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Post by farmchix on Sept 24, 2015 10:55:25 GMT
I can't imagine being able to survive on less than $1000 per month. Health care alone for a retired person is in the $800 range. If you are talking just monthly bills, I am there. Rather than trying to figure out how to survive on that, we are more on the lines of how to supplement utilizing our little mini farm and the resources we have.
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Post by shellymay on Sept 24, 2015 12:21:31 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2015 13:04:52 GMT
$614 a month here. Light bill, DSL, and cell phone total $165. Insurance on 2 vehicles and house add $85. Property tax adds $85. So, $335 per month. I grow most of what we eat, so if you go to $400 per month you'd cover my grocery store bill, too. The house is 9 years old, and I check it regularly for anything that may need maintenance. When I built it, I put 35 year shingles on the roof, but that only means I'll have a project to do when I turn 90. I'll probably get ahead of that and put the new roof on when I'm 85.
My wife has medical bills that are $200 a month. So, there you go, $600 a month! I get 1.5% back because I pay everything with a credit card, so that $9 and the left over $14 total $23... well, that's mine.
Normally, we drive to town(just a couple miles) twice a month. In the summer, we do a couple of farmers markets, and manage to pay for our expenses, that's about it. Good socializing, although I'm not particularly social. Wife is though, I think she craves human contact. I'd as soon sit down here in the woods and never speak to a soul. Plants and animals are open and honest, never lying. People, not so much. We have no insurance, Medicaid, medicare, disability, or none of that stuff. Obamacare don't apply in my state.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2015 13:53:59 GMT
$614 a month here. Light bill, DSL, and cell phone total $165. Insurance on 2 vehicles and house add $85. Property tax adds $85. So, $335 per month. I grow most of what we eat, so if you go to $400 per month you'd cover my grocery store bill, too. The house is 9 years old, and I check it regularly for anything that may need maintenance. When I built it, I put 35 year shingles on the roof, but that only means I'll have a project to do when I turn 90. I'll probably get ahead of that and put the new roof on when I'm 85.
My wife has medical bills that are $200 a month. So, there you go, $600 a month! I get 1.5% back because I pay everything with a credit card, so that $9 and the left over $14 total $23... well, that's mine.
Normally, we drive to town(just a couple miles) twice a month. In the summer, we do a couple of farmers markets, and manage to pay for our expenses, that's about it. Good socializing, although I'm not particularly social. Wife is though, I think she craves human contact. I'd as soon sit down here in the woods and never speak to a soul. Plants and animals are open and honest, never lying. People, not so much. We have no insurance, Medicaid, medicare, disability, or none of that stuff. Obamacare don't apply in my state. Good morning. We have no light, water, cable, or landline phone bill. Our only propane bill is to refill our grill size tanks for when I use the propane stove. The cost for those at present is less than 15.00 each. A tank will last us about 6 weeks. Yes, we have a vehicle, but we don't go out much so a tank of gas will last us at least one month. Gas here is currently 2.09, or 1.99 with Kroger points. I drive a small 4 cylinder that is 20 years old, a 5 speed. We keep up with regular maintenance. I'm a veteran, our car insurance and home insurance is thru them, less than 70.00 per month combined. Like you, we would prefer to stay in the woods than go out, hermits. Hubby has Medicare and I'm covered thru VA. I am on no meds. We do plan for the future, that's what are savings are for. Groceries are about 100.00 per month and that's for fresh fruit, veggies and some dairy. We usually have a garden, this year, we took that energy and time to work on our home. I can lots, buy in bulk, cook from scratch, and don't eat out except for maybe 4 times a year. I'm a vegetarian hubby eats meat. Being a veggie cuts down a lot on a food bill. I buy my grains in bulk. We have good healthy meals, we do not subsist on just rice and beans. Yes, we could supplement our income....i sew and quilt and hubby does some wood carving. Our bills total about 500.00 per month. Remember, I don't have to buy propane every month, I don't need to shop for basic necessities every month. We are well stocked up here. I fill in with what we have used about every 6 months to a year. We are left with approximately 363.00 per month. I just wanted to show that it could be done, and wondered if others were going it also. We don't live like animals, I enjoy my baths and showers, I like clean clothes and my bed. I like my kitchen. I love my cabin and the woods. We've just decided that being happy is a lot more important than chasing the brass ring. I like colored bangles instead. Yes, there will come a time that we are going to be to old, ill, infirm to live like this, but....we are going to live life while we can. Scott and Helen Nearing were a real inspiration.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2015 14:37:00 GMT
