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I've entertained the same idea from time to time, but just don't see how it can work out financially. What is your contingency plan for medical expenses? Kids?

I've entertained the same idea from time to time, but just don't see how it can work out financially. What is your contingency plan for medical expenses? Kids? Btw, big fan of your blog posts.

jermaustin1 5y ago
So in rural America you definitely give up access to top-notch medical care, but I'm relatively healthy currently, and if we drop our household income, we start to qualify for subsidies. My wife only just started her career, 17 years into our relationship, so she's going to start ramping up income over the next few years, and that will hopefully cover any unforeseen issues. I actually tried retiring this year. I paid to go to university in the UK in a very cheap place to live, but we had a few people in our family pass, and we decided while everyone is aging, we should stick around. >big fan of your blog posts. That is so kind of you to say. I'm a big fan of writing them... once or twice a year when I finally remember a story worthy of writing.
- throwaway6734 5y ago
  >if we drop our household income, we start to qualify for subsidies Yuck
  - jermaustin1 5y ago
    I've paid quite a bit in taxes over the years, should I not be allowed to extract value from them when I'm no longer earning enough to cover my basic expenses (especially expenses like health care???)
    - throwaway6734 5y ago
      The point of a social safety net is catch people falling through the cracks that are unable to support themselves. Using social safety programs when you are able bodied leaves less for those that are unable to do so
      - jermaustin1 5y ago
        And in America we are all one unexpected medical expense away from bankruptcy. I'm not going to toil my life away doing things I hate just because America's safety net has been defunded by a bunch of people who view gainful employment no matter how unnecessary the job is as the only way to get to Heaven.
        throwaway6734 5y ago
        >And in America we are all one unexpected medical expense away from bankruptcy. How do subsidies help then? And people like you are a fantastic political talking point for why the social safety net routinely gets defunded.
        jermaustin1 5y ago
        That is untrue... I will be continuing to work for myself and hopefully increase my income, but the safety net is there if I don't quite hit my mark. This is the same with anyone. Trust me: I WANT money. I LIKE money. But if I cannot earn enough, I'm more than happy to take from the benefits I have spent a lot of money to fund. I also vote regularly to increase taxes and to expand funding for the social safety net, so that it is available anytime ANYONE has to pull from it.
- cheese_van 5y ago
  It is not necessarily the case that one gives up good med care in rural America. I live in a suburb of an 8000 person city (town?) and med care is top notch. I do believe that anywhere one chooses to live there are compromises. Those compromises, if you do your homework, are up to you. We have zero violent crime, and no fear of our neighbors. However, there are raccoons. Restaurants exist, but they are exceptionally mediocre. We have grocery stores, however, and one learns to cook. A car is indeed a necessity. The terrain is hilly and a bike riding is exhausting. Children are free roaming. Bicycle gangs of laughing children invade day napping. The unstated pressure to maintain one's lawn is intense, ridiculous and mildly fascist. I comply grudgingly. One has fish and game on speed dial in the event wild animals misbehave. Strangers may wave at you from their cars if you are walking. It is unsettling. There is a smaller pool of craftsmen and tradesmen to fix your shit and they will stick it to you. People would rather talk about weather than politics. It is difficult to identify those who deserve to be politically shunned, so one must instead judge their diligence regarding lawn care. One can lead a life of quiet desperation, or enjoyment, in either the city or the country.
  - lotsofpulp 5y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trauma_center https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trauma_center Being near a level 1 trauma center can make a big difference in extreme circumstances. Not that it is objectively worth giving up whatever benefits not being near a level 1 trauma center bring, but it does provide a material difference in the level of healthcare and hence probability of outcomes you can expect.

I've entertained the same idea from time to time, but just don't see how it can work out financially. What is your contingency plan for medical expenses? Kids? Btw, big fan of your blog posts.

jermaustin1 5y ago

So in rural America you definitely give up access to top-notch medical care, but I'm relatively healthy currently, and if we drop our household income, we start to qualify for subsidies. My wife only just started her career, 17 years into our relationship, so she's going to start ramping up income over the next few years, and that will hopefully cover any unforeseen issues. I actually tried retiring this year. I paid to go to university in the UK in a very cheap place to live, but we had a few people in our family pass, and we decided while everyone is aging, we should stick around. >big fan of your blog posts. That is so kind of you to say. I'm a big fan of writing them... once or twice a year when I finally remember a story worthy of writing.

throwaway6734 5y ago
>if we drop our household income, we start to qualify for subsidies Yuck
- jermaustin1 5y ago
  I've paid quite a bit in taxes over the years, should I not be allowed to extract value from them when I'm no longer earning enough to cover my basic expenses (especially expenses like health care???)
  - throwaway6734 5y ago
    The point of a social safety net is catch people falling through the cracks that are unable to support themselves. Using social safety programs when you are able bodied leaves less for those that are unable to do so
    - jermaustin1 5y ago
      And in America we are all one unexpected medical expense away from bankruptcy. I'm not going to toil my life away doing things I hate just because America's safety net has been defunded by a bunch of people who view gainful employment no matter how unnecessary the job is as the only way to get to Heaven.
      - throwaway6734 5y ago
        >And in America we are all one unexpected medical expense away from bankruptcy. How do subsidies help then? And people like you are a fantastic political talking point for why the social safety net routinely gets defunded.
        jermaustin1 5y ago
        That is untrue... I will be continuing to work for myself and hopefully increase my income, but the safety net is there if I don't quite hit my mark. This is the same with anyone. Trust me: I WANT money. I LIKE money. But if I cannot earn enough, I'm more than happy to take from the benefits I have spent a lot of money to fund. I also vote regularly to increase taxes and to expand funding for the social safety net, so that it is available anytime ANYONE has to pull from it.
cheese_van 5y ago
It is not necessarily the case that one gives up good med care in rural America. I live in a suburb of an 8000 person city (town?) and med care is top notch. I do believe that anywhere one chooses to live there are compromises. Those compromises, if you do your homework, are up to you. We have zero violent crime, and no fear of our neighbors. However, there are raccoons. Restaurants exist, but they are exceptionally mediocre. We have grocery stores, however, and one learns to cook. A car is indeed a necessity. The terrain is hilly and a bike riding is exhausting. Children are free roaming. Bicycle gangs of laughing children invade day napping. The unstated pressure to maintain one's lawn is intense, ridiculous and mildly fascist. I comply grudgingly. One has fish and game on speed dial in the event wild animals misbehave. Strangers may wave at you from their cars if you are walking. It is unsettling. There is a smaller pool of craftsmen and tradesmen to fix your shit and they will stick it to you. People would rather talk about weather than politics. It is difficult to identify those who deserve to be politically shunned, so one must instead judge their diligence regarding lawn care. One can lead a life of quiet desperation, or enjoyment, in either the city or the country.
- lotsofpulp 5y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trauma_center https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trauma_center Being near a level 1 trauma center can make a big difference in extreme circumstances. Not that it is objectively worth giving up whatever benefits not being near a level 1 trauma center bring, but it does provide a material difference in the level of healthcare and hence probability of outcomes you can expect.