Where do I start?

[daffodil]

A short review.. I'm unemployed for 5 months now, no unemployment, and out of funds. Luckily I live in a cottage so I don't have any rent payments. I'm expecting in the near future not to have any more village water and sewer or electric. We are not allowed chickens or the such here it's against zoning and no burning of rubbish. I have a couple large piles of dirt/clay to work with and the 12x12 garden is dug. I have two 40 lb. bags of compost and a few tomatoe, cantalope, and winter squash plants, plus some zucchini and lettuce and cabbage seeds. Last freeze date is I think May 31st. Any suggestions on how to proceed, besides finding a job which I've had absolutely no luck with, applied everywhere and they seem to be hiring high school kids for everything! My thought on the clay/dirt was to build a solar oven/grill and then haul the rest of the rocky dirt behind the house (NE side) and build an above ground root cellar. Any suggestions on a water source? Freezer, I guess would be out all together, I don't really have one now. I have one latern that needs to recharge by plugging it in. And I have an 8x8 shed filled with rubbish that I could empty and use for what I don't know. Any suggestions or building plans would help and be much appreciated. Thanks!

[firegirl969]

Sorry to hear you are down on your luck. Could you get away with a couple of rabbits inside that shed? You could eat them, sell them, and that is great manure for your garden. You could start the plants you have in buckets or pots. You may check out the local landfill. That is where I got mine. Put them outside during the day, and put them in the shed at night. Check out the streets on trash collection day. No telling what "treasures" you may find. Items you can use yourself or clean up and have a yard sale. If nothing else, pick up cans on the side of the highways. Not a lot of money, but it will add up. You will need a way to cook. The solar oven idea is good IMHO. Maybe you can at least find a camping stove and a propane tank. Water you can get from an outside source and haul in. Others on here are more knowledgeable than I on rainwater catchment resources, so maybe one of them will chime in and give you some knowledge on that. You can ask at your local grocery stores and bakeries for free icing buckets to haul that water in. Get the lids with the bucket. You can make a solar shower by taking one of the buckets, painting it black, putting water in it. I don't really know how to attach a shower line, but others may can help or you can search for it in the archives here. There are also posts on here about a toilet made from a bucket with sawdust in it. They say it does not smell at all. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Blessings, firegirl

[daffodil]

Thanks! Those are some great ideas! I didn't know they had icing buckets. I'll definitely check that out. I've heard of the composting toilet made from a bucket. As gross as it sounds I may have to try it! I'm vegetarian so I guess that helps a bit. I do eat fish and eggs (the reason for wanting the chickens). I've had a few neighbors try to hide chickens in their sheds and have been caught.

[cinok]

Question, if the water gets turned off you will still have a sewer to use you could collect rain water or maybe get a 55 gallon drum and a nice nieghbor to fill it. But most towns will not let some on live somewhere if their are no utilies. They pull the C/O.

[indyguy]

In many area if you are on city water and sewer and have your water shut off a notice is sent to your county health department as they deem that home as"unliveable".

The same happens if you have the sewer disconnected.... health department gets a letter.

Just a FYI

[daffodil]

My father when he was alive, lived here with no water, toilets, no plumbing, it was tore out of the walls. He also only had a small electric heater. I actually called all over the place and no one would help. How sad as he was a disabled senior veteran. They didn't throw him out though. Not sure what would happen with me though. I guess they figure it's better to live on the street than live in an "unlivable" house. Lot of sense that makes huh. I had to have the electric inspected before they would turn the electric on and they said everything was fine. Come to find out half of the house has no working outlets. Real safe. No methane gas vents either. I heat with an electric fireplace. Woke up to 32 degrees with ice on the windows. Can't say that I'm miserable though. I'm much happier here actually than the places I've had to live in the past 4 1/2 years. That's one thing I don't understand about our government. They always think they know what's best for me only they aren't paying the bills for me and they want me to live beyond my means when I'm much happier living a simple life. I'm sure composting toilets and collecting rain water isn't allowed in the area although I may be forced to do it. Might have to put a sign out front like the one I saw in BHM that said "have gun, will survive" ;D Thanks for the heads up on that one though. I'll have to give it some thought on how to get around it!

[indyguy]

you have a PM

[cinok]

Do you own the palce outright?

[daffodil]

Do you own the palce outright?
yes.

[Deberosa]

what about odd jobs? I know I have wanted to hire people for odd jobs - actually have my neighbor is going to watch the animals when I have to go to a class her son and his friends are going to help me move my stuff in. Or Kurt needs help mowing Deberosa till it's sold. Maybe not heavy stuff but people need a helping hand of all sorts.. Pet sitting, house cleaning, yard work or stuff like that. It may at least keep the water on so they don't kick you out...