I actually did quite good until my wife started having health problems. The leftover cash from those days is my slush fund, in the event I find a good sale, I load up, then replace the money I used as I can. So far, so good with that. It's a really big thing to me to not be in debt, live within my means, and have a stash of cash. Around here, I constantly recycle. I have some places and people that let me know when they have something I might need that they're getting rid of. A replacement window contractor gives me access to windows he removes before he throws them away. I built a large greenhouse, free. A storage shed maker lets me pick through his scraps. And so on. I went to an auction a few years ago, and bought 5 gallon buckets full of nails for a dollar each. So, I build buildings here, make raised beds, and so on, all for free.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2015 14:42:38 GMT
I actually did quite good until my wife started having health problems. The leftover cash from those days is my slush fund, in the event I find a good sale, I load up, then replace the money I used as I can. So far, so good with that. It's a really big thing to me to not be in debt, live within my means, and have a stash of cash. Around here, I constantly recycle. I have some places and people that let me know when they have something I might need that they're getting rid of. A replacement window contractor gives me access to windows he removes before he throws them away. I built a large greenhouse, free. A storage shed maker lets me pick through his scraps. And so on. I went to an auction a few years ago, and bought 5 gallon buckets full of nails for a dollar each. So, I build buildings here, make raised beds, and so on, all for free. We use a PayPal debit card that we get cash back on. Like you, we want no debt. We are real good st reusing, upcycling. Our daughters apartment complex is putting in new windows, we are allowed all I the old ones we can haul for free. They are double paned sliders....we need a few new windows and a larger cold frame. I think more people need to think outside the box.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2015 15:31:46 GMT
$500.00 animal feed $100.00 dog feed $400.00 grocery and toiletries $294.00 debts $200.00 medications (husband has MS) $100.00 medical $180.00 home insurance $ 60.00 car insurance $ 150.00 electric $ 90.00 cell phones $ 51.00 cable $ 55.00 internet $ 120.00 gas $ 35.00 property taxes $ 50.00 animals ( to buy stock, fencing, medications) $ 50.00 garden ( to buy plants, trees, fencing, stakes, fertilizer) $ 50.00 allowance ( $25.00 each) $ 50.00 prepping) $ 50.00 home repair $ 50.00 car repair $ 25.00 clothes ________________________ $2,660.00 As you can see no room for tithes, savings, unforeseen problems, pleasure, gifts or anything else. We are working towards the animals paying for their feed (we have 2 pregnant pigs, one pregnant goat and some turkeys ) and maybe one day paying for extra animals like a cow then I can make my own milk cheese etc. We are still establishing our farm. My husband had to stop working 8 years ago and when I was injured on the job we lost everything, we bough our home with the workmen's comp. payout. We have damage to most all our flooring due to leaks, the insurance didn't pay out and we need to replace all plumbing, under flooring, flooring, underpinning and insulation. We make to much for any assistance and not enough to get a loan which we wouldn't be able to pay. I am trying very hard not to get depressed and to lean into the Lord but it is hard.
I make my own cleaning products, don't use paper towels, can and dehydrate a lot of foods, don't buy convenience foods, repair our clothes, use the clothes line when I can , use wood heat but found it cheaper to close up fireplace in the winter.
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Post by barefootfarmer on Sept 24, 2015 16:53:53 GMT
I was just sitting here thinking about how much I spend each week in livestock feed alone. On the one hand, buying the feed grows the livestock which in turns feeds our family and raises money from selling to other people. The money earned from selling to other people actually does pay for all of our food grown at the farm. But...sometimes I wonder if it would just be better to only grow for our family with just enough extra to pay for it. Rather than trying to earn money on top of what pays for our food. Because I swear, there are times when I think I'm racking up more expense than it's worth.
At this point in our lives, we couldn't possibly live on 1,000 a month. But I'm very eager to read what the rest of you experience.
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Post by feather on Sept 24, 2015 17:37:13 GMT
$500.00 animal feed $100.00 dog feed $400.00 grocery and toiletries $294.00 debts $200.00 medications (husband has MS) $100.00 medical $180.00 home insurance $ 60.00 car insurance $ 150.00 electric $ 90.00 cell phones $ 51.00 cable $ 55.00 internet $ 120.00 gas $ 35.00 property taxes $ 50.00 animals ( to buy stock, fencing, medications) $ 50.00 garden ( to buy plants, trees, fencing, stakes, fertilizer) $ 50.00 allowance ( $25.00 each) $ 50.00 prepping) $ 50.00 home repair $ 50.00 car repair $ 25.00 clothes ________________________ $2,660.00 As you can see no room for tithes, savings, unforeseen problems, pleasure, gifts or anything else. We are working towards the animals paying for their feed (we have 2 pregnant pigs, one pregnant goat and some turkeys ) and maybe one day paying for extra animals like a cow then I can make my own milk cheese etc. We are still establishing our farm. My husband had to stop working 8 years ago and when I was injured on the job we lost everything, we bough our home with the workmen's comp. payout. We have damage to most all our flooring due to leaks, the insurance didn't pay out and we need to replace all plumbing, under flooring, flooring, underpinning and insulation. We make to much for any assistance and not enough to get a loan which we wouldn't be able to pay. I am trying very hard not to get depressed and to lean into the Lord but it is hard.
