The weather is still wonky as we are catching the warmth from Cali's weather but not as much rain/snow. The good news is all this moisture is making a huge dent in the on going drought situation. While all this snow and rain can suck right now it will probably help during the growing season this spring and summer. Plus help refill many river and reservoirs that are low. I have to say this is the strangest fall/winter cycle i have seen with the leaves falling so late and birds like Robins hanging around this winter. As long as we get rain in February, March and it stays cool in the Mountains we should be good for irrigation this summer.
I bought a lot of solar panels to set up an off grid energy system but it is the batteries that are the big cost. If I don't need to add to the wood pile this spring. I could use some of that money to invest in a small solar energy system using AGM Batteries for storage. Yes I know Lithium batteries are better but the are very expensive. If I could run a few items via solar to begin with and then build up the system later I think it will pay off in the long run. Getting my Summer energy cost lower is a huge goal for me this year.
I know many people are getting hit hard with inflation. The government inflation rate that excludes food and energy hides the very things that people need to live. It does not matter if TV's are cheap if the cost of eggs, milk, meat, gas and home energy cost have gone up 20%-40%. You don't buy a TV every month you buy food every week and energy at least monthly. Also a TV is not a survival item food and heat are survival items. I have been sort of mentally preparing for years to lose 30% of my buying power to what ever financial shenanigan the PTBs plan/execute. It could have been a cut to my VA/ disability benefits or inflation but I suspected my buying power would be cut by 30%. I had a few wake up calls that I was losing buying power but overall I was mentally prepared for inflation to happen. Because of that mental prep along with other preps I was ready for inflation to hit and overall I don't think it has hit me as hard as it could have without that mental prep. In some ways I am more financially secure than I have ever been in the past.
I don't have extra money but I got the credit cards paid off. I have the stuff I need to survive on hand. Things like long term food storage, tools, building up some skills and making plans to make my life better in the future. It was a lot of work but it was simple if not easy. Paying off debt is hard especially if you are at the bottom of the economic food chain. Dave Ramsey is great but some of the incomes people make and pay off debt are not like me. I might break 20 grand next year on my disability. A lot of those folks make $50-$100 thousand + a year. Perhaps I should have a class on how to live good on less than $20,000 a year. It always comes down to percentages of income. Poor people without subsidized energy or food via the government pay a higher percent of income for necessities. If you make $4,000-$8,000 per month an extra $10.00 or even $50.00 is not much of a hit. If you are living on $1200.00-$1600.00 Social Security per month that extra cost of $10.00-$50.00 per month is a huge hit. I'm not looking for sympathy or pity but can you imagine how I or other Social Security people feel when every property tax increase is frame as it is just an extra $5.00, $10.00 $20.00 per month. Last year in Idaho Home values jumped up so much that many cash poor home owners were almost kicked out of their home because of rising property taxes. I have live in the same home for almost 20 years and I have seen the value of this home as low as $40,000 to $250,000 and I don't think my adding a roof, wood stove and new windows should add that much value. Do you know the difference in taxes between a $40.000 home a $250.000?. I hate property taxes but I don't think a Home's property taxes should change unless it is sold.
Sorry I think I pushed one of my buttons. Things are not awful and you can keep prepping but you might have to adjust your focus. We are living in historic times. I would prefer my history with a bit more time displacement., but here are.
I suggest you make some New year's resolution of saying NO! You don't have to be impolite but NO is a perfect answer to these busybodies that try and shame you. Like Nancy Reagan said Just say no! Lumber and home improvement items are coming down in cost. That is great for DIYers. I'm not how gardening will shake out. We had a lot of noobies start gardening with lots of enthusiasm. I'm ordering my seeds this month just incase but we will see if the gardening starts to die off because it is work. Funny enough you can't just plant a seed and things grow according to Mike Bloomberg. There is a bit more to gardening and farming than just planting a seed.
On politics just sit back and watch the show. We know the PTBs are criminal if not out right evil . Watch them get exposed and the dance they try and play. We can't vote harder so I say walk away and only support your locals and do not send money to the Republicans or Democrats.
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