Homestead mailing list

["Lisa K.V. Perry" <lisakvperry AT gmail.com>]

A few days back, Gene wrote:

"We spend money otherwise sent to insurance companies on the best food we
can find, a superior vehicle, books, building materials and other
preferences. Without the burden of insurance premiums one can live
large on a small budget. "

A couple days later, Toni added (btw--welcome back):

"We feel wonderful and enjoy a clean place and rhythm of the
seasons.  We are some of the healthiest folk we know with our choices!  I
have decided to stop worrying about not having us covered by insurances
anymore, and often tell folk who are quite worried for us that this is
working just fine!  To some, this makes me an irresponsible parent! "

Because I didn't take Gene and James advice re Christmas, I've spent the
last week baking and occasionally peeking at email to see what you guys are
up to. This is an interesting thread to me because we've been without
insurance since Emerson, my youngest, was born 8/24/95. We let our insurance
coverage lapse beginning the following month and haven't had it since. We've
been self-employed for a dozen years and there have been times, especially
during a three year period of '01 through '03 where I could afford the
monthly payment--but always wondered whether I could afford it three or four
months later and couldn't guarantee it so didn't enroll. Never dreamed that
11+ years would have passed without coverage. Haven't needed it except for
when I fell and broke my arm in Feb. '04 but even then it was a simple break
that did not require pins or surgery. The total bill was $2600 and the
medical practice accepted monthly payments over the course of a year.
Ironically, the total bill would have not met a high  deductible. We are not
yet in a position to afford health insurance coverage, but probably could
swing it in '08. We, too, live like Gene and Toni and also take supplements
and use common sense for our health and well being. You can scare yourself
silly if you think about the what-if's that could happen to you without
coverage, but we plod onward living the healthiest lives that we can as best
we can. There have been times, as my husband and I both recognize that we
aren't getting younger, where I can see that having insurance might give you
peace of mind, but peace of mind these days runs upward of $500+/mo. for a
family of four. We have some medical coverage through car insurance but
that's it. That seems fine most days except for when I'm reminded that we
don't have coverage and my brain wanders into what-if territory for a
minute.

Lisa