Plans to leave Florida,Budgeting,Calculations

[[email protected]]

Hello Guys and Gals

I have done a bit of brainstorming and seeking help regarding plans to possibly leave Florida.Let me know what you think leaving could work while on ssdi and if you may see blindspots in what I wrote

Appreciate it guys and Gals

I'm in Southwest Florida In a section 8 unit at 188/month plus utilities.It can be transfered outside the county after 1 year


I have this itch to be out in even a quieter smaller town less than the 30k im in now.I have sensitivities to molds and other chemicals.I came here from California and stealth camped in South Florida for 2 months.It was a challenge finding a place in the middle of the night to use the restroom when I had to go

Next ssdi review is in 2024

I'm in my mid 30s and have challenges with chronic fatigue syndrome,and environmental sensitivities as well as anxiety

Assets 12k
Current vehicle 2011 Honda CRV 160k
Fairly good condition


Plans if Doing Seasonal Nomadism in Vehicle

From ssa payments save 100-200 month × 36 months =3600-7,200
used vehicle every 3 years in case current vehicle breaks down and is no longer good

Buy used vehicle each time current vehicle is no longer good every 3 years


Budgeting

Ssdi 900/month California

Vehicle maintenance/repair cost SUV 100/month
Food 200/month .
Possibly qualify for EBT in California but would probably need to stay out of the state during wildfire season
AAA insurance $70
GAS 300/400 Month California,200 in other states
Medical expenses -$100
Miscellaneous $50
Total expenses roughly
720-820 in California
620 in other states



Pros and Cons of Living in Section 8 units vs Nomadic seasonal living


Section 8 housing vouchers

Pros
Roof over head in case of bad weather/hurricane/tornado
More convenient for cooking
Place to sleep quietly
Can transfer voucher anywhere in US after year

Cons
-Housing units are more prone to sick building syndrome
-Besided general epa standards,lack of adequate protection for environmentally ill

Freshly painted walls
Voc's.Apartment property management may not understand
-Possible contaminants in Ac vents
-Challenges to emf proofing the space
-Being confined to a bedroom during hurricane season
-Possible Mold.May need to test with Ermi testing
-No control of neighbors cell phone use,wifi outside street noise when wanting to go for a walk/fresh air

Pros of Nomadic Lifestyle heading to the southwest (Living in Vehicle) and possibly returning to Florida in winter
-More control of living space/environment(emf,mold,etc)
-Can find more quiet areas away from traffic noise
on blm and free camping areas
-Dealing with less traffic of people
-good sunlight till winter
-may be able to temporarily leave to Mexico
-can avoid/minimize wildfires
-less mosquitoes
-Can come back to treating doctors clinic in Florida 1x a year in winter for disability documentation

Cons
-Problems if car breaks down
Would need to stay in hotel till another used vehicle is purchased to repeat the lifestyle
-Possible encounters w/law enforcement if
Staying outside of designated areas
-More difficult to get mail.Car insurance seems to require mailing address as opposed to P.O BOX,SSA
-Further from parents closer to brother
-needing to use restrooms
-may be more problematic maintaining this as one ages not having single domicile housing
-showering


Heading North spring /summer than back to Florida
-Pros closer to family
-camping in less humid states than Florida
-more control of emf,living space,mold
-less mosquitoes than Florida
-good sunlight till September/October
-can meet other nomads
-chance to revisit northern states

Cons
-Traveling could put extra wear and tear on vehicle
-Challenges with mailing addresses,AAA needing house address as opposed to P.O Box,SSA
-Issues with vehicle breakdown
-needing to use restroom
-may be problematic as one ages needing domicile housing
-showering

 

[user 423]

You list pros of living in your vehicle but that didn't seem to be a good way to live in Florida, right?

My thought is that option won't be that much better if you head west.

It's hard for anyone to find the perfect place to live. I would give some thought to staying where you're at since it's a lot less risk and much more comfortable than living in a small, older vehicle.

 

[[email protected]]

You list pros of living in your vehicle but that didn't seem to be a good way to live in Florida, right?

My thought is that option won't be that much better if you head west.

It's hard for anyone to find the perfect place to live. I would give some thought to staying where you're at since it's a lot less risk and much more comfortable than living in a small, older vehicle.

Yes,it may of been more of a challenge in Florida since there was no blm land and tougher to find quieter places without noise from street traffic.

I do have some neurological challenges where I'm sensitive to sound and would rather be where there are less people.Despite Naples being a population of 30k.

It feels way more crowded than that.
I can't enjoy driving here as the drivers here want everyone to conform to Nascar,fast paced.