I make my own cleaning products, don't use paper towels, can and dehydrate a lot of foods, don't buy convenience foods, repair our clothes, use the clothes line when I can , use wood heat but found it cheaper to close up fireplace in the winter. I have an acre and don't raise animals currently, have a big garden to eat from and grow garlic to sell. My food budget is around $400/mo year round for 2 people. What concerns me is your food budget. $500.00 animal feed $100.00 dog feed (to protect your food?) $400.00 grocery and toiletries $ 50.00 animals ( to buy stock, fencing, medications) $ 50.00 garden ( to buy plants, trees, fencing, stakes, fertilizer) -------------------- $1100 food budget per month year round Our garlic garden takes seed (we grow our own), mulch/straw (we barter garlic for straw), manure (we shovel the shit), use of rototiller (some cost there with upkeep and gas/oil), weeding/harvest/cure/marketing/website (some cost yearly webserver space). It's self sufficient and we pay our costs through sales. If you are raising animals, and not raising any of the food for the animals, it's going to be expensive. I'd consider paying down your debt, planting fruit trees (for your animals later), planting food for your animals, harvesting your animals when you can get out from under them. Then re-evaluate your budget. Your property taxes are low and your home owners insurance is high (maybe get some quotes on it).
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2015 17:59:42 GMT
$500.00 animal feed $100.00 dog feed $400.00 grocery and toiletries $294.00 debts $200.00 medications (husband has MS) $100.00 medical $180.00 home insurance $ 60.00 car insurance $ 150.00 electric $ 90.00 cell phones $ 51.00 cable $ 55.00 internet $ 120.00 gas $ 35.00 property taxes $ 50.00 animals ( to buy stock, fencing, medications) $ 50.00 garden ( to buy plants, trees, fencing, stakes, fertilizer) $ 50.00 allowance ( $25.00 each) $ 50.00 prepping) $ 50.00 home repair $ 50.00 car repair $ 25.00 clothes ________________________ $2,660.00 As you can see no room for tithes, savings, unforeseen problems, pleasure, gifts or anything else. We are working towards the animals paying for their feed (we have 2 pregnant pigs, one pregnant goat and some turkeys ) and maybe one day paying for extra animals like a cow then I can make my own milk cheese etc. We are still establishing our farm. My husband had to stop working 8 years ago and when I was injured on the job we lost everything, we bough our home with the workmen's comp. payout. We have damage to most all our flooring due to leaks, the insurance didn't pay out and we need to replace all plumbing, under flooring, flooring, underpinning and insulation. We make to much for any assistance and not enough to get a loan which we wouldn't be able to pay. I am trying very hard not to get depressed and to lean into the Lord but it is hard.
I make my own cleaning products, don't use paper towels, can and dehydrate a lot of foods, don't buy convenience foods, repair our clothes, use the clothes line when I can , use wood heat but found it cheaper to close up fireplace in the winter. Rather than cable, can you get movies from library for free or even over internet? Internet....ours is thru a WiFi hot spot. Its thru Verizon along with our cell phone. We use apple cider vinegar for hair rinse, a multi purpose bar soap for shampoo, washing and shaving. I have a crystal deodorant stone and also make my own. I use vinegar and baking soda for cleaning. I make my own laundry soap and line dry, on bad weather days I use racks inside. Have you thought about switching to LED light bulbs, they cost more at first but payoff in the long run. We cut down on toilet paper by using family wipes for urine and just washing with the laundry. If you still have a period, have you thought about making your own pads. When I had mine, that's what I did. I use ok flannel nightgowns and dh shirts for the family wipes, pads, and for cloth dinner napkins. We had animals at one time, we also had 5 kids at home to feed. Since its just the two of us, we no longer have animals. The cost was more than we were recouping. It is actually cheaper to just buy from a farmer, butcher or even the grocery store. We do have two cats. The animals can always be had in the future if you want when debts are paid down.
