Vandwelling 101 - The Holiday Blahs

Many full time vandwellers are often far from family and friends during the holidays.

Some like to get tougher with others, some prefer to be alone at this time of year.

Here's what my thoughts and actions are at that time of year.

First of all, I'm not Christian. Although the holidays are very secularised, they are basically Christian religious holidays. Make no mistake. I'm not anti-Christian. Feel free to say Merry Christmas and celebrate your holiday. I'll treat you with just as much respect as i do other religions.

I don't measure my happiness based on how many people send me cards or gifts while ignoring me the rest of the year. It reminds me of those who base their view of themselves based on how many Facebook friends, likes, shares, or reactions to their posts.

I pay attention to my friends online who are feeling down or alone. Often just a few words letting the person know that it's ok to not always be ok helps them get through a tough period. By the way, i do that all year around, not just during Christmas holidays.

I stock up on favorite foods and snacks. I find a place where i can legally park with free WiFi. I treat myself to a mini vacation from people and things. This is my time to myself to rest and recharge, a time of reflection and solitude.

Solitude is much different than loneliness. I'm grateful for all that i have and that the need for excessive things is not part of me. I remember that I'm lucky enough to have the luxury of choice, to not measure my worth based on possessions, but on experience and friends. I'm rich in that.

So rather than be blue about what you don't have this holiday season but be happy focused on how much you do actually have.

Good coffee to you. See you down the road

Lou (and Kira)

Support this blog by donating a dollar or two if you enjoyed reading this blog.
Paypal.me/LouBurgess

Vandwelling 101- Making $ On The Road

There are many ways to make money while on the road. I'm not talking about begging or busking, but real work and real skills.

First of all, let's redefine jobs or working. Instead of a traditional 40 hour job that you work for someone else, let's look at what skills you have that someone else will pay you to do.

I don't have any marketable skills you say...bull is what i say.

A job is anything someone will pay you to do. Let's confine all discussions to legal skills and honest labor. Let's also stay or of questionable areas. No selling paraphernalia "for tobacco use only."

People are busy nowadays. Some of the odd jobs they will pay you to do are: cook, clean, do laundry, yard work, walk the dogs, watch the children, water the garden, weed the garden, clean out a garage or storage shed. 

In the winter, shoveling snow and sidewalks can be very lucrative. 

In New Mexico, code enforcement issues like weeds or painting the house number on the curb is another good way to earn money. 

If you are willing to work, you can often find ways to make money legally. 

I am able to accept payment from debitcards and credit cards using the PayPal Here app and the PayPal card reader. The app is free, the card reader is also free. 

PayPal charges a small fee on each transaction. It protects both the buyer and the seller. The money is available instantly in my PayPal account. I have the PayPal debit card so i can instantly use the money at any store or withdraw cash from my account.

I can advertise free on Craigslist, the OfferUp app, or the Letgo app. 

It is important to have more than one way to make money. 

Today i picked up a writing gig, editing and fixing up a resume. Every few dollars adds up. 

See ya down the road,

Lou

If you enjoyed this blog article, consider donating $1 at paypal.me/LouBurgess

Vandwelling 101- revisiting free entertainment

I get tired of being online on social media. I also like going where there is no internet or cell signal.

So, what can you do for free entertainment?

I love having audio books on hand. My second favorite...the old time Radio drama serials. You can find many of them online and download for off grid listening. I'll often put one in while doing routine cleaning or organizing tasks. There are millions of books out there.

Don't discount the old battery operated walkman Cassette players. You can find old audio books cheap or free out there on cassette tape. I used to have a box that was 2 ft by 2 ft by 6 ft full of the old cassette audio books. Use the solar yard lights with AA battery as a solar battery charger. Borrow the cassette books on tape from a library. Copy using the old dual deck boom box. Listen at your leisure.

That old smartphone that's no longer hooked up to the internet, it's a cheap mp4 player now. Chances are you have one hidden away in a drawer. You can transfer movies, songs, and digital Audiobooks to it by usb cable from your laptop.

Taking photos. I bought a canon elp digital camera complete for $5 at a Flea market. It works great. It came with a 32gb SD card. Easy enough to slip in my Laptop and copy. I have an old universal battery charger that charges the battery.

Then there are crafts like knitting, crocheting, or weaving. You cut your old clothes and cloth items into one inch spirals. You roll them up like a ball. You ate them set up to crochet rugs, blankets, or weave. The old ways from our great great grandparents.

I can sit quietly for hours and watch the birds, the animals, the trees, and the lakes. I really believe that a half hour viewing the sunset or the sunrise is beneficial to anyone.

These are just a few of the things i do that are very cheap or free. Try some, see what works for you

See you down the road

Lou

If you enjoyed this blog, feel free ti contribute $1 or more at PayPal.me/LouBurgess

Vandwelling 101- Lights

Let's talk lighting in a van

First of all, the Luci light.

So many friends swore by it,i bought one to try. It was about S16 at Wal-Mart. Useless in my opinion. When it works, it works well.

The plastic inflatable was difficult to use.

The battery had almost no capacity. On low it might last 3-4 hours. It took longer and longer to charge. Within two months it required 3 days charging for two hours of light.

My opinion...a gadget not worth the money.

My GO XT dc powered tube light was $5. It's been in 4 of my vans. The light is a blueish light. It illuminates alot of the van. It does need to be plugged into dc socket. The switch is on the dc plug, the cord easily stretched the length of my old e250 extended length van.

My opinion- Hell Yes it's worth $5

My favorite, my Kaito Voyager solar/crank/battery weather radio. Yes it's a radio. I paid about $40 for mine.

With an internal battery, a space for 3 AA batteries, and it can also easily charge by usb.

Useful and bright, ith several charging methods. It will last a full night or two, is bright enough to read by.

My opinion- highly recommend. It's useful as a light and it's a multi functional device

My newest, I'm in love already with the bayco 36 LED light. At roughly $18, comes with both car charger and standard house charger. Recharge time is only 3-4 hours. It works 4 hours on high or 10 on the lower flashlight setting.

It's orange which makes it easy to spot. The hanging clip and the magnetic clip are gravy on an already good deal.

My opinion- highly recommend.

There are many choices out there. I do like having more than one type of light.

If you enjoyed this blog consider donating $1

If you enjoyed this blog please contribute $1
Paypal.me/LouBurgess/1

aypal.me/LouBurgess/1