How old are you?

[prepngo]

I am interested in knowing the age of those in preparedness. Personally I think the largest age group may be those over 50, but am curious to really know.

So, what is your age?

Me? 51

[Lake_Lady]

55 here and I started preparing about a year ago. Some of us are a little slower to get started I guess.............but I've jumped in with both feet and I'm trying to make up for lost time.

[TNDadx4]

I'm 40 and started preparing a few years ago. I'm glad to see others here my age and older. Sometimes I feel like I started too late, but learned that it's never too late, Well, you know what I mean...

[mom]

55 here and I began mentally preparing for this and learning the skills necessary long ago

[Suzy]

I've just turned 56 but have been trying to live this lifestyle for about 30 years....but have REALLY gotten into it in the last 20 years....I think when I started reading BWH and COUNTRYSIDE in 1990 that really got me serious about everything!

[Suzy]

A few more things....I wish I had gotten REALLY SERIOUS about this lifestyle when I was much much much younger! Wish I'd had farm animals when my kids were growing up!!!! We did homeschool the last two but wish now I had homeschooled them all for the entire time as well!

[seekeroftruth]

37 here. Been preparing in certain ways since I was in my teens. Been hitting it hard and heavy the last 7.

[aprilconnett]

I'm 32, but am just a beginner.

[Naughty_Pines]

I'm 65 and may start tomorrow. :-X

[rockymtngirl]

46 but feel younger! Just starting out on the self sufficiency road so I have a lot of catching up to do.

[gsb]

37, finally got serious this past year. Been doing a little since 2000. But have learned alot since reading these posts and subscribing to BHM. Learned alot of new skills that will help on the way. Can't wait to see more!!!

[MotherCharlotte]

I'm 29, hubby is 32, and we're just beginning--we feel like we're starting late and should have had much different priorities eight years ago when we got married!

[Shamrock1121]

I'm 55 and we did a lot in 1999 and continue to build on what we did back then. The most important thing was to get and stay out of debt... You have better options if you don't have a millstone of debt around your neck.

- Added different types of food, including more freeze-dried foods in #10 cans, along with a large (Mormon inspired) pantry.

- Purchased better Solar Ovens (a Tulsi Hybrid Solar Cooking Oven and a Global Sun Oven) and use them as much as possible so they are second nature for cooking/baking.

- Got a hand-powered Family Grain Mill as a back-up mill to my old electric Whisper Mill, and have increased the amount of grain/beans/seeds in storage. I also have a hand-powered blender, and other hand-powered mills, grinders, flakers, etc...

Not only do we have these in storage, but I've eliminated commercial flour entirely and bake everything at home.

I can make a large variety of breads and other bake goods using sourdough starter so I can function very well without commercial yeast and chemical leaveners, which would quickly be unavailable.

- I've created a book of BASIC recipes that use the basic foods we have in storage. By living on whole foods NOW, I wouldn't need to adjust to a life without something that was in a box/bag/can that needed a microwave to prepare.

- I've recently gotten interested in food I can grow indoors - should outdoor gardens become a dangerous things to have because of idiots who can't fend for themselves. People in need seeing back-yard gardens as 5-finger discount areas.

- Figured out how and where to grow foods so it doesn't look like a typical designed garden. This year I'm working on an amaranth patch which will provide a lot of high-protein cereal food as well as fresh greens, but most people would think it's a weed patch.

- Developed and increased our water storage capacity (rain barrels - approx. 1000-gallons).

- Purchased a non-electric water distiller - the best method for purifying water for drinking.

And a thousand other little things....

-Karen

[Baxtherin]

I'm 28, and the wife is 30, and we just got started this year. It's always been in the back of both our minds (unbeknownst to the other) but i ran across this website and it spurred me to discuss it with her. Now we've jumped in with both feet and are working on getting out of debt and becoming semi-self-sufficient at the same time. We've been working on getting out of debt for years, but we both feel that there are certain things to prepare for that are even more important than getting out of debt (i.e. a way to get water without electricity!). We feel like we got started late too, so i guess that feeling is universal no matter how old you are. ;D

I must say i would be lost without the people on this forum and the superb concentration of excellent data.

Thanks everyone!
-Travis

[walls0stone]

29...and..11 months

[bookwormom]

for a minute I thought I was the oldest, good thing naughty pines came along. We are 60 and 67 respectively. I have been into this it seems forever, with hubby for the longest time dragging his feet and thinking I have major screws loose. Now he is catching on, but he has loads to learn.
We need to get a lot of things yet. I have been collecting hand implements, kitchen tools etc. and use them, My only electric "tool" that I use is my Vita Mix. I want to get the wood splitter shamrock is recommending, also the Stove top water distiller, we need to get a good big water filter, I really ought to make one out of a big barrel as we have animals and hope to keep some going once the SHTF. They need to drink too. My motto is, proper tools are half the work, and keep them sharp. Don't know what this has to do with my age. ??? ??? I just like to digress

[Katrina-Sisu]

I'm 23 and Hubby is 34. He's not interested so much in homesteading but he likes the frugal ideas of it.

I'm hoping to have my own little homestead someday.

Kat

[12vman]

I'm 50 1/2 years young.. and still gittin' it.. ;D

Ain't got time to get old..
~Don

[msta999]

I'm 44, kind of grew up around this type of life, but got away from it in my late teens, so I have only spent the last year looking/learning the "old ways". ;D

[OzarkMtnDaredevil]

I'm 50 1/2 years young.. and still gittin' it.. * ;D

Ain't got time to get old..
~Don

Uhh... Jerry Lee Lewis? Is that You? There you go with the '39 and Holding' theme again. Rockin' your life away, I see. ;D

I'm 42 and not surprised at the absence of 'younger' members. My kids don't get it at all. I, at least, hope that I have planted some seed of thought in them that may sprout some day.

[ms-woman]

I'm 28 and husband is 26. We both grew up in frugal families. Moved to our own homestead 3 years ago. We have ten acres with a dairy cow (Betsy) she is the best Mother's Day present I ever got! Christmas '07 he got me a dairy goat (Sweetie). We also have chickens, guineas, 1 mule (for gardening), 2 belgians-he's trying to use all the old equipment his family has accumulated through the generations! We also raise great pyrenees. We have three gardens we eat out of-fresh, frozen and canned. We grow all our own food for our livestock. I make butter, homemade bread, trying to make jelly/jam from our plums, saved our peach crop from the late frosts this year! I make all home-made meals, buy bulk! I'm a teacher part-time and my husband farms and does odd jobs in the community. We have two children girl and boy and my mother lives with us :) We are currently building a off-grid cabin looking out over a lake behind our property. Soon to start on our house! Pay as we go. Debt free except for medical bills. My whole extended family thinks I'm nuts, but when they run low on groceries who do they call? We love this life and don't want to live any other way!!!

