Setting Priorities

Discussion in 'Back to Basics' started by ranchgirl, May 10, 2011.


  1. ranchgirl

    ranchgirl Monkey+

    Ok...I'm pretty new to the prepping. I'd like to get some other perspectives on this.

    I've always being a stockpiler of food but haven't done much beyond that. We're overseas so can't really do much to stockpile much until we hit stateside. Since we're in Europe, and living in base housing, can't have guns. I do have a carbon AR-15 and my husband has some handguns that are being properly taken care of and stored with my father.

    We're saving all extra money for some land in case my husband's family homestead gets sold.

    The local military Craigslist here has military members getting out of the military and selling off their surplus military equipment- body armor, gun grips, bdu's, acu's, packs, boots, helmets, etc.

    Now my question is...should I make saving for land my only priority. Or should I take advantage of getting these items? And is there someplace I can price compare to make sure I'm getting a good price on these items?

    Thanks!
     
  2. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    The answer typically is, How much does it cost you to ship any Preps back Stateside if your next billet is back home? If the Military does the shipping for cheap/free, then it may be worth the effort to collect some of the more "hard to get" items that may NOT be available in any future stateside billet. If you are limited by weight, and or volume, then you would have to take that into any consideration on what Preps would be included. Land is ALWAYS THE ORIGINAL PREP. If you have LAND, then the rest can be dealt with as time permits. If you do NOT have LAND, then hauling your Preps, around with you becomes an issue, and limits the amount of Preps, that can be stored, and managed. PLANNING, is easily much more important, at this point in your situation, than collecting STUFF. Weapons, Food, Shelter, are all part of the Prep'ers Interest. Does Hubby, take you to the Base Firing Range, and give you opportunities to practice with Firearms, and are you competent, in their use? Do you have a PLAN, for Food Storage, once that your local Personal REQUIREMENTS change to a more civilian Living Environment. Planning for LAND Acquisition, would seem the one main thing that you can start doing now. Planning for where you want to live, AFTER Hubby's Military Service, would seem, also to be something that could be happening now. Things like cost of Living in an area, available Land for purchase, climate, ect, are all things that can be researched NOW, and then put together with other information, to build a After Service Plan.

    Oh and by the way.... I for one THANK You, and your MAN, for the SERVICE you provide, to Momma and I, for our Security in this troubled world..... ..... We want YOU, to know....
     
  3. Tikka

    Tikka Monkey+++

  4. Seacowboys

    Seacowboys Senior Member Founding Member

    I would recommend keeping your priorities on the land and means to produce and store food and clothing. Food, clothing, and shelter are the essential elements of survival and all the military tacticool stuff might have a place one day and might not but I can assure you that the food, clothing, and shelter will always be needed. Focus is important.
     
  5. ranchgirl

    ranchgirl Monkey+

    As long as we stay under the weight limit we don't have to pay to move anything. When it was just the 2 of us, we had 5 shipping crates and we were still under the weight limit.

    I used to shoot a long time ago...we've been in Europe for almost 8 years now. I think the last time I shot was qualifying when I was in the Army..... England made it very expensive and had lots of red tape to go shooting so we never bothered. Plus if we owned a gun legally, the government was allowed to search your house without reason and without a warrant. I may go through the class here to use the range.

    Tikka- that is nice! Too bad you didn't get it!

    Seacows- great advice!

    Thanks for putting things in perspective guys. I think I'll just chug along and keep socking away for land and do more research on where we want our forever home.
     
    BTPost likes this.
  6. Falcon15

    Falcon15 Falco Peregrinus

    If I may be so bold as to suggest a permanent home, consider the great state of Texas. Wide open spaces, a range of terrain/eco types, no personal income tax, and enough room to stretch out and not get hit. Also, it is near mandatory to be a gun owner here. Did I mention no income tax? You can get some seriously remote land or some reasonably close to city land still at good prices. Meh. I LOVE TEXAS! Oh, and the Texas senate is currently debating making open carry legal statewide...OPEN CARRY TEXAS!
     
  7. hank2222

    hank2222 Monkey+++

    have you ever thought about useing Air rifle's and pistol to keep up your skills ..In Germany town has a local shooting club or you can join up there and pratice with a 177.cal air rifle or pistol to keep the skills of marksman ship up to date and a big plus is getting know the locals there and that opens a door to some of the help you might need ..
     
  8. Nadja

    Nadja RIP 3-11-2013 Forum Leader

    Open carry has just about always been legal here in AZ. but now, even concealed carry is legal without a ccw. As long as your not a felon of course. wide open spaces and very very seldom tornados, unlike Texas
     
  9. Tikka

    Tikka Monkey+++

    Very true and "tacticool" is next too useless. It is eye candy. IMO, there needs to be a balance and too many focus on the extremes.
    We enjoy what we grow because it tastes better and we know what is "in" it. "Prepping" made me realize that if and when the need comes to survive by our own hands; there will be a need to be as prepared to protect as well.

    That was excellent advice. European air rifles are precision and adult sized. Very inexpensive to shoot and improve your shooting skills. Shooting skills go stale same as bread.
     
