This crazy girl is getting sheep!

[Messybun]

SS is a mindset, IMO. I regret my attitude when I lived in a city. I felt like I couldn't be SS enough without land and livestock. I delayed learning so many skills, like canning! I could have done a lot more then and felt more gratitude / less stress.

I like that. I definitely want to do what I’m able. We’ll see what happens and what I can do. Thank you.

 

[Messybun]

Pretty much over the sickness. Main thing was getting over dehydration. Once that was in check life got better.

Bottle baby is very happy, took a nap in my lap today.

Getting things in order. It’s hard to know where to start, just keep trying I guess.

 

[Messybun]

My sailor is coming back in three weeks. SO excited. And so much left to do.

Friend is willing to work in my garden for some of the harvest. So she and my mom worked it out. So I’m going to set up my garden area to have a lot or room for potato tires, taking out the tomato cage because it’s a mess. I have grapes growing that I can’t seem to kill, a few years back I accidentally killed my vine. But now I have grapevines growing where I don’t want them and they simply won’t die. I might just put a trellis there if they’re so determined to survive.

Talking about self sufficiency with Sweetheart Sailor (SS). He very much wants to raise our own gardens and animals for meat. Would love solar panels too. The question is how…
Especially looking at the pay grades and realizing we’re going to be below the poverty line. Phew. It kind of puts a little fear in me to be honest. We both grew up military brats, but being the adults is a lot more…I don’t have the right word for what it’s more of. Self sufficiency is no longer going to be a side thing or something I’m practicing. There’s not just going to be back up right there. The safety net won’t be completely gone, but it’s certainly not going to be there like I’m used to. And being military the contract is supposed to be in this station for four years, but I won’t believe it until we’re driving away after being there four whole years if you know what I mean. I think we can set up some decent stuff in four years? Just another challenge. And, of course, when I say “we” I mostly mean me. He won’t know full schedule until he gets there but it sounds like his job is going to be constantly cycling between night and day shifts, so I don’t expect him to be able to do much.

Anyways, the debate of how and what we’re going to do. There are a few lines of thought.
1 live on base housing. Start a community garden (if they don’t already have one) and do whatever I can find. Can foods when they’re on sale, bulk buy, etc.
2 try and find land and build one of those very small shed/houses. Basically building our own studio apartment. We’d own the land so be able to do anything on it.
3 buy a trailer house. We’d have some more time finding a place to park it, and then start whenever we do. Pricing wise I think the trailer will come in cheaper than the house, but it’s less stable in inclement weather and not as much space.

 

[Mini Horses]

yeah, govt contract jobs can go askew in less than a heartbeat. MANY yrs ago my dad was Navy. That was back when Navy was ships, not so much land or tech....anyway....he'd get orders to USS Never Sail and with a couple months, it'd be deployed!. He spent a lot of life in the Mediterranean. No digital banking or anything else! So, mail $$ home on payday. A challenge!

Y'all will figure it out.

 

[Messybun]

yeah, govt contract jobs can go askew in less than a heartbeat. MANY yrs ago my dad was Navy. That was back when Navy was ships, not so much land or tech....anyway....he'd get orders to USS Never Sail and with a couple months, it'd be deployed!. He spent a lot of life in the Mediterranean. No digital banking or anything else! So, mail $$ home on payday. A challenge!

Y'all will figure it out.

Yikes. Some friends from church (also Navy) called their ships the USS Never Home.
I know I have so many advantages over those who have gone before me. Heck, we get to talk on the phone right now without even paying by the minute.

I think it’s just being young and stupid that worries me, but I don’t have any other choice! It’s just the can I do this. Thanks for the encouragement.

 

[tortoise]

Base housing makes sense to me. It's only 4 years. #2 and #3 have too many unforeseen emergency expenses involved. Community garden options or borrowing garden space, such as from an elderly person who can't maintain theirs anymore. Or finding good produce stands that have cheap produce. Better to choose security and scrimp now, than to choose a fun option and have stress, insecurity and persistent financial issues. Who knows, you might be able to save up toward your hobby farm SS dreams?

 

[murphysranch]

I'm a military brat, but it was in the 60's and 70's. We moved every 3 years at a maximum. And Daddy was in Vietnam for 18 months with one 7 day leave to come back to Sacramento CA. We lived there for 18 months and then moved to NY.

We were on base housing for the early years, but then Mother and Daddy bought houses each time we got a new assignment. You'll prob be best to be on base for the first couple three duty stations.

(We called it on base or off base, back then).

 

[Messybun]

I'm a military brat, but it was in the 60's and 70's. We moved every 3 years at a maximum. And Daddy was in Vietnam for 18 months with one 7 day leave to come back to Sacramento CA. We lived there for 18 months and then moved to NY.

We were on base housing for the early years, but then Mother and Daddy bought houses each time we got a new assignment. You'll prob be best to be on base for the first couple three duty stations.

(We called it on base or off base, back then).

Very similar here lol. Moved a dozen times in 11 years. Dad spent three out of a four year stretch deployed at one point.

Everyone says that his job is different, still don’t believe it until I see it. Not planning career, but who knows.

 

[Messybun]

Base housing makes sense to me. It's only 4 years. #2 and #3 have too many unforeseen emergency expenses involved. Community garden options or borrowing garden space, such as from an elderly person who can't maintain theirs anymore. Or finding good produce stands that have cheap produce. Better to choose security and scrimp now, than to choose a fun option and have stress, insecurity and persistent financial issues. Who knows, you might be able to save up toward your hobby farm SS dreams?

It might be best for housing.
The other issue isn’t so much about scrimping now, better later; it’s more do we have security in the now if we don’t provide for ourselves at least in some way.

With the second option we should be able to sell it for way more than put in, but most risky.

The third option even if we park at a campground we should have a higher bah (housing allowance) than what the space would cost so we’d be saving money. But less yard than even on base if we can’t find a property to lease or buy.

 

[flowerbug]

Base housing makes sense to me. It's only 4 years. #2 and #3 have too many unforeseen emergency expenses involved.

...
on top of that some places have building codes so you can't just put up a tiny house anywhere. it has to be habitable and capable of siting a well and septic field and bringing in utilties and ... the list is quite crazy at times...