homesteadmamma
09-20-2002, 09:46 PM
Were getting more serious now. We are wanting to be self-sufficient and so lets look at ways to pay the bills.
- we could have a full time job but many of us want to live simpler lives and not have that 9-5 job that takes us away from the homestead. But it is one way to pay the bills.
Or we can begin to look at the goods and services that we have that will help pay the bills. Are we good at crafts, woodworking, building, consulting, baking, etc. We need to begin to put these into practise before we jump the gun and completely leave the work force. We need to know that we can make sufficient money to supply our needs along with paying the bills.
So lets look at ways to make money.
- we can barter services for services. By this I mean trading a service we do for a service someone else does. I've bartered my bread machine for a couple of crafts we wanted. Dh is working a day to pay for supplies at the local hardware store. No money changes hands here, but both parties are satisfied that their needs have been met.
- cottage industries - These are small industries that many homesteaders have. One I can think of is homeschoolers who now supply other homeschoolers with school supplies. We have a small cottage business in that we do crafts and sell them both to individuals or at craft sales.
- consulting - helping others in design a business in some way. You make your own hours and work as your own boss. Its a great way to make extra money.
- writing - Writing articles for magazines, etc. will bring in income. You might even decide to write a book and make income in that way.
- part time work - You might look at part time work, where you only work a few hours per week, just enough to keep the bill collectors off your back.
These are only a few ways. Other ways are to begin to look at how to cut back so those bills aren't as large as your use too. Gardening will cut your grocery bills, raising chickens/pigs will not only give you fresh eggs from the chickens, but will give you meat. Forgaging from the wild will bring in much needed food supplies, such as berries, weeds for salads etc., thus cutting the cost of your grocery bills. Wood heat will cut your heating bills.
In building, you can cut costs significantly by recycling and using old materials you have around the house.
There are many ways to pay the bills, these are only a few thoughts. Do you have any?
- we could have a full time job but many of us want to live simpler lives and not have that 9-5 job that takes us away from the homestead. But it is one way to pay the bills.
Or we can begin to look at the goods and services that we have that will help pay the bills. Are we good at crafts, woodworking, building, consulting, baking, etc. We need to begin to put these into practise before we jump the gun and completely leave the work force. We need to know that we can make sufficient money to supply our needs along with paying the bills.
So lets look at ways to make money.
- we can barter services for services. By this I mean trading a service we do for a service someone else does. I've bartered my bread machine for a couple of crafts we wanted. Dh is working a day to pay for supplies at the local hardware store. No money changes hands here, but both parties are satisfied that their needs have been met.
- cottage industries - These are small industries that many homesteaders have. One I can think of is homeschoolers who now supply other homeschoolers with school supplies. We have a small cottage business in that we do crafts and sell them both to individuals or at craft sales.
- consulting - helping others in design a business in some way. You make your own hours and work as your own boss. Its a great way to make extra money.
- writing - Writing articles for magazines, etc. will bring in income. You might even decide to write a book and make income in that way.
- part time work - You might look at part time work, where you only work a few hours per week, just enough to keep the bill collectors off your back.
These are only a few ways. Other ways are to begin to look at how to cut back so those bills aren't as large as your use too. Gardening will cut your grocery bills, raising chickens/pigs will not only give you fresh eggs from the chickens, but will give you meat. Forgaging from the wild will bring in much needed food supplies, such as berries, weeds for salads etc., thus cutting the cost of your grocery bills. Wood heat will cut your heating bills.
In building, you can cut costs significantly by recycling and using old materials you have around the house.
There are many ways to pay the bills, these are only a few thoughts. Do you have any?