In this photo Homer and I are demonstrating the single most important skill I have learned on how to live cheap: keeping my mouth shut and listening!! That’s my friend Brian (who I love like a son) and he is teaching us how to cook on a Pepsi Can Alcohol Stove. There are several (at least 4!) tips in these posts that come straight from him. Gleaning information like your life depends on it is the very best way to live cheaply!
Take advantage of libraries!
You might think that libraries are an antiquated idea, but if so, you are wrong! I believe that libraries are a vandwellers best friend, especially for those of you in the city! Think about what a huge and money-saving addition they can be to your life!
- Free wifi: This is obvious but still can easily save you $50 a month over a cell phone data plan.
- Free electricity: Here’s how: get a normal book bag with a hole for an electrical cord (cut one if you have to). Take all of your portable, rechargeable electrical devices and plug them into a single power strip. Once you are in the library leave them all in the bag, except the laptop which you will work on and plug that one cord into the libraries power plug. You are now charging all your devices for free! You will want to have a battery charger in there to recharge your AA and AAA batteries for your LED lights in the van. All you need to do is stay long enough to recharge all your devices and you have free electricity!
- Free entertainment: Think about everything available for you in a library: 1) The latest books (often including eBooks). As much as we all love the internet, it usually just skims the surface of a topic. The books in a library will dive deep and give you everything you could want to know. 2) Newspapers, why pay for them when they are here for free and from all over the world? 3) Magazines, again a huge variety of the latest magazines covering virtually every topic. 4) DVDs: this includes the latest releases.
All of this in a quiet, comfortable, setting! The key to using the library is to take advantage of its reservation system. Many county libraries are tied together now so that all the cities in the county with a library share resources. So you go online and find the newest book or DVD you want to borrow and put a hold on it—no matter what city it is in! If it is popular you will be put in a waiting list and as soon as a copy becomes available anywhere in the county it will be brought to you at your local branch where you can check it out. It’s a wonderful system that you really should be taking advantage of!! It works for either city of country dwellers, but better for city dwellers.
Learn to make your own repairs and upgrades.
I believe most of us grew up without learning the most basic of practical living skills; I consider it a real failure of our culture. But remember as a vandweller you probably have much more free time now and a huge resource on the internet and public libraries of free information. If you live in a city, there are probably many low-cost classes you can take such as Home Depot, local Art Supply Stores, REI outdoor stores or community colleges just name a very few. Also, many cities will have clubs dedicated to some of these as hobbies that you can join and find a mentor. So take this time to teach yourself some basic skills. Here are some ideas: 1) sewing 2) auto repair 3) an art or craft you can make money from 4) carpentry 5) 12 volt electricity 6) a musical instrument 7) cooking. Each of these can save some money–some a little, others a lot.
Here is a great example of learning and saving money. My friend Brian’s (yes, in the photo above) gas powered bicycle. He studied all about it on the internet, ordered the motor kit, and installed it himself. The information is out there, you just have to put in the time and get it! Then comes the hard part, having the courage and self-confidence to DO IT!!!!! When I finally grow up, I want to be just like Brian!
The other example is 12 volt power and solar systems. I knew nothing about either of them the day I moved into a van, but over the years I have read everything I could get my hands on and asked questions of everybody I run into and I am now fairly knowledgeable on the topic.
Consider WWOOFing.
This idea won’t be for everybody, but for a few it is perfect. WWOOF stands for World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farmers. The way it works is their website has a list of participating farms (not just in the USA but all over the world) and you contact a farm and come to an agreement and then you go and camp with them and they provide room and board. So you park your RV or van and use their facilities and they provide all your food. In exchange you work on their organic farm for around 20 hours a week, but sometimes more or less. The idea is for you to learn organic farming, but it doesn’t always work that way. I have a friend (Brian) in an RV who does it and really likes it. It hasn’t always been great but it has never been bad and a few times it was really wonderful. Here is a book describing one mans adventure of WOOFing for 12 consecutive months: Farming Around the Country: An Organic Odyssey
If that appeals to you get more info here: http://www.wwoofusa.org/
Shop sales and stock-up.
