Whether you are already on your land or saving up and getting ready, I think we all realise that even living simply costs some. The costs of building, getting livestock and the various paraphenalia. What are some of the things you have done to help get yourself going or keep the outlay of real dollars to a minimum? We started with gardening because that was the least outlay of cash, saved to add chickens for eggs. Preserved what we could then ate a vegan type diet for a year(hubby didn't care for it much) the money we saved from this we added meat animals, turkeys + chicken + hog, the money we saved from this we added milk goats. I wish I could have found someone who is interested in bartering something for bee supplies around here, I think this will be my next adventure.

-- Terri (terri@tallships.ca), January 15, 2001

Answers

When I start looking for ways to same money I look for ways to cut utilities costs.

-- Joe (jcole@apha.com), January 15, 2001.

Terri- I am starting out almost opposite you- I cannot keep many animals right now as my job requires that I travel. Instead, I started out with bees 4 years ago and now have 20 hives. The bees are fairly self- sufficient most of the time, and I don't work during the busiest beekeeping months (March, when citrus is in bloom, and April-May when the Palmetto is in bloom. These are my two main honey crops). During the rest of the year I can fit my beekeeping chores in around my freelance work schedule. I do suffer occassional losses due to poor management when I am away, but on balance, beekeeping has been both fun and profitable for me. I kept costs down by purchasing my processing equipment used. (If I had been more pressed for cash I would have borrowed equipment from other members of our local beekeeping association). I don't recommend buying used hives, etc., unless you can have them inspected first (our state has bee inspectors), but what I did to keep costs down on new woodenware was to buy in quantity, in order to get a discount, and then I sold the extras at a small profit. I think that not being able to keep animals has been an advantage, in a way- I remember that when I first started reading Countryside someone ( I think Jd), expressed the opinion that a lot of wannabe homesteaders load up their property with animals that do not produce at a profit. It seems that at the time many readers were complaining that they could not afford to live in the country, yet then went on to list the many large (livestock, etc) pets that thay were keeping. I did raise hogs once, for 2 years, and I can tell you, they cost more to keep than any purebred show dog! I try to scavange building materials whenever possible and stockpile them for eventual use. I wanted to get some chickens for the longest time, but could not reconcile the cost of a pen (have to keep them penned here, or lose them to predators) with the benefit of having chickens. So, I waited until I had scavanged a bunch of 2" x 4"'s and some chicken wire and finally built a little 4' x 8' chicken "tractor". Total cash outlay- $3.21, for poultry staples; glue; and paint. My 4 chickens are quite happy, and I am thrilled to have gotten started so cheaply. These are just a couple of examples- my goal for 2001 is to have my mortgage paid off by the end of the year, so I am being incredibly frugal right now. One more tip and then I must stop- my fingers are bleeding! I find that when I travel, I frequently lose sight of my homesteading goals and spend money out of boredom. In order to prevent such impulse spending, I did two things- 1. started writing down every penny I spend. Having a record forces me to confront my spending habits. 2. Even more helpful was that I started carrying paper money in my pocket. I wrap it in a piece of paper labelled "FARM". Now, whenever I pull money to pay for something, I am reminded of my goal. I frequently find at that point that whatever I thought I "needed" becomes unnecessary.

-- Elizabeth (ekfla@aol.com), January 15, 2001.

Hi Terri, I've been planning my move to my homestead for a couple of years. I still have some debt, but it's decreasing nicely. I hope to be out of debt by the end of 2001, except for the land I bought a few months ago. I still live in town, but I call myself a GONNABE, not a wannabe! I do lots of things here that I consider homesteading activities, ie. the big garden, canning, drying and freezing my bounty, I buy in bulk, I make soap, bake everything from scratch, and conserve everything I can, especially money. I write all purchases down, too. I was very frugal in 2000, and now it has become a game to see how little I need to spend to get by. I have become incredibly disciplined, and I feel so strong because of it. How can I expect to survive on my homestead without that self-restraint?

My small goals for this year are to learn to knit and crochet, get rid of some of my no longer needed possessions, and join a beekeeping group. This will be a great year!

-- Cathy in NY (hrnofplnty@yahoo.com), January 15, 2001.

DH and I stock up on "supplies" like rebar and tile when he finds a deal (usually of the "will somebody get this trash off of my front lawn, thank you" variety. We figure what we can't use (or don't want to transport), can be sold before hand to provide funds for the move and set up. So far, we've been really lucky when he was working to get "leftovers" like nearly an entire pallet of bricks (they fell over and no-one wanted to pick them up - still have trouble sorting out the logic on that one, but not complaining). Also lots of concete block (neither of which we will be keeping in the long run. Plenty of tile, in small amounts (good for mosaic or roman-style banding patterns). Big pile of "trash" rebar, 10' long and up. So on. Also learning how to do everything we can and how to do without what we may not be able to furnish for ourselves.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), January 15, 2001.

