Cutting Cost? (Long wanting thoughts)

FarmerChick · #21 01/06/10, 10:21 PM

sad thing is life does cost money....BOO---I wish it didn't...HAha

if I was to spend money it would be on raised garden beds. if you are rocky and steep, I would cut terrace farming into the hillside and make raised beds.

groceries are not cheap (wow, don't we all know that one) and usually a great place to save money per week. If you preserve, freeze veggies etc. from your garden you will cut and save $

is that an option?

big rockpile · #22 01/06/10, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FarmerChick

sad thing is life does cost money....BOO---I wish it didn't...HAha

if I was to spend money it would be on raised garden beds. if you are rocky and steep, I would cut terrace farming into the hillside and make raised beds.

groceries are not cheap (wow, don't we all know that one) and usually a great place to save money per week. If you preserve, freeze veggies etc. from your garden you will cut and save $

is that an option?

Got two large Pantries full of Canned stuff out of the Garden.Another Pantry Full of other Food Stuffs and one and a half Freezers full of Meat and some Canned meat.

All we buy at the Store at this time is Cereals,Milk,Eggs,Bread,Sugar,Coffee,Tea,Butter,Pa stas and cooking Oil.But most of this comes from Bulk and Dent Store.

big rockpile

Sabre3of4 · #23 01/06/10, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by big rockpile

Thing with making or growing things to sell here is I live in a Menonnite area you can't sell a Dozen Eggs unless you are Menonnite.

There is a Market 30 miles away where we could sell but people from all around go there so if you sell it,its almost at a give away price.Like half Cord of Firewood brings $10.Plus you have to pay the crooks that run the place their share.

big rockpile

So where is this? It's cutthroat but when several in the family have been laid off, I need the break.....

Sabrina

big rockpile · #24 01/06/10, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sabre3of4

So where is this? It's cutthroat but when several in the family have been laid off, I need the break.....

Sabrina

Bolivar Sale Barn.Its on 32HWY East of Bolivar.Starts around 10AM every Saturday.Most the time its a Buyers market.Small Animals go High $$ around March but who knows this year.

big rockpile

littlesheeps · #25 01/07/10, 08:27 AM

Big Rockpile, thanks for posting this as I have just retired, fixin' to make my final move to a higher elevation with all my woolies, and getting into a whole new ballgame with continuing this homestead. What's sad is how most of us have already cut back so much... now what? Retirement is great, but hey.. that money stays the same till I die, and in 50 years, I'm thinking it won't stretch very far! I'm trying to head it all off before the other shoe falls... paid nearly everything off, but trying to figure out how to keep afloat with my small fiber herd and keep them fed, too. They will contribute to feeding ME in sellable yarns and fleeces, but they also feed my soul. Yes, and I have been playing homesteader for many years; I hope I've accumulated some smarts along the way of what works, what doesn't. This forum has helped so much throughout the years. But now's the time to put it all to work.

Was a member of this forum a long time ago, been lurking ever since, but it's great to be back (you all are the best!). Good luck BR with all this, and I'm hoping you have an a-ha moment with these posts. Looks like you're doing so much already, tho. debra in nm

WisJim · #26 01/07/10, 08:47 AM

Solar water heating pays off lots quicker than solar electric or wind electric (although I have all of them), especially since solar water heating is also the easiest to do yourself. PVs (solar electric) makes the most sense if getting connected to the grid (and I assume you are already connected) costs more than a basic off-grid system. Wind makes sense if you have a good (11mph average winds or better) wind site, and the money to spend on a good sized, 6kw or larger, system on a TALL tower. Saving energy is always cheaper than producing your own power, even if it sometimes means replacing old inefficient appliances with newer efficient ones.