This is much easier for city dwellers because you have many stores around you to shop at. Plus since there are more ads you don’t have to buy as much because you know it will come up on sale again sometime soon. But is also works well for boondockers along with the strategy of just sitting in one place. You need to have some supplies on hand to go a few weeks or a month without going into town. So keep your eye on sales flyers and when something goes on sale, buy enough to last you a few months. Obviously it can’t be 2 months worth of vegetables or bread because they will go bad, but it can be canned vegetables, meat, pasta or flour. Nearly all stores have their sales flyers on the net now, so you can look at them online. This does take some time because you have to learn the prices of different stores so you know when it is good enough sale price to stock up. But it’s worth it because you can save a lot of money this way.
Camp near a Wal-Mart and shop Dollar Stores.
Whenever I am researching a new campsite, one thing I always do is find the distance to the nearest Wal-Mart. Whatever your politics, if you are on a super-tight budget Walmart will let you live cheaper. If the nearest one is too far away I plan a once a month trip to stock up and I try to carpool with others to reduce the cost of the gas to it. If there is a choice between two campsites and one is significantly closer to a Walmart, I choose that one.
Very often remote towns will have a few very expensive local stores but everything else is far away. The Dollar Stores are figuring out they are a golden opportunity and coming into those small tourist towns. I always shop there first and will generally save quite a bit of money. Fairly often they will beat national chain grocery stores and sometimes even Wal-Mart.
Choose your state of residence wisely.
If you have a choice of where you legally and physically reside, there can be a huge difference in your cost of living. An easy example is California and Arizona. Gas costs at least 20-50 cents more per gallon in CA. I have a friend who tried to register his van in both states and the cost of yearly registration renewal was three times higher in CA. The tax rates in CA are tremendously higher (especially the personal property tax). If there is a way CA can get a dime out of your pocket it will!! Another example is Oregon which has no sales tax. If you spent part of your year there you might save quite a bit. Another big issue is auto insurance, which varies tremendously state to state. South Dakota has the second lowest cost of auto insurance in the nation, no personal income tax and very low auto registration rates, so many people choose it as a state of residence.
Look for a Community Garden and Farmers Market.
Many cities are now offering plots of ground available for city dwellers to use for the summer to grow their own food. If you are a vandweller with a green thumb, it is perfect for you! Farmers Markets offer fresh fruits and vegetables that are generally fresher, healthier and cheaper than store-bought. Take advantage of them!
http://www.communitygarden.org/
http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/
Consider homesteading.
I know this is a vandwelling blog but there are many of you out there with both itchy feet and a green thumb. It is possible to satisfy both and live cheaper at the same time. I have a friend with 20 acres in Arizona whose goal is to live on it in the summer growing his own food and then spend winter in his van in the Arizona desert. For many that is a match made in heaven!! Here is a book I own on homesteading which is a great start on learning about it: The Homesteading Handbook (Back to Basics Guides)
There is a story on my website about a guy who lives in his 5th Wheel trailer on his homestead in the summer, then harvests his crops and slaughters his animals in the fall and travels all winter in the trailer. Find it here: http://cheaprvliving.com/Homesteading.html
Consider foraging, hunting and fishing for food.-
I know some of you have a moral objection to killing animals for food. But I do want to appeal to the broadest possible audience so please forgive me and try to overlook my sins! I am totally convinced that a boondocker can dramatically reduce his food costs by hunting and gathering! I was a campground host in the Sierras for 4 years, and there is no doubt in my mind I could have eaten fish every single day of that time if I were a decent fisherman. There is also no doubt I could have eaten squirrel very, very often! For a person with the knowledge of local plant life, you could have been a very successful forager. In most places in the desert I find an abundance of rabbits, in fact where I am now in the Prescott National Forest is full of big, fat rabbits! In many parts of the country, edible plants, deer, birds and waterfowl are very abundant and tasty! Here is a great book on primitive living skills that I own and love! Primitive Wilderness Living & Survival Skills: Naked into the Wilderness
Here is a great book on foraging: The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants
Here is a book I read as a teenager and played a huge role in the way I live today. It probably changed me more than any other single thing in my life. I can’t recommend it highly enough. One Man’s Wilderness
For most of us, living off the land full time is probably not realistic and you shouldn’t try it. But supplementing your food with a foraging book, fishing pole, .22 and 20 gauge is quite practical! Do NOT break the laws of your state! A few skilled and determined vandwellers could drastically alter the delicate natural balance of an eco-system! Don’t take chances! Always remember the example of Chris McCandless! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_McCandless
If you haven’t read his story, you are missing out!! Find it on Amazon here:
Into the Wild
Here is a good example of learning from a hobby group. I was once interested in gold prospecting and joined a group called the GPAA (Gold Prospectors Association of America). Chances are there is a group somewhere near you. They held group outings where you could go and meet people, take classes and actually prospect with experts. I took this picture in North Carolina but they are very big across the West. Notice all the RVs in the background. It’s a great hobby for us and you can actually make money at it if you are good. But most don’t!!
