# Tired of working in the same system ready to become independant



## millertimedoneright (May 13, 2013)

Hey guys I want to start by explaining the title...I'm tired of working for the same greedy company filled with selfish, idiotic, power hungry bosses...I'm tired of working my tail off but always getting left behind cuz I don't brown nose the management...I'm looking to buy my 50 acre homestead in the very near here very soon so I can begin to work my way towards quitting this job and becoming independent of this whole screwed up system...I want to begin a discussion on hints or advice towards making this happen


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## gabbyj310 (Oct 22, 2012)

Many things to consider.Of course one is do you already have your acreage picked out? If so see if there is ANY way you can buy it now.Prices are going up as we speak. If you can get it in any fashion ,shape or form,you can begin slowly to "fix" it up,or upgrade it(as I am doing to mine)a little at a time.That way when you can leave(the greedy company) you already have done a few cool things to the property(plant,trees, flowers,get a idea where your garden will be, if you want a well or a out-building/barn).
My next course of action is "things" I will need to keep things up and be able to use for years to come ie: tools of all kind,small tractor,if it's not fenced and you own it maybe fence a small area at a time as you can afford it... Place for preps, maybe a root cellar,look into different power sources ie;wind power,solar,generators etc......Pay off as many credit cards as you can(if you check, many have huge interest rates slipped in)pay as much cash as you can.Build up your credit score .... IF you need to get a loan for a major purchase it will make it less painful( there are many errors on all 3 credit scores).
And to make working where you are (once you purchased your place) much easier,you can usually shrug off the nut case, idiot bosses much easier because you "KNOW" it' not long now!!!!!
When I want to just walk away....I do..I go dig(and dig some more) ,fix something,paint,trim/cut ..Oh did I mention dig??? Makes the place look better and better and I've won from the idiot bosses as my blood pressure is better(laugh is on them)..All the while a little "Millertime" as you do this will get you there sooner than you think


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

The price of land varies wildly depending on the area. You will also have to figure out a way to pay taxes on that land every year. :gaah:


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

Main thing is to keep the job you have(many don't have any job). A second job can really boost your income so the land purchase can happen earlier. The bigger the place, the more the maintenance(both in money and time). Investigate how much the taxes are before you buy. Some places you can get much cheaper taxes if you can show agricultural income from the land(this can include wood harvested and sold or renting some acreage to a nearby farmer or selling hay from your land).


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## machinist (Jul 4, 2012)

*Think Businesslike*

A small homestead can be a way to save a lot of money, but also has expenses. To be an asset, it has to make more than it costs, like any business. Large or small, only the scale varies, not the concept.

Businesses have to have capital investment before they begin to pay you. You can't build a secure life on borrowed money. So, before you set about buying a homestead, analyze the money aspect and work it out on paper. If it won't make money on paper, it won't make money period.

Homesteads typically do NOT earn enough to make a living. Some small farms MIGHT make a living, but they have to compete with Agribiz and that ain't easy. You are much more likely to achieve what you want by downsizing your wants. Get rid of all the fluff in your life--all the entertainment stuff like $100 a month each for cellphone, cable TV, eating out, and all the rest. It is amazing what we really DON'T NEED. Get rid of the pretty car, the cool SUV, the boat, the ATV, the motorcycle, and the big plasma TV, and the PAYMENTS associated with those.

When your spending is under control, you may find it is much easier to buy the property you want. Don't buy more than you can handle. Upkeep takes lots of time and money. We grow 60% of what we eat on ONE ACRE, but it is a lot of work.

You WILL need income from somewhere. Plan on having a job until you are independently wealthy. That job could be one you invent for yourself by starting a business. If you do not have business experience, get some in a small, cheap way that won't cost more than you can afford to lose if it fails. The first 2 or 3 businesses usually fail, before a person learns how to actually run a business to make money.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

We don't even use more than 2/3s of our land and its not anywhere near 50 ac.s.

We pay taxes on a forest that looks like a jungle now, some of the trees are hundreds of years old and fall on our fences and that's just more work. We have a small paddock we keep mowed and the house area. Only use about 3 acres counting the trail around the property.

Insurance is twice as much as it would be for less than 5 acres. Many small ag business do fine with about 5 aces. Also since we are surrounded by trees its harder fro the farmers here who plant bio corn and soybeans for the big biz to infect our crops. No way would we want open fields here.

Whatever you decide to do good luck.


