Cost of Living

Beeman · #41 10/25/10, 07:18 AM

Have you ever lived or spent time in the states you want to relocate to? Do you have friends, relatives or any support group there?

hmsteader71 · #42 10/25/10, 07:36 AM

I am going to average these. Now these don't include putting anything aside for taxes, car licenses or anything like that right now. We have debts that will be listed that we are trying to pay off first. There are much needed home repairs, too, that are not covered. And before someone says something (not that you will, just in case) I know we shouldn't have the credit cards and that is why we are trying to pay them off and get rid of them.

Mortgage-330
Sams Card-85
Visa Card-97
Electric-150
Gas-30
Water-100
Phone/Internet-85
Insurance (Home & Car)-274
USDA-35
Cell Phones (4)-165
Direct TV-70
Medical Bills-175
Groceries-300
Gasoline-280
Total-2176
We do not have to pay medical insurance as hubby paid it within the first year. That's how his factory had it set up. 3 months-100%, 3 months-75% and so on til now we don't have anything going out except co-pays.
From what a friend told me, starting in January you will no longer be able to get over-the-counter meds without a prescription. Even tylenol. I hope this is wrong or we will be paying much more.

seagullplayer · #43 10/25/10, 07:45 AM

I think you will find a good dog to be very valuable in the country, not just a pet.

A barking dog keeps a lot of trouble at bay.

That would raise your animal feed bill.

**ladycat** · #44 10/25/10, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thestartupman

30 Clothing (2 People)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danaus29

$50 clothing

Why so much for clothes?

#45 10/25/10, 10:27 AM

I bet it's those darn $500 socks.

Danaus29 · #46 10/25/10, 01:39 PM

It's my $20 and $25 t-shirts I buy from gift stores at places I visit (Franklin Park, Columbus Zoo, The Butterfly Palace, etc.), jeans of which I usually wear out or tear up a couple pair a year, gloves because I am always losing them and have to buy more every winter, work gloves (see previous comment), shoes at the rate of 3 or 4 pair a year for dh and myself, coats (dh goes through 1 a year), jackets, coveralls, slippers (see comment about gloves) etc. When you have to pay $200 or more for a pair of arctic coveralls or $90 for a good fleece lined below zero coat and $30 every couple months for a new pair of shoes it adds up real quick. Because of my bad hip my shoes wear out very quickly. Frequent replacement is a must for my overall comfort. I do cheat a bit, an occasional new purse and new bedding and towels are considered as part of my clothing budget. I could spend less on clothing but when it comes to having to keep warm outdoors or keeping my back healthy it just isn't worth the tiny savings. Clothing is an important factor when working outdoors especially in below freezing temps. I've seen too many people get frostbite when it could have easily been avoided with the proper clothing.

Granny Sue · #47 10/25/10, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thestartupman

Granny Sue, I am not on my acreage yet. I am currently on 5 acres in WA, looking to move next spring to TN, or MO. I have just excepted a buy out from my employer. I am saving, paying off all debt, and buying what supplies that will be worth transporting to my new farm. Getting ready to sell my car, and get my farm truck.

I remember when we moved how many things we needed that we did not have. I was very young then, so you have the advantage of some years to collect garden tools and other items you will need in the future. A person can always manage without all the great tools but they do simplify life--like a Squeezo to process tomatoes and apples, pressure canners and water bath canners, enamel washpans, baskets, buckets, boxes of nails and screws, boots, tire chains, tractor tire chains, log chains, chain saw, brushcutter, tractor and brushhog, big pots and pans of all kinds...The list is endless and you can manage without a lot of it of course. But these are things to consider. How rough do you want it to be? How much hand labor do you want to do or are capable of doing?

A list of what people think is essential to success would be interesting and may already have been done here. But my 2 cents: a good cooking stove that you can use a canner on, a good pressure and a good water bath canner; a chainsaw; weedeater; tiller; shovel, ax, splitting maul, hatchet, rake, mattock, wheelbarrow; kerosene lamp or two; chickens, chicken wire and a coop; and plastic to build a pole greenhouse are all on the top of my list.