Another great post Bob! As you know, we’re pretty fidgety and have a hard time staying in one place for a long time. Our biggest expensive is definitely gas! But we spend very little entertaining ourselves. This tip is for city dwellers or people who enjoy visiting cities. For a little more than $100.00 a year you can buy memberships to zoos, museums and gardens. A reciprocating membership will give you free admission to thousands of places all across the US.
When planning a city visit google the city name+free things to do. Visit the tourist information center too. An amazing number of things are completely free.
Totally off subject – a few times lately someone has asked a question on the forums that you have answered in detail on this blog but I can’t find a search anywhere so that I can find the correct information and pass it on. Am I missing it?
Karen, what a great tip!! I had no idea that was true! Do you have a ink to where I could learn more about it? How do you know which ones reciprocate and which ones don’t?
Read my response to Mara because it applies to this question too. I just became aware of another blog with a “search the site” button. I realized I desperately need that! It must be a simple plug-in so I will see if I can figure out how to make it happen. Sometimes I get lucky and I can. If not I will ask my friend for help.
Bob
Here are a couple of links that might help.
Reciprocal Museums
http://www.artsbma.org/membership-a-giving/reciprocal-museums
Reciprocal Gardens
http://www.ahs.org/gardening-programs/rap
Naomi, thank you so much for that info!!!! I checked it out and there are three museums within an hours drive of me. Plus there are multiple libraries in my planned travel area in Colorado and Utah. I might very well get one. It is expensive at $150, but it looks like I can take a free guest which over the course of a year might be a great deal.
The Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff offers guided tours of all different skill levels. They offer a 5 day/4 night trip through Canyon de Chelly with a Museum Archelogist and a Navajo Guide (it is on Navajo Nation land is a Navajo Sacred Place you can only go into the Canyon with a Navajo guide). That is a tour I would gladly pay $1000 for.
Thank you so much!!! Wonderful information!
Bob
Cool beans! Glad it helped. Please do call those museums ahead of time and make sure that they still accept that card. Also, special exhibits may not be included. And – many are free and don’t really require a membership. It’s just like life – it’s all a crapshoot.
My sister and her husband live in Salida, so if you’re in the area and need anything, I can put you in touch. Just let me know.
Naomi, I spent a summer in Leadville, which is just north of their, but I don’t expect to go that far this year. Probably just up 550 to Ouray, Silverton, Ridgeway than across to Moab. But Crested Butte in July is so spectacular in July, I may not be able to pass it up. A frequent commenter is in Pagosa Springs, which is a place so beautiful it takes your breath away! I may try to make it over to there.
Thanks for the offer though, I appreciate it!
Bob
Bob, I miscalculated a bit on the membership price. We always get a dual membership so I divided the cost in half but when I read over the requirements I found that most of the art museums require more than a single individual membership for reciprocal privileges. The science,zoo and garden memberships have reciprocal privileges with single memberships but each museum has slightly different rules so it’s best to read carefully before buying a membership. Also most of the time it’s not possible to get an actual membership card at the time of purchase. It must be mailed so plan ahead for that.
These are two that we have. By buying just these passes we get admission to art and history museums, gardens, science museums,zoos and aquariums.
http://www.winterthur.org/?p=717
http://www.wildwnc.org/become-a-member/become-a-member
I have more information on the “Museum Passes” link under my blog heading photograph.
One great benefit of the passes is that you can go to the museums multiple times. We often visit the same museum more than once, maybe for an hour or so each time.It’s especially nice when the weather is bad or if it’s very hot outside.
I hope that you find a search plug in. You have so much good information on the blog but it’s getting difficult to sort it out.