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Post by Skandi on Sept 24, 2015 18:15:05 GMT
$500.00 animal feed $100.00 dog feed ... $ 50.00 animals ( to buy stock, fencing, medications)
I have to assume those animals make money, Though how many dogs do you have! Groceries sounds very high if you're producig most of your own food, but then I do not know how big your family is, so can't really comment.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2015 19:02:05 GMT
Thank you for all your comments, I agree that our food bill is high. We have only been on our property for 3 years and just started with animals 2 years ago, we are getting to the point we can start selling them to help with the feed bill. Planting tress and putting up fences cost money, then we can let the pigs (AGH) and the goats graze the pasture. I am putting up a larger garden next year to help with food. We buy milk products , flour and other staples and our bill is still high for two r I make my own soap (lard from pigs) and my own cleaning products I use flannel clothes for pee so we only use tp for bowel movements I have thought many times about getting rid of all the animals but we are so close to them making us money plus we know what we are eating. Our have a manufactured home so it is very hard to get insurance, we use Foremost and they just jacked our premium up $30.00/month, any ideas on a better company? We have a GP, a newfie and 2 GP puppies so we get 2 bags of food at $35.00 each, biscuits and some canned food. I take all the left over pieces and bones form the deer we get and make dog food but we still have to buy some. The one GP is my hubbies service dog, the newfie is worthless and we are training the pups for LGD. My hubby won't get rid of cable he says it's our only luxury, our library is very small so no movies, I use free books on Amazon. We do a lot of bartering with friends to help with the cost of stuff
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2015 19:10:33 GMT
I use Farm Bureau for both auto and homeowners.When the house burned down 10 years ago, they wrote me a check for several thousand dollars on the spot, just to help me get through the first few days. They were great, all the way through. When my daughter started driving, they added her onto my insurance with no extra charge.
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Post by here to stay on Sept 24, 2015 21:09:40 GMT
I'm sure that many already know this but you can get a lot of garden plants free or near free. When I first started, I grafted most of my fruit trees. If a friend or even a stranger had fruit I lijed, I asked for some cuttings come spring. In the previous yeat, I had dug up suckers and rooted them. Then come spring I grafted like crazy. Free trees- all it takes is an extra year. Also most everything else roots from cuttings directly. Roses are incredibly easy as are hydrangea,. Bulbs, rhizomes and tubers are throwaways for people thinning their beds and they will happily give their thinings. Then there are things that simply are dug up, roots and all. Berries, lilac, hosta, vines, etc etc etc- just take a piece if divisions or suckers not wanted.Strawberries have runners as do most ground covers.Seeds that are not hybrids are there for the taking. And then there are the end of season plants at nurseries. Or plant exchanges from local gardening clubs. The thing to remember is that plant are really invested in growing. Just takes a little encouragement. And voilà- a garden full.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2015 21:47:58 GMT
We have a retirement with PERS after 16+ years in, took it early when I was about to turn 55. Took the individual account payout over 5 years per the tax man, 5 years will be up in July, $585 a month I think, without checking. Also have a small retirement set up by the city when I became part of management, will start taking that in July until I go on S.S at 62 1/2. Main PERS retirement is $1247+ monthly as long as I and/or Sweetie lives. Not a big retirement but good for us. Not using any of that, never have touched it.
Very minimal bills. Minimal health insurance $88.00/mo, pays for 3 DR. visits a year, 1 basic checkup/yr. Dental insurance $18.00/mo Car insurance $22.00/mo Directly withheld from our savings account.
Cell and online, $19.95/mo Sweeties meds, $10.00 for 3 months x 4 meds, at Walmart. Cheaper for us than what it would cost using the insurance. We pay everything with Amazon credit card. Gas, lazy mans food, sugar, spices, salt, a few clothes, canning supplies and household items. Less than $100.00/mo. Get points back from Amazon. What we order from Amazon is almost all using points. Sweetie just got a new sewing lamp, 12v with one of those "sunlight" bulbs, will see if it helps with her sunlight deprivation this winter.
Off grid power. Solar is a very small, minimal 12v system, 2 batteries. 3 lights, phone and Chromebook charging. Micro hydro from the gravity fed spring 24v, minimal. Refrigerator, freezer, a little fan and a little heat coil when fridge and freezer are off in the winter. It will also charge the 2 batteries if needed. Wood heat, hot water and cooking. No propane.
We buy very little. We get bulk whole oats and 4-5 bags of wheat right from the combine for helping a friend. Also get a few bags of heavy screenings for cleaning up around his seed cleaner for hen scratch. He runs the combine, I drive the truck and unload into his bins, 2-3 days. We make hay from our pasture. I grind grain as needed for us and the animals by hand.
