SICK OF THE MATRIX !!!!

[Gypsy108]

After i get paid ...i pay all my bills...the first being RENT.  I paid my rent online....as wells as my other bills...to make a long story short, my bank account got overdrawn, and my rent (that i supposedly paid) DIDN'T GET PAID and i was notified of NSF by the apartment manager. I have been renting here for 5 years NEVER MISSING A PAYMENT, AND ALWAYS ON TIME.  They send me a notice if i don't pay up in 3 days they will terminate my lease and i will be evicted...............well......i managed to borrow some money to pay what i owed (including $100 LATE FEE)..........I WAS SO PISSED OFF how heartless the system is.....it motivated me even MORE to escape this MATRIX, and take off in my unfinished empty hollow van.......just throw a bed inside............however.............as i was driving around in my van yesterday.....i discovered my air conditioning didn't work, and drove the van to the dealership to get looked at.........as i was there waiting i decided to look around at other vehicles........and decided to trade the van in in exchange for another vehicle, because the van is a high top, and i'm freaking out about what i will do this winter being that i won't be able to park it in a garage to keep the snow and ice off of it....and will have to put a tarp on it to protect it......then thinking that it makes me sick to have to worry every night about if it's a safe place to sleep or not.................................meanwhile.....back at the ranch....IM SO SICK OF THE MATRIX I WANNA GET OUT OF HERE !!!!!!!!!!


Is the part of my brain that wants to protect me trying to yank me back into the matrix ?
You guys are the only ones i can talk to about this stuff.....i have only a few other friends that understand.......one is homeless and lives in the forest.....i would love to join him one day.......in another part of the forest....not to invade his space.......

BTW....i didn't do the trade yet......but if i did...it wouldn't be a high top van...just a suv.......i could camp in a tent...

 

[Wabbit]

Hi Gypsy - that stinks about your landlord! I hope that part is all straightened out. Why would you go SUV instead of van? Just personal preference or something else? Best of luck with everything.

 

[wagoneer]

Welcome, if you are younger non hi-tops are not a deal breaker. Get the most reliable invisible clean rig you can afford. Having windows never bothered me as there are fix's for that in other words move in the direction you feel most comfortable. I camped/roadtripped in my old 1958 Porsche.

 

[Gypsy108]

straightened out. Why would you go SUV instead of van? 

Yeah...as long as you pay up, it's straightened out....so i did that (paid).   But it just reinforces how much i hate the system(matrix), that keeps you enslaved....

It just freaked me out about a high top that won't fit into a garage when winter comes.....it will be dreadful having to get up in the morning at 5AM to scrape ice & snow off....to get to work...if i had a smaller vehicle i wouldn't have the problem of fitting into a garage.   I don't think of that when i bought it.....but i could just get out of this climate and go where i don't have to worry about ice/snow.   But i planned on working one more year here , where i will be dealing with winters snow & ice.

 

[highdesertranger]

yep, the system has no heart, no feeling, no thought process. the only thing it has, is an unending appetite to be fed.

are you making payments? or will you be if you trade in?
are you stuck in that place by a job? sick relative?

highdesertranger

 

[Gypsy108]

 if you are younger non hi-tops are not a deal breaker. Get the most reliable invisible clean rig you can afford. Having windows never bothered me as there are fix's for that in other words move in the direction you feel most comfortable. I camped/roadtripped in my old 1958 Porsche.

I am not young...but i don't think old...lol.  The van i have now is very stealthy, no windows...but it's a high top.....i think they are most noticeable !!!   It has a ladder rack on top...just looks like an ordinary cargo work van....but being that it is a high top, it stands out....it really doesn't bother me that much about not having windows....i can just open my doors....i haven't camped out in it yet....just got it about a month ago...not built yet inside either......i'm just freaking out about the fact that i have to always be worrying about safety and every night when i go to sleep if i will be safe.....is it worth it ?????    Yet, as comfortable as i am in my apartment....it makes me sick more & more to live in this society that enslaves....yet if i go "into the forest" i will have serious safety issues to deal with.....seems like there is no escape.......

 

[Gypsy108]

yep, the system has no heart,  no feeling,  no thought process.  the only thing it has,  is an unending appetite to be fed.

are you making payments?  or will you be if you trade in?
are you stuck in that place by a job?  sick relative?

highdesertranger

Yes....FEED ME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!    It is so sick !!!!!!!!!!!    We are sick !!!!!!!!!!    Nature lives without making any payments....why can't we ??????????????????????????