I found your response to Mara and I’m not sure what a RRS feed is either! The search button is a simple plug in however I’m lost when it comes to WordPress but I think that I can do emoticons. Good luck! 🙂
Hi Karen,
Here’s a good, basic text-based explanation of what RSS is:
http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Reference-Shelf/Libraries/RSS-Library/What-Is-RSS.shtml
Here’s an even better explanation in video format (even though the video is 5 years old, it’s still great):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0klgLsSxGsU
RSS does for reading blogs what your email client/program does for email. It’s cool, and makes it easy to keep up. Anywhere you see that little orange RSS icon (like on this blog here, right above the map showing where Bob is camping), you can subscribe to that blog. All blogs have the ability to publish RSS feeds.
Thanks for taking the time to explain all that Mara.
Bob
This is a fantastic post, Bob. I think that foraging is a step too far for most RV people, especially here in the UK!
But yes, libraries are a lifesaver, and I hear that Walmarts are perfect places to park. One huge benefit of RV living is that you can drive to the best library in your locality if you really need a good book 🙂
Green, a book you may want to look for is “Moneyless Man” by mark Boyle. Its the story of a guy in the UK who lived one year without using any form of money. He bartered, foraged and dumpster dived but never used any money. He doesn’t claim he could do it indefinitely, or that we should all do it, but he wanted to show that there were many more options that we know about. There must be some options for foraging in the UK.
In the US, it is a viable option for the really dedicated. I am not one of them though!
Bob
Excellent advice about charging multiple items while visiting the library. No matter what city I’m in, I look for the library. While in Michigan for 3 months I spent part of nearly every day there. The friendships I formed and the lectures, demonstrations and comfort at that particular library were first rate: rocking chairs in a sun-filled reading room; geraniums in the bay window (everyone was encouraged to snip dead leaves & take their own cuttings!); free coffee and cookies (honest!); free use of laptops if I didn’t bring mine; and they even stocked puzzles to check out!
On another note: being a prepper, my first concern is storing enough food for 3 months in a van. I do eat meat but don’t have to, so I stock canned meat. If needed, nearly all canned items (though not as nutritious, can be eaten without cooking.
My intent when van dwelling is to live as simply as possible with few conveniences and/or what most would call essentials. I happen to prefer this, so lucky me!
It’s the people and experiences and vistas that I long for.
Thanks once again for another great post!
Suzann, sounds like we both love libraries! You would think they would dry up and blow away in the digital age, but I think they are busier than ever. Amazon.com may be contributing to that by driving bookstores out of business. And, in this bad economy they are more important than ever for us on a tight budget. Truly a vandwellers best friend.
I’m not a real prepper, but I want 3 months worth of food on board. I’ve been stocking up on the #10 cans of freeze-fried and dehydrated foods. Even Walmart sells them now. The only practical way for us to be a real prepper is to own some land, which fits in perfectly with being a prepper and with the idea of homesteading. It’s an idea that really appeals to me.
It takes care of the itchy feet, green thumb and worried brain!
Bob
Excellent post!
I’d like to add one very important resource at any library – the librarian. If you need any type of information and cannot find it, ask the reference librarian. That’s what they’ve been trained to do, and one of the many good services that our tax dollars support (can you tell I’m a former reference librarian???). Especially if you new to a place, or just passing through, and are unfamiliar with the area and its resources.
~Naomi
As a retired Public Library Director, I was going to say just what Naomi said…ask for the Reference Librarian. They may not know everything, but sure know how to find out most anything. If they can’t do it themselves, they typically will get help from a larger library, perhaps the State Library, or a University Library. Just be sure that you let them know that you “do” or “don’t” want copies of anything they find out….sometimes they will charge you copy fees or faxing fees thinking you would like hard copies of what they find. Also, many times they have access to older maps which show old highways, railroad tracks, abandoned little cities, and they are a great resource for up-to-date information on state, county and local laws. Some places say that there is an ordinance which says it is against the law to overnight in parking lots….but if you read the law, it may be that the real ordinance does not pertain to churches or public property such as parks, libraries, city hall parking lots. If churches are omitted, be sure to get permission from the local pastor though.
Great Reminder Naomi!
Bob
I was watching the show “Hillbilly Blood” the other day. It’s about two guys in the NC mountains that have an almost subsistence living. They wanted to get a chain saw rather than needing to depend on axes and a crosscut saw for wood to heat their homes. They found a second hand one but didn’t have the cash.
So they decided to barter their way up to it. They gathered walnuts and used a press they’d made from a bottle jack, old steering wheel and other scavenged items and extracted walnut oil. They traded the oil and chopped walnuts to a friend for some scraps of high carbon steel, from which they made knives (with handles from antlers). They traded the knives for some wild ginseng, then traded the ginseng for something else (I think). Finally, they traded for the chain saw.
