Living off Social Security

I just realized I will be 65 in June. In kind of backwards way I have been planning for this...

But I feel I need to do some formal planning...

First of all I am a single gal and am very used to doing things for myself. I bought eighteen acres of land in 2003. I bought it according to affordability and location. It is NOT farm land Nor is it Ranch land... its High desert. Though I could raise sheep and goats I would have to buy 100 percent of the feed.

My idea is to make everything dual purpose

Chickens Eggs, meat, feathers
Guinea fowl eggs, meat, keets, preserved pelts, predator alarms including people.
Muscovy Eggs, meat, ducklings
Turkey eggs, entertainment

Yep that's a lot of eggs but there is a market for blown and clean egg shells I can preserve the protein for me later either by freezing or drying.

I can get basic canned food by going to the food bank or using commodity's... two bags of groceries per month. Beans and rice too.

My greenhouse room would be an excellent spot to set up hydroponics for veggies.... Its about fifteen by 24 has a source for water drains and power for extra light if needed. I might even try tilapia but it gets too cold in winter.

There are some trees that grow very well.... mesquite I have and the seed pods can be ground for flour... Pomegranite.... Love it thrives in the desert. Both take minimal water.

Some Citrus can handle the very short winters... Lemon Lime Tangerine and some oranges.

anyway I am looking forward to others ideas and or solutions to living with little to no money.

deb
Great ideas and good luck!
I'm assuming that your largest expense is your land, even if is is paid off. You still have taxes and upkeep. Some states/counties offer a property tax rebate if you are over 65 so look into that.
We've got nearly 30 acres and our land is heavily wooded hills/ridges so maintaining (bush hogging etc) my roads and driveway is my biggest expense and labor. I would assume that your 18 acres will require some upkeep but it sounds like being high desert you may not have the tree issues to deal with.
Other than marrying a rich young millionaire, it sounds like your plan is workable!

Good luck!
 
Great ideas and good luck!
I'm assuming that your largest expense is your land, even if is is paid off. You still have taxes and upkeep. Some states/counties offer a property tax rebate if you are over 65 so look into that.
We've got nearly 30 acres and our land is heavily wooded hills/ridges so maintaining (bush hogging etc) my roads and driveway is my biggest expense and labor. I would assume that your 18 acres will require some upkeep but it sounds like being high desert you may not have the tree issues to deal with.
Other than marrying a rich young millionaire, it sounds like your plan is workable!

Good luck!

Hah Never been married. up keep is minimal. I dont mess with the desert too many herbals. I do need to keep a 100 foot defensable space around my house. brush wise. I bought a garden tractor for that. Property tax breaks ended quite a while ago. but they may have done a different one. I will check into that.

A neigbor who has a grading tractor comes by when he works on the easement.. swings up my driveway and smooths it out. I have a Forecart that I can hitch to the horse and put an areana rake on the back but that doesnt get that Decomposed granite. its good for moving sand or manure.

I see you on The Bin. Nice for someone to bring me back to the thread.

deb
 
I live on SSDI now, and I sell chicken eggs to cover feed and bedding for the chickens, dogs, and cat. I'll be moving to 2 1/2 acres in grazing land, and hope to plant trees for shade and hiding from hawks, no, not me, the chickens, and have a big garden. It is very, very windy there, so I am looking forward to building a windmill for power. The place has a well and septic, so that will save me $100 a month, and the house will be paid for. I was going to raise meat chickens when I move, and maybe turkeys too. I would love to bounce ideas off you.
I know this is ancient, but in case you didn't run up against this yet, it would be good to sock away 5 dollars here, 15 there for well and septic repairs, clean out ,etc. They do have expenses.
 
Yep, @Birdielee, it costs $300 every 3 years for septic, and the septic was just redone, as well as the septic field and was cleaned out, so I have to save $300 for that. Today I'm moving my chicks (30) and my chickens (13). I sold most of my flock, and in March went crazy buying eggs since there were almost no chicks. I made a lot of money hatching and selling chicks, but I have 35 eggs left in the incubator. I am going to breed Silver Laced Polish, Buff Laced Polish, Lavender, Chocolate, and Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons. I have a Buff O roo and several chicks, so I might breed them too. Oh and I have a columbian cuckoo birchen pair. Or something like that. The breeder was offering a lot of money for them when they hatched, so I kept them. No, I kept them because they were beautiful and I'm not NPIP certified yet.

My pension plan allowed me to take a lump sum because they were trying to dissolve the whole thing, so I took it and since I'm disabled I didn't have to pay a penalty or taxes. I bought a Ford F150 with 12,000 miles, the barn that's going up, two 10 x 12 chicken coops, one storage shed, 200 feet of electric fence and a solar charger and I still have some left. Whew! Thank Goddess I worked so much overtime! I'm going to get a biodome greenhouse since I am moving to a windy area.

Someone suggested straw bales as a windbreak for the chickens, I think I'll do that. I have some trees I started, 2 black walnut trees the squirrels started, and some bushes I'm going to plant. I would love to take my fruit trees, but they are too big to dig up. I am taking 2 plum trees that spread from the one I have, the chickens love to jump for plums. I will need shade since it is an old alfalfa field, but I planted sunflowers around the first run and will plant the trees inside the runs.

I am so blessed to have so much to start a new homestead with. I want to just get moved this summer, have back surgery, and start a large truck garden next year. I'm also going to get milking goats in the future. I'm excited for my new life, but I'll miss my friends here and my back is so bad I need crutches sometimes. My doc gave me a steroid pack and that has helped enormously. It will get me through the move, and my son will help me set up everything.

Sorry I'm so verbal this morning, I'm on steroids, lol. They make me talk a lot and be really, really busy.
 
I want to just get moved this summer, have back surgery, and start a large truck garden next year. I'm also going to get milking goats in the future.
Wow! Great stuff, with back surgery lumped in there like it's nothing!

Your setup sounds great. I'm a little confused because i thought you had high desert land, not an alfalfa field, but maybe you're a different poster?

Did you know there are milk sheep, too? I've read Fresians are a little sensitive. I'd like to get a certain kind whose name I've slightly forgotten... Awassi? There are two similarly named breeds. They're related. I think Awassi is the one that sounds great. I havent tried their milk yet, though.
 
I am the one with the High desert Land. Been busy remodling the house. New floors all the way down to the support beams had to be done. The young man working on it did a fabulous job. So now the subfloor is ready for the finish floor to be put in. I opted for vinyl plank.

Its been hot here. Both places. By the coast and at home.

The kitchen cabinets are roughed in so I could see how they will look. :love I am going to purchase the countertops tomorrow. Going with butcher block Easiest to install and I really like the look. Of course I am going to seal it properly especially around the sink.

Soon as they can get the floor finished I am going to move in. So excited :wee

Luis has been documenting the whole process and I am hoping to be able to get them posted on a free picture sharing site.

deb
 

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