Jim, using the wind and sun for power since 1977

FarmerChick · #27 01/07/10, 08:52 AM

WOW you are doing great on the pantry. Doesn't sound like your grocery bill is too bad, which is great.

highest expense for me is the stupid mortgage...working on getting that paid off in MANY years....LOL.....one stupid bill I hate but is a necessary evil

cider · #28 01/07/10, 08:59 AM

Welcome back littlesheeps!
Yes, when you live lean the question is where do I cut more? You start getting into areas you don't WANT to cut!

seagullplayer · #29 01/07/10, 09:07 AM

Sell the cabin.

Put your money in where you live not your vacation home.

firegirl969 · #30 01/07/10, 09:12 AM

Welcome back, littlesheeps!

BR,

Sounds like your garden is producing good, and you are enjoying the fruits of your labor. I don't remember reading if you have fruits put in yet. If not, that would cut your grocery bill even further. DH and I are working on solar power as a goal this year also. We were blessed this past year when a angel from this forum gave us some PV panels (250 watts) and many things that go with them to begin our solar experience. All that DH and I have to buy is the batteries and the inverter. So, we have a head start. We are grid-tied, but we are not confident in that for the future. We have a separate screened porch that we are going to install the solar on so that we will have energy independance if the grid goes down. We will be able to have some lights, charge the computer, and will purchase a 12 volt tv and dvd player for independance. We have also started using rechargeable batteries. We hope one day to add solar to the water pump as well, but that will be for another year. Solar is expensive, but we want the comfort of knowing that even if cap and trade passes, we will still have some electricity even if we can't afford to get it from the power company. We don't usually lose power from storms here, but it could happen and that wouldn't effect us either. As far as the composting toilet, I think you would be better off expense wise to put in one of those efficient low-water usage toilets. They are much cheaper than composting toilets. We do plan on putting a composting toilet at our cabin on the river (when we have a cabin on the river), but that is because it will be less expensive than putting in a septic system. I agree with you though, we all need to look at our expenses as a new year arrives and see where we can pinch pennies to make it through whatever is coming our way. Good luck in whatever you decide, firegirl

Head4theHills · #31 01/07/10, 09:17 AM

Our Round Oak cookstove was $50-we found it in an estate garage sale pile of junk. It was pretty rusty but DH cleaned it up and fixed it and it's been heating our house as our only source of heat for two years now. Keep your eyes open for a good deal like that. Before the cookstove we had a parlor stove that also was our primary heat source. Our furnace hasn't been on at all in seven years now-we had them haul the propane tank away. We have a 100 gallon tank if we need to run it for some reason but after seven years I'm afraid to fire the thing up!

We buy our potatoes by the 100# straight from the farmer for $12-they go a long way.

I hit craigslist and thrift shops, also antique shops, for good deals. Sounds like you live where that could be either very easy or very difficult.

We made an inside clothes line so we don't use our dryer any more...

Good luck with it-it can be a challenge!

FarmerChick · #32 01/07/10, 09:20 AM

Dryer is a huge chunk of electricity.

when I can line dry the savings is huge!

TRAILRIDER · #33 01/07/10, 12:46 PM

I don't have enough money to cut costs that way. I'm just going to live like the poor folk for a while

My poultry is cheap to keep in the good weather, but when there's snow (like now) boy do they eat! I guess the right way to go is to kill most of the birds before the bad weather, but I wouldn't. I hope to have a wood stove one day, but I have to save my pennies for a while.

TRAILRIDER · #34 01/07/10, 12:49 PM

Head4thehills, my clothers never seem to get dry indoors. Is it cause the house is just not warm enough? I hang them over the tub sometimes. The room temp is anywhere from 58 to 65 most of the time.

coup · #35 01/07/10, 02:41 PM

some ideas,,,,,,stop all magazine,newspaper subs. stop all tv and internet contracts,monthly pays..... stop buying anything you don't absolutley have to have.....go to bed at dark at get up at daylight to save electric. decide where you want to live(think long and hard) and get down to one place.......
hunt close to home or don't hunt........find a job for cash......house sitting,dog sitting,feeding animals for others.......night watchmen.......