I have been constantly amazed this year at what I have accumulated from Thrift stores that either I have needed or my grown daughters could use for canning. I have purchased two steamer-juicers for under $4.00 each, several canners for under $3.00, cast iron grinders, 2 squeezo strainers, and an extra set of cones for one, all for less than $3.00 a piece. My most incredible purchase was a Bosch Mixer with all the attachments for $8.00!! New they are over $300.00! This is in addition to all the items I normally purchase there for myself and two sons--as well as a lot of dog and chicken paraphenalia and a few rabbit waterbottles. I also watch the classifieds for anything that may turn up. Last spring I was able to purchase a Jersey milk cow who had lost her calf, and was barely able to stand, along with two bouncing healthy holstein calves for less than half what you would normally pay for the cow alone. I don't recommend that sort of thing for everybody, but it usually works out for me. She has turned into a beautiful cow, providing us as well as the homestead animals with milk, cream, and butter. The last thing I would add is I always keep enough hens to lay eggs enough to sell to friends--there are always more people wanting eggs than I have to sell--and it pays for the feed and scratch for them. I actually have fun being as frugal as possible--gets to be almost a game to see how little we can get by on!

-- Lynn Royal (homesteadmama@aol.com), January 15, 2001.

We live quite frugally by bartering as much as possible, and buying items we need used. I love garage sales and thrift stores.

I just recently traded hay for a Nubian doe, and got our woodsplitter repaired by doing some sewing work. A friend put in our pasture fence (15 acres) for speghetti dinners (lots of them!)I have a friend who's husband is a mechanic and I trade horse hauling and eggs for his mechanical skills. We have a 45 acre hay field but no haying equipment so we split the hay with people who had the equipment. I ended up with 600 bales of hay this year.

Stacy Rohan in Windsor, NY

-- Stacy Rohan (KincoraFarm@aol.com), January 15, 2001.

I'm a confirmed bottomfeeder and have been for many years. Not only has it helped me save money it helps me make money.

A few examples: We live about 3 miles from a town of 3500 people or so and about 15 miles from another with about 50,000. I haul junk. I sent fliers out to the municipalities and townships with a price list and the things we haul---for a price. They act as a referral service. Appliances etc. In this throwaway society you'd be amazed what people throw out.

I hauled a snowblower last year with no power to the drive axle.(The drive chain jumped the sprocket) One hr fixing and cha-ching $300 plus a trade-in.

Had a small commercial account for a while. Got $10 for each appliance I hauled away. $50-$180/week plus some repairable appliances that I'd sell for $35-$150, depending on what they were and what shape they were in.

The small but nice chest freezer we've been using I was paid $15 for hauling away.

My Case 444 garden tractor with mower deck was a freebie. (minor electrical repairs) as were the bicycles we use. (single speed, baloon tires)

During spring clean-up in town a few years ago I dragged an OMC Inboard engine from the pile. I figured it would be worth something even as a core. Visited my buddy a few days after that and he was saying his old Carver cabin cruiser that he uses on Lake Michigan needed a new engine. He'd looked all over the state, found one and they wanted $800 for it. I sez, I think I've got one. He looks at it and was thrilled to pay me $300 for it. He's still using it. Didn't need a thing.

The mattress we sleep on I was paid $10 for hauling away.

And if you think I'm gouging my customers, I'm $5-$15 LESS than the competition.

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), January 15, 2001.

John, I agree that doing light hauling work is a great way to get things. My brother did this thirty years ago and I still have one of the two brand new dressers he was paid to haul away. The lady had bought them and decided she didn't want them because she didn't like the way they smelled (new wood). Since she had had them for about a year she couldn't take them back to the store so she had them hauled to the dump. He would offer to clean attics and cellars and it was amazing the items he would scrounge out of what they wanted to throw away. It is a great way to make a little money and get some free things if you have a pickup and don't mind the physical labor.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), January 16, 2001.

It's wonderful having a father who is a "pack rat"! Everyone knows he'll take anything. My tub, sink, and toilet was free to me and Daddy made $50. to take to the dump!!! Who cares if it's pink, it works and has no scratches! I love people who remodel their house when a new fad comes along. I also sell eggs to people at work, they even have a list in the lounge of who's turn it is to get eggs!!! Last year I went on vacation with the money from alunium(sp)cans that guys from my fathers work throws in the back of his truck. I clean them out once a week.

-- Sandy(FL.) (MANDARINHILLBILLYS@prodigy.net), January 16, 2001.