During this process, they flashed a diagram on the screen about how raw or salvaged materials plus hard work equals something of greater value. That’s the basic principle behind not only barter but commerce in general. Take something and add value. We might not always be able to convert what we create directly into cash, but sometimes we can barter our way up the ladder to what we were going to buy.
A Canadian blogger bartered his way from a single red paperclip to a house in a series of online trades over the course of a year:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_red_paperclip
I remember him. It shows what determination, imagination and hustle can do.
Very interesting John! I thought about including barter as a tip and didn’t. I should have!!
Bob
Al, I almost put barter in as a savings tip, but didn’t. Looks like I should have! That is a great example of creative living. There is another show on cable about 2 brothers in NYC that dumpster dive and collect just odd-ball, weird things from thrift stores and trash on the ground. One of the brothers is a genius at sales and negotiating and the is a creative genius–no exaggeration! They will take trash they pick up on the street and combine it with something else and sell it for $1200, and it will be worth it!
My problem is I am a terrible negotiator and have no creativity, zip, zero, nada! But for some people it is a real opportunity.
Bob
Ah, the library. I spent the past couple of months needing to disappear from the house while it was being shown to buyers. I’d go to the library. The one near me was busy sometimes and it wasn’t always possible to get a seat near an outlet. But the library was trying to be accommodating. They had power strips at most of the outlets. Though the wifi was free, it could get slow when the place was busy, so it’s good to know when the less busy hours are. Chances are library web access will also be filtered. But mostly, libraries are a great resource. Oh, and thumbs up for restrooms.
Al, I also have found the wifi to slow down when they are busy. But they are so good at other things I might get my wifi from McDonalds and then go to the library just because it is so great.
Great point about the bathroom too!
Bob
Slower wifi at the library is better than faster wifi at McDonald’s. Unless you’re hungry. 😉
Al, I have a friend who swears that Burger King has the very best WIFI. I think they have better food too.
Bob
While “The Forager’s Harvest” has a lot of 5-star reviews, one of the less enthusiastic reviews (I always check those) points out that the book is rather specific to the north central US.
I am not a forager, so I don’t have specific recomendations. I choose it because of the great reviews. I rarely see a book that well reviewed!
Bob
Bob, Great post! I want to say that recreational gold mining/panning is a wonderful, healthy, outdoor thing to do. I am still a member of Weekend Goldminers out of Dahlonega, Ga. and have went to many outings, and panned a lot of creekbeds up in that beautiful country! And found some gold! The best part is just the fun of it, and all the different people you meet! I would say there are a lot of creeks out west that if you remembered to bring your goldpan with you, might very well show a little color! Happy panning!
Linda, I know that country! I lived near Asheville NC for 1 1/2 years and you are just south of us. Beautiful , area!! You are fortunate to live there! It’s also pretty famous for its gold! A friend and I went to a place in NC where its private property and the owner bring you a yard of gravel and you work it through your sluice. We did surprisingly well out of it. I started out in Alaska, so when I came to the States it was a natural to continue.
While your area is good for gold, it really is much better out West. Where I was camped in Wickenburg I was within 20 miles of the Stanton ghost town where metal detectors are still regularly finding multi-ounce nuggets!! If you ever make it out here, maybe we will dip a pan together!
Bob
Learning from a book.
In 1972 with John Muir’s book “How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive and Running for the Complete Idiot” I was able to learn to turn wrenches on my ’59 bus.
Turned out I enjoyed turning wrenches and did it for a lot of years.
Right you are Rob! Never discount the power of a well written book.
Bob
Agree that learning to shut the @^*# up is one of life’s most important skills. Saves time and money.
The tip about charging electronics in a public place – BRILLIANT!
As I travel cross-country these days, I’m amazed at all the new Dollar Store locations. (Wish I had bought the stock 5 years ago). Your explanation about offering inexpensive name-brand goods in sparsely-populated areas makes sense.
Gotta love Wal-Mart! In fact, I’m camping in one as I write this. Not everyone is a fan but they do a lot of stuff right.
Thanks – I’ve learned a lot from this series.
Kim, I am going to ask you not to curse!! Not because I am offended (I am not) but because it totally turns me on when a woman curses!! And I can’t have a happily married woman turning me on!
