EPA Boss Lee Zeldin Suggests U.S. May Plan to Axe Stop-Start Systems
Retirement and proximity to healthcare 🧑🏻⚕️
One of the things AI was bringing up when considering retiring to an off-grid cabin in remote wild country, far away from the big cities, is the need for access to health care when one gets older. That is a valid concern, indeed the two hour drive each way for my aunt and uncle were a reason they moved from their place in small-town Arizona to a location closer to specialists. Getting older means seeing more doctors, it seems like my parents schedules each week involve visiting a lot of doctors.
At one level, I get the benefits of having access to specialty care nearby. But I think a better idea is just to take care of your body, fuel it with good food and exercise, and at a certain point realize it’s going to wear out and it’s not always cost effective to fix equipment on outdated machinery. You aren’t going to live forever, while some things may be worthwhile to fix, often doctors like mechanics want to fix everything, rather then just letting equipment wear out and life be done. Too often cost-benefit analysis on life is leaned towards protecting life for as long as possible, without considering the benefits to living a good life today. Maybe if a doctor is too far away, it’s not worth getting the problem fixed.
Will the SuperDuty actually make me happy? 🛻😃
That’s the question that remains on my mind, as keep studying the tactics to get a fair deal from dealerships, inventory levels, insurance quotes. It’s a big check, some paperwork, and it will be mine with no payment, just higher insurance bills and maybe bigger gas bill though that’s debatable compared to Big Red with his lift kit. And honestly, the cheapest way to avoid gas bills is to leave the SuperDuty parked, whether at home or at camp and ride my mountain bike. People are like don’t you know vehicles are about driving? I guess, but I never liked driving much, seems like such a hassle with cops and traffic.
Like anything, the best moments are not when you own or do the thing, but anticipation of the future. Happiness rarely comes when you are doing the actual thing or in the moment. The SuperDuty inevitably will break down, get smashed into by other vehicles, be expensive to operate, and a bitch to drive and park in the city. That is to be expected. It’s not like everything else in world. But also it will be many adventures seeing America while I’m still young and not so tied down by the homestead or even family. I talk about my trips to West Virginia or even the Adirondack wilderness, and those are often spoken with some jellously of those who have commitment that keep themselves closer to home. Michigan will be amazing this summer, as will the many nights spend hanging out on the tailgate of the new rig. And many other adventures in the years to come.
I just needed some reminders from Google AI about the stereotypes of “poor desperate” renters 🏚️
“While homeownership is often touted as the ultimate financial win, I prefer the freedom of my small, affordable city apartment. It allows me to commute via bike or transit and funnel my extra income into both personal and retirement investments. The reality of owning a home—high maintenance costs, expensive heating for a large space, and a likely car-dependent commute—doesn’t appeal to me right now. While I have the capital to buy, I’d rather grow those funds to eventually purchase an off-grid retirement cabin. Despite knowing this is the right path for me, the social media narrative that renting is “shameful” or “throwing money away” is frustratingly persistent.”
The idea that renting is “throwing money away” is a persistent social media myth that ignores the opportunity cost of homeownership. In 2026, renting is often the more strategic financial choice, especially in major U.S. metros where monthly rent remains significantly cheaper than a mortgage. By staying in your inexpensive city apartment and investing your extra cash, you are likely building more wealth than many homeowners.
The Financial Reality of Renting vs. Owning
For many, the “forced savings” of a mortgage is their only path to wealth, but for a disciplined investor, renting can be a superior strategy.
- Monthly Savings: In 49 of the 50 largest U.S. metros, renting a starter home is cheaper than buying one, with average monthly savings exceeding $900 in some areas.
- Asset Performance: Historically, stocks have generated higher returns than housing—averaging roughly 7.6% annually over the long term compared to 5.4% for home values.
- Unrecoverable Costs: While rent is unrecoverable, so are many homeownership costs: mortgage interest, property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, and maintenance (typically estimated at 1% of home value annually).
