Plan for self sufficient into amazing retirement plan?

[Beekissed]

Things like baking up a small trailer instead of unhitching it and pushing it to where I want it.

I struggle with the same issue but have been practicing that a lot this wood season, backing it into small spaces between trees and such after many tries. Eventually it will get to be like second nature but those smaller trailers seem to be a pesky item...my son works in the oil fields and backs up all kinds of large trailers, heavy equipment, etc. but found that this 4x8 utility has a mind of its own and jackknifes in two seconds no matter how skilled one is.

 

[KeeperAtTheHomestead]

I can't see everything you uploaded because I have a cell phone and it's not cooperative at the moment! Have you looked into legal requirements in your state?I've always wanted to do something like what you're thinking but in my state I would need to truck my pigs to a USDA butcher to sell by the package, would need a food handlers license and to have my freezers inspected on occasion, all precooked foods would need to be cooked in a certified commercial kitchen... except jams and jellies (I think, haven't looked recently ). And dairy products have a whole long dramatic bunch of rules.

Not trying to be a downer, just thinking about logistics!

Ugh, please!! Don't get me started on babysitter big brother
But, that's exactly why I won't sell anything but veggies/eggs/live animals (when I get to that point). Regulations kill the little guys.
Tyrannical!

 

[Lazy Gardener]

IMO, barter would be the best way to go when ever possible. Cash is also a handy thing. But the beauty of barter system: It benefits all parties concerned, and Uncle has yet to figure out how to get his greedy fingers into the barter system.

 

[Britesea]

There was a barter system for a while in my old home in CA. You started out with a gift of 20 "barter dollars". Let's say you have eggs for sale/barter and someone else wants some eggs. Let's further say that they do tattoos, which you aren't interested in. Instead of the tatoo, the artist pays for the eggs with "barter dollars", which they earned from someone else wanting a tattoo. Once a year, the organization also ran a holiday bazaar so that all the people that had various arts and crafts available for barter would have a chance to earn barter dollars, which they could then use throughout the year for anything from haircuts to dental work. Some people would hang onto their barter dollars all year and use them at the bazaar for their holiday shopping. The government did get their share however: if what you bartered would normally have been charged sales tax, that part had to be paid in cash, and you got a tax form at the end of the year showing those sales. It was an interesting melding of barter and cash systems.

 

[baymule]

Learn to weld, weld together all manner of scrap metal, call it art and sell for a big price.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Yep, bay, that's one of my DH's ideas! He is a great welder, I think he'd make a fortune!

 

[baymule]

@Beekissed has a knack for repurposing Goodwill finds. Get old headboards and make benches.

 

[baymule]

We go all the way back to Livingston (3 hour drive) for Rudy's honey. We are loyal customers. We haven't found anything up here to beat it.

http://www.rudyshoney.com/

 

[Beekissed]

@Beekissed has a knack for repurposing Goodwill finds. Get old headboards and make benches.

As Bay said, GW is your friend, as is the Rehab store...our Rehab store will even get in huge loads of barn boards, new boxes of flooring of all types, wood trim scraps, etc. All of these things come in REAL handy when wanting to do things on the cheap.

I turned a $1 headboard from Rehab into a clothing/coat rack for my bedroom and the rest of it is being used in various projects throughout the house. Used old antique items I had on hand and those I picked up at a local flea market for $.50 to form the pegs..the whole thing cost me $3 to make and took less than an hour when including paint dry time. These are things you can use in your home or resell for a tidy profit...city folks love stuff like that.

 

[Carla D]

IMO, barter would be the best way to go when ever possible. Cash is also a handy thing. But the beauty of barter system: It benefits all parties concerned, and Uncle has yet to figure out how to get his greedy fingers into the barter system.

That is one of the best points I’ve ever heard about the barter system.