Like nearly everything I know, I can’t take credit for the charging electronics in a backpack tip. I learned it from somebody along the way. That appears to be my calling on earth, learning things from lots of different people and publishing it all on the internet. Not a bad gig!
So you are on the road again! Is this the beginning of your long summer road trip? Hope you can squeeze a visit in along the way! But, you have to promise me–NO CURSING!!
Bob
Great post, Bob! For someone starting from an “ordinary American” life, these ideas could be transformative. I would like to note that listening does not come easily to a wide range of people. That’s a personal crusade of mine; I have a degree in communication.
I suspect the state-of-residence question is a bit different for those who depend on Social Security or SSI for their primary income. Especially if one is not around to pay high sales or property taxes, the balance changes in that situation.
I will join in the praise of librarians. My clergy person works in a library. She’s an excellent researcher and her talent is freely available to anyone who walks through the door. As with most librarians I have met, she is empathetic and quick-witted. Another such librarian helped me just yesterday in my search for a “really basic” book on cooking. The search succeeded, too.
Speaking of work, I have worked for Dollar General Stores. I first encountered them in a small town in East Texas in 1981. They have been expanding mostly in small places ever since, and that is intentional. One notable feature: they have in-store and online coupons for (for example) $5 off a $25 (before tax) purchase. That can be very nice for stocking up.
One question: how does a person who is new in a given town get a library card? The places I’ve been want a bill or piece of (received) mail with the applicant’s name and a local or at least in-state address.
I’m not sure I would hunt, but I do not judge those who eat what they hunt. The reasons I do not hunt are personal, not moral. I caution people to be careful of gun laws and hunting regulations. For plant hunters in and around Appalachia, ginseng is a cash crop that grows wild. I do not know whether the range goes beyond the mountains and foothills. It’s worth learning about if you spend time where it grows. I have a brother who lived indoors by finding ginseng for a season. Yellowroot (golden seal) also has buyers, but at a lower price. Mushrooms (woods morels) can probably be sold, but most people eat what they find. Be careful about permission to hunt these plants; you’re not the only one who knows their value. Getting to know local people is the best way to learn more about those resources.
Calvin,
Regarding your question about getting a library card when you’re new in town or passing through – it varies from library to library. Some will give you a temporary card for a nominal fee, others have different policies. Just ask. Even if you can’t get a library card, you can still use the library and its materials and services in the facility.
The wifi is always free as far as I know, so is reading magazines, etc., at the library, and the librarians have always been helpful. However, I’m seeing libraries require their card to use their computers. I have not encountered the temporary card except at Quartzsite, but then I haven’t been everywhere yet. Libraries are always useful; the idea is to make them even more so.
Calvin, I am no expert but that matches up with my experience as well. I love libraries!
Bob
I don’t worry about a library card when I’m traveling. Most libraries, and I must add most Goodwills as well, have books for sale for $1-2 or even less. I just buy a bunch in one town and donate them in the next. Not free but darned cheap. This way I feel like I’m contributing to all the free services they offer like charging electronics and wifi that I use frequently.
My hometown library where I do have a card has online books for rent that I can read on my phone or tablet, etc. for free. My only complaint is that they are not what they used to be from the standpoint of noise. I’m old enough to remember when they used to shush you if you made a peep and I sure do miss those days!
The other thing I rely on heavily, although I camp and shop at Walmarts a lot, is Dollar Tree stores. Everything there really is only a dollar so it makes it easier for me and I find tremendous bargains there, many times half the cost of Walmart for a similar product. Because I am very limited on space in my van, I appreciate buying in smaller quantities also,ie 6 bottles of water at a time rather than the typical 24.Most of them even have frozen food now too.
I also browse thrift stores for items before I buy it new or pay full price. I don’t mind a bit if it’s used. Jeans are softer, shoes are broken in, everything is preshrunk, haha.
Jenny, I couldn’t agree more. If you can get a book for a quarter and then donate at the next town, everybody wins! i also am I big fan of Dollar Tree, and they are one of the stores that is becoming more and more common in small tourist towns. Generally the other stores in town have to drop their prices to compete. The only problem is its hard for Dollar Tree to keep product on their shelves because they are so much cheaper than everyone else in town. Good problem to have! It’s hard for me to pass up a thrift store or yard sale also!