I get up in the morning here to leave the apartment where I don't feel well in and don't go to the beaches anymore as I'm tired of being around crowds and rather go to the forest

I miss the quietness in places out west that is not quite off grid but on the fringes of civilization

Seemed here in Florida the cops are friendly to me which im grateful for as they know I lived in the car and didn't seem to care.I did have challenges waking up in the middle of the night in gym parking lots near the beach looking for a place place take a leak.Not knowing where to take a **** when the urge came

Or the fear when I saw a bear in the middle of the night at a state forest in the vehicle.An experience I appreciate it feeling the fear but not wanting as a lifestyle

Out west in similar places like ehrenburg,AZ since living in a car is accepted perhaps it may be easier.To do mold avoidance,avoid cell towers,neighbors wifi and have more control of the environment.Choosing to go into town and out when desired

I understand there may be rattlesnakes.It would be nice to avoid the hurricanes dwon here and the extreme heat and humidity though I love sunlight as I don't want to get stuck inside an apartment where I don't feel well to begin with in the humid months as I attempt to make modifications to purify air as Florida had mold problems.Voc's from paint.I seem to be environmentally sensitive and don't feel well if I don't find the right building

Sick building syndrome

I have heard mold avoiders like Erik Johnon going outside found their emf sensitivities to.improve getting in better air with less industrial toxins

I would need to shield a closet with aluminum to block outside emf signals staying here as there's like 100 people in this complex with cell phones and I'd rather be more spread out somewhere

When it gets too hot and humid the summer to be outdoors,something I enjoy I don't want to be stuck in this apartment.I feel like I need to be out in nature everyday getting sunlight to feel more normal and not sheltered in.

I.cant roll the windows down while I'm here since.im.about 100 ft from US-41 and the streets are noisey

I realize I got very lucky to get a housing choice voucher and health is #1 priority

I have thought of heading north and exploring places like Wyoming during wildfire season in California.Following the weather sunbirding and snowbieding and maybe returning to Florida in winter or renting a place in a quiet town near the border in Mexico for a couple months when it gets cold


If I can overcome being comfortable with vehicle breaking down and having a backup using savings to buy another one.Rinse and repeat.Stealthing along the pacific coast of Southern California was another idea though it may be more challenging than Florida and ssa/social services seem to be more in California

Curious what your thoughts may be on these ideas?

I'm still new to all of this and understand that this is an experiment

Thank you

 

[afblangley]

What's your "why" for seeking a nomadic life? The glamour presented on YouTube and Instagram, is fiction. Living in a vehicle is harder than living in traditional housing. It may be worth it, depending on your reasons, but don't be fooled, it is a more challenging lifestyle.

Let’s look at your situation. You already have freedom- you control what you do with your time; you don’t need to trade your time for money. You have access to housing of your choosing anywhere in the country, for a few hundred dollars per month. It would not be wise to give that up. Full timing in a vehicle will be less convenient, give you less control, and be more costly.

Having permanant housing and being nomadic are not mutually exclusive. I’m frequently away from my home for months at a time. I keep everything I need to be gone indefinitely in my van at all times. When I'm living in the van, I’m busy doing something related to personal or professional interests. My house is a place I go to relax, regroup, or reconnect. Although my vehicle and my house have some overlapping capabilities, they serve different purposes and are not interchangeable.

 

[ckelly78z]

It seems like you should stay in Florida, but find a nice small town with available section 8 housing towards the middle of (away from the super busy coasts) Florida...your housing will be cheaper, it will be quieter, there will be less people, with a much slower pace. Use you van for the occasional getaway to the forest up North, but keep the home base.

 

[[email protected]]

What's your "why" for seeking a nomadic life? The glamour presented on YouTube and Instagram, is fiction. Living in a vehicle is harder than living in traditional housing. It may be worth it, depending on your reasons, but don't be fooled, it is a more challenging lifestyle.

Let’s look at your situation. You already have freedom- you control what you do with your time; you don’t need to trade your time for money. You have access to housing of your choosing anywhere in the country, for a few hundred dollars per month. It would not be wise to give that up. Full timing in a vehicle will be less convenient, give you less control, and be more costly.

Having permanant housing and being nomadic are not mutually exclusive. I’m frequently away from my home for months at a time. I keep everything I need to be gone indefinitely in my van at all times. When I'm living in the van, I’m busy doing something related to personal or professional interests. My house is a place I go to relax, regroup, or reconnect. Although my vehicle and my house have some overlapping capabilities, they serve different purposes and are not interchangeable.

The why is because the sect 8 place I'm in now seems to be contaminated with mold I found this yesterday.

I feel unwell in that apartment and not safe.One piece of the battle has been putting up conductove shielding material as there are lots of wireless modems from neighbors and cell users editing radiation that accumulates.

Unlike a house where things are more spread out In the neighborhood as there's more space and distance where as here I feel boxed in being an apartment.

