# Spend $300



## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Not a new topic really it comes up now and then. Where would you drop $300 today?


----------



## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

I may end up spending close to that in my attempts to get OTA TV out here so I can drop Directv. I'm getting just enough signal strength in current tests to make me think it is possible. Since Directv is currently about $50/mo for me, the payoff would be six months.

Next may be a cell phone antenna amp so that we can go from land line to the cheap fixed cell service Walmart sells - providing I can still get my call block stuff to work. Again, payoff in six months or less.


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

refilling my fuel oil tank so I am ready for next fall


----------



## Roadking (Oct 8, 2009)

Firewood for next year...$300 gets me 2 cords.

Matt


----------



## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

blue berry bushs, fruit trees,


----------



## Nimrod (Jun 8, 2010)

This would cover the building permit and design fees for my outhouse on the new property. This is my #1 priority.

Harry, I paid cash for a Trac phone. There is no connection between my name and that number. In 6 years I have never had a telemarketer call. I have had 2 wrong numbers.


----------



## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

$300 ? Seems like I drop that or more everytime I get near Tractor Supply or Lowes.

I did spend $399 on a kit from Whizbang Chicken Plucker guy and built a modified version of his tub plucker last week. Got 2 dozen Cornish X chickens that will be freezer ready in another couple weeks and dang if I'm hand plucking them this year. 20 seconds in the Whizbang versus 20 minutes of me hand plucking is no contest.

I nearly dropped $1100 on the ready made Featherman version after seeing it in action couple weeks ago at the MEN fair, but I decided a couple days of my labor was worth the difference, since I already had a 3/4hp motor to run it. I figure Whizbang parts, motor (bought it 15 years ago for 20 bucks), and a few other related parts, I've got less than $500 in it.


----------



## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

I would upgrade some footwear. Need a better pair of work/hiking boots, rubber boots, and tennies.


----------



## watcher (Sep 4, 2006)

I'd buy a compact .40 handgun for carrying. Its getting very bad out there.


----------



## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

We have been replacing overhead lights. Some LED&#8217;s and a fluorescent. They cost about $100 a pop.


----------



## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

We need to replace life jackets and rubber boots and purchase a couple more dry bags. Everything I can currently think of seems to revolve around wetness.


----------



## Janis R (Jun 27, 2013)

I would buy a calf, the prices for beef is outrageous.


----------



## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

Roadking said:


> Firewood for next year...$300 gets me 2 cords.
> 
> Matt


Wow. $300 would get me 1 cord and fill my carsw gas tank.


----------



## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

Janis R said:


> I would buy a calf, the prices for beef is outrageous.


My boss is a rancher. He likes to watch auctions on line. He said last week he saw a 300lb calf go for $1200 and 2 day old calves go for $600. We used to get those for free!! That's nuts!!


----------



## Roadking (Oct 8, 2009)

Cash price for a generous cord of cut, split, seasoned and dumped is $150...check is $165.
I gotta stack (well, our boys actually love doing that, so toss a couple bucks onto the cost).

I can't justify buying log loads anymore...they cost me more in time and labor. The guy I use is very generous with his cords as well, and well seasoned.

Matt


----------



## Ross (May 9, 2002)

I get fire wood for free delivered. Enough to feed two outdoor boilers. Fuel oil is a tax deduction but upgrading the tank is a thought. More like $900 here though for a 250 gallon with spill protection. Food is always good. More fruit trees etc is tempting. I need to get some calves! That might be where it goes, calves, 2-3 holstein bull calves could probably be had for $300 here.


----------



## Roadking (Oct 8, 2009)

Mine is for a fireplace with a heat-a-lator I built...I need all hardwoods...no evergreen because of creosote. The outdoor one for the shop I burn free scrap lumber and cutoffs from a friend with a portable sawmill.

Matt


----------



## Ross (May 9, 2002)

I get all sorts from a local tree service. I take the chipper truck loads and compost them and I get the trunk wood.


----------



## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Have you posted your heat-a-lator build? I'd luv to see that!


----------



## michael ark (Dec 11, 2013)

Depends on what was my focus at the time.Fencing first then what you want to protect . I would say fruit trees and grape vines and berries.If you don't eat it you can sell it and feed the excess to your livestock .If you want livestock then get their housing ready before you get them .Trust me have backup plans you will be amazed at what a ------ of pig can try to destroy hell you will be surprised what a happy hog will destroy.
For $300 you could set up a pretty good chicken tractor and have a money make if you worked it right.Look at muleman post last year were he made some chicken tractors.