[johnny]

What area or state do you live in?


edit; just looked at your profile and see its Ohio but--like many others--it sometimes depends upon what part of the state because the laws are more lax here over around Ark and the other side by NM so perhaps if you border or are close to Ky or WV then some things they may overlook--dont know why or how but thats just how it is sometimes. Good luck!

[Terri]

If you build a root cellar, will there be anything to put in it?

You DID mention winter squash, but that will keep in any cool (but not freezing) room. And, you might plant the odd sprouted potato.

Do you like stir fried bean sprouts? I have made bean sprouts with the lentils from the grocery store, and they were good. They tasted like the mung brean sprouts in the produce section.
I do not think that your other vegetables will keep in a root cellar, though.

[Anon001]

I'm sure composting toilets and collecting rain water isn't allowed in the area *although I may be forced to do it.

Right now, the only states that I know of that have a statewide law against collecting rainwater are Washington and Colorado. I could be wrong, but I think it's legal in all the other states. If your house has guttering you can collect the rainwater. Use a screen to filter out the trash. Then you can run it through a very small micron filter. All my household water is from rainwater. I catch it in a 300 gallon tank. I put about a 1/2 cup bleach in for every 300 to 500 gallons. When the 300 gallon tank starts to get full, I run it into my 1500 gallon storage tank. When it comes into the house, it goes through a carbon filter and gets chlorinated. The water for drinking and cooking then has the chlorine filtered back out.

Wish there was something I could do to help. I wish you all the luck. Also, as Dave Ramsey always says...."you can get a job tonight delivering pizzas." According to him they are always hiring just about anyone.

Good luck.
Paul

[Texasbound]

You stated that some of your neighbors have gotten in trouble for having chickens. I don't know what the neighborhood is like, but if you have a majority of the area is in favor of having them, you could get together and go to a town meeting to see if you could get an exemption for your area. This doesn't cost anything, and I have found that if you have enough people, the councils will usually come up with some solution (they don't want to lose their position at the next voting session). Also, see how much of your trash is compostable, and when you buy, make an effort to buy items that won't create more trash.

[daffodil]

Thanks for all the input! I'm up right near Lake Erie. It's supposed to be a resort area. It's really a mix of the poor who made the cottages into homes and those who have money and left them as summer cottages. Was going to try mowing lawns but don't even have a mower at this point. Tool wise I have a leaf rake and a shovel the neighbor gave me. A couple of guys were walking the neighborhood with lawnmowers asking if anyone wanted the lawn mowed. Didn't look as though they got much response. I'm a great farm worker but haven't found anyone hiring in this area. And I'm great with pets. Most of the animals around here just kind of roam or are chained to a post. I posted an ad on craigslist but all I got was people trying to get me to join home businesses, not one response to my ad to do lawncare and maintence work. Also posted on another site to run errands for people, no response there either. I guess I'm probably not in a real big need of a root cellar ???, but it might come in handy in the future if I did get any kind of crop. Maybe I'll try potatoes, I can put those in there! Both gutters fell off the house. I put it back up once but it came off again. I have them laying behind the house. I'll make another attempt at getting those to stay up for the rainwater. Wondering if I should dig a big hole for a pond. Would it fill up? What's the trick with that? Good thought Texasbound! A group of people might do the trick! I traded a small grow lamp today for some more plants. I got strawberries (maybe I could sell some of those!), honeydew, zucchini, sweet peppers, and cucumbers. I thought it was a good trade. Thanks again for all the great input!

[cinok]

Dont want to bring up anymore bad news but what about property taxes if you are in a "resort" area they could be high.

[daffodil]

Actually the taxes are very low. I am behind a bit as my father hadn't paid them for 3 years. I signed an agreement on that to catch them up. I made a few payments on that while I had some income. That will have to be one of the first things I pay when I have income coming in again. Good to bring all this up as there are things I haven't thought of. It's quite stressful not having any money coming in.

[randallhilton]

First of all, you're going to have to have funds -- if you find a place that's hiring high schoolers, offer to work for high schooler wages then take it from there. Some is better than none.

Along those lines, you will have to find enough water and cleaning resources to keep your personal hygiene and appearance up to civilized standard. This is very important to urban survival.

Write a detailed skills inventory -- what can you do? What experience do you have? What tools do you have? Writing the list will help you find income potential you may have forgotten about.

Don't forget dumpster diving as a resource for who knows what.

Learn about edible plants of your area. You can't raise enough to live on in a 12 x 12 plot.

Rain catch is probably a decent water source for some water but you'll need gutters, containers, bleach, a micro filter. Right away you'll have a hard time holding enough water for much else.