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## millertimedoneright (May 13, 2013)

Good advice guys I appreciate every bit of info I can get...here is the deal the acreage I'm looking at right now is approx half trees and half field...I'm looking to do what a buddy is doing for extra money...he makes around 40,000 a year off of 20 acres of peas with only a small tractor...I figure even if I only do 10 acres that money could help pay for the property...I'm the worlds worst about having stuff I don't need but I've gotten the mindset that I want to get back to the basics...keeping, paying for, and maintaining a higher living is exhausting mentally...half the crap I own I don't even use and have recently put them up for sale to help fund this...just to give u an idea I have 5 vehicles(3 are new), 4 jet skis, 3 atvs, a houseboat that ain't been used in 3 yrs, two houses, 3 boats, etc...the point is I have lived the exhorbant life and I have been miserable...now keep in mind the extras I have except some of the vehicles are far from new and only worth a few thousand but I figure after selling them I will have my down payment....the land I'm looking to purchase is 2500 an acre for a total of 50 acres...I have walked the land and it's perfect for what I'm wanting so I talked to my buddy(real estate agent) and he said its been on the market so long that if I offered 2k an acre he says he believes they will take it...so I figure after I sale my extra house and all my unused toys I should have at least half to put down...now I'm just waiting on everything to sale...my plans are to have a 10-15 acre pea patch for income and a few acre personal garden...I will plant fruit trees...I plan to build a simple home with solar(adding some every chance I get)...water well...


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## machinist (Jul 4, 2012)

It sounds like you could just sell off the toys and pay for the place. In any you won't be making money on it until it IS paid for. You will be doing the work and the banker will be making the money. Do a balance sheet for the first 5 years with a 50% mortgage and see how much you make. Be sure to include capital costs of equipment and the time value of that money. 

The per-hour result for you may really surprise you at how small it is. It could be negative for 5 to 10 years. You may be willing to do that for future benefit, but you are taking big risks until the farm is solvent on its' own.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

millertimedoneright said:


> Hey guys I want to start by explaining the title...I'm tired of working for the same greedy company filled with selfish, idiotic, power hungry bosses...I'm tired of working my tail off but always getting left behind cuz I don't brown nose the management...I'm looking to buy my 50 acre homestead in the very near here very soon so I can begin to work my way towards quitting this job and becoming independent of this whole screwed up system...I want to begin a discussion on hints or advice towards making this happen


1. At work do as you're told (unless it's illegal or immoral) and keep your opinions to yourself (keep your mouth shut). Think long term not short term.

2. Pay off any credit card debt.

3. Use the money "saved" from paying of the Credit Cards to payoff any other debts you may have, starting with the highest interest loan.

4. Once all of your debts are paid in full put the previous payment money into a separate savings account. Save toward your homestead.

5. Make a list of what requirements you want for a homestead. Start looking. When you have the cash saved, buy it.

6. Make another list of what you'll need on your homestead to be shelf sufficient. When you pay cash buy/build what you'll need.

7. Spend your vacations on your homestead to fine tune your requirements.

8. When you have 1 or 2 years of cash reserves and during last vacation get your Spring crops in. Notify your place of employment that you ain't working there no more. artydance:


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

millertimedoneright said:


> ...looking to do what a buddy is doing for extra money...he makes around 40,000 a year off of 20 acres of peas with only a small tractor...


Is your buddy actually making $40,000 a year or has he done the typical human tendency and rounded it up a ways to impress you?

$40,000 gross or after expenses?

Have you personally checked on where you could sell your peas and for what prices? As a beginner how many bushels of peas could you reasonably expect per acre?

Since you are planning to mortgage 1/2 of the property and use the your pea crop to pay off the loan, if you have 1 or more years of crop failure could you still make the payments?


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Sounds like a good idea, I am partial to larger pieces of land like this myself because it really puts a lot more options on the table.

I would question that friend making $2000/acre on peas, certainly is possible but where does he sell them, is there room for another grower, how short is the harvest window (will you need help getting the crop in)?
When growing vegetables there is a lot to take into account, it is not like cattle where you can take them to any auction or grains where you can sell them when the time is right.


