Wannabe Free-Stater, (Any Programmers, Off-grid specialists/Permaculturists?)

Introduce Yourself
#1

Found out about the Free State Society and Porcfest from a high school friend with Libertarian leanings back when I was in college. Nothing special about me besides being your stereotypical mothers basement millennial whose been out of work for nearly two years. Unemployment period mainly extended because of a few physical issues relating to old sprains, GI issues from NSAID overusage and chronic fatigue syndrome and mild resultant depression.

Decided I need to get out of grinding retail work like my earlier jobs and learn programming. Though I’ve gotten distracted and hit temporary blocks from my earlier health issues.

My interest in the Free State Project increased after finding out there is a technical start-up run by a free-stater (ThinkPenguin) so was wondering if there were others like him. I am also interested in finding out if there are any appropriate technology/permaculture folks in this forum.

New here? Read this first!
#2

Hello and welcome - there are a TON of programmer types who moved here as part of the FSP. Off-grid and local farming permaculture is big up here even outside of the FSP, as I understand it, but I’m not an expert in any of them.

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#3

Yes lots and many programmers. I don’t think the programmers are going to be off grid, but there are lots of off grid people too. Not sure what permaculture is but there are lots of people who grow with aquaponics and there is a free state farm Bardo that has potlucks. Check out the events on nhcalendar.org. BTW unemployment is 2%, lowest in nation, so no problem getting a job, if you want one. Even McDonalds pays $15 when min wage is $7.25.

#4

Welcome — currently programming perl, but I’m retired now so I wouldn’t be much good in helping you find a job — sorry there aren’t more jobs out there; gov’t messes with the free market, and that doesn’t help anybody.
13 hrs

#5

Really? In Keene? For like non-management positions? Wow… That just doesn’t sound right.

I’d probably try and start a business if I were you. Of course if your entirely un-entrepreneurial and/or don’t want to put in 60 hour weeks (especially for a few years) it might not be the smartest approach. All while working a low-pay job (probably). There are a lot of really great ideas in relation to self-employment that with the right skilled (technical, coding, and business, etc) you could really do some great stuff and potentially make a lot of money. And that money will go a lot farther out here in Keene (and probably nearby or elsewhere in New Hampshire, except for maybe Nashua, I think that area is more expensive).

#6

thats what i’m thinking. if anyone can confirm i’ll get a greyhound ticket right now and go.

#7

Yea- you could more than live off $15 / hr here. If I had to take an educated guess you’d probably need about $2,000 to make the move if you have nothing of significance to take with you. That would cover rent, security, and food for a month. Yea- probably $7.25 / hr would be the minimum I’d be comfortable living off of at 40 / hrs a week. But I’d probably also want another $2,000 or so to start off such that I’d have a semi-reliable vehicle to get around in. People do bike and walk here and a Mc Donalds job is certainly doable without this, but…I’m lazy at my old age of 32.

I’d probably also really suggest looking for something higher than $7.25 as that is really the bare minimum for one person to survive here. $7.25 and $12 / hr is probably the difference between surviving and being able to save up some money to move forward with life such that you don’t feel stuck. This said I’m not necessarily living off such dollar amounts, but I’m aware of others who are, and maybe even living off less than this, but I’m not sure there prospects are great either if they’re making less than this. hmm, though we do have some minimalists here who could survive off less. But we’re talking about people living out of campers/custom rigg’d busses, or similar setups and/or are self-sufficient types that are working off living off what they produce (ie living in a heated tent, with a brick fire place outside, growing their own food, etc).

#8

Sorry, it was in Manchester, and it was $10/hr. BTW there is an opening at Portland Pie Co for the hostess they poached.

I’m a minimalist and live on about $9550/yr with roomates and Soylent and MetroPCS, no car, work from home. I of course spend much more on restaurants, Uber, liquor, etc. because I can.

#9

OK- so for you that comes out to needing a minimum of about $5 / hr to survive assuming one works 40 hours a week. Maybe $10 / hr is more doable than I’m imagining. I am 32, have lived well, and tend to spend a lot on food (eating out) and life in general relative to a lot of people here. But I’ve also been fairly successful in the financial area. I suppose nothing says you can’t work your way up to $12 / hr. And save up from that point either. I guess what it comes down to is desire to make a difference in the world and willpower.

#10

So, quick question on your previous statement, @penguin, what kind of rent are you assuming with that $2,000 number? Asking for a friend.