[flatwater]

My body says 60 and my mind says 20 one of them has got to tell the truth before it kills me.
Flatwater

[MotherCharlotte]

What a woman! You're living my dream. 8)

Ditto! ;D

[TNDadx4]

Ditto! ;D


Hey, we all are having the same dream... lol

[RangerRick]

58, retired these past 7 years, debt free, got all the toys and livin life as I damn well please and hope the same for you and yours.

;)

Rick

[sbemt456]

45 here and hubby 50, and we are working our butts off to keep ahead of high prices. We have the means to be self sufficient but hubby is dragging his feet a little but after all he does still work a full time job. Making progress though.


stella
east kentucky

[Deberosa]

Well, I am 52 and started this homestead 5 years ago. Like everyone I wished I would have started much earlier but a person's got to start somewhere!

[humbug]

I am 43.
I grew up out in the mountains off grid. I worked my butt off to get away from that lifestyle. About 15 years ago I started to gravitate back toward a self sufficient life. My ex husband and I bought a solar/wind house..but lost it in the divorce. I currently live on a 1/2 acre with my dogs, chickens and goats....and big garden.

[elh]

soon to be 55. cant believe it still going strong. Good luck and happines to all.

[FZRaven]

I'm 25, I've always been into the simple life if you will. I'm an amateur bladesmith, only made 2 knives so far. I think it's important to be self sustaining, you can't always depend on other people or the government.

[jen_in_southtexas]

Im 36 and my 30's have been the best years of my life! *

When i was a kid and to date, I have always been fascinated with the stories of everyday living/survival my Grandma and her family endured. *It really puts me to think that if you cant learn the basics about basic living and your basic needs then you might be in trouble someday. You have to look at the big picture and go on taking care of yourself as if you will be on your own forever without anyone around. It took so little to make them happy in those days. *That is why I appreciate what i do have and could care less about what others have. *We take what we have and do the best we can with it. *Dont seek other's approval when the only one that counts is your own because ultimately you are the only one that lives with your decisions.

Im the only one in my whole family that likes this kind of sustainable lifestyle. *Ive always been in my own little world and they think Im weird but if SHTF i know that i wouldnt starve so they would probably look for me then. *I can hunt and fish and cook some mean,hardy dishes. ;) *

I think it is very important that people know some basic survival skills. *

Once when my aunt came down to visit me at my old property that had the travel trailer and i ran it on DC/solar power she asked, "where's the light switch?" and i pointed to the battery box and handed her a flashlight. *She was puzzled but she dealt with it then asked where the bathroom was and i said, "Well, Ive got 10acres..find u a nice quiet spot." She's a funny character and we laughed about it. She got along fine after a few drinks. *She said she ended up having a really good time and sooooo glad to be away from the Houston metroplex. *Go figure. ;D

-jen

PS...I like my own little world and everybody knows me here. ;D

[fredfl]

59 retired 3 years ago. I did the homesteading thing for 25 years and enjoyed it very much but can't do the phsyical stuff so well any more. We are living in a Fla retirement community now and enjoying the leisure life.

[AlchemyAcres]

I'll be 43 the end of August. :-X

~Martin

[kerryms]

I'm 47 and have learned thru the years to have extras on hand. During an ice storm a few years back we had no power for 2 weeks and did just fine. Deep-dish pizza cooked in iron skillet on the grill tastes great! I've lived with no running water for 6 months. So just a little bit here and there until I moved in with my daughter, she's teaching me new things. I'll be making plum jelly in the morning for the first time. Your never to old to learn.

[longshot]

41 here and as for the homesteading, im working on it. putting in a start of a garden this year.


ls

[FirestarterKY]

44 here, had to subtract 44 from 2008 just to make sure! LOL!
Yup, 45 this July.
If I had my way, I would not know my years.
But, people ask from time to time, makes me remember!
Gee, thanks!
And I'm rich too, until I have to look at the checking account!
LOL!

Karen

[Cutter]

61 going on 16

[chloe3388]

52 here been living kinda prepping side most of my life. Grew up on a farm/ranch in west Texas. Always had to plan for the hard times cause they always came along. Grew up hauling our water till we finally got rural service, man that was living!!!

We usually grew a 2 acre garden and had all the animals for protein. Spent my summers working cows and hauling hay or fixing fence. Guess I can't live any way but a prepping kinda life.

We have our garden and animals (goats, chickens, ducks, guienes, rabbits and getting some pigs in the fall). Generally don't have to get much from the grocery store, unless I can't produce it myself.. We hunt and add to the meat supply, also fishing when time allows.

[CarolAnn]

How old is dirt? Ad a couple of years - that's my age.

:P

[pooter]

I'm so old I poot dust !

[wy0mn]

Next year I'll be 48 again, and the year after too. This has been a great year for me.
Sober for a full year, landed a job as a Wind Turbine Technician, and shingling my uber-remote, wind/solar cabin this weekend.

[nz1h]

I'm 47 and been doing this for 14 years.

[B00kW0rm]

I'm almost 36 (in Sept.). Just getting started! We will be moving soon and we hope to get a place that is a bit more out in the country, but we're committed to becomming more self-reliant regardless of where we move to :D

[B00kW0rm]

To wy0mn,

Congratulations on one year of sobriety ;D!!

[OzarkMtnDaredevil]

Next year I'll be 48 again, and the year after too.
Uhh.. Jerry Lee sang 39 and Holding before you were 39. Were you not paying attention back then? :o
We could all be so much younger than our... uhh... what was the question? :-[

[Dobelo17]

I am 43 yrs old and just getting started trying to become self reliant. I am having a very hard time
trying to work towards and kind of self reliance. My husband lives on credit cards and spends every dime we make. He goes nuts if I put one cent in the savings
account. I put all the money from selling my cows and
goats into the savings account he went and bought a new 4 wheeler and spent every dime I had made. THe
mortgage is due and so are the taxes. He is know mad
because I sent out the credit card bill he had and there is no money left in either account. How do you get to any kind of independance with so many bills hanging over your head? I am planning on moving out when
my daughter graduates in 5 yrs that will give me some
time to put away money for my own place. I hate lying
to my husband but see no future with someone who
the worse it gets the more money he spends. We have two kids and getting a new 4 wheeler was more inportant then helping my son with school or trying to
find a alternative heat source for this winter instead of
gas.