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## millertimedoneright (May 13, 2013)

I guess I forgot to explain I will not e quitting my current job until everything is paid in full and I have my farm fully operational...and he makes 2000 an acre gross pay...he only uses a small tractor on the farm and a truck and trailer to haul the peas...he sells them for 20 a bushel and easily sells everything he has in less than 2 hours...his profit could easily be increased if he charged more since I have seen them sell in the city for 50 a bushel...he averages around 100 bushels a year per acre...I am not expecting to get the same results I would be happy with half since he has some amazing acreage that he uses...it is the only place in Texas that I have seen that never needed watering and has very fertile ground...I plan to pay off everything I own and sell what I don't need and put every penny I can down to get this rolling...then I figure without any problems I could easily pay the land off in a year...then I'm gonna build a mediocre well insulated home...once the home is built I will move into it and sale the place I'm living in now which depending on markets should bring approx 50k...I will then take that money and outfit my solar and work on getting the property sustainable...this is a several year plan that will include lots of labor but I figure in the end I will have what I want and it will be worth it


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## millertimedoneright (May 13, 2013)

Y'all are throwing out great advice and questions that I do need to remember...I appreciate it...keep them coming


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## biobacon (Aug 20, 2012)

Man, that's a good idea, I had it myself last year. Then real life hit. No way I can make enough off of any land to pay for it and not work a job. Dosnt mean you cant, just means I cant, The loans to get the equipment to even make a farm of 5plus acres even in the black is more then I want to think about, and zoning just pisses me off. So for myself I have to wait about 200 months now utill Im debt free enough to get about 3 acres just for my family and I. If you already "own" a home then you sure are in a good spot and surely can make it happen a lot sooner then me. But in my research let me tell you it cost so much more then you think it does.If you can sell all that stuff your be a good spot too. Below are some books I recommend. As I said Im not an expert but from one dreamer to another these have helped.

Creating The Low-Budget Homestead
http://www.amazon.com/Creating-Low-...sr=8-1-spell&keywords=homesteading+greggerson

complete idiots guide to homesteading
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idio...eywords=complete+idiots+guide+to+homesteading

Barnyard in Your Backyard: A Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Rabbits, Goats, Sheep, and Cattle 
http://www.amazon.com/Barnyard-Your...464&sr=1-1&keywords=barnyard+in+your+backyard

Storey's Basic Country Skills: A Practical Guide to Self-Reliance 
http://www.amazon.com/Storeys-Basic...r=1-2&keywords=storys+guide+to+country+living

Successful Small-Scale Farming: An Organic Approach 
http://www.amazon.com/Successful-Sm...374537576&sr=1-1&keywords=small+scale+farming

Don't mean to be so negative, just wanted to give you a heads up. I truly want both of our dreams to come true. Good Luck


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## biobacon (Aug 20, 2012)

Also wanted to throw this one at you too, I haven't read this one yet but its on my list, I thumed through it at a state farm book store last year and I think it might be a good book for you too.

Starting & Running Your Own Small Farm Business: Small-Farm Success Stories * Financial Assistance Sources * Marketing & Selling Ideas * Business Plan Forms & Documents

http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Running-Your-Small-Business/dp/1580176976/ref=pd_sim_b_3


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

I am not at all familiar with U.S tax law but up here in Canada it is possible to get a lot of deductions for expenses if certain criteria are met. There can be some B.S like any accounting but if you are classed as a "legitimate" farming operation many things can be considered a business expense, this can make a huge difference for people working a decent job and trying to get a homestead established. I don't particularly like how it distorts prices but that's the governments fault, many people around here work in the oil patch or similar and get a huge tax return because they invest in their farm. Something to consider.

I hate to keep coming back to the pea thing but other than a tractor he must have a planter of some sort and a harvester? Some people have set up solid partnerships and machinery sharing agreements but you have to be careful. Sometimes it makes more sense to share a good machine than buy a cheap one for only a couple days use/year, of course if tshtf or just on a bad year someone might get left holding the bag. We are a full fledged farm and at times we have hired someone to use their equipment to seed/harvest etc some of our acres, I would hate to "need" to do that but sometimes it makes sense and we do a quite a bit of custom or share work with some of our equipment.

I have a natural aversion to anything too good to be true, it doesn't sound like that is the case with what you are talking about but for those of us who have been around farming long enough the list of get rich quick schemes is ridiculously long. Just in our little corner and in the past couple decades we have seen people "making a fortune" on llamas, alpacas, emus, ostriches, bison, elk, meat goats, pigeons, the list is endless and people did make a lot of money ... until the market for breeding stock was filled and they actually had to make it selling product to consumers(Most or all of these are perfectly viable and legitimate today but the business model is radically different and many people lost their shirt or their land) Classic pyramid schemes though each one people would swear was different. The same thing happened with crops, farmers lost millions in the 1980's on Jerusalem artichokes but there are countless other examples of farmers growing crops that ended up not having a market.

