And don't spend any money!

[Beeman]

That's the instructions that my wife gave me as she left for work today as I sit home underemployed again. I have plenty of chores to do but it never fails that something will need a part or materials to complete the project. She did say I could buy broccoli plants if I went out.

[Beeman]

So far things are fine, just hope it's just underemployed for now. I knew someone would suggest buying seeds instead of plants, I'll be buying both. Days off also include pursuing money making opportunities.

[Watcher48]

Originally Posted by Beeman

So far things are fine, just hope it's just underemployed for now. I knew someone would suggest buying seeds instead of plants, I'll be buying both. Days off also include pursuing money making opportunities.

What money making opportunities are you finding in that area of E TN. M y neighbor is a trucker been off since Nov. Even the scab carpenters can't find anything. Just the retired GM employees keeping things going around here.

[Beeman]

Originally Posted by Watcher48

What money making opportunities are you finding in that area of E TN. M y neighbor is a trucker been off since Nov. Even the scab carpenters can't find anything. Just the retired GM employees keeping things going around here.

There's always been something to make a buck or two just hard to make a full living from it. I sold some cases of honey and I fixed someone's log splitter and then split some of my wood with it today. I noticed on my way to town that a lot of people that never had a garden before are getting gardens plowed, I have an underemployed tractor that I might start plowing gardens with. If I make a few phone calls I can usually get some mechanic work, my shop is sitting there whenever I need it. I have 2 cars I'm parting out and made some calls to sell some of that. Plenty of other stuff to sell on craigslist and local trade papers.
I drive a truck and it's been slowing down a lot, been missing a trip every other week.

[Minelson]

My hubby does the same thing! He is unemployed and getting stuff done around the homestead...but, he keeps spending money to do it! Plus, he will run to the store for milk & bread and come back with loads of food I KNOW he overpaid for...he is not good at price shopping at all. grrrrrrrrr

[agmantoo]

Beeman, recently I posted information on building a manual pin straw baler on this site. If you can locate a stand of pine trees you will be most surprised at how much money can be made from selling pine straw. I know a retired unhealthy person that along with 2 female grand kids (approximately 11 and 13 years old) averaged baling more than 50 bales per half day. He sold them for $3 up to $4 per bale.

[fixer1958]

Dust your wrenches off. Not many are buying new. There is alot of gravy out there just keeping the old beaters going without having to put out alot of cash for technical diagnostic upgrades. You know that as well as I do.

I have more than I can do.......I thought it was a recession/depression.
I must be reading the news wrong.

[DJ in WA]

Originally Posted by Beeman

That's the instructions that my wife gave me as she left for work today as I sit home underemployed again. I have plenty of chores to do but it never fails that something will need a part or materials to complete the project. She did say I could buy broccoli plants if I went out.

What if the wives of your customers were telling them to not spend? Tell your wife it is your patriotic duty to spend money for the good of the economy.

[Beeman]

Originally Posted by agmantoo

Beeman, recently I posted information on building a manual pin straw baler on this site. If you can locate a stand of pine trees you will be most surprised at how much money can be made from selling pine straw. I know a retired unhealthy person that along with 2 female grand kids (approximately 11 and 13 years old) averaged baling more than 50 bales per half day. He sold them for $3 up to $4 per bale.

That would be great if I still lived in NC at my last house, nothing but pines. Not many pines around here.

[Beeman]

I did pretty good, got the plants and seeds. I did work on the weedeater since I was going to get parts for the logsplitter and ended up buying a part for the head of the weedeater.

[soulsurvivor]

If you're close enough to KY, then you could maybe find the odd job of cleaning up trees and limbs out of people's yards and property. My neighbor has been doing this and charging around $150 to $200 a yard to clean up the debris and haul it to the landfill. Some people I know have paid as much as $500 to get this done.

The state road departments in some areas are going around and running the chippers to help with cleanup. KY is going to have an abundance of wood mulch this year.

[Nette]

I think your wife ought to let you spend a little money (!) and run an ad in the local paper about plowing up garden spots. Or maybe you could post an ad at the feed store, or some other locally appropriate place. Around here you either have to do it yourself or "know somebody". There's lots of folks that don't know anybody to do that, or they'd feel bad asking. Why, if you lived around here, I'd hire you! My husband has all sorts of huge equipment, but, (a) come spring he's too busy doing his own farmwork, and most of all, (b) the tractors and equipment are too BIG for the small garden I want, in the tight (but perfect) spot I want to put it!

