Ginny "Really a Fulltimer"

[honda03842]

Ginny said "I really feel like a fulltimer now"... that we've gotten rid of practically everything.

They just built a Hobby Lobby nearby and since we have never been in one, we stopped by. Ginny just "Stuff, stuff everywhere".

One result of RVing has been change in us. We no longer seek much in the way of possessions.

Now that we have a winter place in FL all the people who visited us at our summer place in NH are planning to come to FL. Ginny and I are considering inverting our travel style, having visitors for 3-4 months in FL and traveling in the fall and spring.

We're flexible and I suspect will like the intensity of winter visits over the summer time in NH.

I'm impressed by Ginny's adaptability.

[MRClaus]

You go Girl

[kirkman]

[MC1]

You got yourself a keeper Norm!

[honda03842]

As we shed the trappings of our traditional life there seems to be little empty feeling, no withdrawal from the stuff, actually a freeing. Much of the stuff of life takes a lot of support time.

When we came home to NH I was telling one of our neighbors we were going to sell, she has a home here and in Hilton Head, SC. She related the story of buying the home in SC. The agent told her that in 5 years she would get rid of one of the homes. She would come to realize that it is just too much, not financially but physically. THis week she put her NH home up for sale.

We've shed 50 year old stuff but not discreet memories or general feelings of the pleasure we've experienced over the years. The product of the 'stuff', children, family and friends, still lives within us and particular in Ginny, who has a more discreet memory for people and events.

I just realized, our shared road experience of 15 years on the road exceeds the absolute amount of time we spent together in our first 35 years of marriage and certainly overwhelms the 'awake time' we have spent together in the first 35 years. The reality is that during the married years, discounting sleep time, the number of hours a couple spends together can be measured in a few hours a day, and few of the hours are high quality.

Now we spend virtually every hour together. It's rare when we're apart for more than an hour in a day. I may be out working on the trailer, she may be making dinner but neither us is more than 100 feet apart (our NH lot is 110x60).

Definitely this was an unintended consequence of our travels.
118

[George in New Mex]

Sounds wonderful, Norm. Looking forward to a similar lifestyle in a couple more years. You two look so happy in your profile picture! And you're so right about possessions. They can own you if you don't really enjoy them enough. Also right about quality time together. Thanks for another great post.

[Gina D.]

Yep. When I got rid of all my "Stuff", I did not feel sad, I felt liberated. Its almost impossible to explain to others, yet it is so simple.

[honda03842]

It's too easy to be defined by your stuff, your car, your garden, your home. They certainly are representative of you but they are not you. I recognize that they can be parasitic, absorbing your time, though it may be pleasurable, it can be dominating.

Pleasurable but dominating, this week a couple of people have started Heroin discussions. There's cheap heroin and now that the marijuana business is being taken over by the state governments the Mexican cartels are pushing cheap heroin. Death's of typically young people via heroin are now regular....

Not suggesting your garden is heroin but it can absorb your time and chain you to the property. Before we began our adventures, we had two large flower gardens. WOrk and time. I know some might find it an ugly thought but it was stuff and unless you have a gardener, they can tie you down. It's truly small stuff but when you make a list of where your time goes.... Don't you keep track of your time?

[honda03842]

We doubled our income our first year in business but at the end of the year we had accumulated no additional savings. We decided to write down everything we spent in categories . It was not a budget but it had the effect; it made us conscious of what we spent before we did. It resulted in substantial savings the second year.

I was wondering about a time budget, where you have categories for what you do...shopping, cooking, eating, yard work, ..... It might tell you something about your life.

Just a thought....

[Cathy P.]

Definitely an uplifting experience for us. We have been downsizing and our house is on the market. We have taken a lot of stuff in batches to the Goodwill and each time, I feel so invigorated. We had 3 or 4 furniture items that we put on the curb with a "Free Stuff" sign and that turned out to be a delight for us and the people who stopped and left with a big smile!

I don't suppose that everyone feels this way. I mean, look at the hoarders.

Really, living among so many people, much older than us, I see them in their 80s having to leave their homes and it literally kills them to give up their things of which many end up in big boxes sold for $2.00 a box IF anyone even bids. The auctions break my heart but have shown me how I don't want my fate to be the same.

Sending some of the precious stuff to my older son.

[honda03842]

Cathy,

I know what you mean by "Sending some of the precious stuff to my older son". WHen Ginny was a teenager she bought a silver plate set for a $1 a week at a local jeweler (total price $40).

Ginny created a list for everyone who wanted something. Our son requested the silverware. Now almost 60 years later after the original purchase we sent it to our son (with his silver baby cup) to his home in Seattle. Shipping price $43.

It's all kind of funny.

[starbrightsteve]

So norm, gardens are now on your bad list eh. You seem to be enamored with "full timing" and everything else is an obsession. I have noticed that many of the things that I eat, things that sustain life, are grown in a garden or a field. Sometimes by you, er.... Not you, by your neighbor or by a distant farmer. You in particular may not be interested in associating with that process because it does not allow your soul to be free to "full time". Some of the delight that you seem to get from the full timing thing I get from growing food and grazing my cattle.
Steve McCarthy

[honda03842]

Steve,

I am sorry you dislike me, I rarely attempt to displease others. When I was in politics my mentor said you’ll get in trouble by wearing your heart on your sleeve. He was a true professional politician and I was not. My visible heart never hurt me. I believe in being open.

