It's already here under topics about keeping a budget. People have long since adjusted how often they move and how far. It might determine if I can go down to Quartzite next December or not. I went in debt to build my van. It won't be paid off until January.
That is a good point. For those of us just starting out, we need to be realistic about the cost of fuel. Fuel cost me $100 last week and I hoped to buy the topper AND travel to southern Illinois to spend a month with my daughter (until I get my next disability check). I used up the bulk of the fuel just driving to get the topper. It was an eye opener for me. Realized I can't afford to go very far yet. Not while I'm still building out my tiny topper, lol. I think my truck gets a measly 11 MPG.
It goes up and down based on availability. It also costs to truck it. I paid $54 a sheet for construction grade 5/8" CDX last summer. The availability was on the full decline because of the Covid 19 lockdowns. I just got one sheet of pristine AC plugged & sanded fir plywood 3/4" thick for $52 back in November. Every time there is a monster sized hurricane plywood becomes scarce. If you can't get it, what ever might be laying around will always cost more. Lumber doubled over night because of the pandemic.
This is the pit fall of asking 'why' something is? You will get many opinions based on a persons concept and values, but it boils down to one thing that is a cancer affecting many of us. Greed. There are all sorts of explanations from self proclaimed authorities and we have been conditioned to accept those excuses but really just plain, greed. The good news is that not long ago during 2020/21 ply sheets went even higher at $75 on up. I just make different plans because in my journey to be free it requires that I do so if I do not want to be held hostage to greed and trapped in conditions that render me unfree.. Yes it costs me $55.00 for 10 gallons yesterday. Luckily I get 25-33 mpg, but I travel less now. My plan is to get to the point where I am powered by the sun usurping being petro dependent except for propane use. The cost of wood has had me re-think how I can build out differently using different things I did not consider before. But it helps that I am near a local privately owned mill as well.
Great - and you may consider looking at something less processed as plywood or just options. I find a lot on YT 'alternative living' videos. Depending where you located too. Like Bamboo is a good sub if you can find low costing/free sources. But there are so many options once ya look around the world outside of the regular familiar corporate sellers. But it takes a lot of research and looking which can be daunting. Anyways just getting pointed in a different direction can open up possibilities - best of luck pray we do not see what a lawyer turned activist predicted 20 yrs ago which was $10.00 p/g. He wrote a book called, "When The Oil Crash Comes".
Good improvisation. Keep your eyes open at garage sales and on craigslist. I found a stack of new 2x4s at a sale last summer for $2/pce. I started a garden shed build, which I’m siding in FREE cedar tongue and groove off FB marketplace. I have pulled partial sheets of plywood from the garbage, as well as useable furniture.
I just found a wooden box (with scrap wood in it) on the curb a couple blocks from my house for garbage pick up. I can use it to haul firewood for campfires. Or something, lol.
does your community have a spring clean up day, where you can put large items out for pickup? That’s when I find the good stuff for free.
They do, but now they make everyone take it to the City maintenance garages. No idea why they switched it.
My son-in-law told me there are stacks of pallets near my house that have a sign saying free. They are at a place where they recently built a large building. Thanks for reminding me!
Good idea. I live really close to a pretty large private university.
Just checked out the spot my son-in-law told me about. That's a lot of pallets!