(Did I mention I took my little tiller down to the repair shop yesterday? Hey, I would have hired you fix that! Another service you could put in your ad.)

[Beeman]

Originally Posted by DJ in WA

What if the wives of your customers were telling them to not spend? Tell your wife it is your patriotic duty to spend money for the good of the economy.

That's why I posted this, I thought it was funny when she said it. We've never been big spenders but as many know every project around the house always requires spending money.
We're in a pretty good situation and I'm just underemployed, not unemployed. It is getting worse and my job, trucking, is a direct indicator of total business and it's not looking good at all.

[DamnearaFarm]

I have a friend who is a highly trained diesel and foreign car mechanic. He says their business is booming, noone wants to buy new so they're putting cash into fixing their cars instead.

[Lost River]

I think backyard mechanics will be in more demand as things gets worse.

[hotzcatz]

Craig's List is free, advertise to plow up folks' gardens. Also see if you can get them to pay you to remove firewood from their yards.

I've got a small incubator full of duck, chicken and a few turkey eggs which I'm hoping will bring in a small amount when they hatch.

In tough times sometimes it takes a whole lot of little answers instead of one big one to solve the income problem.

[Ken Scharabok]

On pine needles would they necessarily have to be baled? Why not bagged? Take a metal garbage can and punch some holes in the bottom. Put in a clear, if possible, plastic bag. Have someone stand in the can and stomp down the needles as they are put into the can. When it absolutely won't hold any more, tie off the top and turn the can over to dump out the bag.

Note on the Work-at-Home Business forum my offer to send a free eBook copy of my book: How to Earn Extra Money in the Country. May be some ideas in there to help you out. (For a copy e-mail me at scharabo@aol.com. Please do not send a Private Message request.)

Went to a funeral service a couple of months ago to where four white doves were released afterwards. Someone locally had to furnish them for the funeral home. I suspect they were dropped off in two hampers and then the empty hampers picked up afterwards. Doves are reusable.

Someone I know in the area has a small riding stable. They have used their barn to host 'country weddings'. Hay bales instead of pews, Christmas string lights, etc.

A neighbor has a small engine repair shop. He has never advertised and has all of the business he wants. He sells used mowers on the side by just letting them sit outside the shop during the day. Folks will stop in to ask about them. (Although he is now listing through Craigslist also.)

As I have mentioned before I have friends in SE TN whose major income comes from growing and selling eight varieties of tomato seedlings at one flea market. Does something like 50,000 seedlings each spring. Starts planting in January in a greenhouse. They have developed a very loyal customer base due to the high quality of the seedlings. For example, they never reuse new potting soil. Any trays which don't meet their standard go to the compost pile.

While it may be illegal to sell skinned/gutted rabbits (or even processed poultry) at a farmers' market for human consumption, is it possible to offer them as dog food? Use a stick-on label which says: "Not federally (or state) inspected. Not for human consumption." You can't control what they do with it after purchase. Offer the hide and guts as BARF.

Have a pickup? What about something like "Fred's Local Moving Service"? Say someone is moving from an apartment to a home, or vice versa.

I hire a local guy to do farm work for me - mostly weedeating fence rows, picking up debris, fence repair and odd jobs.

Have a stock trailer? Can you offer to haul livestock to or from the area livestock barn?

I don't know how viable a tractor-based garden tilling service would be. If you take a tractor on a road there is a good bit of wear to the tires. If you haul it on a trailer you have the time involved with off-loading/loading and wear and tear (and fuel) on the haul vehicle and trailer. There is the wear and tear on the tractor and tiller in the garden, plus fuel. If you quote someone say $100 to till up a 50' x 100' area they are likely to consider that an outrageous price. (In which case you suggest they purchase a shovel and do it themselves.)

[vezoo]

Ken good reply, but:
"Freds Local Moving Service" and the hauling of anything for hire, can fall under Federal DOT laws, and the fines for trucking for hire without the proper permits can be a major set back.

www.safersys.org

The only reason I state this is un-licensed trucking companies helped put me out of business.......I had over head expense: insurance, road Tax, and permits. They had nothing but a truck and no regards for the law.

As for clean up after a storm.. Here in Ohio after the wind storms came threw here.. The good old goverment was busting people for doing clean up for hire... no bond or insurance..

None of it is easy money.. Some one higher up, if you make enuff money will want their cut.. Be it permits or insurance or what ever they can think of.