye photo extra)- $79.00, and that's with no-line bifocals. I pay $7.00 a month for the vision coverage. It pays for itself yearly. Ditto my "free" dental coverage- my checkup is in a week, never any charge, even if they have work to do. I broke off part of a front tooth a few years back- repaired, and tweaked twice, no charge. I have been losing weight, with my free visits to the dietitian, thru our employee assistance program, also free to me. The weight loss, I want to clarify, was not to look better and fit into some "attractive" perception of society. It was to feel better and protect my long-term health. I think of it as a homesteading act, of sorts. Stronger, leaner, & healthier. I also use my medical insurance wisely and try to avoid meds, and doctor visits when I can. I started using vitamin D several years ago to prevent colds/infections. It's now being touted as possibly helping with allergies, MS, Parkinson's, cancers and a host of other things. It's also a natural anti-depressant. And it's cheap! Who wouldn't want to take this stuff??? I take 2000 IUs a day, and 4-5000 if I feel something coming on. Anyway, protect your health while you can because....
                            

                                       

Debt- Inter/National and Personal-
Watch the international news a bit and you hear a lot. Then you need to get out of the "mainstream" news, and dig deeper. I've been doing urban homesteading since before it was called that. We've made a lot of changes over the last several years, in terms of frugality, paying off debt, and starting a serious pantry. We also started really prioritizing our home improvements, etc. While I would love to move to a more rural area, we are here right now, so that's the way it is. Dave won't consider moving, so... I do what I can here.
I think we're in for some kind of crash, again, maybe in banking, big pharma, and/or the continued de-valuation of the U.S. dollar. China has been dumping millions of U.S. currency and I don't think they're done. It may get ugly too, as many are "sheeple" and never look at the bigger picture. Many just get caught up in their own little personal sphere and never look up and out. That's ok, if you want to play the game that way. The PTB (powers that be), and I don't mean the political parties or their reps (that's another much longer post), sit back and move the pieces on the board at specific times. There is never any randomness to it. It just seems that way at the time. That's my opinion.

                   

The Long Haul-
I don't have a picture in my head of what that will look like, at least in the U.S. I do see this however- more massive weather-related damage, more fires, more floods. And people won't learn- "let's just rebuild, sure it's a hurricane area, but FEMA will bail us out." Good luck. People will continue to rack up massive debt in their quest to impress others, and bolster their self esteem- "sure let's get an iPad, but how will I pay for..." The newest clothes, toys, gadgets, and cars. Buy the 8 year old a cell phone, sure, why not? Give someone a pet they can't afford, because you love them. Great idea. Overbuy your home, and don't downsize when you should. Kids have moved out- of course you need that 5 bedroom house for their once a year visit :)  Play it that way, for now.

                       

I think we all need to learn as much as we can, try to help those who want to change, and let go of those who won't. Those may even be family members. Tough decisions, and you can't make people change. They have to want to, and some have to reach the BOTTOM before they will. In addiction, there's the "moment of clarity"- this doesn't work anymore, I'm done. No more excuses, I'm through. As a society, and part of the planetary system (eco and otherwise), we may have to reach the bottom before we can wake up, and start over...

                

Please no wild comments, this is just my view. I will answer any questions that I can...