I help at the free food giveaway in town on Fridays, part of Gleaners and the Food Bank. I do get a little there now, mostly off season fruit and vegetables. Oranges, apple varieties we don't have, a can of beans now and then, etc. We make all our dairy from the goat milk. We have a garden, raised beds, a greenhouse, a few fruit trees. We glean the woods all around us for extra fruit, nuts and meat. Fish and hunt when I can. We dehydrate a lot, can some and put a lot away in the cellars. Only power tools I have now, are battery powered, recharged off the micro hydro power system, rest are hand tools. I like hand tools, quiet and I can feel the wood. An old lawn mower, used mostly to mulch leaves and the old Merry Tiller with assorted attachments.
We budget some money each month for a trip, here and there, mostly around Oregon. Not part of our stays at our beach cottage or Lake cabin. Tuesday morning we got up, felt good so headed to Sisters, Oregon, change of clothes, toothbrushes, the cooler and Sweeties meds. Stopped at a new little shopping area as we came into town, grabbed a $1 rasp/tea and a Crispy buttermilk chicken sandwich. Sweetie hadn't been to Sisters in years. We decided to stay the night, checked in at the lodge, $69.00+ tax in a tiny upstairs loft bedroom. Beautiful little room, view of the snow capped mountains, nice big bed and spa like bath. Took a nice rest. Did some looking around the shops, drove out of town to see the sights, looked at the 7 beautiful mountains that shadow Sisters on the west. Back to the lodge for complimentary sparkling cider and a cookie around the huge fireplace at 7pm. Off to bed at 9. Complimentary breakfast at the lodge at 9, boiled egg, fresh fruit, muffin, hot chocolate and juice. Sisters looks like an old western town, did some looking around the stores. Bought a loaf of cinnamon swirl bread at the bakery for $3.99. Shared a Halibut and chips lunch with cabbage slaw and garlic bread, $17.95 with tip at 2. We bought a couple little things. A shelf with 3 coat hooks made from old barn boards, nice wood burning of trees, a brand and the 3 Sisters mountains, for DSs birthday in Nov. A little birch bark wall basket for Sweetie, just because. And a "Nuts", squirrel tin sign for S-I-L and DDs house for HIS birthday. Last name Cornutt. Sweetie found a cute little top, 50% off, $7.90. Total shopping bill $48 and change. Headed back towards home, drove around Black Butte Ranch and the lake. Drove over to, and walked into the "head of the Metolius" observation deck. Drove down along the river, did a little fly fishing, caught 3 nice fish, Sweetie caught the "big one". Dipped our toes in that cold glacier water, spent some time at Lower Bridge and the Wizzard Falls fish hatchery. Stopped at the Camp Sherman store for a $1.19 bottle of Brisk raspberry tea. Took a few pictures. Stopped at our good friends little 12 acre bison ranch near Black Butte. Took a tour on the side by side. We "traded" a pound of Indian Candied Salmon for 2 lbs ground Bison. We usually meet up at our beach cottage each summer but she had a health scare this year and they didn't make it. They are 93 and 91. They always think they got the better end of the deal. Salmon is free for us. Ground Bison is expensive. Headed home at 4:00. Nice relaxing 2 days. All that and still got a 1/4 tank of gas.
Every thing is in a trust set up 40 years ago, all property costs and upkeep are paid from that. We have lifetime use. We really only own our car and a few personal things, most of which will fit in said car. Properties were furnished with family things inherited at their passing, never bought much in the way of tools and furnishings. Our car is a 2006 HHR, probably the last for us, bought used in '08, 35,000 miles, new tires, new front brakes, uses no oil, perfect condition. 4 cyl, 42 mpg on the trip over the mountain and back at 50-55/mph.
