how in the heck are we supposed to live these days

[Florida chick]

Well, we live far out in the country and have our own fresh eggs and veggies. ITs costing me $34 just to go to town, I make it a 1x a week trip if possible! Its CRAZY! WE HAVE to have a big truck for hauling horses, cattle, feed etc. ITs just not fair.

What a mess we have all made of our world. We SERIOUSLY looked at buying a hybrid for all other work and travel. The "fuel cells" that you must replace and buy only from the specif manuf were going to run us $3000 every year. SOOO we al need to look into them, they are not as great as they seem.

 

[BirdBrain]

Florida Chick,
Keep your eyes open later this summer or early fall for the new diesel cars that are coming to the US. My DH has his eye on a VW Jetta Sports wagon that is supposed to get somewhere around 50 miles to the gallon. In times to come it may be that we have fuel shortages and having both a diesel (for most of our travel and his commuting) and a gas vehicle will allow us to use the vehicle for which the fuel is available.

 

[Scrambled Egg]

I was thinking along these same lines not long ago, and was trying to think of a way for people to help each other out with the economy getting as bad as it is. My idea?

I am the founder of "Farm Swap". It's a yahoo group and is now in 7 states. I don't know if it's allowed to give a link, so I won't do it, but you can find it in a search. (or see my signature).

What is it? Well, let's say you have a garden and are over run with tomatoes, but you would really like some fresh eggs. You post on the group to swap for them. People that don't have room for a garden can swap services. There are also chickens, pigs, goats and even horses being swapped. It's a strictly barter group, no selling or advertising allowed.

If you'd like to know more, PM me or email me at foalfan at yahoo dot com

Libby


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A way to help each other in your own community
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FarmSwap-Va/
Online

Libby sent me this link ya'll and it really is a people helping people idea..very good concept..I have nothing to swap right now or I would be in it...I like the barter for essentials idea...this is like 'trading' or 'swapping' stuff you need...for those of you with big farms, could work out to your benefit..​

 

[Oblio13]

Quote:
What's not fair?


Quote:
I have a 2002 Jetta diesel. If I drive conservatively, I can get 53 MPG.

 

[Hellvagirl]

I drive 55 miles 1 way to work.I drive a 94 silverado Z71.It usually takes me about 120.00 a week to get back & forth.I told my boss I needed a raise.He gave me a 2.00 raise......that pays for about 2 days travel.I pay in gas each month an average of around 500 - 600.00.I stay home on weekends cause cant afford to use my gas for anything but work.

I believe it's going to get bad & we will have to start raising & growing our own, so thats why I've started raising chickens.Hope to end up with a small farm.

 

[Oblio13]

Quote:
You realize that an efficient car would more than pay for itself in gas savings?

 

[Smoky73]

Hellvagirl

Thats almost exactly the truck and what we were spending. We cut our bill in half by getting a cheap old car to drive.

My husband works in the oil field area. He doesnt work on the rigs, but he does Wireline service, which does have to do with oil and natural gas.
You would think that we would be making more money now but actually, we are making less than we did last year, so its tight.
Of course we also have two car payments, which, I will be glad when they are done! We are SO NOT getting another new car!!

 

[Hellvagirl]

Yes I realize that.Thats why I'm looking for a small car to trade my mini van for.

 

[Stella1964]

Here's a perfect opportunity for someone to start a new business. The market is there and I'd be the first customer. We need horses to get around, carriages to rent if we can't afford them ourselves, and fueling/rest and hitching stations along the way to "gas up" or park the horses. Combine this with bartering systems to share the trips into town for shopping etc., and have employers set aside some land for horses during the day, much like a parking lot or day care, and pick up your horse on the way home from work. Voila! I've had this fantasy for a long time, long before any of this gas stuff started. I guess I'm a cowgirl at heart.

I heard on TV today as well that some kids in the USA are protesting the cost of getting to school so THEY are riding their horses to school.

Who needs gasoline anyway?

 

[Cassandra]

Quote:
I wonder about this myself. A couple of years ago I was driving an explorer. Today I drive a corolla. I had a monthly payment on the exp (we bought used). And the payment on the (new) corolla is more. At the time, the gas savings in the corolla paid for the difference in our car payments, so we just about broke even. However, if I had not had a monthly note on the explorer, it would have still been cheaper for me to keep it than pay a monthly note on something new.

I see that again with my boss. He was driving a paid for Silverado (diesel). He kept it (he needs a farm truck, after all.) And bought an $11,000 two year old Malibu. He told me what he was saving per month in gasoline. I can't remember the figure, but I calculated it at the time out of curiosity and if that rate stays the same, it would take him about twelve years to save $11,000 worth of gas. I know as gas goes up, that amount of time will shrink. But still--money in hand is money in hand and I can't figure out in my head how that's very economical.

I can see where trading in a gas guzzler even/steven on a small car would be smart. But that's not what I see people doing. And since you say "pay for itself" I assume you mean buy a small car. It will still take a while for it to pay for itself unless it is an old junky car.

And trust me, being in the sad mere top five percent of richest people in the world (is that the same as being the top 95% of the poorest people in the world? lol), I have driven my share of old junky cars. IME you pay more to keep them running than you save by any measure.

Cassandra (not saying it doesn't make sense. just saying it doesn't make sense to me... yet)