In the end, I would definitely be careful but personally I find it incredibly rewarding to work on your own piece of land, actually producing something the world needs and seeing that that is the case when you sell it. I could make a lot more money in other employment, there are standing offers and I turn down opportunities all the time because this is what I want to do and where I want to be.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Anytime you work a job that has Mother Nature in it ... It is a crap shoot... just a fact. She, Mother Nature can be the gentle rain that helps a crop grow or the monsoon that can take it out ... (again just a fact, like my oats vract

This year (in my area) has been a "great" corn year but a crappie wheat/oat season. Most of our wheat has gone to mold ... 

Just something to keep in mind, when you work in a field ... good year, bad year and some times ... it right down sucks! :gaah:

Best of luck ...


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Andi makes a great point, in fact that is one of the reasons our family was "preparing" in the first place. We have seen so many people lose everything due to bad years, the depression, further back in our history there were truly evil governments. Back to my great great grandpa at least (though to varying degrees) we have believed in always having a bin of grain set aside, enough hay to get the breeding stock through the next winter etc. Some people came out of the dirty thirties better than they went in because they were better prepared, in it for the long term, and willing to do without some of the "luxuries" of life when the situation called for it.

The key to dealing with a bad year weather wise is pretty much either insurance which can be done by simply putting some money or assets away on the good years for that specific purpose(this depends on how "good" the person is with money) or taking part in the official crop insurance dog and pony show. And/or diversifying; if you only have one crop the risk of a disaster is very high, but if you have different crops (ideally ones that thrive in different conditions) then the chances of a total failure are much less. For instance we have had years in the past where our crops in a location were completely hailed out, a disaster for sure, but it made incredible feed for cattle. We couldn't have given it away but we used it ourselves and were able to sell other feed to make out alright.

The more different the crops the better, OP mentioned fruit trees for instance, that is a good strategy often in years where annuals fail perennials will be okay.


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## millertimedoneright (May 13, 2013)

Peas have always been a very big seller where I live...you will never see a local pea farmer sitting out past the heat of the day where I live cuz by lunch everything they brought to sell is gone...there is way more demand than there is producers...my idea is to get away from the world of corporate greed which I believe small time farming will allow me too...I'm not looking to get rich off this by any means...I just want enough basic income to pay taxes and what little things I plan to get that I can't produce on the farm...I plan to have goats, chickens, personal garden, etc...my buddy uses a small tractor that he bought abt 6 years go...he plants by hand with a hand planter he made...he usually plants his field over the course of a few nights...he picks them with the help of his wife and neighbor...he pays his neighbor 5 dollars a bushel....his neighbor is only brung in when he starts to get behind


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Sounds like a plan Lot's of work but it would be on your own terms.


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## prep4life (Jul 16, 2010)

Not sure where y'all are at but I happen to have a 40 acre prepper homestead for sale in the Missouri Ozarks! I've got it down in the buy & sale area here on the forum.
It may not have everything you want/need but it's pretty dang close.
Take a look at it if you haven't already.
(taxes are low at $155 per year)


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## musketjim (Dec 7, 2011)

Working farms is a job in itself with greatly varying conditions that can put a lot of strain on a body. To make enough for taxes as well as machinery that is needed for the operation to support itself is a delicate balance. A small homesite of 5 Acres is what I'm starting up here. It's off the grid, with no road access. All the clearing and stump pulling is done by hand and plowing done by an old rototiller. Soon I'll have some machines to help and I can speed up the process. It's all long term and I probably won't see it to fruition. Maintain your job as long as you can, save for taxes and surprises and keep fit Good luck.


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

If you want to be a small farmer you should have a second income. Ideally your wife will have a good job. Think about how as a farmer your money comes in for a short period every year. You have to manage the expenses of the farm and have money to live on the rest of the year. That's why so many family farms end up in bankruptcy. Between that and the weather.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

BillS said:


> If you want to be a small farmer you should have a second income. Ideally your wife will have a good job. Think about how as a farmer your money comes in for a short period every year. You have to manage the expenses of the farm and have money to live on the rest of the year. That's why so many family farms end up in bankruptcy. Between that and the weather.


And don't forget about g-ment rules and regs ... they kill more family farms than anything ... :ignore:

(That would be IMO )


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