We don't need much....James
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2015 0:23:04 GMT
Jwal10.....could you explain your micro hydro please? Thanks
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2015 3:27:46 GMT
It is a tiny generator run off the 2" PVC line from our gravity spring way up on the hill behind our cabin. We have over 100 lbs pressure here at the cabin. I found it at a junk store, I don't think they sell them anymore, at least not this small. It can have 4 jets, we only use 2. It makes 24v power. It runs nonstop so doesn't need batteries, it runs our little 24v chest fridge and freezer. I built a tray ceiling in the air lock entry. Heat from the woodstove rises through the hollow block wall behind the woodstove and exits at the top. This is collected by the tray ceiling, a small 12v fan moves this heat through a 3" insulated flex tube to a wall register in the living room and 1 in the bedroom/bathroom in the winter. We switch the air flow depending on which room we are in. No need to keep the wood stove going, except on real cold days. Last summer I added a heat box into the ceiling with a heat coil. The micro hydro generator runs this heat coil as a "burn off" when everything else is off, using the excess electricity generated. In the summer we turn it off, running only when needed as the solar will keep the refrigerator and freezer running with a 12v to 24v converter. We have a spring house for refrigeration also. Some spring water is diverted through the springhouse....James www.microhydropower.com/Manuals/English%20Baby%20Manual.pdf
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2015 13:35:18 GMT
It is a tiny generator run off the 2" PVC line from our gravity spring way up on the hill behind our cabin. We have over 100 lbs pressure here at the cabin. I found it at a junk store, I don't think they sell them anymore, at least not this small. It can have 4 jets, we only use 2. It makes 24v power. It runs nonstop so doesn't need batteries, it runs our little 24v chest fridge and freezer. I built a tray ceiling in the air lock entry. Heat from the woodstove rises through the hollow block wall behind the woodstove and exits at the top. This is collected by the tray ceiling, a small 12v fan moves this heat through a 3" insulated flex tube to a wall register in the living room and 1 in the bedroom/bathroom in the winter. We switch the air flow depending on which room we are in. No need to keep the wood stove going, except on real cold days. Last summer I added a heat box into the ceiling with a heat coil. The micro hydro generator runs this heat coil as a "burn off" when everything else is off, using the excess electricity generated. In the summer we turn it off, running only when needed as the solar will keep the refrigerator and freezer running with a 12v to 24v converter. We have a spring house for refrigeration also. Some spring water is diverted through the springhouse....James www.microhydropower.com/Manuals/English%20Baby%20Manual.pdf Thank you very much. Our lower spring, where the spring house is, has a really good flow. Our upper spring, which is about 700 feet from our cabin and sits higher up, our gravity fed spring, runs grew after rain and snow melt. We do get water year round from it, but the flow is not always the same. Our pressure is great. Hubby has it running to the cabin.....outside laundry area, garden hose, kitchen, solar heated water tank for summer, and old hot water tank, for winter. The hot water tank also holds the overflow from the solar tank. These tanks are above our our bathroom, which sits a little lower from living room. The water is gravity and pressure fed to shower, toilet and sink. Hubs has copper tubing attached to our wood stove pipe, then hosing and tubing attached to the hot water tank. The heat from the wood stove heats the water which is constantly circulating thru the tubing and provides pressure. I wish I knew how to post pictures, it would explain it better. At the upper spring, it flows from the spring to 3-50 gallon water barrels, hubby used some pvc and bakery buckets from WalMart ad are a filter system, so that the its filtered before getting to cabin. How is your toilet system setup. Do you have compost, sawdust or regular?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2015 13:37:34 GMT
@janisr. I understand how it can be depressing and overwhelming. I've definitely been there. There is hope and room for improvement tho. I feed dh and I for about $200/mo and I buy probably 80% of our food. My 2 biggest things are nothing out of a box and I try and make $5 of meat stretch out over 3 meals. Like 2 round steaks cooked in crockpot. That with potatoes is day 1. Day 2 will be beef n noodles from a little bit of steak I make sure is leftover and day 3 is soup from the broth. That would save you $200 there if you can do it. I have no internet at home. We only use the internet on our phones. There cld be $55. Animal feed $500. Ouch. Have you looked at alternative food sources? Scraps, bread, veg waste, etc? There has to be a way to reduce that. Clothing. We never spend $25/mo on clothes. I bought my 1st pair of new pants in 2 years last Saturday for $20. I shop goodwill and can get clothes there for $2-5 each item. I seldom buy clothing tho. Shoes, yes. About 1x a year and we spend maybe $30-50 on a good pair that will last all year or more. I would say total clothing and shoes expenditures for us both is $150-200/year and I'm a HR professional who wears dress clothes daily. We live on far more than $1k a month. We have the mortgage, car pmts, and student loan but God has blessed me with the income to do so also. I have not always been so blessed tho and realize that God can also remove his blessings so I am making strides to reduce debts daily.
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Post by shellymay on Sept 25, 2015 14:57:16 GMT
Not sure I understand the feed bill for janisir but surely she has the numbers right.... We spend 718.00 average per month on sheep feed and we are feeding 155 adult sheep, now that bill goes up when the lambs are here..... We have 12 dogs and not sure I want to tell you all what that cost per month to feed them,
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2015 16:05:53 GMT
We have a regular bath with a small septic system just for the toilet. All grey water goes through a swale system. We have a manual washing machine and use 2 rinse buckets and a wringer. The wood stove goes out into the summer kitchen in warm weather. A coil of black pipe on the roof furnishes hot water in warm weather to the cabin, an outdoor shower and the summer kitchen....James
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2015 14:09:22 GMT
You all are an inspiration to me Thank you for all your input, sorry I high jacked this thread We have 4 dogs, 7 pigs ( 2 pregnant),4 goats ( 1 pregnant),Over 150 chickens, 20+ turkeys, many ducks and multiple rabbits 3 horses, the only thing we don't buy feed for I still don't understand the people food bill, I don't buy junk food, soda, snacks or convenience food and our bill is still high.