We haul off yardsale leftovers for people. Its amazing how many folks give their leftovers away after a one day yard sale just to avoid having to deal with it. Puts a lot into the tinker shed and some for our own yard sales.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), January 16, 2001.

Terri, we're doing it the same way you are. It's amazing, it's in the same order too! But my bible on frugality has been, is & will continue to be The Tightwad Gazette, as well as Countryside magazine. Don't know about having bees tho.

-- Phyllis (almostafarm@yahoo.com), January 17, 2001.

Hi Terri!

We knew that even with the sale of the house in town, we would not be able to build on the propterty unless we had no bills, and no money going out. So we moved onto our property with our 3 kids, then 2, 4 and 8 in a self contained travel trailer, no phone bill, no cable bill, no electric bill, just propane, and charging marine batteries (for free) at my husbands job. Though we immediatly built a small barn, raised beds, and an enclosed porch for the trailer, and got my beloved goats, we never went to movies, malls etc. and spent nearly every paycheck, but food and gas for my husbands job, on material for building the house. Water and electricity came when the house was 1/2 dried in, and the septic came when the house was nearly done. As soon as the house was dried in, we completed our bedroom, and moved all our stuff from storage (another 100 dollars a month we saved) and moved it into this room, while we finsihed the other rooms. Dried in the total cost was only 1/3 of what it took to finish the interior!

Took us 3 years to move into the house, which with a traditional mortgage would have taken 3 months. But instead of a 30 year mortgage, we have none. It has afforded us many luxuries, our own business, no more commuting to Houston, and me not having to work outside my home. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), January 17, 2001.

I know that this is not for everyone but "dumpster diving" is a good way to get stuff. You need to locate specific businesses. Industry is the best, especially when they are remodeling or adding on. Man they throw away some good stuff. Milwaukee "hole hog" drill w/ forster bits. Had a bad cord! Just got a truck full of good 2x4's the other night. Don't go where you'll get arrested and if they tell you toscram ...go. John

-- John in S. in (jsmengel@hotmail.com), January 17, 2001.

Right now, between hubby and myself, we are working three jobs to get the cash for the things we will need when we start over, and to pay off the debts. I don't want to stock up on building materials that are heavy and low-value (like concrete blocks) or difficult to move (like breakable windows), but we made a list of tools and equipment we'll need, and have also started geting the seedstock of the animals we want, like good quality dairy goats and our working farm collies. Just in case, though, we are only getting what will also be useful here if this place doesn't sell right away. Where are you, Terri? Because my husband does barter with his bees sometimes, and loves to help new beekeepers!

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), January 18, 2001.

This is a subject that is dear to my heart!! My girlfriends and I go yardsale-ing and look through the trash that people have put out at the curb. The first Wednesday of each month in the town we live in they allow you to put out large items. On Tuesday night my sister and I walk around town (small town) seeing if we want any of this free stuff. We sure have gotten alot of good things this way, such as: a good crossbuck storm door, a gooseneck rocker, half a flat of marigolds, a lawnmower (just needed a spark plug), a wicker swing (antique), and the list go way on... My husband just rolls his eyes and laughs at me. The people who work with me think I'm nutty. I was so proud when my 10 year old son came home last summer with a CD player he found in the trash and attempted to fix it. He's learning! My girls and I call it "creative recycling" or "trash mongering". Last summer I found an old wooden garage in my neighborhood that the folks wanted torn down (much to my husband's dismay). They gave us all the materials in the garage plus some stuff that was in there too. It took us 2 and 1/2 months to tear it down in our spare time, but we got enough lumber, cement blocks, and good heavy tin to build a three sided shed and possibly a small barn. Gotta love it!!

-- Marianne (mkoonrn@yahoo.com), January 21, 2001.

Hey girlfriend!! When we first discussed country living and so on, my husband was keen on the honey bee idea. Later for some unknown reason he decided he was too scared that he'd get stung. Having since seen his reaction to deerflies, I'd say the decision is wise (his swatting flies spastic displays are hilarious!). With the current mite problems here in the Maritimes, how would you keep them clean? (organic methods are questionable I have read which pretty much leaves the chemical)Where can you get clean bees these days? Just curious. We started with a garden and hens and will have hens again. I have friends that are horrified when they learn I want to raise animals to stock our freezer. Hullo!! Where do you think those choice cuts at Super Store come from? From cute little animals..get over it! Terri, when I am ready for a pig can I come to you for pointers? PS: regarding winter doldrums..my sprouts are sprouting (yay!) and I got the Vesey's Catalogue at Appleberry. Stay warm all! ;D

-- Alison in Nova Scotia (aproteau@istar.ca), January 21, 2001.