- Flexibility & Lifestyle: Renting allows you to avoid the commute-heavy lifestyle of the suburbs, saving on transit costs that often rise faster than inflation.
Homeownership Costs Often Overlooked
Beyond the mortgage, owning a house in 2026 involves several “hidden” financial and personal drains that you are currently avoiding:
| Cost Category | Renter Experience | Homeowner Experience |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront Capital | Security deposit (refundable) | 20% down payment + closing costs |
| Monthly Payment | Often lower than mortgage in city centers | Principal, interest, taxes, and insurance (PITI) |
| Maintenance | Zero cost; responsibility of landlord | Annual repairs (roof, HVAC, plumbing) |
| Mobility | Easy to relocate for career or lifestyle | High friction; selling costs (~6% commission) |
| Insurance | Low-cost renter’s insurance | Skyrocketing premiums for property owners |
Countering the “Stigma”
Social media often frames homeownership as the only benchmark of “success,” but modern financial experts view this as a “real estate religion” rather than sound math. Success is not defined by a title deed, but by your net worth and your ability to fund your “Rich Life”—which for you is an off-grid cabin in retirement. If you are using the flexibility of renting to aggressively build financial strength in your investment and retirement accounts, you are not “failing”—you are executing a high-growth strategy that prioritizes long-term goals over social pressure.
My face yesterday was absolutely pock-marked with salt and sand by the time I got into the office 😀
Morning coffee in the office tasted like road salt, though even with the salt-flavored taffy taste, that flavored coffee of week, Chocolate Fudge Coffee was pretty damn good. I wiped the salt off my face but still everything was just so salt encrusted as I sat behind my desk. I guess it’s extreme mental illness, being a sad desperate individual without a ginormous Ford F-350 with the Godzilla. But I thought you wanted to be a millionaire hog farmer when you retired, sitting around all day shoveling manure, smoking dope and singing along with Karen Dalton?
It was a pretty darn quiet day in the office, 🏢 the programmers are still dealing with the library issue and linker so we can’t do the database update 💾 so I’m just twiddling my thumb waiting for the next big project to come in. Spent some time studying my pictures from West Virginia I have hung up in my office. 🖼️ Had that extra cup of chocolate fudge coffee, after coming into the office salt encrusted with wet pant ankles 👖 so yeah, it somewhat negatively impacted my sleep last night. Had lots of pinto beans yesterday, both for lunch and dinner, I kind of over salted them, but whatever.
I guess I’ll ride in today, 🚲 I am a little on the fence as it was so wet yesterday. I don’t love riding Corning Hill but there is still too much snow on the Rail Trail I think so it best to wait until next week. ☔ I am really excited about the possibility of rain come next week. Next Wednesday through Fridy, we might get as much as an inch of rain to melt away a lot of the snow, with several days in the 40s. I wanted to take off half a day next week to look at trucks but maybe not in the pouring rain. Tomorrow, I should ride in because I’ll probably have meetings downtown, but might be colder 🌬️ but yeah, it’s Friday the 13th in February which happens before Valentines Day, ♥️ so yeah I’m kind of paranoid.
Creeping towards the weekend, 😀 a long weekend that should be nice, not too cold and with lots of sun. ☀️ If I still had Big Red on road, I would probably up in Rensselearville or maybe Madison County Horse Camp 🐴 having fires, burning stuff 🔥, smoking dope listening to Country Joe and Fish, and riding my mountain bike slinging mud. 🚲 But I will be stuck home, but that’s fine as I need to run to the store. I should get to Hannaford tonight or maybe tomorrow morning, and get some candy 🍬 to hand out to staff and remind them to sign out of the building 🚒 so that when the fire truck comes, we can tell them not go searching for the lost staff. Next week, I want to do that half day to look at SuperDuty trucks but yeah, I don’t know if that is going to happen with the rain. I certainly don’t want to go in this weekend with all the hyped Presidents Day Sales. I want time to actually look at and test drive a truck, and get an initial out-the-door offer, before I get lots of quotes form dealers.