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Post by barefootfarmer on Sept 26, 2015 14:59:30 GMT
The "People Food" bill...could it partially be where you shop? We have an Albertson's 2 minutes away from our house in town. Anytime I've ever shopped there for the convenience (oops, ran out of something...) I have paid a LOT more than I would have if I'd gone 10 or 15 minutes away to even the local Winco. Those trips really rack up the food dollars.
Other things that might only apply to me. Produce- now I grow enough that I really don't need to ever buy any. Notice "need". But if we purchase something out of season- that's spendy. So on the one hand, fruit doesn't fall into the junk food category. But- Grapes out of season, especially if bought at Albertson's- yikes! Little things like that can trick you into not noticing where the money goes. You can look at your groceries and think- huh. No junk, no snacks, no boxed items...
Another thing that again might only apply to me. As I was making the transition to cooking from scratch I went through different levels of what exactly that meant. At first, cooking from scratch meant that I made the meal in my own kitchen. With canned beans, chicken breast from the store, whatever. Slowly that changed to dried beans prepared ahead of time, chicken that I raised myself, spices that I grew or bought in bulk...
Just some ideas. Believe me- I still struggle with the grocery budget.
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Post by mollymckee on Sept 26, 2015 16:29:35 GMT
What are your plans for the chickens and turkeys? They can eat a lot more than they give, especially if you are buying any special feed.
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Post by hermitjohn on Sept 26, 2015 16:57:23 GMT
Produce- now I grow enough that I really don't need to ever buy any. I only wish I had figured this little puzzle out before now. I simply dont have water for a regular garden past middle June. Most years the sky spirit spigot turns off and even well goes dry by July or August so I have to haul water for household use. (this was a wet year but seems I have this uncanny sense to not put out a garden on the wet years) Been some years it stayed dry until December but usually back somewhat in September or October. But having been diagnosed diabetic last April and forced to be dependent on buying supermarket produce (yuck!) as main part of my diet (endless raw salads), I have incentive. I have had success with a rhubarb plant experimentally grown in a homemade barrel version of an earth box, where top part has soil and a wick that goes down into bottom part you keep filled with water. It works and very efficient with water. More barrels and raise productive stuff like climbing malabar spinach that can stand the intense heat without getting too tough/woody to eat. I suspect sweet potatoes raised for their leaves work too. Or green glaze collards.
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Post by hermitjohn on Sept 26, 2015 23:28:33 GMT
I still don't understand the people food bill, I don't buy junk food, soda, snacks or convenience food and our bill is still high. Seems like real food with actual nutrition is rather high priced. Gotta remember corn and soy is heavily subsidized by taxpayer. So any animals raised on such or any processed food made with such is thus heavily subsidized. Things like produce arent subsidized.
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Post by AD in WNC on Sept 27, 2015 0:11:20 GMT
"We have 4 dogs, 7 pigs ( 2 pregnant),4 goats ( 1 pregnant),Over 150 chickens, 20+ turkeys, many ducks and multiple rabbits." I have 2 gp and I buy 50# of dog food every 4 weeks for $22. (Alpo at Tractor Supply). When I had goats, I found a large cattle operation that mixed feed for goats and paid $225/1000#. If I had fed the goats all hay it would have been cheaper but they wasted too much and I never could find a hay feeder that I could afford. Have you considered sprouting wheat fodder for your chicken and rabbits? Or feeding them weeds? Both would reduce your purchased feed bill.
It might help to keep a running total of what you spend by animal breed and how much money you make off of each breed. I got rid of my goats when I discovered they cost more to raise per pound than the most expensive meat at the full price grocery store.