Becky

[wy0mn]

Hey Rob,
Alzheimers isn't all bad, you forget you made love & go right back at it again! Its like waking with a different woman every morning.
Now what was I saying... ?

[sonshine]

I'm 61 and started serious preping in 1999 right here on this forum. I've always kept extra food.

Judy

[Red_Diamond_Ranch]

I'm 64, we've been doing this a long time. Started in 1971. We have always done everything together. Didn't plan it that way, we just enjoy being together everyday. We live 10 miles past cable and dsl. Our satellite broadband does OK. We don't want much. Just live long enough to see our Great Grandchildren grow old. :)

[Faye]

I will be 57 in August and have been learning since I married my DH in 1968. His family did it all and I just learned as I went along. My biggest problem has always been debt but I am working on that now that I have gotten old enough to have gotten some wisdom.

[Lynnkay]

This week in the mail, I received a postcard from Hallmark, telling me that my 'Half-birthday' is on July 5, and I can get a free gift for the occasion.
This was just a reminder that in six more months, I will turn 63. And this is one of the best seasons of my life. My husband is still employed full-time (teaching) with an organic grass-fed cattle farm we run on the side. We enjoy living on our homestead and learning more about organic foods and gardening (and playing with our three grandchildren).

[gardenfay]

I'm 48 and have been interested in self-sufficiency basically my whole life - i think because i was raised that way.

[Gracie]

Dear hubby and I are both 57, for 13 days am married to an 'older feller' :) We have always tried to be frugal, but now realize this is not enough. Gracie

[Funkhouser]

I'm 36, my wife is 39 and our little boy is 6.

[mistyriver]

43 and we've been living this lifestyle for 6 years. Attempted it the first time when I was 29. Big failure but we lived and learned.

[homesteadingnky]

38 next month. My wife and I both raised on big farms so we've been doing the farming thing most of our lives. However, only the last 5-6 years have we begin to understand and transition towards a more sustainable farming method. Moved to organic biointensive gardening and loving every minute of it!! Hope to be a life long student of homesteading and hope that life is as long as my wife's great=grandfather's! He turned 104 this spring and still mows his yard and weed eats. Still drives to church and is mentally as sharp as a tac. Amazing man!! Hope I can make it that long. ;)

Homesteading Dad in KY

[alma]

i'm 85, married 65 yrs.

[rAcErRicK]

Alma, haven't seen you in a long time. How are you doing ?

[EarthMother]

I'm 55 and we did a lot in 1999 and continue to build on what we did back then. *The most important thing was to get and stay out of debt... * You have better options if you don't have a millstone of debt around your neck.

- I've created a book of BASIC recipes that use the basic foods we have in storage. *By living on whole foods NOW, I wouldn't need to adjust to a life without something that was in a box/bag/can that needed a microwave to prepare.


- Figured out how and where to grow foods so it doesn't look like a typical designed garden. *This year I'm working on an amaranth patch which will provide a lot of high-protein cereal food as well as fresh greens, but most people would think it's a weed patch.



And a thousand other little things....

-Karen

Hey Karen,

Can I come live with you?

I'm 61 and started reading up from about the time Mother Earth News began. I was born poor and while God has blessed us greatly, once you've been poor you never forget how to hustle and get by. I'm making Buddie Burners when I have tuna or cat food tins. I speak to thrift stores and check garage sales for old candles to melt to pour over the card board. I have also taken a #2 1/2 can, cut air vents so it can be turned upside down over one BB. Makes a nice little 1 burner cook stove. This is just emergency start up cooking until we get everything set up to operate an 1800s home.

[rachark]

I am 21 years old (22 on FRIDAY), and am TRULY a beginner. My Mom (57) and I are moving to the Ozarks at the end of August to buy our little homestead. I have very few useful skills, but am learning as fast as I can. I am learning how to cook (from scratch), experiencing my first forays into the garden, and reading and learning everything I can get my hands on about homesteading.

I look forward to getting to know all of you,
Rachel

[Dawgus]

I'll be 43 next month, though today I feel 73 lol Lugging 10 ft sections of 2" pipe up 3 floors all day will do that... :-/

[Cil]

I'm 46 and proud of it, baby! I quit complaining about my age just before my 40th when I remembered I have two cousins that will never make any older than 3 years and 31 years.

[medic]

I'm fifty and just getting my act together again after a rather long and nasty divorce. So, right now I'm in a cape cod in a suburban area in PA. I push my luck alot with the borough council because I know what the area was like in the sixties and can't figure out why the new changes, such as not being able to keep some chickens in my back yard anymore. I have some acreage in the Poconos I'm going to start work on next sprig and hopefully build my own cabin with a well and stay off the grid. I recently convinced a hunting and fishing club I belong to to allow me to let my sixteen foot teepee up down by the one stream year round. It sure is nice to go to the club and not stay in a house, just walk down the trail, cross the stream, and stay in the teepee. Funny thing is since I put it up it seems to be getting more use than the farm house/ club house by quite a few of us.

[OzarkRidgeRunner]

I'm 53....noticed several stated they began prepping in 1999. Y2K? Yep..that's when it all started for me even though I didn't even know what it was called. I knew I needed wood to heat the house, can goods to eat (thinking no fridge because of grid loss), cases of bottled water, batteries and oil lamps for lighting, several bottles full of propane to cook on the grill and firearms for just in case. My ex-wife would just roll her eyes back each time I came home with something else. Oh yea....she couldn't wait to say "I told you so 1/1/2000. Well as fate may have it, Febuary rolled around with an ice storm that took the power out for 6 days. Oh yea...I told her so when she sat by a roaring fire, eating beef stew that I prepared on the gas grill and the house well lite by the oil lamps. I think I knew then that we were headed in opposite directions. She is happy going her direction now and I am happy going mine. And we do share a beautiful 23 yr old daughter so all is well!

[OzarksJohn]

Howdy.

I'm almost 46. I have a hard time finding young folks (under 30) that fall into our mindset. I think the video realm has "owned" that generations attention for way too long.OzarksJohn

[Wes]

heh, I feel almost out of place down here at 19 (almost 20 to my defense). But I figure that just gives me more time to learn all I can.