Yes i will be making damn payments !!!!   I'm thinking about self repossessing now.   I will  
free up my SS income if i do (otherwise my SS will be making the payments & i will have to continue working until the van/vehicle is paid off).  (Because i plan on making $2,000/mo payments to get it paid off FAST)

I don't wanna be on the road until the van is paid off.  I planned on getting it paid off in a year.    But i can't imagine sticking it out much longer !!!!    Every day of work is getting to be PURE HELL for me.    I work for very wealthy people. I take care of a man that has had many strokes and need 24/7 care.   I work 40 hours week.   They need me.  They treat me like a servant.   I am underpaid & overworked.   I never take vacations !!!!   Been at this job for 13 years.   I am sick of living my life paying bills.   But i am not happy so i buy more frills !!!!!


I wanted to get a vehicle that would be trustworthy and low miles.....instead of buying something cheap and having to worry about stuff more....

 

[geogentry]

If it were me, i would stick it out.

Keep the high top van - you will appreciate the high top once you are free and on the road. Lived in the north most of my life and never had a garage, so i know what you are saying when you speak of cleaning the windows in the morning. Just keep your eye to the future.

Start taking one or two days and go camping in your van. This will let you know what you would like to have in the van when you escape. And it is a great stress reliever.

Sent from my SM-J727V using Tapatalk

 

[Gypsy108]

If it were me, i would stick it out.

Yeah...i thought of that too this afternoon....maybe the difficulty of changing plans (the dealership is having a hard time getting this(new) deal done), is a sign i must keep on with my original plan......thanks !

i'll just get a tarp and deal with it.....(ice/snow)
after all....i can't be a wimp out in the wild......

 

[highdesertranger]

"the dealership is having a hard time getting this(new) deal done"

you mean they are having a hard time screwing you. dealerships NEVER give you a deal.

the absolute worse thing you can do is trade in a vehicle at a dealership for another vehicle.

highdesertranger

 

[Wabbit]

I'm pretty sure you know this, but treat yourself to something that helps take the sting out of the grind. Doesn't need to cost money. At one point in life, Sundays were mine. I wouldn't answer the door\phone\whatever. I would just do me the whole day. It helped some when dealing with clients during the week. G'luck!

 

[Gypsy108]

you mean they are having a hard time screwing you.  dealerships NEVER give you a deal.

the absolute worse thing you can do is trade in a vehicle at a dealership for another vehicle.

highdesertranger

now you tell me !!!!   should i self repossess ???   take the loss instead of losing more ???
and save up for something and pay cash ??? This whole senerio of me even getting the van was because i was triggered by someone that is toxic to me and i felt i needed an escape route to have a place to live....it was a spontaneous decision....but i've been wanting to leave this matrix for a while now....

 

[Gypsy108]

I'm pretty sure you know this, but treat yourself 

yes....i do it all the time...that's why i'm in a little debt....i spoil myself !!!!
but on weekends i love to do nothing and love to be alone !!!!

 

[Gypsy108]

i just went on Amazon and bought 3 bags of premium recycled corks ! it will be almost 1,000 corks for $112 . I guess i got my insulation material out of the way....lol
i will probably be the first one to insulate a van in wine corks ???? i can cut them down too....too spread the love...this will look interesting.....i won't even need walls....the cork will serve a dual purpose...insulation & decorative wall !!!

 

[Gypsy108]

oooppps...

 

[Kaylee]

But i am not happy so i buy more frills !!!!!

Gypsy, that's red pill thinking. It's a good sign.
Those who can identify the real problem, can fix it.

Two suggestions:
1. Start taking short trips in your existing vehicle.
It will help you decide whether you like the lifestyle, and what your likes & dislikes are of your current van. If the lifestyle is your Destiny, it should also help reduce your stress, and make it easier to embrace my 2nd suggestion.

2. Set a budget, as tight as you possibly can.
Cut out almost all the extras, and rigorously track how much you're spending.

Suggested starting point: rent, required utilities, medical insurance (if you're already buying it), van payments/insurance/etc, modest van experiment & outfitting expenses, luxuries/frills ($10-$50/month) and at most whatever Food Stamps pays in your area for your demographic.

That budget outline is only a suggestion based on how I do things. You get to decide what's reasonable for you.
Instead of buying "frills", you'll probably get more enjoyment out of carefully researching and buying gear for your van, then spending your off days using it.