Bob
I agree about the Dollar Tree and it’s nice to see a “dollar” store where the price is really a dollar. A friend told me about them regarding reading glasses and dark glasses. “I buy them by the handful” he said.
Thrift stores and flea markets are a natural as well. Can be a source for items to resell or for barter as well.
Guy, I am going to but in to your reply to jenny and say I couldn’t agree more. I am so glad that Dollar Tree is expanding into some pretty small towns because there prices are so much better. Quartzsite is a great example. There are 3 small grocery stores there but their prices are 2-4 times higher on everything! When Dollar Tree came in they are always extremely busy and they have a hard time keeping product on their shelf. There is also a Family Dollar and it is exactly the same thing.
My favorite dollar store is Dollar Only. Everything is a dollar but they have a much larger selection of produce, meat, freeze and dairy as well as everything else. There stores are close to triple the size of the others. But they are only in larger towns as of now.
i also love Thrift stores, flea markets and garage sales. I have gotten some incredible deals at them!!
ob
One does not need a library card (at least in our town) if you use the items in the library & do not take them with you. So spend the day reading inside where it is warm in winter and cool in summer!
Good point! We usually have lots of time on our hands so spend it there reading in comfort.
Bob
Lots of great info and links. Thanks for the links to the informational sites Bob.
I found that certain restaurants also provide free wifi and outlets, and I used these quite frequently. Of course, this gets away from FREE, but it can be a low-cost experience if the library doesn’t work — perhaps because of the hour at which you find yourself needing internet — and there are McD’s and Paneras in tons of places. There are others, but these are the ones I found most conducive to my needs (ie, space and coffee at McD’s and usually an outlet; lots of outlet choices and decent menu and coffee at Panera). BW3 (wings/beer place) also boasts free wifi and their servers can seat you next to an outlet as well.
Again, the bag with multiple electronics for charging is brilliant. I didn’t do that on my drip, but I did usually bring in a second device to plug into the outlet and a third for USB charging via the laptop.
Has anyone found reliable solar chargers for their devices? I have a solar battery charger but I am not sure it’s working properly. And I also purchased a solar mobile phone charger, but that seemed to work twice and conk out.
I have to agree about listening being the most valuable skill.
And for some of us CAE, the hardest! lol
Bob
I just thought of a couple more things. I have parked myself many times in the parking lot of McD’s Panera or Denny’s and used their wifi. Not a terribly strong signal but workable in an emergency and you don’t want to buy a meal or coffee. The best wifi I have found in a parking lot is Lowes stores. That’s where I go if I want to watch a movie or something heavy duty.
Thanks so much for all the great ideas. This blog is awesome.
Jenny, it’s all the better now because you are here!
Bob
While at the library checking out the newspapers read the “Community Calendar” or church news for the churches that sponser free community meals once a week. The one we provide food for is on Tuesdays at 5:00. Anyone is welcome, it is free, no sermons, only fellowship. Other churches sponsor meals on other days.
Also in areas that grow vegetables, the farmer may let your glean the field after harvest. You can get enough for you and enough to give to friends. Be sure to ask first.
Great reminders Cardel. In nearly any good sized town there are soup kitchens, Rescue Missions and churches that give away food and meals. You rarely will go hungry if you are willing to ask for help and search it out.
Gleaing the fields is another great idea I never even thought about.
Bob
Hi Bob:
I was wondering if it is possible to garden on BLM land when you’re boondocking, or do the BLM folks frown on that practice?
For example, maybe you could plant a garden in a “hidden space” amongst the trees, and then come back in a few months when the plants have grown up and harvest?
How about US forestry land?
Other “public” land?
Regards,
Dan
AFAIK gardening on most public land is illegal. The forest service finds pot plantaions pretty frequently, and they are sometimes defended by armed people who may shoot you for going near.
I’m sure you are right Blars! Thanks for the tip, that’s a good reminder.
Bob
Dan, I’m sure it is technically illegal. I actually tried to do something like that. I had blueberries in a very large container. I got them from a local nursery so they were native to the area. The problem was that I was in the Sierras and it is very dry all summer. No rain from June to the end of August. So I had to go by and water them. It got too difficult so I just stopped. They didn’t die, but they didn’t bear fruit either. Brian, (from the picture) tried raising tomatoes in containers but they never ripened.
