Disabled Veteran, Homeschool and Homestead friendly state?

ET1 SS · #21 08/16/12, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunbee

Idaho is the most homeschooling friendly state,
... We're firearm friendly.
... What we don't have is much of an economy in most areas, which is good if you want to buy land or a house and already have resources.
... you just do it, no records, testing, or registration required.

Wow, I had no idea that Idaho was identical to Maine, in so many areas.

AndSoMuchmore · #22 08/16/12, 04:07 PM

Thanks for all of the input! I keep learning more and more about the VA and it just irks me to no end. First you have to prove that you're hurt, then prove that it was "service connected" and then they get to pull out a percentage and then they decide if it's permanent and totally. No wonder they have unnecessary 10 year wars and don't really worry too much about the costs. Ugh. (To be clear, that's not politics that's just sheer wife-ing)

They made him start all over... again. BUT we do have some great support this time (DAV and he's registering to pair up with a Vietnam Vet through some program with OIF/OEF Vets) and I'm learning hard and fast about these things. When he gets to the point where he'll need me to drive him and whatnot (a month, a decade... no one knows) then he'll be T&P. At that point he won't be able to work and should be able to also draw his Social Security. The reason that he's been driving so hard to work so much now (so I just find out... getting info from you military types is like pulling teeth) is so that he'll have a larger amount socked away, less debt and (hopefully) a larger SS benefit when he can't work anymore.

The VA healthcare system is a little worrisome since we've been blessed to have good health insurance and he has avoided having to get healthcare there. His father is 85 and has asbestos in his lungs (17yrs in the Navy during Korea and Guam and some stuff that I'd never seen in the history books!) and he lives in St. Pete, FL because of the VA facility there. We know that the FL economy is not going to be good for us unless I sell my soul to one gov't entity or another but for a widower with extra pay from the lung settlement, it works great.

For us, the worse the local economy, the better. I'd also like to be in a community of like-minded people (at least to the extent of keeping your head down and doing your thing and worrying about rain and chickens -- I have a huge fear of moving into our dream homestead and having neighbors who make meth.) After everything I've learned, I think we'll be better off if I move forward on the academic track of my career (w/o waiting on those elusive free education benefits) so that I can teach a couple of classes online each year from whichever woods we find.

You all have given me a lot to consider, especially the T&P part (I *knew* that but totally forgot about it) and access to healthcare. I don't trust this whole healthcare for all future, I need to put myself in a position to either carry good private insurance through an employer or find a VA facility that has the equipment that even tests for DH's disease (they didn't have it at Bliss, he went to Lewis before they could test him.)

As an aside...I have heard tales of low income areas having higher food prices because almost everyone gets foodstamps from the state. Anyone else see/hear of this phenomenon? Are there areas where the commissary is a good thing? Here in the DFW area the commissary on the joint base is more expensive than the average grocer but I did learn from my father-in-law that once you're 100% you get your military ID back (you and dependents) and you can use all of the facilities on post except the medical that you have to go through the VA for. That's one of the reasons that we thought that living near a base was a good idea.

ET1 SS · #23 08/16/12, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndSoMuchmore

... Are there areas where the commissary is a good thing? Here in the DFW area the commissary on the joint base is more expensive than the average grocer but I did learn from my father-in-law that once you're 100% you get your military ID back (you and dependents) and you can use all of the facilities on post except the medical that you have to go through the VA for. That's one of the reasons that we thought that living near a base was a good idea.

My wife works for DECA. Some of their stuff is cheaper, and some is not. After you shop there a while you get used to which things to look for.

They also have a AFEES PX, the only thing cheaper there is the booze.

The base here is a National Guard base, so they do not have any medical facilities.

The VA is a horrible nightmare, and it has always been. I am very fortunate to have stayed in for 20-years and retired. If I lived near an Active Duty base, then I would be required to go on-base for medical. We did that for a few years right after I retired. Being treated by Corpsmen, but mostly only after-hours because only Active Duty can make appointments. Retirees are only seen by the night shift.

Now since we are far removed from any Active Duty base, Tricare covers us. So now we can go into any hospital and we are treated by doctors who have been through college and medical school. This is so far better than anything we saw during my career. Real Doctors are much better then corpsmen.