[rAcErRicK]

Wes, you are wise beyond your years already. You will do well. Unfortunately, there is not much to be learned from your peers (of any value). I have been to many job related schools, and many not directly job related, but when it came to doing my job well, or preforming a desired task, it was some older, usually grey haired, and many times not educated person that taught me what I needed to know. The same will work for you. It is not PC this day and time to listen to the older ones, but throughout all history, that is where the wisdom has always been, and will always be. ;)

[bookwormom]

I second that.

[sioux-pepper]

Hello,
33 here and DH is 31 with a 1yr old and a 4 yr old. We have always been on ranches, so kind of grew up having to be frugal - but not to the extent we need to be. This web site has so many ppl with so much info - it's a blessing for sure. To think that 15-20 years ago, all of the info one can gather here was much harder to come by.

[HockeyFan]

I think I'm 53.

[DavidOH]

I think the largest age group may be those over 50,

You might be right. 47 8)

[MYellowRose]

I'm 58, will be 59 in Oct. and I see no reason to hide my age, I've earned every gray hair I've got!! And I deserve each and every one.
After being diagnosed with Stage IV Rheumatoid Arthritis in Jan. '01, I've pretty much given up on ever living the lifestyle though I'll continue to learn everything I can so I can pass it on to my DD and her three girls whom I now live with.

[Bruenor]

I'm 25 and my wife is 26. I always joke with her that I can't wait for the day when we walk into a restaurant and I say, "One regular meal and one senior citizen." ;D

Everyone I meet tells me that I seem older. I usually don't have patience with people my own age, mostly because I see them trying to outlive their parents at age 25. :-/

We have a half an acre right now in a neighborhood of a small town. It's enough to have a small garden out back for daily use. My parents live on several acres no more than 40 minutes from here, so that's where we have a large canning garden.

My dream in life is to buy 100 acres of land and build my house in the middle of it. It will happen....some day.

[StephiLou]

I am 35. My SO is 36. We have a 4 1/2 year old son. I started getting into this lifestyle back in '96 or '97. Like a few others here, I really got into it prepping for Y2K. I worked at a hospital then, and was in charge of all the medical equipment being compliant - no stress there! :o

Anyway, the more I got into the self-sufficent lifestyle, the more my ex thought I had lost my mind. Notice I said X. ;)

I had already started gardening and doing some canning. Luckily, my SO and his family work a lot with the Amish, so this lifestyle isn't too much of a shock. But I wanted to take it a little further.

My current SO thought I was a little out there - until Katrina hit. We were in the hospital with our son in Chicago, and watched all of that on TV. There is no question that had we been in a situation like that, our son would not have survived. Period.

We are getting more serious about this type of lifestyle. Our biggest goals are paying of debt(although we don't have any credit cards), producing our food, and getting something in place for alternative power/heating/cooling.

Our original goal was to get a farm - both to support this lifestyle and because our son's disabilities prevent him from being around anybody (going to school etc.). Where we live will be his world. Right now, we are still in town, but have almost an acre lot. We are working on getting fencing put up - then maybe we can get some rabbits or chickens. We'll see.

Steph

[AuntJenny]

49..only 2 more months until I am 50 though...hard to remember that I am not still 35...but then my oldest son is 30 so I guess that wouldn't work. Husband is a year older.

[Beans]

Im 36 and been doing this on and off since 25....

[pinetreefarm]

We are 68. Started prepping before Y2K, right here on this forum. Although I got into some of this stuff back in the late '60's and '70's when it was called "alternate lifestyle"...organic food and gardening...spinning, weaving...stuff like that. We kept up with the organic part and like shamrock...went to whole foods.

Although we were legally unable to home school our children, we are homeschooling our grandchildren. I have a teaching degree. Now I have started taking 3 college courses looking to get my MA degree eventually. Must be getting senile.

Pine

[flatwater]

Just turned 61 on the 12 of this month. Part of me feels 70 in the morning and as I warm up I'm back to 20 for about an hour then I get back to 61 for the rest of the day. I just wish I could be 20 when me and sweety get ready for bed. I'm just
not as good as I once was but I'm as good oce as I always was.
Flatwater

[rAcErRicK]

Happy birthday Flat. You're just gonna have to move that latter situation up about 12 hours or so, ya think ?

[remington]

16 and am just starting.

[johnjmw]

47 and enjoying my life a little more every day. And counting down the days till I can move to the country which has been my dream for, Hmm 25 or 30 years. I've been stashing away info for the move for years now. Started reading Mother Earth News before she changed into a YUPPY mag. Now I am here where there seems to be quite a few like minded people who see whats coming, not panicking but slowly getting ready with slow deliberate self reliance.
John

[lsg]

Over the hill and sliding fast. ;D

[honeydee]

29, hubby will be 30 in December.

I am more interested in actively seeking out preparedness methods and ideas than he is, but when I bring this kind of stuff up he pretty much agrees with me. I think that he really appreciates the things I do to cut corners and be frugal. :)

[silvergramma]

51 here will be 52 in may started prepping in 2004

[MrGreenJeans]

Two day,s older than dirt. Well that,s what i feel like lately. ;D Seen my half century.

[Kyhome]

54 year old dreamer, since mid 70's good ole Mother Earth News.

[jen_in_southtexas]

Im 37. Ive always wanted to go back to the country, I never liked the city life. Ive always liked the idea of going to live back in the country like i was raised in my early years and raising my own food and animals and having surplus everything. I never even knew that there was a name for it till about 2007 ???. Homesteading! I was beside myself when i discovered that there were actually websites on this sort of thing. ;D

-jen

[johnny]

72 and probably about 20 years at least past even the thinkin stages of homesteading. Nope--me and old bones wont be ruffing it. Doing good but not gonna give up the good stuff as long as its available.

[MissouriFree]

coming up on the 25th aniversary of my 39th birthday

[Boris859]

37 and just gettin into the swing of country life,we had chickens and heated with wood,were pretty self reliant when I was a child,as I got into my teens I wandered off the path and have only found it again in the last 6 years,some of it comes back to me as I go,but I wish i would have have payed attention to some of the things dad was trying to teach me,but he loves my place and wishes he could live here too,as surburbia is creeping up to his back door.I did read some things in mother earth news and foxfire when I was a kid,gotta see if dad still has those foxfire books,could be mighty handy

[woodzman]

I'll be 45 on June second. Don't spend too much on my present. ;)

[harvester]

hehehehe, how old am i? aint u cute? ;)

grew up with preparedness, spent my lifetime educating myself and others on old time living. ya know, how it was done back in the good ole days before all the sparkly shinny perties!

im always working on it, ill never be prepared. frankly, no one will.

