Howdy y'all!

[freemotion]

If you must keep all the animals, can you get some of them to earn more keep? Sell more eggs, goat products, kids?

Have you looked into planting mangels and long-keeping squashes like blue hubbard as a supplement to your feeding program?

Can you cut brush and bring it home for the goats, and dry some for winter feeding, like willow?

Can you get any grains locally right from the farmer? I feed whole grains and it cuts the grain bill dramatically. Soaking and sprouting will increase the nutrient availability and digestibility of the whole grains, too. If you want to know my well-research methods, let me know.

Give us more info, we are full of ideas here!

 

[Beekissed]

I also plant a small garden (16' x 16') every year but I would like to expand it to include a larger garden that will allow me to freeze and/or can things. We have a VERY short growing season, so everything has to be hybrid to actually mature. I HATE weeding, LOL So we'll see.

You might consider cheap, homemade row covers to extend your growing season and plenty of mulch. Square foot gardening will also help you stack plant species and rotate the same ground for several crops.

You already have a good source of fertilizer(and this can be sold as well), you might explore intensive, managed grazing to cut down on your grain bill, eliminating any animals who do not directly produce income/food/or protect your other animals/home.

If you don't already free range your chickens, this will cut down on their feed bill in at least 3 seasons out of the year. Judicious culling of your flock so you will not be feeding any freeloaders is a must and will add to your food stores. If they are old, can them and they will be as tender as can be for cooking soups, casseroles, meat pies, etc.

If your animal feed bill exceeds your profits, then you know where to cut back right now....its just hard to get that severe on your expenditures.

 

[shareneh]

I thought I was doing pretty well--but I'm always out of money before the 3rd week of the month! So this is causing a strain on our marriage (hubby is VERY budget-minded but yet, has NO clue what things cost). I did save all of our recipets from last month to show him but he still thinks we can cut back??

We do not go out to eat, I do not buy clothes or do anything "fun" with that money. I sell my soaps here & there as well as chickens & hatching eggs for my "fun" money.

Gas is $2.26/gallon right now and I commute 25 miles a day to/from work. My car averages 23-25mpg. We do not eat a lot of junk food, so a lot of our expenses are fruits & veggies. We do plan to have our own poultry & a beef steer next year so we can raise our own meat for the most part.

I also plant a small garden (16' x 16') every year but I would like to expand it to include a larger garden that will allow me to freeze and/or can things. We have a VERY short growing season, so everything has to be hybrid to actually mature. I HATE weeding, LOL So we'll see.

No matter what you think you can cut back. It will be different for you but there is always something that can give. Buying fresh fruits and veggies in winter is a luxury and until you get your own planted you might have to substitute for other foods such as canned or frozen. Eat what you have in the house for now. Do not go shopping for any food until you are down to the bare cupboards. You would be suprised how much money you can save when you cut down trips to the store.

Start by going strictly cash for your purchases. You would be amazed how fast money goes when you are taking it out of your wallet watching your pile get smaller and smaller.

Don't take cash, checks or cards with you anywhere but to the store. The money you spend during the day can really add up if it's available to you and your husband during the day. Planning is key.

No more junk food whatsoever, pack lunches for you and your spouse. It takes about 30 min a day to do but saves money in the long run. You can also start planning your meals with the lunches in mind.

When feeding your animals try to cut back on their portions just a little bit. They are animals and they will understand that that's all they get today. I know its hard but I have had to cut back too and my animals haven't changed a bit. I was the problem there.

Also, if your hubby can't see where the money is going have him take over the finances and shopping. you can make him a list or whatever helps him get started. I think he will approach the issue in a nicer way after that. But you have to let go of the reins for a while. Don't take them back from him when he begs because he needs to know what you go through.

You might have to start keeping track of what you actually do with your "fun" money. Using it towards animal feed would be my first step. The animals such as the dogs and the horses do not generate income so you have to create that income if you are running out of resources. Maybe you can offer riding lessons or keep a friends horse, dog, cat for a fee during their vacations or absences. Some educational tours for groups a couple of times a year can help put money in the bank. Involving your horses or even large dogs in these tours would help them make money for you. Work with what you have.