Container gardening would be you only good option and it is so limited and unlikely to work that it doesn’t seem worth the effort. But if you have a green thumb, maybe you could!
Bob
An incident at my library. I had been there about a half hour when two police officers arrived. They started talking to an elderly man sitting quietly in one of the comfy reading chairs. I don’t know what might have happened earlier, but evidently library employees wanted him removed. The officers were facing away from me, so I couldn’t hear most of what they said, but they were gesturing for him to get up and come with them. The man kept asking why he had to leave. The officers said they would discuss it outside. There was no big scene, but the man was perplexed and anxious.
So we should certainly be on our best behavior at the library.
Right Al. When you live on the edge of legality like we do, it is always good to be neat, clean and presentable. I consider looking people in the eye and smiling and saying “Thank you, I appreciate it.” the most important tool any person can have for getting through life.
Bob
Great post as usual. You tube is a really DIY resource. I have look up cleaning trout last summer when one of my kids took up fishing. I typed in how to skin a rabbit and several vids come up.
I looked up rabbit skinning/dressing videos too a few weeks ago. I think I could handle that.
Al, I’m reading a book on “ReWilding” about returning to our true roots as hunter gatherers. He makes a compelling argument that farming of all kinds-including organic farming is a blasphemy against the planet and infinitely more harmful and damaging to the earth than hunting. I believe it. I believe that hunting-gathering is the most moral way to live but its an awful lot of work!!
Bob
Stan, that’s a great suggestion. Most of us grew up with a total look of any kind of outdoor survival skill. Books are great but nothing can beat seeing it so youtube is a great idea. Thanks for the idea.
Bob
I almost forgot. Spread the word. Project guttenberg.com free public domain books in all formats ever spoken by computer. Literally thousands. Tell evryone
Thanks Stan, I will.
Bob
I meant “even spoken word books “.
Bob I noticed in your one answer to the person about the library incident that you made the comment thayt “When you live on the edge of legality like we do”. It kinda made me take a second look. What did you mean by that statement? I have been reading your blog for awhile now and I can’t see where you live on the edge of legality. Could you explain how that is?
Oh and I am going to maybe be getting a van and trying my hand at the van dwelling.
Steve, for vandwellers in the city there are often city laws against living in your van so we have to run around and looking for places where we won’t be found. That’s why we call it stealth parking. If you live on public land, then that sentence is inherently illegal, it is illegal to live on public land. If you follow the rules and move every 14 days then it moves into a gray area but most authorities would say it is illegal.
In much of the country being “Homeless” is either literally illegal or right on the edge of being illegal, and since we don’t own homes, technically we are homeless.
Bob
You can always use a dehydrator for meats, I use it a lot for my backpacking forays. There may even be someone out there who knows of a solar way of doing this. Have been reading and reading on your posts all day. I plan to take off here( Maine )this fall and live “on-the-road” in a roadtrek. I have no quams about being “out-there”.
Kathy, a dehydrtor is a great idea! My Sun Oven actually has a deydrater option and I believe it works very well–and it’s powered by the sun.
Bob
Hi Bob, I have been visiting your blog for quite some time and it’s great – thank you. I have a few questions. I couldn’t find any articles on your site about auto insurance. Do you have suggestions on which provider to use? Do you know about the costs for the types of coverage for a cargo van? Also, do you have any info about installing and using a wood stove in a cargo van for heating? I know there are other ways to heat a van, but wood is my preference since I wouldn’t have to rely on anyone for gas, or gadgets for electricity. I plan to spend time in cold places.
Hi Craig, thanks for your kind words! Here are answers to your questions:
1) Insurance: for most vans it’s just a matter of finding the lowest price. Never tell them you are living in the van, they will probably drop you! In some states 1 ton vans are automatically registered commercial so that can be expensive. Find out for your state. If you want to re-register a 1 ton van, boxvan or stepvan, in some states it’s very hard to get the registration changed to an RV so they will be registered commercial.
2) Woodstoves: The problem with woodstoves is they need a certain amount of clearances around them to be safe so they end up taking up a lot of space and in a van you have very little to spare. If you want to pursue it, I would look at marine woodstoves. They are designed for the specific problems of tiny spaces and constant movement and vibration that are unique to vans, RVs and boats. They wil be more expensive but they will be extremely well made and probably pay for themselves in the long run by being reliable. Beyond that, what price are you willing to pay for your life?
Bob