Homesteaders

[Chicken girl 15]

I use all my meat bones to make stock . even if we don't need we can use it for vitamins for the animals. The left over bones then go to the wild animals out back. Only because I don't have a bone grinder.

 

[abigalerose]

So I'm considering building a tiny house, I'll either be doing a 12x20 building, or, I might have access to a 53 ft trailer I can use for it. I've been trying to figure out how to do the electricity and after talking to an Amish friend I think I've figured out that I can buy a few big batteries for $100 each and one solar panel, and I could run 12 volt lights and I'd be able to have my lights, charge my phone, watch tv. And then I'm going to do a propane water heater and I could possibly do a propane stove. Also trying to decide between propane heat or a pellet stove, leaning towards pellet. Possibly even wood.
So I just need to figure out what to about my fridge and AC in the summer. He said I might be able to get away with a 12 volt fridge but I won't count on it. So I think my electric bill would be fairly cheap with just a fridge running on normal electric (maybe $20 a month?) but would it be cheaper to run my little window unit AC in the summer off of regular electric, or a generator?
Also, I need some cheap ideas for a porch/patio

 

[lazy gardener]

IMO, you will be better off using conventional electric for all of your power needs except for heat. Use what you are comfortable with for cooking. You couldn't pay me enough to cook with electric! But your utility costs should be minimal, especially with a tiny house, and ? only 1 person.

 

[abigalerose]

IMO, you will be better off using conventional electric for all of your power needs except for heat.  Use what you are comfortable with for cooking.  You couldn't pay me enough to cook with electric!  But your utility costs should be minimal, especially with a tiny house, and ? only 1 person.  

Why do you say better off using regular electric?
I could spend $600 setting up panels and everything would be running except air conditioner in the summer, and maybe a fridge. Wouldn't that be worth it to save $1500 every year?
And yes, tiny house, although I may be using a 53 foot semi trailer, so not that tiny, and just me.
I do like the way gas stoves cook better, but they also make me nervous sometimes

 

[lazy gardener]

Your last 3 words were electric or generator? IMO generator is an expensive way to go. Not to mention smelly and noisy, and having to haul gas all the time. If you can save money using solar, and it will meet your needs, then that's what you'll go with. Sounds like a fun adventure.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Why do you say better off using regular electric?
I could spend $600 setting up panels and everything would be running except air conditioner in the summer, and maybe a fridge. Wouldn't that be worth it to save $1500 every year?
And yes, tiny house, although I may be using a 53 foot semi trailer, so not that tiny, and just me.
I do like the way gas stoves cook better, but they also make me nervous sometimes

for sure go solar. You should still have electric to the tiny house incase your solar fails, and to run your A/C and fridge.

 

[1cock2hens]

I'm about done building a tiny house/ it just happens to be 12 x 20/ I am going to build a separate building for a kitchen building/with a wood cookstove, we thought about using a propane refrigerator, idk/ maybe a small RV refrigerator I'm not to worried about it, i don't need anything refrigerated that bad lol I am about to install a woodstove in the tiny house/ I'm also going to have a separate bathroom building , and a tiny office for my wife The only electricity we plan on having is just for the air conditioner for the 12 x 20 main structure and the office for computers and all her fancy stuff. Eventually I would love to have solar panels and a small wind turbine for the house and only run her office on the grid/

 

[abigalerose]

Your last 3 words were electric or generator?  IMO generator is an expensive way to go.  Not to mention smelly and noisy, and having to haul gas all the time.  If you can save money using solar, and it will meet your needs, then that's what you'll go with.  Sounds like a fun adventure.

Ah, I just meant electric or generator for the AC during the summer, I don't know which would be cheaper, it'll just be small window unit.

I'm about done building a tiny house/ it just happens to be 12 x 20/ I am going to build a separate building for a kitchen building/with a wood cookstove, we thought about using a propane refrigerator, idk/ maybe a small RV refrigerator I'm not to worried about it, i don't need anything refrigerated that bad lol I am about to install a woodstove in the tiny house/ I'm also going to have a separate bathroom building , and a tiny office for my wife The only electricity we plan on having is just for the air conditioner for the 12 x 20 main structure and the office for computers and all her fancy stuff. Eventually I would love to have solar panels and a small wind turbine for the house and only run her office on the grid/

And that's awesome! My dad originally wanted me to have a couple different buildings so I didn't have to cram everything into one and such, but then I happened upon the trailer thing so plans have changed

 

[Beekissed]

Electric would be cheaper, not to mention the noise and gas guzzling tendency of a generator would make it just miserable to have to be around and maintain 24/7.

 

[Beer can]

Ah, I just meant electric or generator for the AC during the summer, I don't know which would be cheaper, it'll just be small window unit.
And that's awesome! My dad originally wanted me to have a couple different buildings so I didn't have to cram everything into one and such, but then I happened upon the trailer thing so plans have changed

The whole 'tiny house' thing just cracks me up!

Love a big house, need a big barn, have a big coop, don't want less square ft than my chickens Lol!
DW and I watch the tiny house show on TV, crazy people out there, spending more on a bedroom with a stove than we spent on a house with land.
The whole concept not new though, since the 70's a group of hunters have came up to my FIL's and stayed in a big school bus, nice camp actually, first time I went into it, DW screamed at me for touching a transmission funnel up front, how was I to know it was their urinal?!! Lol!!
They have everything in that place, heat, cook stove, shower, bunk beds...A couple of them still stay there, come up every yr, they are in their late 70's now.
Northern Tool has some nice 'cheap' solar and wind generators. Myself, if I was to look into them, the water turbines, we have spring run water everywhere.