Um, just saw your "cork" post.
Suggestion: make a prioritized list of what you'll need for the van.
For example, do you have: bed, toilet (bucket, etc), cooking gear?

Budgeting is a lot like dieting: there's a huge "Human Factors" aspect to it.
If you don't give yourself permission to have some very modest luxuries/frills, it will be harder to keep to the big picture/goal.

Many newcomers are overwhelmed, so you're having a "normal" healthy reaction.
Start by taking small steps.
Take more & more, and suddenly you're running.
Good luck!

 

[Gypsy108]

Oh Kaylee ! Thank you for your wonderful post !! I am obsessed with all this !!! I am trying to pay off all my frill-bills now.....and actually have no other desire for those frills (perfume,massages,jewlery, clothes, furniture, etc, etc) I have splurged on myself enough and i'm starting the process of giving it away now....becoming a minimalist....and concentrating on obtaining the nessessary supplies to survive this nomad life ! I already have my toliet....someone gave me their unused toilet from a medical supply company....it's big and comfortable...like a chair...lol.....i love it....i'll just sit comfortably on it ...line the "bucket" with the bags i collected from groceries and toss into a dumpster....i haven't used it yet....but i thought i could even use it outside over a cat hole....lol....i have bookmarked all the heaters, batteries, solar, refridgeration/cooler stuff, stove,tent, and other stuff i will start buying to stock up.....even looking at survival food companies to stock up on food ...

So i will stop buying anything that doesn't serve the purpose of my survival in the van !
And try to pay off all my debts in the coming year before i hit the road .

I am a veteran, so i don't need to worry about medical insurance !!!!!
I do need to take mini road trips by myself to experience living in my van....i haven't been camping in decades !!!! I also watch the Girl in the Woods learn many things from her....i also bookmarked the flint stick(she uses) to start a campfire with....

I have never budgeted or dieted in my life ! I have no discipline !!!!! This will be a total life changeing experience.....but i'm ready and willing to change !!!

I picture myself now just buying all the nessesarry supplies i need and just throwing them all inside my van and taking off... and figuring it all out later....lol

 

[Kaylee]

Gypsy, excellent!
Congrats on not having to mess with medical insurance!

Whenever you're tempted by the "frill bills" (I love that term!), think to yourself: this is a Blue Pill.
Just Say No to the Blue Pill!
All of advertising is geared to training us to crave the Blue Pill.

Only you can take that Red Pill.

Also, please be very wary of just shifting your expenditures to seemingly "practical" but still non-essential stuff.
Tackle the essentials, and defer everything else.

For example...
Some shelf stable food is good to have, too much is a burden.
The "survival" foods are usually crazy expensive.
Become a food bargain hunter, while also understanding what's shelf stable.
That's something you can start doing immediately.

Know which shelf stable items are hard to find and which are easy to buy at regular grocery stores.
For example, powdered milk is usually easy to find.

Canned goods are much cheaper than MREs/etc, and have a similar shelf life (to MREs).
Make a list of canned good that you like, then check out their prices at different stores. There's huge price variations.

Many of those "survival" food kits contain items that take more fuel than equivalent (cheaper) off-the-shelf items. For example, Knorr "sides" can usually be bought for a dollar, and are typically as good or better than their "survival" equivalent. The no-name/generic versions are even cheaper.

There are a few shelf stable freeze-dried/dehydrated items that are cost effective (see my "cheese" thread for an example), but in the beginning, keep it simple.
In my case, I don't have a fridge, so I did buy some #10 and #2 cans of FD/dehydrated veggies, so I can just use as much as I need, without refrigeration & without spoilage.

Research is (mostly) free, and can be fun, particularly if you have a Goal.
Making a budget, and sticking to it, is taking the Red Pill.

If it would help, start posting things you're thinking of buying, and just ask: essential, defer, frill.
For example, you seem to understand that the flint rod is at least a "defer" and perhaps a frill. When you get further along, there's an even simpler gadget that's cheaper, and that I'd be happy to recommend (it can be bought as part of a mini survival kit for about $12 to $15).

Also... yeah, use that toilet!!! Use it inside your van, close to home, before you need to use it while boondocking.
Take at least a nap in the van, cook a simple meal in it, all close to home.
Do one thing at a time, then increase the duration/complexity.