[EarthMama]

52 here... going to be 53 this summer. And I'm LOVIN' this age!! Wouldn't trade it for any other age! ;D

[EarthMama]

72 and probably about 20 years at least past even the thinkin stages of homesteading. *Nope--me and old bones wont be ruffing it. *Doing good but not gonna give up the good stuff as long as its available.

Nothin' wrong with that, Johnny. I'm sort of in the same mindset. Totally roughin' it is not on my agenda anymore. I like my central air-conditioning and store-bought fresh veggies in the dead of winter. But I love the simple life in a lot of other ways and absolutely adore our 2 acres (except during hunting season and the 4th of July!!) and the solitude it brings.

My idea of the "simple life" doesn't mean bustin' my rear all day long, from sun up to sun down and beyond. But to those who do love that sort of thing, I wish them much love, luck and happiness. Everyone should follow their dream.

[momma_to_seven_chi]

I am 44. I grew up on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere and still live pretty close to that too. The road in front of the property is a hard road now though, so you have to go about a mile to get to a dirt road. *THAT'S PROGRESS!
Hubby grew up all citified, but he's a convert. *He brought me home turkeys for our anniversary. ;)

[Native87]

39 yrs old. Was raised this way and I suppose die this way also. Bought the old home place after the Army and still improving and preparing. Love It. Terry ;D

[crafty2002]

54 with way too many miles and injuries on the body.

ETA: I didn't get started nearly as early as I should have. Never thought about it until getting on some forums after I fell a little more than 5 years ago and figured out really fast that a disability check wasn't enough to make it on.
My wife never had to work until then and looks like now we swapped places. She works now and I am the cook, bottle washer, fire wood cutter and gardener, LOL.
But we are putting every penny we can into the project now. Just ain't that many pennies, LOL.

[cwatson]

42 and DH is 46 and got started about 3 years ago but very slowly. Been really ramping up since last year. Have been baking from scratch for years and loving it. I make 3 squares everyday for my family and we are not talking about cold cereal :P DH finally got the hang of getting me good presents when I flat out said I want a reel mower for Mom's day last year. Love that thing, never run out of gas. :D Of course I only do about 1/3 an acre with it DH does the back with rider right now till the goats get here. Have a Mr. Squeezo from my grandmother. I have been trying to expand the garden every year but it is still not large enough to get us through the year. DH is more into reading about than doing but he supports me 100% so I will make sure we are taken care of. He has come a long way for a city boy though.

I have learned tons from this forum in the short amount of time I have been posting here. And have come a long way in a short time with everyone's help. Thanks

[rAcErRicK]

Coming up on 70. Raised in the country, made a big mistake not staying there. Spent my good years in the rat race, in a bad marriage, raised my son, educated him, got him married and in a home, and left. I will never make it back, but am able to do most of what I want to. Still building race tracks, making friends, and lovin' it. I do enjoy BWH, and love the people. I love my God, and I love my country.

rick * :D

[crafty2002]

I'd have never took you for more than 60 Rick. But ya can't see through the computor, can ya?
I know what you mean about should have never left the country. A little bit anyway. Grampa and grandma had a 470 acre farm up in Pulaski county, Virginia when I was a little boy. They raised daddy and 10 siblings there and they all moved away.
So Daddy's family was one of them that broke up the small farming thing.
Daddy went to work in Dan River Mills and drilled wells, got an aunt that went to work as an operator for the phone company, three preachers, a welder, an electricain, and I forget what else but they all went there own ways, gramps died, they all got together and sold the farm and bought grandma a new how and then she died and there is nothing left of what gramps worked his whole life to build.
Mama's father had houses and land in several places here and they sold it all off piece by piece.
It doesn't matter what you have on your plate, the other persons plate looks better and you don't realize it wasn't until it makes ya sick. Too late then, huh? *
Don't ya know I would love to have 470 acre with pigs, cattle, and corn growing on it?
Here lately I am thinking it isn't the children that are screwing this country up. It's the parents of those children and that started years ago.
Dennis *

[rice paddy daddy]

60. Been livin on borrowed time since 1970, so it's all good! ;D ;D

[debidoodle]

43, I'll be 44 this June. ;D

[PaulNKS]

47 almost 48

[anvil]

61 and been living the lifestyle since I was 25.. lost my wife 15 years ago,,and just went thru another maj loss,so using all my "learning" to start over in a new location(NM).

I am a working blacksmith and have been for the last 30 years or so,,learning now how to make iron and steel in small quantities for personal use,,and feel that my craft and skills will be muchly needed should a crisis ever actually happen,,

if not,, well I just plumb love heat'in it and beat'in it...

so how can it get any better than that? :D

anvil

[1lifetolive]

Turned 50 about a week ago.

[logansackett]

Just turned 41. Great googly moogly!!!

[sulix]

66 and still feeling good.I have grown up in the country and love it.Still cut a lot of wood to keep the house warm.My old bones are starting to notice the hard work. LOL. The SoDak winters sometimes get quite cold. I grew up with gardening and raising chickens and it never gets out of your blood.Love to cook and bake. BUT i hate doing dishes.LOL. maybe that is why i have a couple dogs Started prepping back in 98.Ya never know when something can happen.Kinda lonely on the Poor Farm. Maybe i should look for a lady and get hooked up. lol

[daphodil]

I just turned forty last month and I feel like it. My two dds like to announce how old I am in public at times. This wasn't too embarassing when I was in my thirties; now it's no longer endearing. ;)

[Kelleysvt]

I'll be 39 in July, DH turned 37 in November - been easing into homesteading/self-sufficiency for about 7 years; got more serious about it last year.

[johnjmw]

Just turned 48 in January, but still feeling younger,,,, most of the time anyway.
John

[EarthMama]

61 and been living the lifestyle since I was 25.. lost my wife 15 years ago,,and just went thru another maj loss,so using all my "learning" to start over in a new location(NM). *



So sorry about your losses, Anvil. :'(

How do you like NM so far? It's always a place that has intrigued me... from hearing others, who live there, talk briefly about it. Carla Emery lived in NM, I believe, and she loved it too... God rest her soul.

What are the pros and cons of NM, if ya don't mind me askin'?

[gwhilikerz]

61

[kberg]

25

[56farmerjohn]

59, will be 60 this year... Still work 40 hours + per week at manual labor job, then go home and do some more work, although some I'm not so interested in home work, just too pooped...

