Things are constantly in flux and I worry that the property that we intend to inhabit for our homestead will not be available to us in the long run. Also, seeing that we are trying to retire early we will not have access to the monies that we have saved in our tax deferred retirement account without paying a large penalty. We'll need a nest egg to deal with the interim years until we can start to withdraw that and also while we will need to pay for medical expenses/insurance until Medicare kicks in.
So 2014 was the year for planning and preparing, 2015 is for actively doing, 2016 & 2017 are the years for saving (more than just paying off the equipment) and hopefully 2018 will be the year for deciding and building. Of course if the right opportunities open themselves up we will be re-arranging those priorities, but for now this is the plan.
The beginning of 2015 sees us able to accomplish some major goals towards our future homestead.
We were able to secure a new tractor.
And along with it we also now have a box blade
& a bush hog.
These will go a long way when it comes to making work on the property easier for us. We are already finding it seriously handy in our normal annual chores.
We've also managed to get a diesel UTV as well. This works extremely well in tandem with the tractor and we have only had a short while but have already seen that it is a true workhorse.
We also went ahead and put in a new bedliner. This helps with clean up and with things in the back not sliding around as much. If it holds up as well as we think it will, both this and the tractor will have a 20-30 year lifespan for us at minimum.Of course I showed everyone here the truck (also diesel) that we purchased as well. It's a dream to drive and it hauls our equipment and trailers like a breeze.
Having all these pieces using the same fuel is helpful in more ways than one. Not only do the diesel engines tend to last much longer than gasoline engines, but we can store 55gallon diesel containers with a pump that will allow us to keep enough fuel on hand to continue working on the homestead for quite a while. Not to mention not needing to keep a container for diesel, gasoline, a container for premium, one with mixed for the lawn equipment, etc. So Yippee for simplicity!
So for the next 3 years we will finish paying off these expensive toys while saving for our future.
Sounds like a good plan to me. Speaking of future on the homestead, I'm browsing some commercial nurseries to try to complete the mini orchard this year. If we are unable to do it this spring I'll look at fall and winter planting instead. So, if you know of any great places for bare root trees let me know. I'm in need of about 20-30 of them so I will be pinching pennies if I can.
I'll also begin the construction of some raised beds on the property. These beds will be for perennial plants that will be able to take care of most of their own needs. We are on site at least every other month so we will be able to fertilize but watering, etc will be minimal if at all. Good thing there is plenty of pine needles to mulch with! I'm thinking the first bed will be for the new blueberry plants. They will be ready to transplant either this fall or next spring.
ACK! I'm outta time and have to run.
See you soon!
Barbie~
20-30 trees will certainly add up! We are planning on getting a few trees this year too, but nowhere near that many. Our main problem is the rocky ground - it's a real pain to dig any sort of hole in. Looks like you have thought everything out very well - good luck with all your plans!
ReplyDeleteThanks Margaret! The soil at home is sandy and in Alabama its clay and some rocks. It's hard enough to dig. I can't imagine digging anything harder. Good luck with yours, I'll be thinking of you while I'm digging!
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