After the nap, "boondock" at a Walmart or other local place that allows "overnight RV parking" (just ask the staff whether they allow it, use that term, and emphasize it's only for one night).

After you've bought your camp stove, do your first cooking experiments in your apartment, since there's a gentle learning curve to using a camp stove.
Start with a simple meal, then gradually make more complex meals. Van cooking takes more time, and there's a learning curve, but if you already do "real" cooking (i.e. not 100% microwave/takeout), the learning curve is much milder. Plus, by the time you're ready to eat, you'll probably be hungry.
It's ok to start with comfort food.

P.S. I'm the gal who had the big breakdown early this year, preceded by another major engine problem (combined cost of about six thousand dollars).
Your decision to go for more reliable is very wise.
Be cautious, take small steps, put limits on yourself while you learn... and have fun learning.

 

[Gypsy108]

Kaylee: "All of advertising is geared to training us to crave the Blue Pill."

Me:   Yeah...i've become very sensitive(sickened) by all the commercials everywhere you go...tv.. FB.. YT..everywhere you turn there's advertising shoved in your face...such a turn off....they're finally realizing how much we're turned off to it so  they are trying to make it fun or educational to watch instead of straight out advertisement....

Kaylee : "Tackle the essentials, and defer everything else."

Me:  Yes...i do want to make it simple but have the best of the basic, i've always thought quality over quantity.  But i can see how this may not always be good....for example :   you'd be better off having a month supply of basic food, then a week of gourmet food...

All we need to survive is shelter, food & water.
I think of the animals in the forest...

I think about just having food on hand that needs no refrigeration or cooking
Seeds/nuts/fruit/vegetables/dehydrated stuff/packaged coconut water/gallon jugs of water.....anything that i could survive on without needing cooking/fridge  It will be a luxury and a treat to have cooked food.   But it would be nice to have a little camper stove to make coffee/tea/hot water.

I love to cook & i have lots of experience cooking the old fashioned way.   I hate microwaves...never make meals with them.

Kaylee :  "P.S. I'm the gal who had the big breakdown early this year, preceded by another major engine problem (combined cost of about six thousand dollars)."

Me:  i will have to look that thread up !  If i  break down somewhere i'll probably just stay there & call it home...lol

Thank you Kaylee for all the good advice/tips !!!!    I will tell you how i did after i try them all out !!!!   I will do everything you suggested too !!!!!

:heart:

 

[Kaylee]

Am about to leave the Library (free wifi FTW!), and return to my campsite for a few days, so just a quick response...

You're way ahead of 90% of the newcomers here.
Because:
you've recognized what the real problem is (most never do),
you're a veteran (only about a third of Americans can pass military entry requirements, & even fewer choose to Serve),
and because you can cook.

A camp stove is an essential, even in my minimalist's opinion.
It's not just for meals, but also for hygiene (hot water).
Since you enjoy cooking, that's an excellent item to buy sooner rather than later. You'll get a genuine sense of accomplishment, and will get to practice with something you enjoy.

I do agree about quality, and own many items that are more than a decade and a half old, which I expect to last even longer.
However, it's important to understand where one can cut corners.

When I decided to give this lifestyle a real try, I started by creating a document file (on my laptop), brainstormed my top priorities, and started collecting information & taking notes about each area.
The list will be different for most people, and it's very helpful & fun to start it.
I recommend creating a prioritized summary list at the very top of the document/file, and reshuffle items as you realize which are most important.

For example, it may be unrealistic to expect to spend the winter living in your van, in your current location, given that you've mentioned ice & snow. During my breakdown, I was "in" my van during some very cold weather, but I wasn't "living" I was "existing" because I had nowhere else to go.
Yes, insulation is important, and if you enjoy researching it, go fer it! Just be aware that it should be lower priority than many other things.

Quick Amazon frugal tip:
Set up price watches at http://CamelCamelCamel.com
It will also give you charts with historical prices.
If a price has remained stable for a while, take your time.
If the price has suddenly dropped, yeah, it may make sense to buy that item earlier than you had intended.
Don't get too fanatical, particularly about "core" items. For example, if you've found a cook stove that you like, and it's around the normal price, you may decide to buy it now, particularly if you do feel you'd enjoy using it.

Do feel free to ask about any big ticket items, particularly if they're at or above average price, so you know you can take your time.
We've been trained/brainwashed to think we must buy now or risk the price going up. Camel gives a tool so you know whether that's false or true.