Did you ever stop to think...?

Did you ever stop to think how much stuff you need to buy to make your life not only survivable but comfortable when you are planning to live semi-off the grid in a foreign country??? It's mind boggling! You need to think of what you will need to travel in (long trip down and short shopping trips); live in (temporarily and permanently); to survive (tools, water supply, ax, chain saw, fishing gear, etc); and to live comfortably (normal day-to-day stuff like eating, sleeping, washing, and just hanging around). I created a list quite a while ago and it keeps growing. Not that it's all expensive stuff but it's stuff that is easier to obtain here in the U.S. than in Central America. Later in this blog I'll be listing the minimum necessities for others who decide to retire and live like me. I might as well save others the stress of figuring it all out. I've been searching the web for info like that but haven't been able to find it in one place. So i'm searching on "living off the grid", "survival living", and key words like that. My son Richard gave me a couple of books on living off the grid. The books are a compilation of things people have sent in to a newsletter type publication. Some is common sense but others are pretty nifty time and/or environment savers that I'll incorporate myself. But...I never realized what it would take to retire in Belize until I sat down and started thinking about it. Now that time is getting short I have to start getting everything together. I bought a chain saw, air compressor and a 50cc scooter today at a flea market. My friend Stu saw them and called me so I met him there and started my quest to buy them. The money from selling my furniture is what I'm planning on using to equip myself. Today I spent $350 and got some very necessary items.