Other than cooking and sleeping.When I wake up it's always a feeling of how soon can I get out of there

I spend most of the day avoiding this place as I feel less poisoned being outside and understand this strategy may not continue to be sustainable as South Florida's heat and humidity, storms will continue to go up each month where it won't be possible to be out all day

I like warmer weather amd the beaches here are pretty but it's just that I'd rather have a safer place to come home to cool down that doesn't make me sicker

Thank you

 

[user 423]

You can move with the voucher in one year. If you feel that's too long to wait, go ahead and leave now. Only you can decide.

 

[[email protected]]

You can move with the voucher in one year. If you feel that's too long to wait, go ahead and leave now. Only you can decide.

Appreciate it Slowday,

Do tou think some people who live in their vehicles aside from rvs are content without housing till old age and dying in the vehicle,not caring if the physical and cognitive faculties on the road is gone past a certain age and don't care anyways vs having a roof over ahead?

Just curious if there are people like this out there and if it could be a healthy mindset for some

Thank You

 

[user 423]

Everyone is different so that can't really be answered. When I travel in my van during the summer, it's not really that comfortable much of the time. It's worth it though because I like to travel. The place I rent in AZ isn't all that great either but I'm happy to have a place to come back to.

 

[bullfrog]

We have an old motorhome as a summer base camp and a new travel trailer a winter base camp in cheap rental spaces. The summer site is part of compensation for “employment” with full hookups so we enjoy Air Conditioning in the hot months. The winter lot is primitive without hookups as the weather is good enough to do without and still be comfortable. We spend as little as $1,600 a year for our lots and storage and stay comfortable and still travel some. Our older friends who can no longer travel have moved into RV parks and on average spend about $350 to $500 a month. It really depends on you and how well you can cope. Most likely even though you could have better control over your environment you probably couldn’t afford or be able to live comfortably on the road if you require Air Conditioning and easily obtained hot showers and bathroom facilities you have to maintain. A new poorly built camping trailer with $6,000 down will have at least 12 years of payments around $200 a month. You could have it delivered to a lot and pay $500 in lot rent and utilities. You would have a hard time maintaining and keeping it livable on your income. Some people do live on $1,000 a month but few have AC and a bathroom with hot showers.

 

[user 19146]

if i can suggest look at the real cost of replacing the vehicle you want for the amount you want to spend right now. can you find it for that price range. your current vehicle will require maintenance or is your planning also including saving for maintenance and also it's replacement cost. does your current vehicle also have the room for using during personal time outs (bathroom time). living in a vehicle is a big change and it's not as easy as it seems. I have lived in 3 different vehicles of different types. and I now know yes I could live in my current vehicle but not as a home for long term like more then a month or so. it just would have to many challenges. plus you need a fully funded emergency fund, before giving up the roof over your head.

 

[JDub]

Appreciate it Slowday,

Do tou think some people who live in their vehicles aside from rvs are content without housing till old age and dying in the vehicle,not caring if the physical and cognitive faculties on the road is gone past a certain age and don't care anyways vs having a roof over ahead?

Just curious if there are people like this out there and if it could be a healthy mindset for some

Thank You

You might PM Nature Lover... He has a lot of experience in this situation...

Cheers.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

My 2¢:
I would stay where you are for right now and take trips as you can afford it.
- to gather things for living in your vehicle
- to explore areas around you for better living conditions
- to develop the skills like pooping in a bucket, going without showers

I would explore EMF free zones and maybe take a trip to Green Banks, WV to check it out. There are very few places in the US where you can escape cell tower radiation (which is constant).

Inflation is going at 0.6% a month; that is going to royally screw up your budget.
- I cannot eat healthy at $645/month any more. My food costs have gone up 10% year on year, beef about 25%.
- Gas is up over 50% from 2019 and climbing.
- Your current housing cost is fixed, wish mine was.
- Used car prices are crazy right now.
- These costs will be much higher in California.

 

[[email protected]]

Thanks for the heads up on the inflation and costs in California

Yes i spent 3 months living in the vehicle on Atlantic side of Florida near Ft lauderdale.It was tough.Rarely showered.And drove around in the middle of the night looking for a place to use the restroom.It wasn't always rough though.Parked near some big hotels for several weeks along the beach and nobody seemed to care

Sometimes pissed in a gallon of empty publix water bottle.I had a flat bed that layed in the back of the suv as I don't really have much interests in tents

Perhaps blm land may be easier out west.Less people around.I enjoy experiences with others but mostly in smaller towns

My monthly disability check is 900.Assets around 12k.Not much but im grateful for this from the govt .Could be worse.I have both physical disability with chronic fatigue syndrome and mental with anxiety/cognitive impairments .