[reedb66]

I am 43 and have been homesteading since I was around 25 (3rd homestead for my wifey and I ), We have been married for 21 years poor girl!Actually she has been with me since we were 5 or 6 as I married my sisters best friend so we grew up together (noooo secrets here)lol!!!

Reed

[mtwildflower]

41

[huckelberry]

im a 1960 model an been doin this since 1989 ;D

[Storms]

Well, I turn 40 tomorrow, but have been preparing for survival now for well over 12 years.

[jerry-nc]

I'm new here but might as well get it over with I'm 62 retired and sometimes feel every minute of it. wish i'd started when i was still in good enough health to do the homesteading. jerry

[alwaysacowboy]

62 in a couple of months. Wife and I will be starting to build our off grid house as soon as weather permits. I'll let someone else do the foundation, thank you, but we'll do the rest.
We bought a semi trailer to store our stuff in (will be our shop later). Got it about a third of the way up our 3200' right of way before the four wheel drive backhoe couldn't go any further, too muddy.
As soon as we can get it on site, we move out of our house and put it up for sale. We move into a travel trailer on site, then it's either get the house built or freeze next winter

[rivahmom]

31

[adventure_ingles]

Ill be 22 at the end of this Month.

[kittencaboodle]

I just turned 30, but have been interested for years. My husband, 37, is interested in the more frugal aspects of it.

[Ebug]

Just now noticed this thread and as I was reading it my mind went back to my childhood.

My mother and father were friends with a couple in Matoon, Illinois and the husband was blind. He played the guitar and sang old folk songs. The thread asking about age brought to mind one of the songs he used to sing when I was a lad, I am now 78 years of age.

VERSE 1
I was born about four thousand years ago
There's nothing in this world that I don't know
I saw King Frodoth daughter
Fishin' Moses out'a th water
I can whip th man that says it wasn't so

VERSE 2
I was there when Satan looked th garden o'er
I saw Eve comin' ou th door
In th bushes I was peekin'
At th apple she was eatin'
I can prove that I'se th man that eat th core

VERSE 3
I saw Cain slay Able on th glade
I don't know what, th game they played
It was there in th scrub
He killed 'im with a club
I can whip th man that says it isn't so

VERSE 4
I saw Noahy build th famous ark
I slipped in after dark
I saw Jonah and th whale
An' I grabbed 'im by th tail
I can whip th man that said it wasn't so

VERSE 5
I saw Adam an' Eve driven from th door
An' I'm th man that picked th fig leaves that they wore
I saw little Paul and Moses
Playin' ring around th roses
An' I can whip th man that says it isn't so

VERSE 6
Now you may not believe what I told you is true
But what difference does it really make to you
I'm shootin' you a line
Just to pass off th time
But I'm quitin' now because I'm thru


VERSE 7
Now Cleopatra fell in love with me,
We were married in Milwaukee's secret Lea,
But, I fooled arouns and shook jer,
And I went with General Hooker,
Shootin' down mosquitos in Tennessee.

VERSE 8
I am an educated man,
My brain within my head I plan,
I've been on this earth so long,
That I used to sing this song,
While Abraham and Moses rushed the can.

[EarthMama]

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

This is great, Ebug!!! Thanks for sharin'!!!

[ClarkW]

My lovely wife and I are 61. She is just barely 61 and I am closer to 62.

[awesome_possum]

Im 20

[rivahmom]

.

[firegirl969]

I'll be 45 in July.

[crunchycon]

I turned 50 at the end of last year. I still can't believe it. :o

[MHinFox]

53 and been working at it for many years...LOL a hobby for fun as much as anything else. Also like to blend anchient ways with new technologies often...:)

[gullyecc]

I'm 51 and I'm just startin to get my head around the idea that becoming Self Reliant means gettin off my butt. But I reckon I'll make a start coz its time. 8)

[LABeekeeper]

Almost middle aged (41 y.o.), beekeeping botanist. Plan to dump the botanist job in September 09 and evolve my beekeeping, honey production, and crop pollination job to full-time business (although I feel like it already is full-time).

Ever since purchasing my home 5 years ago, I have always had a good supply of food and supplies plus growning fruit trees, herbs, and vegetables. Learned that from my mother and father who came from a large farm family. Especially important now while I am preparing for an income solely generated from honeybees and products from the hives. Also important with occasional vistors such as Katrina and Gustav.

Prior to getting my house, I moved across the USA in search of contract wildlife biology jobs for 10 years, so being prepared more than what I could pack in my then Chevy S-10 was was not possible due to all the moving.

[kctibs]

:)
I am 35 and my wife is 39. Have been preparing for the last 3 or 4 years.

[tatonka]

50 Here. I have been interested in preparedness and survival most of my life. Now I am looking to relocate away from where I currently live to somewhere else, probably midwest or west.

[bewarner]

Im 36 wife is 30 we have done little things for the past 7 yrs but jumped in with all 4 feet recently.

[Mr.B]

Getting old 30....31 in about a month.

-B

[Jamie]

I'm 41 and hubby is 43, I was raised in the country and hubby in the city. We love country living, raising food, being with our soon to be 9 kiddos. We have moved alot due to his job but we have managed to live in the country quite a bit. Been preparing for about 15 years now, hoping to buy land, build a home off grid and bring hubby home fulltime.

Its so great reading everyones age. Makes me feel good about so many older than we are doing this. Its becoming increasingly difficult to find wisdom that is willing to be shared with us newbies. When we do find it, we appreciate it so much. For the younger folks here, I just want to share that if y'all have kiddos, share your love of this life with them. It will stick with them and generations will be better off because of it.

God BLess,
Jamie

[zbery1]

I am 50 and have always been a bit of a survivalist. Was raised that way by parents who went through the depression. Now that I am older I am more inclined to go back to that lifestyle.

[daffodil]

42. Single. I've wanted to be self sufficient for years but am now really trying to put some effort into it. Being unemployed is giving me the push!

[flatwater]

62 real soon and have been doing this off and on for 50 years

[CarolAnn]

I'll be 58 in September, but tonight I'm 57 going on 98.

Must be the weather.

[Bootz]

I'm in my 40s.

In my 30s I was a stockpiler. I stockpiled for a bad world, bad weather, bad husband who didn't bring home the bread sometimes, bad goverment, bad, bad, bad, always trying to stay one step ahead of the bad.

I see the world a little differently now. With some distance from my ex and no longer having resources funneled through him, I see the world is a lot more abundant than I thought.