If you don't have these things, you might want to consider adding several hundred dollars a year to your list. And a tractor--well, that's a lot more, but tractors usually pay their own way.

thestartupman · #48 10/25/10, 10:17 PM

Beeman, I have to say that I have never lived in either state, but I have spent many weeks in TN, and a couple weeks in MO. I grew up in IN, so I am a little use to the humid temps.

thestartupman · #49 10/25/10, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Granny Sue

--like a Squeezo to process tomatoes and apples, pressure canners and water bath canners, enamel washpans, baskets, buckets, boxes of nails and screws, boots, tire chains, tractor tire chains, log chains, chain saw, brushcutter, tractor and brushhog, big pots and pans of all kinds...The list is endless and you can manage without a lot of it of course. But these are things to consider. How rough do you want it to be? How much hand labor do you want to do or are capable of doing?

a good cooking stove that you can use a canner on, a good pressure and a good water bath canner; a chainsaw; weedeater; tiller; shovel, ax, splitting maul, hatchet, rake, mattock, wheelbarrow; kerosene lamp or two; chickens, chicken wire and a coop; and plastic to build a pole greenhouse are all on the top of my list.

I have all the above except the following. Squeezo, Enamel wash pans, Baskets, Tractor tire chains. I have a wheelbarrow, good cook stove, tractor,chickens, and coop, but these items I have decided not to bring with me, but I will sell what I have, and replace once I am there.

Pigeon Lady · #50 10/26/10, 12:15 AM

I have to do some major overhaul on our budget, so can't be much help there. Honestly, we have no vehicle payments, we raise about 95% of our meat, and yet money just flys out the window lately. Mostly insurance, $1600 dental bills -even with insurance- and some doctor visits. Odd things like mortar to repair the chimney, unique tools Dh needed to repair the chimney, curriculum for homeschool, pond repair, vet bills for elderly animals we committed to back when more money was coming in... the list goes on.

Anyway, one bit of advice: try to find a place that has some good out-buildings, a barn and at least a couple of fenced pastures. Our place hadn't been farmed for at least 30 years. There wasn't a scrap of fence, other than fragments of barbed wire on rotted locust posts. The rotted locust says a lot for how old it was. And just one old, leaning barn, far from the house that's open to the ellements and has no power to it.

We moved here with animals from our first, small homestead. It's been an uphill battle getting them housed and fenced in. Not so bad now after 5 years here, but for a while their needs were always a few steps ahead of what we could provide. Pastures over grazed before we could afford to fence another area. Water having to be carried to them in the winter. Stuff like that. If you don't already have animals, try to have everything in place before you get any, with more pens and shelters than you think you will need.

Planning a dream is so much fun! I hope it all works out well for you.

Pauline

Ramblin Wreck · #51 10/26/10, 07:36 AM

The issue I see with the proposed budget is that it "mixes worlds". You can go simple and eliminate the phone/internet/some or most insurance/autos and some other stuff and probably make do with very little money (think in terms of the "Alone in the Wilderness" guy in Alaska). If you want all the modern conveniences and encumbrances, your budget is likely to fall short. You might pare down by eliminating some non-necessities like internet and cable and get by. Best wishes, however you proceed. It is a good goal to strive for.

fordy · #52 10/26/10, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thestartupman

I know this topic has been discussed before, but I have been doing more research. I am hoping that everyone will try to keep it at what their actual cost of living cost are, or what they are predicting them to be. This is what I am basing my cost from. I am planning to have a farm, and be as self sufficient as possible. The figures I am putting down will be more acurate my 2nd, and third years. I know I will have a lot more upfront cost the first year or two. I plan to put a solar power system in, with a diesel back up generator. I plan to buy my diesel in bulk, and the same tank will supply fuel for my tractor, generator, truck, and car. I plan to raise all of my meat, 95% of my fruits and vegtables, and most of the feed for my livestock. I will be using rotational grazing to keep cost down.I will be supplying my income from my property, my wife may work off the property, but mainly for her own sanity.

I plan to have no mortgage, no car or truck payments. Here are my estimates.
Expenses
45 Groceries (food)
45 Groceries (Household)
150 Car Insurance
50 Home Insurance
350 Health Insurance (including out of pocket exp)
40 Entertainment (including eating out)
100 Diesel (for tractor, truck, car, and back-up Generator)
75 Propane (Cook Top, Water Heater, (Backup) Gas heat stove, BBQ)
30 Clothing (2 People)
50 Phone
40 Internet
50 Real Estate Tax
10 Animal Feed
25 Animal Expenses (non Vet)
20 Vet
30 House Maintenance (roof, carpet…ect)
30 Property Maintenance (Fencing, sheds, GraVEL..ect)
200 Travel (to see kids, or help them come see us)
Total $1340 per month

...................UNless you plan on paying the roadtax on ALL diesel , you'll need 2 diesel tanks , one for off road , one for your truck and\or car ! Getting caught with off road diesel in your truck tank is, Very expensive ! , fordy

Caitedid · #53 10/26/10, 10:42 AM

Startup- We do grow our own feed, and I know our costs are quite a bit higher than what you've got budgeted. Mineral here is $50/bag , which is enough to do one ton of feed. Bean meal or some other protein source is needed to put weight on at any reasonable rate of speed, and it's .45/#. What about when your haybine dies half way through the season? I guarantee those parts aren't cheap, combine parts aren't either. What about feed mixing and storage?