Things that require physical energy,brain power is challenging for me as I get easily distracted and have some cognitive challenges

I remember years ago before being disabled bobs post on living for present vs living for future and the scale of people doing it ranging from 500-1000/month

If I can make the Arizona/southern cal deserts work alternating high and low deserts depending on season and then when body is no longer able to handle this

Perhaps look into moving into a mobile home if body no longer allows at some point or consider legal euthanization if no other options are possible and it may more feasible in one's interest to shut things down.If body doesn't allow

Im in my mid 30s now and probably have the physical and mental stamina of one in his 70s

One thing I learned about hear in Southwesy Florida in a town of 30k.Its feels like a big city to me and theres a desire to downsize as vehicles feel invasive as i live right off Us-41

I wish the body wasn't sensitive to these energy fields

Consider this If anybody here hypothetically gets electrically sensitive received very low cost housing and had to stay in a canopy when not outdoors in nature in south Florida summers and were confined to beign inside a canopy like this to avoid emf.Only stepping out to use restroom,cook,grab mail and then return to the canopy



Would you feel content or imprisoned hypothetically if you were electrically sensitive ?

Just thought I'd get everyone thoughts on this

Total investment to try and make this apartment work.Maybe around 1k


https://emf-protection.com/product/blocsilver-tent/

For chemicals and mold
https://aireox.com/shop-now/ols/products/model-45d-purafil-carbon
https://foustco.com/all-products/hvac-filters/chemical-control/fume-and-odor-panels/

 

[afblangley]

The why is because the sect 8 place I'm in now seems to be contaminated with mold I found this yesterday

If you think your apartment is uninhabitable (mold infestation qualifies), call the Section 8 office. They will send an inspector out within a few days. They will issue you moving papers immediately if they deem it warranted. Section 8 takes health and safety issues seriously.

 

[[email protected]]

If you think your apartment is uninhabitable (mold infestation qualifies), call the Section 8 office. They will send an inspector out within a few days. They will issue you moving papers immediately if they deem it warranted. Section 8 takes health and safety issues seriously.

Do you think section 8 tests for mold?

 

[user 423]

Ask at the local housing authority about their inspection process. Apts. have to pass some kind of inspection before they're approved for rental.

 

[scaredycat72]

Things that require physical energy,brain power is challenging for me as I get easily distracted and have some cognitive challenges

Living in a vehicle is not as easy as living in a bigger van. It takes significant physical energy and brain power, way more than living in a house. Cooking, washing dishes, personal hygiene, going to the bathroom, even hanging out, is not as easy as doing these things in a house. Plus there are bugs, dust storms, and other challenges with living in a car that you're not accounting for because you haven't faced them yet.

My suggestion would be to use the money you plan to save every month to keep your apartment until you can transfer your voucher. You can still hit the road, go test out living on BLM land and in small towns, and see if being a nomad is right for you. I have some mental health challenges and living out of my car would have been impossible without my ex-boyfriend, even as toxic and draining as he was. Thankfully I finally have those challenges under control but I will also have a home base to return to if being on the road ever becomes too much.

I'm not saying give up on your dreams. I'm saying try out the reality of your dreams before bailing on an apartment that's only $188 a month, which is a real blessing in today's economy.

 

[afblangley]

Do you think section 8 tests for mold?

Over the past 15 years I've been a landlord, I've had more than a hundred section 8 inspections (initial, annual, and emergency). When a tenant calls with a health or safety complaint, they will send out an inspector forthwith. They know what a mold infestation looks like. And they also recognize when a tenant is making frivolous accusations.

 

[[email protected]]

I spent the last 24 hours inside the apartment to see how I would feel and how long I could stay and just had an urge to get up and drive today

To be honest it felt like a bit of imprisonment staring at white walls all day.

Kind of boxed in and unfree unlike waking up in a vehicle with light coming through the glasses free to roam in open space(given that the weather is good)

It wasn't so much the destination being on the road as it was the journey.I kind of feel like a lost that edge and feel a bit stuck

I know people would suggest get involved with your community but I feel like it's a bit noisey and crammed in despite naples being a town of only 30k.Seems like I am sensitive to the energy fields,noise,engines revving up feeling like it penetrsting the body

Maybe it's because of my neurological condition but it feels like space is being invaded.I would probably need to wear earplugs if hanging out in town and I'm not sure who would want to live like that

After a couple days in a row of going to the beach and then it's like I don't want to be around these people and end up going to the forest away from the rat race.

Im not sure if this is a healthy way to live to wake up every morning thinking about how to escape the environment

I can try to make the environment more liveable by purchasing this air purifier and emf tent that was suggested by friends

Total investment to attempt to make living space manageable would be around 1k

https://aireox.com/shop-now/ols/products/model-45d-purafil-carbol