----------



## farmerDale (Jan 8, 2011)

I would buy 4 weanling pigs. They are about 70 bucks around here. Then I would feed them my worthless hard red spring wheat, barley and peas, and sell them hanging in the fall for 500 bucks each.


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

TnAndy said:


> $300 ? Seems like I drop that or more everytime I get near Tractor Supply or Lowes.
> 
> I did spend $399 on a kit from Whizbang Chicken Plucker guy and built a modified version of his tub plucker last week. Got 2 dozen Cornish X chickens that will be freezer ready in another couple weeks and dang if I'm hand plucking them this year. 20 seconds in the Whizbang versus 20 minutes of me hand plucking is no contest.
> 
> I nearly dropped $1100 on the ready made Featherman version after seeing it in action couple weeks ago at the MEN fair, but I decided a couple days of my labor was worth the difference, since I already had a 3/4hp motor to run it. I figure Whizbang parts, motor (bought it 15 years ago for 20 bucks), and a few other related parts, I've got less than $500 in it.



I think you will like the Whizbang , I built mine about 6years ago , having a valve and shower head mounted to it is nice, I have about the same amount in mine , a freind and I did a run of a hundred cornish x expect to have to check things about 20 birds in and adjust the belt tension 

mine sits on pressure treated skids with a set of wheels so that I can tip it up and roll it around it makes it easier to move when you complete the frame take your time and paint it with several coats of good outdoor paint it is a good tool and being well painted makes it clean up well after use


----------



## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

That $300 and another $1000 would get me mighty close to a manual pump for my well, the one I have my eye on sits right alongside the usual electric one. 

Or it would be a good chunk toward my wish list pigeon coop.


----------



## NEfarmgirl (Jan 27, 2009)

farmerDale said:


> I would buy 4 weanling pigs. They are about 70 bucks around here. Then I would feed them my worthless hard red spring wheat, barley and peas, and sell them hanging in the fall for 500 bucks each.


This is something I would do, but it probably would not be pigs. I would invest it into something that I could sell and get more $ out of. At that point I would take that money and invest in more and turn the money around again. If the economy turns I could still take what I had and use it for our family. A friend has been doing this for years and he started with a couple goats, sold goats and used the money to buy trees, fencing, and supplies for his acreage. Eventually he turned enough to buy cattle and now he is turning those to continue supplimenting his income.


----------



## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

NEfarmgirl said:


> This is something I would do, but it probably would not be pigs. I would invest it into something that I could sell and get more $ out of. At that point I would take that money and invest in more and turn the money around again. If the economy turns I could still take what I had and use it for our family. A friend has been doing this for years and he started with a couple goats, sold goats and used the money to buy trees, fencing, and supplies for his acreage. Eventually he turned enough to buy cattle and now he is turning those to continue supplementing his income.


We used to do that with calves. They've gotten to expensive to buy now though.


----------



## NEfarmgirl (Jan 27, 2009)

He is lucky enough to have someone bring a bull over to visit so he can keep his herd going. He started with a cow calf pair and now just keeps rolling them over. He keeps the steers and sells them for meat, and hangs onto the heifers. We were going to buy a cow calf pair,but that is when the price shot back up on them. Now my son works for someone with cattle so we have a chance to get calves that need bottle fed when the time comes.


----------



## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Already have pigs and I do have cows that need a bull, thats not coming out of "spare" cash. I could raise more chickens to sell I suppose.


----------



## Cindy in NY (May 10, 2002)

Chainsaw but I don't think $300 would cover it.


----------



## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Have three saws working well. No it wouldn't get you much of a chainsaw.


----------



## gibbsgirl (May 1, 2013)

why, you offering?

I need more than that for the grapes and berries I want put in. but, I might be tempted to sink it into turkey poults. got enough feed put up to raise up several more than we have. might be able to turn a decent profit on selling them local this fall if the bird flu keeps wiping out the turkey farms in MN and Iowa.


----------



## pookford (Jan 11, 2014)

More perennial edibles...blueberries, raspberries, grapes, apple trees, asparagus, etc.