Definitely build a "Lovable Loo"
http://josephjenkins.com/store/product.php?productid=16161

Figure out a heat source before winter. Electric heat will eat up cash fast. Perhaps you can "super insulate" one south facing room to make it easier to keep warm.

Keep your yard and exterior of the house as neat and tidy as you can. If the place doesn't look like a dump you're far less likely to be hassled by those who "know" what's good for you.

For short term income -- I know that some of the homeless guys around here have been clocked at about $60 per hour plus 3 or 4 combo meals an hour just by standing on a corner with a piece of cardboard (verbiage on the cardboard is optional but many use "will work for food" etc.) I'm not kidding -- it may be necessary for a while. Who knows.

In some ways, you are to be envied. With a paid for house, your net worth is possibly more than many of those you see who are driving parking bank owned cars in bank owned garages, forced to suck up to bank owned bosses in bank owned businesses. Perhaps you're simply getting a head start on the rest of us.

[cinok]

DO you have a vech. I dont have much use for public but sometimes food banks and churches could help you lay in some canned dry goods. Also if there is small delimarkert in the nieghborhood you could find out when when they rotate out some stock. I would also keep any old newspapers you can they are great for insulation. What ever you do not let to many people know that you plan to go off grid in the city limits. If your water supply is controlled by the city once they turn it off expect some problems. I dont know what your water bill is its based on usage and thataffects sewer cost. I would try to keep that on. Do you own anything you can sell on craigs list or yard sale. I would also not upset the nieghbors.

[Terri]

You might not get enough of a crop to sell your berries, but, even so they will be tasty!

Have you tried yet to advertize yourself as a pet sitter for people who are going some where?

And, have you tried the assembly line jobs? The turnover is QUITE high-I used to work in one- so if you have you might give personelle a call again anyways, expecially if it has been 2 months or longer. I hated assembly line work but it DID buy the hamburger!

Also, you might like to read an on-line book called, I THINK, "Possum Living". You can probably find it on google. I read it for free perhaps a year ago? It is the account of a lady who grew up in a paid-for house with no electricity and such. She speaks a great deal of her day-to-day life of gardening, library trips, and very quiet fishing trips (no license). Personally, I have had good fishing results woth a hook, a fising line, and a pole. Skip teh fancy gear: a worm works better than a lure!

[Terri]

Oh, yes.

Since you have had ag experience, have you asked at the extension office if they will let people know that you want work?

[Terri]

Daffodil, it occurs to me that youa re looking at 2 problems: right now and this summer.

For this summer, the garden is good planning. Also, do you know when the local groceries throw out their spoiled produce? I BET you can find some good use for sprouted potatos!

The local dollar store might have seeds for 33 cents a packet: they have that here. Stay AWAY from things like lettuce and grow things with calories! (Sweet corn, carrots, squash, etc).

In the early spring, alas, their are not many calories available from the garden!

For right now, I have always heard that dandelion greens are edible, and less bitter if cooked with a few changes of water. The little leaves are less bitter. I do not care for them but they are healthy.

They ALSO have no calories at all: they will provide salad only.

Um, you COULD google and see if the roots are edible: I THINK they are but it has been too long! There would be calories in the roots, if they are edible!

Cattail roots are edible but small.

Will a pond fill? That depends on the heighth of the water table and how much land will be draining into the pond.

[daffodil]

randallhilton
I've put down minimum wage for all the jobs I applied for. I just can't understand why they would be hiring teenagers living at home when there are so many unemployed who have bills to pay. I've thought about standing on the corner with the sign! It might come down to that. I didn't realize they made so much money! I've got the yard cleaned up, it was a disaster area after 4 1/2 years of neglect! I've got south facing windows which when the temp reached 40 degrees outside I could shut the electric fireplace off til the sun started to go down. It wasn't 80 degrees in the house but it would usually hold in the low 60's.
I'm trying to look at the whole thing as a challenge. I wanted to be independent for quite awhile now anyways. Sometimes maybe we just need that little push. I'm happier here than I was in any of the places I lived in the past 4 1/2 years. I lived in this cottage for 10 years before that and couldn't stand it. Sometimes it takes not having it to see what you are missing and be able to appreciate it. On the 12x12 garden... I am doing the vegetable factory garden or I think sometimes they call it french something. Anyway they say a 10x10 plot will get you 1000 pounds of produce! I found this in a book called Small Space, Big Harvest. Anyone tried this type of gardening? Did you get good results like they claim?

[tufhelp]

I'm guessing they are hiring teens because as transient as they are, they are there to make pocket money and are more likely to last a bit compared to the adult who is taking anything they can and will leave at the drop of a hat to get a better or even slightly better position... They are exploiting the employee market that best suits their needs - just like any employer i guess. Even the better work ethic of the adult and reliability don't seem to effect the equation - Go figure!