Actually Steve, I appreciate both vegetable and flower gardens and had gardens for many years. As to farming my grandfather earned a living as a farmer for many decades. During my youthful summers I spent many weeks on the farm and loved it. I've never raised cattle but appreciate the source of food and those people that produce it.

At least for you, I picked a poor example for my thought on a Time Budget, or rather the consideration of how we spend our time. For many of us, like the management of money, I believe we fail to consider the management of our time. My view is that by understanding how we use time we may be able to make more effective use of time. The reality is most people think that have neither enough money nor enough time. My point was not to attack gardeners but rather to inspire people to consider how they use their time.

I gave an example of how we managed to make better use of our money. I was suggesting it might be good to consider the approach for time.

The reality is we’re not full timers, just 2/3rds of the time, a concession to Ginny. I’d love to be a full timer. More than that I wish I had used my life better than I did.

[mbbear]

Originally Posted by starbrightsteve

So norm, gardens are now on your bad list eh...

Steve I'm sorry that you felt the need to post a personal attack against Norm. Norm was simply sharing his feelings and experiences during this transition. I for one deeply appreciate his comments because I am going through the same decisions and emotions. I became disabled physically several years ago and that had required physical and emotional adjustments. And now I have come to the realization that all of my stuff - the possessions that I have enjoyed and cherished are a weight around my neck and may become a trap if I become more disabled. Like Norm, Ginny, and Cathy, I'm sorting, throwing out, and planning on what to sell and keep. I don't want to be that elderly person struggling and smothering in stuff. I will probably rent my home while I on the road and will probably rent a small apartment for my stuff. I can't wait to get on the road!

Steve not everyone is the same. We can only speak for ourselves and that is what Norm was doing. I'm wishing you the best! Michael

[Borrego Dave]

Wow, can't say that I've seen a "reply" so directed to someone in the years I've been reading the posts here. Chill pills come to mind. There are a few topics that go sideways real quick, this one comes out of left field. After a short time, members kind of know how some are going to comment or post opinions. It's your choice to read them and to answer or not. I read most, but if I don't agree, I only talk to myself with cross words, not post to the world. I may not agree with all of what Norm says, or anybody else for that matter, as my life and thoughts/experiences are different, but I can certainly understand where his thoughts are coming from... his life. Many here have enjoyed them and maybe benefited from them to some degree. So I have to agree with a few others here, Steve, you've kind of stepped over the line with your response. Sorry mods, you can remove this post if you think it's over the top, my button was pushed.

[honda03842]

I should be one of the last people on Earth to be concerned about the use of time. Life has generally gone very well. Like all people, one eventually sees the end coming and we are nearing that point, emphasized by the more frequent passing of friends.

My author/editor friend, almost 20 years older than me, died a few years ago. She was decidedly different than me and held great interest for me because of the differences. We regularly had lunch and drinks together, she leaned on me for computer knowledge and I gladly helped her edit books. In bits and drabs she challenged my thinking and fed me her views. I do miss her. She once told me that as you age, as you see life winding down, you will 'focus more on what you love'.

You might think that my focus is traveling about in our little Scamp 16. The reality is it's the selfish focus on Ginny. Our Scamp and the travels are a method.

Back to my friend Jeannette, we had differences. We were polar opposites politically. However I embraced those differences for they were well considered and sincere, seeking their source.

I am decidedly interested in what I am not, possibly because it allows me have a bigger view of the possible. To me that suggests not doing more of the same. It is easy to let the past burden the future. Certainly it is key to choose. My dad used to say "Make good choices". It is the last word that is critical, some people do not even consciously choose.

As we empty our pass I'm amazed by how easy it was particularly for Ginny to discard things while she holds the memory. I'm always wonder at the unseen part of people.

It's Sunday, new friends are visiting today and Monday. They are people from Yuma that have joined the NL Caravan and happen to be in the area. On Tuesday Scamp Camp people are coming. Chances to see more views of the world.

[Cathy P.]

For anyone that is going to ship some of their "stuff" to the kids, etc., I suggest looking at the cost with the post office and UPS which can be done online at their websites. For my son, he in Fayetteville, NC and UPS is affordable but my brother lives in MI in sort of the "sticks" and UPS is much more expensive than USPS. Either way, it can be sticker shock so hold onto the counter while waiting for your total.

I have always sought out diversity in the people I talk with and the friends I have. Moving around and traveling make that explode like fireworks. I have a couple of select friends who can express any opinion and have immunity from ever being excommunicated from my life. One really takes it as far as she can go with it but we have been friends since 8th grade (1967-68).

I used to do a lot of things but their time passed. My garden is a basil plant and my crafts a little Zoom Loom, more or less but still reducing in that area. There was movie called "Short Circuit" with a robot and the robot had a line "Need more input." Me too!