tell wife to get second job or work overtime,,,,stop buying beer,whiskey,smokes...enter local toughman contest.

look into federal programs for farmers....here they will give you money for easment saying you can't build codo's.........

jd4020 · #36 01/07/10, 03:47 PM

Trailrider--
I've not had a dryer for about 9 years now. It's the line outside in good weather and drying racks in the winter. I have a shower curtain rod over the bathtub and hang things on plastic hangers (metal ones have the possiblitiy of rusting and leave a narrower crease) It helps to have the heat and our bathroom is small so it does get rather warm at times. A small fan helps to dry stuff faster and circulate the air better.
this has worked out really well for me and on the rare occasion I get behind due to humidity and a long spell of rain, I have laundered what was needed and gone to the laundromat to dry it. On the flip side, I take the big stuff like our sleeping bags into the laundromat to wash in the big washer and then bring them home to dry on the line.
I figure what I've saved in drying costs, I can go in and use the laundromat when needed, but, that's not very often.
jd

big rockpile · #37 01/07/10, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FarmerChick

Dryer is a huge chunk of electricity.

when I can line dry the savings is huge!

We Line dry all our Clothes.

big rockpile

firegirl969 · #38 01/07/10, 04:24 PM

We line dry our clothes also. During these cold days, I washed a load and hung them on the shower rod on plastic hangers to dry. I washed my diabetic tennis shoes and put them by the woodstove and they were dry the next morning.

reese7866 · #39 01/07/10, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edcopp

Here are some things that I would look into. First take a look at the Meds that you use regularily. Ask your doctor if there is some way to get meds at a reduced rate or for free. There may be. Some companies that manufacture meds have foundations that provide meds free or at reduced cost for people who are poor, disabled or old. Also ask about generics, see if there are cheaper meds that will do the same job.

Take a look at the house. Begin to do some of the simple things that you may have been putting off. Like weather stripping windows, and sealing up drafty places. Take a look at making some window quilt type drapes. I have used wool blankets, and worn sleeping bags for things like this with some success.

Make a door snake. That is a small bundle of rags to place in front of the door to the outside when it is closed to stop drafts from under the door. A couple of old towels or an old pair of pants may work for this task. The whole idea is to use less heat and to be more cumfortable.

Look into your local food bank. See what they have to offer for people like you and DW. There is no shame in using these services if they are needed. Also take a look at your local senior citizens center (depends on age) and what they can do to help you out. Senior centers often provide extra food, reduced priced lunches as well as transportation for medical services and can sometimes arrange free or reduced medical services, as well as home delivered lunches.

For example. I think I am a bit older than you are. My senior center provides a location where dental students can come and work on us older folks for free. They do fillings, cleanings, x-rays, extractions and so on for free. Usually available 4 times per year.

Senior centers are parrtially federal funded, and in my area there is also a tax levy for senior centers. So part of this service is taxpayer funded.

Your local health department may also have some services for you. In my area they provide some simple services like blood pressure tests, etc. for free. Some other more complicated services are available at reduced rates.

If DW is laid off right now you and she may qualify for food stamps. No shame in this either. Take them and stock up for later, or for trading stock when things really tighten up.

Some food banks have other services like thrift stores. Take a look at good warm clothing and layer up. This may also help your comfort level.

Check out the cupboards and so on. Try to use up some of what you already heve, and preserve what little cash you do have. Forget about anything that requires a cash outlay, for now (like solar). Just put it on the back burner so to speak.

Do not invest in new levestock right now, it is the wrong time of the year. Put the word out that you would take (for free) chickens and rabbits. If you get some then set up a small flock and eat what you do not need now.

Just keep it simple and do the simple things right now.

really really good advice all of it that we all can store away in our memory banks to help others.. thanks

FarmerChick · #40 01/07/10, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by big rockpile

We Line dry all our Clothes.

big rockpile

OK--you win....LOL---I think you do it all correctly at this point..HAHA
:banana02:

you are way ahead of the game now!