----------



## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

Wait, is it my $300 or someone else's? Chicken wire, need to make more chicken pens. Chicken wire does not go bad as long as you keep it stored inside until you use it, so that is what I would buy. Or more ewe's I got more than my sheep can eat right now, so really need some more to take advantage of the free food growing in the woods. $300 would come close to getting me 2. And goats, I need more milk goats $300 would maybe get a couple or close anyway. And a new Billy, $300 would get me a good Savanah billy. $500 would get me the new parts to fix the windows in my truck to roll up and down, but that is not a necessity and surely will not make me any money? I bought 200 plastic buckets with lids a few weeks back for $200, so I could get more buckets and have $100 left over? , or get 300 buckets. Not sure what I would do with 200 more though? If 22 shells were available I would just buy $300 worth and be done with it. Ok, $300 is just not going to be enough, unless I can have all of ya'lls $300 also?


----------



## Patchouli (Aug 3, 2011)

Fruit trees to fill out the orchard.


----------



## gibbsgirl (May 1, 2013)

we bought the whizbang book and some parts from him and the guys scrounged the rest and made one a few years back. works great. couldn't handle butchering chickens without one now.


----------



## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

Muleman said:


> Wait, is it my $300 or someone else's? Chicken wire, need to make more chicken pens. Chicken wire does not go bad as long as you keep it stored inside until you use it, so that is what I would buy. Or more ewe's I got more than my sheep can eat right now, so really need some more to take advantage of the free food growing in the woods. $300 would come close to getting me 2. And goats, I need more milk goats $300 would maybe get a couple or close anyway. And a new Billy, $300 would get me a good Savanah billy. $500 would get me the new parts to fix the windows in my truck to roll up and down, but that is not a necessity and surely will not make me any money? I bought 200 plastic buckets with lids a few weeks back for $200, so I could get more buckets and have $100 left over? , or get 300 buckets. Not sure what I would do with 200 more though? If 22 shells were available I would just buy $300 worth and be done with it. Ok, $300 is just not going to be enough, unless I can have all of ya'lls $300 also?



You could kill 2 birds with one stone and get milking sheep. I thought about getting them when I bought my goats but couldn't find amy.


----------



## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

Terri, That though has been in the back of my mind, but I know nothing about them really? I know a bit about goats and know even less about sheep. what I do know about sheep is. They are crazy!! We have a small mixed herd now and it is like trying to work deer. When I finally get rid of the 2 Barbados does I have, never again will I have any more. There is no such thing as working them and handling them like a goat. Every time I have to do anything to them I have to corner them and simply tackle them. I am assuming however that sheep for milking would have to be different or you would never be able to handle them to milk?


----------



## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

Being a few others mentioned the Whizbang chicken plucker kit that Herrick Kimball sells. I thought I would add in a link to the thread on the one I built and I highly recommend this mans kit if you are thinking you may have a use for a chicken plucker. Best money I ever spent.
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/li...-finally-made-my-decision-built-whizbang.html


----------



## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

Muleman said:


> Terri, That though has been in the back of my mind, but I know nothing about them really? I know a bit about goats and know even less about sheep. what I do know about sheep is. They are crazy!! We have a small mixed herd now and it is like trying to work deer. When I finally get rid of the 2 Barbados does I have, never again will I have any more. There is no such thing as working them and handling them like a goat. Every time I have to do anything to them I have to corner them and simply tackle them. I am assuming however that sheep for milking would have to be different or you would never be able to handle them to milk?



I don't know anything about sheep. I just figured milk, meat and wool all in one might be a good thing.


----------



## Ross (May 9, 2002)

I have sheep. Yes we have milked them. Without a good stand and vacuum milkers again I won't be trying it again. Makes awesome cheese.


----------



## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

Ross said:


> I have sheep. Yes we have milked them. Without a good stand and vacuum milkers again I won't be trying it again. Makes awesome cheese.


What do you do with the wool?


----------



## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

The sheep we got are Katadin cross and hair sheep, so we got no wool? 

BTW, I found 2 used rear tractor tires today for my old John Deere G, so I am going to spend $200 of my $300 on those, if I can get them?


----------



## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Some of the wool goes for pillow stuffing, some of the coloured wool will be used as locks, most is sold one way or another.


----------



## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Ross said:


> Where would you drop $300 today?


groceries, dogfood, tp, shampoo, laundry detergent, etc


----------