It appears after all of these years together that Ginny is still surprising Norm.
Sweet!

I do understand about the winding down and looking at the time you have left but still, so many people never got nearly the years that I have. When I was in my early 30s, one morning when leaving for work on icy roads I told my husband, "Even if I were killed today, I have done more living than most people do in their lifetime." Sounds horrible but really, it has always left me with a peaceful feeling.

I really want to get my son with Down syndrome out as he loves being out and around people and that will never be accomplished in any program for people like himself. He keeps dragging around the dog-eared Scamp brochure. We'll figure it out.

So, diversity is good. I know that too often people rigidly define a certain lifestyle. Full-timing is one. We joined Escapees years ago and were constantly told that we needed to work, retire and then we would "deserve" the full-timing lifestyle. I deserve whatever I can work to gain for myself. It was so discouraging but we worked it out. And, then, you have the you need at least "$3,000" a month to full-time. We lived for years, recently, with a household income less than that. I have also seen spats where someone that was renting out their house and living full-time in an RV was considering themselves full-timers and others disputing it because they still owned a house.

The bottom line is that everyone is free to define their lifestyle. There is no "one size fits all". Just because I don't want to sit among my things until my older son shows up to take me to the "home" and my stuff sits in boxes ready for auction but many people do it and are content coming to that end. The first auction I seen like that was in 1978 and I was so upset by it I guess it marked me for life.

So, Norm and Ginny, always inspiring. Have a good visit with friends.

[honda03842]

Cathy,

I just checked to see if you were on the NL Caravan list.

I looked up Zoom loom and went to projects. Truly amazed by the possibilities. Thanks for sharing, a perfect little Scamp sized hobby.

For those interested here are some projects,

http://www.schachtspindle.com/zoomloom/index.php

I used to have a young technician who worked for me who would not eat a candy bar until he performed some balancing task like washing his windows. Like your comment he had to "deserve" the candy bar.

As to the $3000 per month requirement, it's really a choice as Oregon Byron states so clearly. How much you spend RVing is in good measure a choice. I have never tried to be a 'spending minimalist' but it might be a good experiment. I do like to experiment on the edge... we've given up meat for a month, built and lived in a dome, and of course quit working and traveled in an RV. Maybe a zoom loom is next.

Cathy, what have you made? Maybe I'll start a hobby thread for little RVs.

[Cathy P.]

I am on my first Zoom Loom project, a lap afghan. I am using the basic pattern stitch but I have made some samples of other stitch patterns which can be found by googling. I am crocheting an edge on the plain pattern but won't with the fancier patterns. Anything that could be made with squares would be a possibility on one of the googled videos, someone has figured out how to make a triangle with the loom. This turns out much lighter than regular crochet or knit. Variegated yarn is exceptionally nice as are coordinating colors.

I was born a minimalist and frugal. I am blaming it on my Scotch-Irish grandfather and debt-free for years because of it so I am not complaining. It is a mindset and something that doesn't waiver much despite the amount of cash coming in. I have squirreled money away since I was a small child and considered all purchases carefully.

One thing people don't consider is cost of living as they move around the different states. We can live on much less in KS or in SE AL when we were living there.

We are "in the market" now but have a pop-up. We might be able to stop in at the next rally in KS, my husband is originally from Junction City, KS so it would be a nice, but short, trip for us but give us a chance to see some units. It is hard to decide which and whether to go new or used.

[Evergreengirl]

A stimulating conversation! Norm, I've given much thought to a "Time Budget" ever since I read Stephen Covey's book "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People". He claims that we spend our time on four types of activities: Unimportant and Non-Urgent (think watching TV, snacking, browsing the internet), Unimportant and Urgent (running the dishwasher when you finally run out of clean dishes), Important and Non-Urgent (spending time with SO/family/friends, hobbies you love, volunteer work, etc.), and Important and Urgent (get to the ER if you're having chest pain). The problem is that most of us spend too much of our time allowance on the Unimportant and Non-Urgent stuff and too little on the Important and Non-Urgent. He suggest you actually keep track of how you use your time to see where you're spending your "allowance".

Lately my husband and I have been thinking more about how we could unburden ourselves of home ownership responsibilities. Even though we downsized about 7 years ago from a house on 5 acres with a large garden to a manufactured home in an "over 55" complex we still find ourselves increasingly resentful of all the chores - keeping up the much smaller garden, painting the doors, repairing some rotten trim, getting a new roof put on, fixing a leak under the house. And soon it will be new carpeting. Or we'll need a new dishwasher, fridge or furnace. It's always something!

We've been doing some analysis of the costs of renting versus owning a home and it looks like we would actually save money, taking in the fact that we could put the proceeds of selling our house into our investment portfolio. Even a small return on that money could cover most of our rent. And gone would be home maintenance, property taxes and some utilities (in our county the property owner pays for water/sewer and garbage collection).

The problem for us is that we really like our house and our neighborhood, so leaving it would be difficult. We're giving it some serious thought though! Everyone needs to find what works for them. No one way is the right way!