  10. TexasAggie

    TexasAggie Monkey+++

    You don't say what your home of record state is or what service; however for Army and Air Force, many locations are in Texas and once your husband is stationed in TX, you can get TX declared as your Home of Record.
     
  11. TnAndy

    TnAndy Senior Member Founding Member

    Save for land.....save like a bandit.

    I was in the army from 70 to 75, and while I barely made enough for the two of us to live on, my wife worked at some menial job everywhere we were posted, last post was 2yrs in Germany, where she worked as a civilian clerk typist for an artillary battery nearby. We saved all her earnings and had 10k in cash when we got out. In today's world, that ain't much, but in 1975 bucks, it was about 1/3 the price of an average house.

    We used that to buy our first lot and a start on building our first house, borrowing about the same to finish the house. Had the mortgage paid off in a few years, and used the sale of it to build our current house, on land the seller carried the note for us.

    By keeping borrowing costs to a minimum, we have been mortgage free ( including the land once it was paid off ) for the last 20 years.....which is a HUGE advantage. Once you are out from under the thumb of banksters, you can do all kinds of things for YOURSELF with the money most folks sink into interest payments.

    And the key is, the earlier you start that in life, the farther ahead you get by the time you hit our age. It's a compounding effect of time and money not shelled out.

    We've never made a large amount of money in our lives, I was a self employed carpenter/homebuilder for many years, with a stint of public school teacher thrown in for a while, (interest rates killed building in the early 80's) and my wife is finishing up 30 years as a school teacher. We didn't inherit anything much, as our single mothers didn't have much. We left home as two way-too-young-to-marry kids with all our worldly goods in the trunk of well used car, and managed to become one of those folks in that book "The millionaire next door". ( A book well worth reading, IHMO )

    SO, my recommendation is avoid 'cool stuff', and save like a bandit......you can't believe what it will mean to you later.
     
    lonnielou and ranchgirl like this.
  12. thebastidge

    thebastidge Monkey+

    Invest in training. That is investing in yourself. Get certified in CPR and any other skills you may need. Use your GI Bill and get a degree. Encourage your husband to use tuition assistance towards the same goal of getting a degree- and then use GI bill for another/advanced/to finish his degree when he's off active duty. GI Bill can also be used towards professional certification *exams* (but not necessarily professional training, check with the Vet Admin on this.)

    Active duty military can take CLEP/DANTES exams for credit, free of charge at the base education office. There is no greater shortcut to a degree. Spouses and dependents can take them for just the cost of the exam (no test center fee, which save $15-$45 per test). Most CLEP tests are 3 college credits, but some are 6.

    A degree doesn't guarantee you a good living, but it certainly can help, and even if it doesn't help, it never hurts. Get it paid for as cheaply as possible. With the exception of a very few very expensieve, and very exclusive college4s, it matters not on bit where you get your degree, so get it as cheap and direct as possible.

    There are lots of sources of free training in the perpper mindset. Look at training.fema.gov. Go to your base education office and look into professional or emergency training programs they can offer. I would recommend anything in the emergency services or medical profession as a way to stay employed. Remember that being prepared is not just for disasters, but for anything life may throw at you- disability, unemployment, or death in the family.

    Being overseas limits you in a lot of ways, but you can make progress no matter where you are.

    Is there a way you could work a deal with family to buy the family homestead if they decide to sell it, or persuade them that if there's a problem with upkeep, you and your husband would take on the financial support of that property?
     
    ranchgirl likes this.
  13. ranchgirl

    ranchgirl Monkey+

    I wish. We can't handle 1000+ acres of land nor afford the taxes on all of it. When my husbands grandpa died, he put in his will that it goes to his wife, husbands grandma, and that if she sells the land, it has to be sold in its entirety. Otherwise it stays in the family. When grandma dies, the land goes to husbands dad and aunts who have made it clear they're selling their shares ASAP- probably to developers.
     
  14. Falcon15

    Falcon15 Falco Peregrinus

    The folly of fiat greed. Sure thing, Mr. Banker says...we'll buy that property, for a fair price too. Then we'll develop it and resell the same land for 1000 times what it is truly worth to people who can't afford it.

     
  15. MsDawn

    MsDawn Monkey+

    ME TOO! I moved to Texas in Sept 2003 and I love it. My new hubby and I just bought 6 wooded acres with 2 tiny cabins , bath house , 4 rv sites , well & septic for $59,000 last yr. I never plan on moving. Small enough to defend and large enough to take care of our needs.

     
  16. Falcon15

    Falcon15 Falco Peregrinus

    Sounds like a camp ground. Excellent find. Awesome price!
     
  17. thebastidge

    thebastidge Monkey+

    Well, that would depend on having a plan for it... is there a way to get a chunk of it? Is there a way to develop it before all these family members decide to sell? 1000 acres is a lot. It seems like a family connection might be able to carve off 50 acres or so... or talk Grandma into a way to keep it in the family by using it to start a family business.

    the key is to tget them to think in terms of long term benefit over immediate cash. To really justify it, it needs to bear income. Really just to pay the taxes, it should bear income of some kind.
     
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