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Post by manygoatsnmore on Sept 27, 2015 0:13:59 GMT
@janisr, I don't feel that you have hijacked the thread at all. Trying to figure out how to spend less is how you end up living on less than $1000/mo, and for some folks, they will never reach that amount, most likely due to health insurance costs. Figuring out how to cut the amount you spend on groceries is an important part of this. barefootfarmer hit the nail right on the head - sometimes it's more where you are shopping than what you are buying. I'm another fan of Winco - hands down best for prices on almost everything. It's an employee owned chain that is growing rapidly to new markets, so if you don't have them locally to you now, they may be coming to your area in the future. Before we got one in our local city, I used to make trips to the Portland area to shop the "Big Three" - Costco, Winco and Goodwill. I'd stock up on cheese at Winco, $1 a pound cheaper for Tillamook cheddar, for example. I know in other areas, people swear by Aldi's for cheaper prices. Or you might have some "bent and dent" type stores in your area where you can get some of your food cheaper. Another local to us chain is Grocery Outlet. They buy a lot of overstock items, and there are usually good buys on things like dog food, canned goods and frozen foods. If you look around, you may be able to find stores in your area that will help you cut the budget for groceries and pet food. Another option for cleaning supplies is Dollar Tree. They have some excellent bargains on cleaning products that really work. They also have an expanding grocery dept that has some good buys if you know your price points. Not everything is a good deal there, but many things are. Do you have a price book, or at least a good idea of what food items should cost? It's hard to tell if something is a good sale price if you don't. I'd suggest that you take a day to just go to all the stores in your area and do nothing, but look at what the prices are from store to store. You might find that you are just shopping in a more expensive store. I'm sorry, you probably already said, but how many people are you feeding on your budget? I spend about $100 month on food, but I'm only feeding 2 people on that, and I have a deep pantry, so I can just buy most items when they are on a great sale. I also buy in bulk when I find that great sale, so my monthly food expenditures fluctuate, but when averaged out, it's about $100. That is for food only, not cleaning items, pet food and supplies, or anything other than food for humans in the household. We tend to buy or eat produce in season, and often will pass up one item for something cheaper in the store. For example, from week to week cauliflower or broccoli might be a better buy, so which we buy depends on which is less expensive. Sometimes we don't buy either one, if the price is up. Usually, the next time we're in the store, the price will be back down, and we can buy more then. Potatoes, carrots and onions are usually inexpensive, so they are usually on the shopping list. Buying squash in fall, especially right after Halloween, can be an excellent bargain, and it will keep for months. I'm eating some squash now that was purchased at WM the day after Halloween last year for $2 each. $2 for a 10# squash is a lot of food for very little month. Buying apples this time of year and processing them for the freezer or pantry will save you quite a bit over buying them in the spring. Oranges are a wintertime fruit, while fresh peaches are for summer. Just a few thoughts that might help.
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Post by jangirl on Sept 27, 2015 0:44:08 GMT
Some very good ideas here, and some eye openers, too. My Mama, 94, said her grandmother told her years ago when she had to take in my father's siblings as well as a couple of her own just after getting married, that you can't manage if you make meals of say, meat, potatoes and vegetables. You have to make large dishes or pots of things with just a flavoring of meat, if any. No pork chops, steaks, etc. I'm going to use this post as a challeng to see how little I can spend every month. We do have some expenses like Depends and pads for Mama, and I try to use coupons and shop on sale. We recycle and compost everything possible to keep our trash collection down to one barrel every two weeks--again because of the depends. We didn't have it before Mom came. I thought I was being frugal by raising some meat birds this year, but they are eating us out of house and home and already I've spent about 100 on feed and only a few are large enough to butcher now. Decided to cut out the goats, maybe keep just one old gramma who has been such a dear thing. Hay is eating our budget up. We have been fortunate enough to get lots of produce in prior years and some this year from a stand, but that is going to end this week. Next year, I HAVE to grow all I can. I appreciate reading about dishes people make and if I can do it from what I have frozen and canned, great. I'm inspired by all of you, can't do some of it, as no streams here to use, but we do have a wood stove and use it all winter. When the car and house are paid off, things will be better. Keep those ideas coming!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2015 7:41:01 GMT
Really interesting conversation about the cost of keeping animals. I'm so glad that others have the same issues as me.
I started adding up the cost for us and it's a bit scary. Our 2 ducks and 2 old hens are kept in a large fenced area to protect them from the geese, so they don't get to free-range. Each fortnight I go through a bag of pellets at a cost of around $12. Get maybe 7-8 eggs. I can buy 30 eggs for less than $8. Go figure why I'm still buying eggs and feeding the ducks and chooks AND considering getting a few more young hens... :-) Our pet pig is a KuneKune and she eats grass. Has a paddock to herself, but I buy a large bag of multi-feed nuts for her a month to supplement the grass, at a cost of $30. Just put the 2 dogs onto raw meat because the dried food, although much cheaper, was making them scratch. Cost per fortnight - around $75 (but look at their clean teeth and glossy coats). As for our cat - he can get by on a mix of dry and canned food (won't eat the raw meat I get for the dogs!!!) for about $12 per fortnight. The only animals that don't cost us anything are the geese. I manage on pasture for the sheep, but shearing costs and the price of homekilling/butchering makes it not all that economic.
Truth is - I like to make sure all my animals are well fed. They don't understand budgets or empty tummies, so they're the first ones taken care of in this household. But I do ponder on how better the budget would look if we had that extra $115-odd each fortnight. Hard to ignore the happiness we get from them all though.
It's a bit of a dilemma.
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