I do keep some supplies...but...am very choosy about what I store and buy. I try to be efficient more than self-sufficient. I don't fear like I used to.

I'm in a major city right now and take advantage of the efficiency of things like great public transportation and enjoying the parks and awesome libraries. I leave a pretty small environmental footprint. My income is TINY, but my expenses are low, as I try to be efficient.

People shake their heads at how I spend my money. I wear $150.00 boots but handwash my clothes, and freak at the idea of buying a $1.00 hamburger.

I'm truly living the simple life...but it's not a country or old fashioned life, just very, very lean. I don't like wasting my time on activities that don't return much. I no longer do things just for the sake of doing them myself. Rather than following the trends I put a LOT of thought into how I maneuver. I don't like to accumulate stuff. Piles no longer comfort me.

Sometimes I march through this city looking a little too much like Linda Hamilton and try to tone it down...but...well efficient clothes, boots, and pack look....well like I'm about to pull out a gun and start shooting robots :-)

A guy on the train proposed to me last week after admiring my "cool" boots :-0 I moved to the other side of the train :-(

I guess I'm a BOB girl now, rather than a homesteader. It's certainly a skinnier existence :-0

[Gwynyvyr]

52 and doing great!
Have a darlin' man that is almost 38...he can almost keep up with me!

Raised 7 kids and can live frugally...currently running a rooming house in Texas...right where the hurricanes love to hit!
Did fine during Ike...actually kinda enjoyed it.

[CapeCMom]

I am 42-been married 20 years to my High School Sweetheart. We have three kids (two of them are adults-23 and 18) and a 5 year old-hehe. We are running a multi-generational household and are all comfortably living together. It is cheaper for everyone and we can all help each other out. My oldest is a Marine Reservist and is a Veteran of the Iraq war. He might be going to Afghanistan next year. It's nice to have someone so knowledgeable in the house (for SHTF). He also has all of his Cammo, Kevlar, etc stored at home-yeah!

[flatwater]

CapeCMom , you sound like you have a delightful family. Has your eldest son given any thought to what he would do if he was called up and his unit ordered to police civil unrest,

[CapeCMom]

Thank you flatwater for your kind words. We have touched on it a few times. He is aware that it might happen-he is getting so frustrated about the state of things in the past few months. We were wondering together whether they might be called to patrol the U.S. Mexico border. He was interested in that Al Qaida video that surfaced recently about them coming across the border in those tunnels with bio weapons. I do know they cancelled their overseas trip to the Ukraine quite suddenly. They are staying in the U.S. and going no NY now. He said it was politics but I am sure there are things he cannot tell me.

[buster]

52 and hope to see many more.

[Tuckahoe]

Im 45 I don't look a day over 38 and act like Im 12.
Married to a great gal. We have six children and live on a 10 acre homestead in eastern NC.
I have been in law enforcement many years as a police officer, deputy sheriff, police chief, and now work in the county detention center. I love my job (bangs head on desk) One thing about working in a jail you have job security. Heck we can't keep help cause its not for everybody. We have more trouble with folks that don't pay child support than a murderer.

[Dena]

I'm 26 (eh, well, I guess that's 27 in less than a months), living in the city and limited to what I can do. But I'm trying...

[Prairie]

32. I want to get off the grid and learn how to sustain my life while I still can. That or I'd like to retire soon. Ya know, Freedom 35!

[Wildfyre]

27 :tongue:

[Builder Ken]

48 married to beautiful gal. We have 4 kids oldest 21 the youngest 3 oh well they keep you young........ Ken

[rae-dean]

i am heading to 58 and hubby is heading to 61.we feel so wonderful we are finally building our cabin and doing it all my ourselves.everyone in the woods tried to help us and we are just wanting to do our own ideas and not be beholding.rae-dean

[Mom5farmboys]

Husband is 45 and I am 41. Our kids are 13 yrs, 11 yrs, 8 yrs, 6 yrs, and 2 yrs. Ken is right those kids do keep you young!!

[Dayzee]

Gosh, what a question to ask a lady!

I am 70 but not ashamed of it, just don't like to be reminded. It took a lot of years and work to win my wrinkles and the parts of me that have gone south.

Maybe we need an Old Timer's thread?

One of my experiences in self-reliance was living and traveling full time in a 34-ft. motor home for 7 years. I was alone with a pooch and had some great adventures. I towed a Saturn and dry camped as well as camp hosted in a national park.

Regretfully, I missed seeing the northeast and the east coast, but did go to Alaska. Still have the RV and occasionally get "hitch itch", but it is a lot of work for a single "older" lady.

[nhlivefreeordie]

53 and feel the same as I did at 30. As long as you can do what your heart desires every day, you are never old. When your body can't keep up( not to be confused with being sore and tired ) with the mind, THEN and only then are you old.

[neparose]

I'm 43, the hubbys 52. My daughter is 24, my son 21. His son is 21 and daughter 19. Them two boys are the cause of most of my grey hairs! What one didnt think of the other one did!

[Teg]

I'm 40, wife is a tad older but I am forbidden to discuss her age ;), kids are grown and I am tentatively planning on retiring from the military next year after 22 years of service.

[sonshine]

I'm 61 and started serious preping in 1999 right here on this forum. I've always kept extra food.

Judy

Now I'm going on 63. I started reading MEN back in the early '70's and was a wanna be homesteader since then, guess I was in my middle 20's. I have land in a rural area of Louisiana, but we are not sure we will ever live there. Our grandchildren are here and we don't want to move 300 miles away from them. And DH. who is younger, is still working. My heart is in the country, but in reality I'm living in a medium size town (at least its not New Orleans) and I have prepped enough to keep us going for at least a year. This is an interesting thread.

Judy

[johnjmw]

I'm 48 and my wife is 45. We've had our propery for 23 years and still have not been able to start building, yet, but might start this fall/winter. At least I hope to get thing of the drawing board and get a few tires in place.
John

[annabella1]

I'm a little bit older'n my teeth.

[NCLee]

We're 64 and 65. Married 43 years. Been here on our little spot of ground since 1974.

Lee

[one4straw]

will be 27 in less than a month, grew up on dairy farm and currently going to school learning the electrical trade and hope to build the homestead after i graduate.

[roolu]

40 here, and just beginning to truly live.

[CountryGuy]

36 and the Mrs. is 29. Our daughters are 6 and 4.

