Ok, maybe that was a trick title...I don't have a money tree here, but...
it's tax time again and that means prayers and plans around the homestead. What do you do.....short term projects that maximize long term ones, stock the pantry and prepare that way for the coming year....pay own whatever you can on whatever you have out there....
so many thoughts run around the homestead this time of year.
Dewey's thoughts...well, there is a $5000 back-hoe he's been watching. Not a bad thought. It will do our footings for the building on here, it will dig our new septic and field lines, it will dig out the pond area, and we can clear the land with it. I vote for that.
Of course, there's fencing. Always in need of fencing on the homestead. If we had more fencing done here, we'd have larger areas for Miss Escapee, that pretty-yet-useless horse. If we had more fencing, we could simply get a few goats out here and let them deal with the over-growth around here we'd like cleared off. If we had more fencing, we could seriously look at the goat vs cow issue as it pertains to milk, which in the long run means less grocery spending. There, fencing it is. I vote for that.
Wait -- what about stocking the pantry for the year? That saves money in several ways...less gas needed for trips to town, no splurge spending while in town, planned menus always save money. Stocking the basics if nothing else is a good idea. I had a list made out at one point, but it needs some reworking to be truly feasible for a full year. I've been checking out the LDS sites (and sidebar items here) for menu and storage thoughts, as well as Nana's $20 a Week Storage Plan over at the Mrs. Survival site. Not bad stuff, but honestly, those aren't my idea of storage really. I'm not going to stock spaghetti sauce, for example...I'm going to stock tomato seeds and plant a garden full, then make my own. I'm not going to stock flour...I'm going to stock a few buckets of wheat berries to grind my own. But, still, not a bad list really. It's a starting off point for my thinking, I suppose. So, stocking the pantry is a good idea. Long range thinking and planning...a great use of extra money. I vote for that.
Ok, obviously I'm not going to get each of these things accomplished at all. Granted, Dewey worked long and hard this year, and the refund isn't looking shabby really, but hey, Uncle Sam isn't about to make my life full of that much sunshine and rose petals. So, what do you do? Save the money? No, we want to put it to use. We don't like banks, so saving that way isn't even coming into the picture. We could bury it in the back forty....LOL, of course, down here, come summer, the sun baked ground won't yield up those coffee cans of loot without a struggle...or that back-hoe!
What about just a little stocking up? How much powdered milk would you need for a full year of drinking and baking? What about wheat berries for grinding? What about olive oil? What about...well, here would be a starter list I might be looking at -- you let me know what amounts you think are serious.
Powdered milk
hard white wheat
soft white wheat
oat groats
sweetener for baking and use (we have been using fructose...what should I be using?)
dried beans...what kind? pinto, black-eye, lentils, navy, etc?
what about butter for the year if you aren't making your own?
how about buying a half a steer and getting it put up in the larder?
maybe some canning jars and lids for all the canning to be done
certainly some seeds for the garden
Another thing being ordered here for the homestead is the finishing additions to our curriculum. I am going to get the Ray's Arithmetic Primary book I don't have, probably 2 of them, and then another Intellectual book as well. Christina was telling me what they didn't like about Harvey''s Grammar, but I can't remember what it was now so I'll have to check with her on that. Debi and I were talking about Handwriting Without Tears for Jacob. He is having some issues with writing letters and numbers. It just isn't connecting with him. I'd like to get the other Mystery Of History volumes as well. We really like that.
There's just a lot of things in the prayer bucket around here right now....what do you think?
I just chuckled as I read your post. Every year about this time, DH and I come up with a megalist of items we would love to purchase with our modest tax refund. Mega/modest hmmm. . .
May He give y'all wisdom in making your decisions. Fun and blessings too.
Isn't very often that you have a chunk of money coming in and you can't decide what to do with it huh??? We are dealing with a simliar situation with money coming in from the sale of my parents house and can't decide what exactly to do with it. We are still in thought and prayer about it. What a wonderful predictament to be in. lol
It is always so hard to decide what to do with the tax money. How abaout a bit of each? Some fencing for the animals? , food for 6 months?, a big chunck on the back-hoe? Or just the back hoe? and 3 months of food? It is so hard. Let us know what you all do. God Bless..mj
Well, if I were in your shoes, I would probably choose fencing for more goats for milk and reduce my food bill, and I would stock up on a few of the major items on your list...wheat berries, sweetner, seeds, and then put the rest back for the backhoe..unless, you think it would be easier to just buy the backhoe, and save during the year to gradually buy your fencing needs, and stock your pantry. Decisions, decisions.....
Wow, my head is spinning with all of your great ideas. This is the first year in many years that we are even getting any refund to speak of (DH use to be self employed). We are putting ours up until we know if we are moving. Then we will have many needs. However, we are buying an old used 2 horse trailer. We will have it for our horses and for any pig or cow that needs to go to the butcher.LOL
I see that you are using your oat roller (oat groats). How do you like it? I still haven't ordered the attatchment.
We have been using Sucanat when we need sweetner, which we have just about cut out around here. As for Wheat berries, I think 100 lbs. would be suffiecient around here so you would need atleast 200 lbs. I use a mix of hard red and Prairie Gold. I use soft pastry berries for sweet breads and desserts.
I doubt this helped any, I probably just added to the confusion. I will say, about the backhoe, that I have heard Dave Ramsey say that if you are not using a piece of equipment everyday, like for work, it is not a wise investment. That the upkeep alone would make it cheaper to rent one.
Blessings,
Trixi
~Always Planning for Whatever May Come... Mrs Survival site
~Sewing and baking, of course
~write letters
~Pasta made, dried and stored away
~barn repairs, on-going
~bush hogging & timber clean-up, on-going
~List books at BookMooch.com
~build a new mailbox post
~monthly quilt blocks
No indulgences of self will can be trivial, no denial unprofitable; Heaven or Hell depends on this alone. A parent who studies to subdue it in his child works together with God in the renewing and saving of their soul. The parent who indulges it does the devil's work, makes religion impractical, salvation unattainable, and does all that in him lies to damn his child, soul and body, forever.
Susanna Wesley
At The School Desks
We are a Christian family desiring to raise our children with the primary focus of Training their Hearts!
I have no greater joy, than to hear my children walk in truth... III John 1:4
Train up the child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it... Proverbs 22:6
Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!... Deuteronomy 5:29
Our mission in life is not to go to some far-off foreign land, but to work at home and in our churches and home communities. Our goal should not be to leave behind riches and possessions, farms and homes for our children, but a priceless heritage they will cherish enough to work fervently to pass along to their children. It has been done for generations and with God's help it can still be done. In teaching our children, we are striving toward a deep understanding of who they are In Christ. I am . . . a child of God, a gift to my parents and my country. I'm a person of great value because God made me. I can . . . do all things through Christ who strengthens me. God has made me able to do everything required of me. I ought . . . to do my duty to obey God, to submit to my parents and everyone in authority over me, to be of service to others, and to keep myself healthy with proper food and rest so my body is ready to serve. I will . . . resolve to keep a watch over my thoughts and choose what's right even if it's not what I want.
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