[Ainan]

The title says it all. Have your life plans changed since becoming peak oil aware? I know there have been a few similar threads in the past but I wanted to get some updated information, particularly because I'm young and choosing my path in life, but I also wanted to know more about how you've changed your path and less about what you're actually doing. Hopefully this will be a particularly interesting thread because of the difference in peoples approaches here at peak oil, for example, some people have headed to the hills to set up a doomstead, some have entered the world of business and are making great money to prepare with, and some are building doomships.

So, how have your life plans changed after becoming peak oil aware?

[rangerone314]

I bought a house nearly a year earlier than originally planned. (BEFORE wife graduated from college, rather than after)

[AAA]

I am 27 yrs old and peakoil awareness has changed by future plans entirely.

Before I thought I would work until I was 50 yrs old so that I could support a luxurious lifestyle of international traveling, country club memberships, vacation homes, etc...What is "typically" dreamed of when the average Joe thinks of retirement.

Now I am on the fast-track of living well below my means and should be able to retire by 40 yrs old. I have eliminated all debt except our mortgage and that will be paid off next year. I save/invest over 85% of my salary and have bought acreage out-of-state to move when I "retire". I hope to set up a nice homestead/doomstead with a small orchard, large garden, rainwater harvesting system, wind, solar, a few animals, etc... Nothing fancy or too large but something able to provide more than 75% of my families food and a little extra to sell or barter.

I don't believe in a fast crash and therefore do not have the same urgency as many here feel.

I also believe now is a great time to profit off the corporate world especially in the oil industry and save that money to prepare for the future. That is why I moved from a small agriculture town in New Mexico to Los Angeles to work. I make more in 1 year than I would have made in 4 years doing the same work. I keep my cost of living extremely low and save/invest that money.

[Ludi]

Not much at all, except I plan to be even poorer in old age. But otherwise, I'm doing pretty much what I would be doing without knowledge of peak oil, except maybe I'm worrying a little more than I would have been otherwise.

I'm "old" - pushing 50.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('AAA', '
')Before I thought I would work until I was 50 yrs old so that I could support a luxurious lifestyle of international traveling, country club memberships, vacation homes, etc...What is "typically" dreamed of when the average Joe thinks of retirement.

[Revi]

Lately I have had to readjust my life plans a lot because of peak oil and economic instability. Lately I have begun to think that the present situation may not last, and that we had better get ready to downsize our lives very soon.

Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

[shortonsense]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Revi', 'L')ately I have had to readjust my life plans a lot because of peak oil and economic instability. Lately I have begun to think that the present situation may not last, and that we had better get ready to downsize our lives very soon.

Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

[rangerone314]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('shortonsense', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Revi', 'L')ately I have had to readjust my life plans a lot because of peak oil and economic instability. Lately I have begun to think that the present situation may not last, and that we had better get ready to downsize our lives very soon.

Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

[SeaGypsy]

Peak oil, Easter Island syndrome, exponential humans, peak everything, techno-lag, the inertia of established capital; have all been on my mind since 1974 when I had a very enlightened teacher in grade 2 at primary school. However, testosterone kept me pretty busy until just a few years ago, when it all hit me 'like a ton of bricks'.
Having children makes one face one's deepest fears about the future. Fine if one is a deadset corny, different if one has been a deep down 'peaker'.

Peak oil has not just changed my plans, per se; but my view of much of what happens in the world on a daily basis. Every thought, every decision, has to survive the peak oil furnace to survive as valid in my mind. I am still open to positive breakthroughs though, unlike many peakers; although I do have my doubts. These are mostly based on the dishonesty of MSM and TPTB with regards the the facts which have really been staring humanity in the face for 40 years; yet have never been fully owned up to. It has been my sad recognition since the 1970's that TPTB intend to stick with the BAU model unto Easter Island Syndrome has us all by the throats. I still see very little evidence contrary to this position.

I continue to work, make $, have an interesting life, travel a lot, have a family, broaden my horizons and knowlege. I very much appreciate being part of the peakoil.com community and the learning available here. I have learned more on this site than in the previous 30 years. There is a vast pool of knowlege available here, with experts in many utterly divergent fields and points of view. I hope this site continues to grow and prosper, attract more interesting and knowlegable contributers and keeps being a very free forum for speech about the calamity of man in the current age.

P.S. I was a Sea Scout.

[Kristen]

I've learned not to have unrealistic expectations. I don't have any plan, I just live each day for what it's worth. Ever since learning of "Peak Oil" in 2005, my whole idea of the future was crushed. Since then, the more unraveling and knowledge that is gained, the more sorrowful I feel about the human experience.

[AAA]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '
')The average Joe might have dreamed of those things, but the average Joe doesn't get them in retirement. But I have to remember you think someone who makes $ 250,000 a year is middle class, and I guess maybe you think that is an "average" annual income..... What I'm saying is, you have weird ideas about "the average Joe."

[Loki]

I posted a modified version of this in another thread, but here's my answer about how peak oil has influenced my future plans.

My long-term goal is to have my own farm, not a "doomstead" per se, but I guess someone could see it as that. I'm more interested in rural self-employment than I am in isolating myself from the zombie hordes.

I've been working 50+ hours a week since 2007 learning the horticulture trade. In the spring I begin working full-time on an established, diversified organic farm so I can learn how to farm. I'll also finish my horticulture degree this year, and get certified as an arborist, among other professional certs and licenses.

But it's possible that the long-term may end up being too unstable for me to finance a new farm business. Civilization may very well go tits up in my lifetime. If I'm a landless farmer who knows the trade inside and out, there will likely be plenty of landowners happy to have me work their land.

If we deepen into an extended Great Depression II and peak oil kicks us while we're down, there ain't gonna be much of a demand for nursery crops, Christmas trees, and grass seed, the three biggest crops in the valley where I live. But people will still need to eat, and they'll probably have to rely on food that was grown with much fewer fossil fuels than we currently use. Most people won't have the knowhow---hopefully I'll be able to fill that niche.

A nice bonus is that I can engage in Right Livelihood AND feed myself and my loved ones even in the worst of times AND have a viable, enjoyable career even if things don't go tits up. The versatility of horticulture is one of the main reasons I chose it as my second career. Plus I enjoy it!

[careinke]

Paid off all my debts, moved onto the doomstead, quit working (for other people), did a lot of study, reduced expenses, built gardens, added chickens, planted fruit trees, became a student of permaculture etc etc. Basically I moved to the unofficial economy. Unfortunately, I still feel like a free range slave.

[Cog]

I have become extremely cautious with acquiring any debt and have in fact paid down a lot of it. My small garden in suburbia is a test plot to see what works to amend soil without mechanical help. If we have a couple of years left to us to prep, I will be making the transition from this place to a small farm.

I am trying new things in carpentry and maintenance of what I have instead of letting a specialist do them. I make a fair amount of mistakes this way but nothing a few band aids and peroxide haven't fixed.