[jdnh20]

turned 50 this year and if I'd known I would have lived this long I would have taken better care of myself

[MissouriFree]

There's Dirt and then there's me.

mo

[patience]

63 last Fall. Wife is a couple months older. I remind her now and then. :) Married 44 years. We both have the symptoms of being our age, but doing fine, and can live very well on our SS.

We both grew up poor as Job's turkey, so we sorta know how that is done, but really got into it after the Arab Oil Embargo 1973-4. I saw close to 25% unemployment in the auto mfg town where we lived. That sent us back to the country, and we stayed here.

Out of debt, but not got a lot to show for so many years of it. Have a home on one acre, a small repair shop business, and well into food and energy production. Kids are on a 32 acre off-grid place, and have their own business, so as a group, we can make it just fine, unless the whole works goes in the toilet. That would make it harder, but we can still do it. Trying hard to prep for the worst case now.

[readra21]

38 years young, living vicariously through the eyes of my 16 year old

Started prepping 9/12/01

90% off the grid as of this morning.

Western Washington

[cartershan]

I'm 38 and DH is 56. I have an 11 year old daughter and DH has a 25 year old son. We did have 2 nurseries in town, but ended up closing them both after Super-Walmart, Lowes, and Home Depot opened up here within 3 years of each other. We just couldn't compete any longer. We do still grow specialty crops for some good clients, co-op and others. We have several greenhouses and are working on getting at least one up and running on the property where we live.
DH is now a property manager with some very well to doers here (their home and farm), and I'm still teaching special ed. We also have some acerage in south alabama along the tallapoosa river that we will eventually retire to. For now, we are still in north alabama with a great garden/orchard. We like to call in Lingerlost Farm. I'm much more into preparing than DH at this point, but he goes along with a smile. Shannon

[Native87]

UPDATE :secret: I had forgot about this thread. Why did someone find it? LOL I turned 40 in September 09. Ha.... Some thought I wouldn't make it that long. With age I am glad you do get wiser. I wish I had done some things different but you can always start over somewhat when you choose. As someone once said "Its not the beginning of the end Its the end of the beginning". Still building on our little farm and still learning everyday. ;)

[Southerngirl]

I'm 32 and my husband is 35. We have two children age 6 and 3. We bought this 25 acres almost 3 years ago and have just started getting serious with our new lifestyle the last year.
I've realized the life I want and now I'm going for it. Took some soul searching to realize it, some hurting along the way, but now I'm at peace and thrilled to learn, learn, learn!
Glad to see there are others here in their 30's. For awhile there I was usually the youngest on the threads, lol ;)

[lowetom65]

I am 44, wife, 34. Children, 6, 11, 17 and 22.

Spent 20 years in the Army so I feel prepared for somethings but have only started to stock ammo and food.

[sssara]

I am 56 hubby 62, we have been married 35 years this Dec. He is my second husband and was a born and raised in one place in S E Ohio until he went away to school at 18. I was in a family that never let the grass grow under their feet. Shortest time in one school was 1 day and then we moved from a farm in Lily Wis to Milwaukee. I lived on my grandfathers dairy farm some and in the cities. He built every building on the place in the 30's.And thought using scopes for hunting was cheating, but he could sit on his porch and get a deer.
I was the youngest of 3, I had 2 brothers and I could fight and climb trees with the best of um. A lot of the time we didn't have electric and I learned a lot from my mom. My dad worked as a lumber jack when I was little and as in the old song about owing your soul to the company store that's exactly what it was.
We had a 20 ac. farmette as they called them in S W MO when we lived there in the 80's before moving to Iowa and now are so very happy to be back on this one. We love our little homestead.

[Old_John]

WE started getting ready for Y2K in late '98.
I'm 70 and DSW is 57.
We're not hard-core......just a bit ready.

[firegirl969]

I'm 45 and DH is 49. We have been married 4 years. I have 4 kids, 1 birth child and 3 adopted, and he has 4 kids. They are all grown except my 10 y/o stepdaughter. We live on DH's grandparents 18 acres with pond, pastures, barn, mh with screened porch, fruit trees, grapes, wild blackberries, asparagus, garlic, raised beds, traditional row garden, raspberries, strawberries, chickens, pigs, horses, and cows.

[southernchick]

I am 34 and my husband is 40. We have two girls who are 7 and almost 14. I recently inherited 200 acres that has been in my family for over 100 years and we plan to move there in June.

[pcrowder]

Only as old as I wanna be!!!!!!!!!!!

[kberg]

26! Guess I am one of the weird ones!

[WileyCoyote]

Naw, kberg, just one of 'the smart kids'! LOL

I am 52 and so is DH. He is my 2nd hubby, but we have been married 27 years. We have 3 kids, 32, 30, and 26 (the oldest two he adopted from my previous marriage). We were doing well, working hard, two and three jobs, had the yuppie puppie dream - and chucked it all to live in the middle of nowhere. No one understood that THAT was what we were working toward!:D We didn't want to start out with nothing, so we bought all of our supplies, guns, etc, over the years, stashed and stocked up - then packed up and 'disappeared'.

[AlchemyAcres]

I'm 44 and already worried that my mind is starting to go. LOL


~Martin ;)

[offgridbob]

62 going on 18 , I'm not as good as I once was but once I'm as good as I ever was

[nhlivefreeordie]

We didn't want to start out with nothing, so we bought all of our supplies, guns, etc, over the years, stashed and stocked up - then packed up and 'disappeared'.

Exactly what we are doing Wiley. I am 54 and Lynn is 42. We are now acquiring all the implements needed for self reliant living. Manual mills etc, as well as the tools we'll need. We are 4 years away from checking out of the mainstream, we will have most everything we need, plus a new log home to start out with. The biggest thing left to do these next 4 years is to continue collecting the things we will need, but mostly getting as much education about the things we will need to know. We are devouring books and are getting quite a library as we do.

Wish I had been as smart as that 26 year year old and had taken this path when I was his age..

[Clair_Schwan]

I'm 52 and Ellen is 47, and we're loving every minute of it. We focus on preparedness, but we're not survivalists so much as we are thrivalists (http://www.frugal-living-freedom.com/thrivalist.html). I think older folks are much more in tune with being prepared simply because we had parents and grandparents that went through the Great Depression and many of those lessons were passed onto us.

Our characteristics are typically more aligned with the idea of individual responsibility, taking care of your own, being prepared, planning for success, using reason over emotion, and other life skills that just don't sit well with many individuals who are happy with the popular culture.

[Lurch]

52 here, and pert as a ruttin' buck!