#11

I was basing that off $600 / month to rent a room, all expenses included (electric/heat), plus 1.5 x rent for a security deposit, plus about $500 for food and other expenses for the first month. Depending on where you are coming from it might be a bit for a plane ticket or bus. I believe I’ve found flying from major cities on the west coast runs around $300-400 round trip with a direct flight- but I’d imagine it would be less if you add in a stop or two and are only going one way. It might be $80 for a bus ticket from say NYC to Boston from a surrounding area via Mega Bus. I used to take a bus from Flemington, NJ where I lived with a one way (or maybe it was two way for $40) ticket being $20-40 to NYC and then from NYC to Boston was like $30-40. Then it would probably have been another $100 or so to get to Keene give or take (you can probably do it for less, but I usually drive so unsure exactly what it would cost, to Nashua it wasn’t much, and probably you could get someone to pick you up from that point if you moved to Keene… I was going to do that once… and I know the bus ticket was pretty darn cheap… Nashua is about an hour from Keene… Boston is about 2 hours by car)…

Note- I do not have a room to rent, but may be willing to rent an unheated, no electric, no AC, no utilities, no furniture, no bathroom, no running water shed on conditions that prohibit sleeping in it at night. And no use of the main house either.

Note: I’m joking about renting out my shed. For some reason we have this terrible terrible joke here about finding cheap housing. On a serious note there are people who rent rooms in Keene and there are also cheap places to live over in Winchester- which is about 20 minutes from Keene. There is not requirement to have car insurance in NH so one could get a clunker temporarily pretty cheap and survive (well, or not if your prone to accidents, though car insurance ain’t expensive here like some places).

#12

Oh I’ve got a vehicle, I just want to take it in and have my guy go over it and make sure it’s happy for 2600 miles, and I can buy gas and food to get there. Mostly I’m just cleaning stuff out. My main interest is your assertion that once you’re there you can work it at $15 an hour. If that’s the case, one of my larger concerns is lessened.
Also, if I get a night job, would it be ok to sleep in the shed during the day if I rented it?

#13

What I -really- need is somewhere to stay while I find a job cause no one wants to rent to you if you don’t have a job, and you can’t get a job without an address.
In my experience, anyway.

#14

I was entirely joking about my shed. I wouldn’t feel right renting it out to someone to sleep in during the day or otherwise when there are certainly better options available already.

Obviously you’ll want to arrange things in advance of arriving here. I’d probably contact FTL_Ian and see if he knows of anybody with rooms to rent. There are two places I can think of in Keene with other like-minded individuals renting, but I don’t know what the situation is as far as renting at either place goes, or what is available if anything, but I doubt very much as far as employment, real names, or social security numbers go much will be demanded amongst this group. If FTL_Ian doesn’t have an answer I can probably ask around a bit more. I know a few people whom are probably going to be moving shortly in or near Winchester. Pretty sure both are renting a room or otherwise have inexpensive accommodations that would work.

#15

I’m not worried about social security numbers and names and stuff, I’m worried about the fact that smart people generally don’t sign a lease with someone who doesn’t have a way to get money to pay them.

#16

You’d be right. The situation is a bit different here as we’re talking about people in our little old community whom have an interest in you moving here. Certainly there are conflicts within, but it’s just a cost and risk of participating. Just as your taking a risk, so are people here in welcoming you into our community.

#17

makes sure that my murdering axe is hidden under the bed
I don’t know what you MEAN that people are taking a risk with ME?!! I’m a lovely angel.

But yeah. That’s the key, right there. On that note, one thing I’ve thought about(in my fantasies where I have many tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, of course) is buying a nice chunk of land and building a few small cottages to rent out for pretty much the purpose of giving people a place to land.

#18

Yea- there are people doing similar kinds of stuff like that here actually. There is somebody who rents out a fancy cabin I think. I’m not sure what part of New Hampshire that is, but it’s also not cheap. Or maybe not cheap in the summer months. In Manchester a lot of people rent rooms / apartments above the Quill (one of the main places for events owned by movers). In Keene there are a few houses with people renting rooms and the like. Though a lot if not most people are renting rooms or apartment from those outside of our community. ohh which reminds me I think I know of a place that might be for rent shortly. I’m still not the best person to inquire with though. I’d definitely talk to Ian though about apartments/rooms cause he’s well connected and I don’t want to infringe on information that may not be public knowledge. If nothing happens though with Ian or you can’t reach him let me know and I’ll be happy to ask the people whom I think are going to have a room/cabin’ish place/apartment/etc. There are actually a bunch of people I should ask.

#19

I’m currently still deciding if I’m going to extend my apartment for another month or not. We’ll see how packed up/thrown out/gotten rid of I can get my stuff in the next week or two. I’m not worried too much about what’s available right this moment, because I’m not looking for a place right this moment, and in fact, probably not for another month, but once I start wrapping up, I definitely will be poking around a bit.