I would also agree that for most farms a dog is a necessary expense and not just a pet. I do my dogs 7 way shot myself ($8 from the farm store), but a vet has to do the rabies shots. However, for what he's saved us in stock not lost it's worth every penny.

Caite

rambler · #54 10/26/10, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thestartupman

I plan to buy my diesel in bulk, and the same tank will supply fuel for my tractor, generator, truck, and car.

This caught my attention as well, looks like you adressed it. You need 2 tanks, one dyed, one not dyed, to capture the savings (20-30 cents a gallon) of using off-road fuel in your non-licenced uses.

Budgets are fun, aren't they? Good tools to plan, but reality adjusts them pretty quick.

Shouldn't you have a retirement/ savings amount in there as well?

I think you threw in a few bucks on your budgets, but you need to plan for replacing/fixing the long term stuff, generator, tractor, car, etc. Kind of a general fund to grow, that will replace things that break or wear out over the years.

Wife working will really help you, on health insurance & monthly income to make the budget work..... Probably be in your best intrest to be crabby enough to make her enjoy the job.

--->Paul

jassytoo · #55 10/26/10, 12:12 PM

The one thing I would add is to make sure you have a good emergency fund. Even if the budget works out fine, stuff happens. It WILL happen at some point for sure, be it bad harvest, extra vet or medical, breakdowns , the list is endless. Having something put by will mean a lot.

thestartupman · #56 10/26/10, 12:42 PM

Caitedid, I am very interested in how much feed you are growing, and how many, and what types of animals you are raising. Do you have info on how much of crop (x) you need to feed x amount of cattle, or hogs? You can pm me if you would rather.

Danaus29 · #57 10/26/10, 02:29 PM

rambler, you are baaaadddd! (giggle)
"Probably be in your best intrest to be crabby enough to make her enjoy the job."

Joshie · #58 10/26/10, 03:50 PM

My hubby is retired and I'm 46. Hubby gets SS and I get disability pay (more than SS, 60% of my previous income). We still have to pay income tax. Hubby pays it on SS. I will have to pay for it on 75% of my disability because I paid for only 25% of my disability insurance. We have 27 acres. No way could we grow enough or have enough pasture for animals adequate for income and feed for said animals.

You're going to need dogs if you're going to have sheep or goats. These won't be just pets. Dogs serve a very important job on a farm. Even if you don't have goats or sheep, having at least one dog is pretty important. You'll need to consider a herding dog, a livestock guardian dog, and a dog that sticks around the house and lets you know when somebody is on your property. Sleeping in the house would probably be a good idea for that dog. Vet care for dogs is important. You'll likely have to register these dogs. You'll certainly want rabies shots and, at least around here, vets have to report that to the county.

How will you get health insurance for $350/month unless your wife works? I am paying about $280/month for me and DD (hubby isn't covered under my insurance). Insurance is that cheap because we have a $1900/year deductible. We have 90% insurance until we meet out of pocket expenses around $5500/year in network. Once my employer stops paying their share of of my insurance (and they've paid it for the last 13 months I've been out on disability) we expect to pay about $1200/month. Medicare will not cover you at age 58.

Danaus29 · #59 10/26/10, 04:04 PM

Joshie, yes you can get Medicare at age 58 if you are disabled.
http://ssa.gov/pubs/10043.html

farmergirl · #60 10/26/10, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thestartupman

Beeman, I have to say that I have never lived in either state, but I have spent many weeks in TN, and a couple weeks in MO. I grew up in IN, so I am a little use to the humid temps.

Well, as a person who upped and moved halfway across the country to a place where I knew no one and had never visited before house/farm shopping, let me be the first to say that if you do some really good research online and word of mouth it sometimes works out just find to point and leap

We made a long list of everything we wanted in a farm and the nearest urban areas. We looked at cost of living, annual rainfall averages, sunny days per year, number of higher learning institutions in case we decided to pursue graduate school, winter low temps, summer high temps, demographics, political leanings, etc..

And we found a place that we absolutely love near a city that has all the entertainment we could ever want.