I made this problem into a game for the family and we are doing so much better now financially. I think if you take some of the tips from this forum and put them to use in a couple of months you will find that you are more content and your hubby will see you in a different light.

By the way, weeding is thereputic to some people.
Good Luck and welcome to SS living.

Sharene

 

[Rare Feathers]

Lots of great ideas here! We can probably get you into that budget.....4 horses? Maybe not! How much of your land is good pasture? Do you make your own hay?

We have about 130 acres of good pasture. We do not have irrigation so we cannot do our own hay,.

 

[Rare Feathers]

Put all of your expenses in a spread sheet and have him offer suggestions on where to cut back. Maybe he could help with the shopping so you can choose together what to leave out of the basket.

Perhaps two weeks of beans and rice for supper to economize???

That's a good idea...and in our case, it's spaghetti--he HATES it, yet it's cheap and one of my favorites! HA!

 

[Rare Feathers]

Welcome! It sounds like you are on the right track. How attached are you to all 4 horses? That is one quick way to trim back.

LOL REALLY attached. Hubby would go first. One is actually hubby's horse, the other three are mine. One I've owned for 18 years, one is the 5-year old daughter of the 18 year old mare and the other is a horse I bought in college, was forced to sell and "found" on the internet and was able to buy back after 8 years.

 

[Rare Feathers]

I agree with the others. Cutting back on animal feed would increase the food budget for you and your husband.

Are you really, really attached to the horses? Do they contribute anything to your lifestyle (giving riding lessons, etc.)? I'm assuming the goats contribute milk for your soap making, the chickens, eggs.

Does your hubby go shopping with you? That may give him an idea of how expensive everything is.

Do some searching on here. There a some really great ideas on how to save money on older threads.

Good luck and keep posting.

The horses keep me sane. We pack them into the mountains every summer and I've owned one of the mares for 18 years. They actually do not cost THAT much in the overall scheme of things. Their feed bill does not have anything to do with our grocery bill. It's just another expense. My husband and I both have really good jobs that pay pretty well for the poorest (and largest) county in Washington State. After all the bills are paid every month (and my grocery budget is gone, we try to have $600-$700 left each month which we put into a savings account. So it's not like we're living paycheck to paycheck or anything. I just wanted to learn about ways to conserve, save, cut-back, etc....

 

[Beekissed]

Can you give these horses a new "job"? Maybe buy some used harness and sled/wagon and put them to work renting them out for weddings, parades, etc.? I know it takes some work training horses for draft work but it would be light and infrequent and maybe a little fun. If they are well-trained, I've heard of folks "renting" their horses to riding stables...the stable takes care of their feed and pays you rent/you pay for vetting/shoeing, the stable doesn't have to buy a horse or provide it with vet care and farrier service~win/win!

If you have good pasture without irrigation, how then can you not grow hay? And if no hay, can you develop your "good" pasture by rotational grazing and stockpiling for winter feeding?

 

[Rare Feathers]

I also plant a small garden (16' x 16') every year but I would like to expand it to include a larger garden that will allow me to freeze and/or can things. We have a VERY short growing season, so everything has to be hybrid to actually mature. I HATE weeding, LOL So we'll see.

You might consider cheap, homemade row covers to extend your growing season and plenty of mulch. Square foot gardening will also help you stack plant species and rotate the same ground for several crops.

You already have a good source of fertilizer(and this can be sold as well), you might explore intensive, managed grazing to cut down on your grain bill, eliminating any animals who do not directly produce income/food/or protect your other animals/home.

If you don't already free range your chickens, this will cut down on their feed bill in at least 3 seasons out of the year. Judicious culling of your flock so you will not be feeding any freeloaders is a must and will add to your food stores. If they are old, can them and they will be as tender as can be for cooking soups, casseroles, meat pies, etc.

If your animal feed bill exceeds your profits, then you know where to cut back right now....its just hard to get that severe on your expenditures.

I used to free range my birds but after losing 26 to a neighbor's dog--7 to unknown predators (we think eagles) I do not anymore. I have 12 birds for sale now (not much meat on a bantam). The dogs are both used for livestock guarding and since getting our 1/2 Anatolian, we have not lost anymore birds to predators.

The goats are actually for sale...but were used for weed control, only. Three of them (triplets) were born last Thursday.