HAVE THE RECENT ECONOMIC CHANGES made you rethink your 10 yr. plan?

[Beekissed]

We make immediate goals and long range goals also and we discuss them and adapt often with the changing times and needs.

But the goals we had established as recently as this last year we've taken a second look at. We don't get too wrapped up in solid plans, but we do dream quite a bit as to how we want to finish up our lives here.....where we want to live, what kind of house, what kind of lifestyle, etc.

I don't find this ridiculous, I find this allows us to focus on what is important to us.

My oldest had planned to make a little nest egg at the oil field job he had acquired, maybe marry his gal and she would go to college out in WY where he lived. Now, I don't ordinarily encourage kids to marry before age 25 or even later.....I would like to see them finish college and get a good paying job before even contemplating marriage. But I'm thinking now, if they want to marry....two incomes are better than one, two people can support each other emotionally through the pitfalls....as long as they don't rush into children, I'm thinking I won't make a fuss if they should happen to marry next year.

The middle son was planning on, after his Guards training, heading out to Ft. Collins, CO, to Vet school. Now that his brother is moving to VA(right across the border from me), I would like him to rethink his school location and maybe try a university in VA. Stay a little closer in case he gets in a bind, in case his brother needs help, just in case....

Before, I had encouraged them to spread their wings to far points of the nation....I had always wanted to do so and never had gotten there.

Now, I'm thinking we can help each other more if we stay a little closer, share expenses when we can. They can eat more from what I can grow on this place if they live a little closer. Eventually, I would like to see us go together on housing or land and build towards SS together.

Surprisingly enough, the boys are starting to see the sense in this type of planning......

 

[justusnak]

Bee, I have to agree with you about the possibility of family moveing back together. Times are going to get rough. DH and I have changed our tune a little. When we bought this farm....we of course wanted to make it a " thing of beauty" Manicured woods...split rail fencing all the way around...landscaped perfectly around the home. Now, we are thinking....most any fence will do to get the "feed anmals" we are wanting to have. We can still make it "pretty" but functional is more our goal. To use every inch and acre we have for sustainability. We have upped our pace a little as well planting the fruit trees this year so they will be producing sooner. We dont really have a "10 year plan" we are mostly....a "tomorrow planners" or maybe "one year planners" Too many things can and DO change around here so quickly so we plan by our summers...what we can get accomplished while the weather permits.

 

[Homesteadmom]

We originally planned on 4 trees a yr for the next 3-4 yrs. But we are now getting the majority of them this yr, as we want them to produce asap for us. With the economy & inflation going on I want to be able to still have the fresh fruits for my family & be able to put some up too. So for that aspect we are adjusting our plans. Dh works for the state & can retire at age 51(11 yrs) with a full pension & I have an annuity that starts paying at the same time. We had planned to be able to move to our 40 acres up north at that time. But that was provided we were able to get a cabin built up there in the meantime to live in while the main house was being built. We also had planned to build the animal pens & barn & coop in the meantime & get an orchard going up there too(bigger of course). Now we are concerned about my parents finacially as the market is wreaking havoc on their nest egg(they are almost 69) & dad is having memory issues & mood swings(trying to get him to go to Doc). So worse case scenario they sell their house & move in with us(DB & dad do not get along at all, plus db does not care for dogs) 2 dogs & a cat too. We would have to give up our school rm so ds could move in ther & give my parents the bigger bedrm of the other 3. So we are adjusting plans as we see fit, but still trying to hang on to the goal of dh retiring in 11 yrs & moving up north if at all possible.

 

[Wifezilla]

We planted our fruit trees a few years back so we are good on that. We are expanding the gardening beds and I am looking in to getting some hazelnut bushes. Going forward, any new plants I put in will have to be edible or medicinal, and any pets we get will also have to be able to provide food of some sort. That means no more cats, no dogs, no parrots, but ducks and possibly chickens are just fine.

Our long term goal is to sell our business and move further SOUTH. I have no desire to see snow ever again (I am originally from Wisconsin), and I want to be able to grow more throughout the year.

 

[sylvie]

We planted our fruit trees a few years back so we are good on that. We are expanding the gardening beds and I am looking in to getting some hazelnut bushes. Going forward, any new plants I put in will have to be edible or medicinal, and any pets we get will also have to be able to provide food of some sort. That means no more cats, no dogs, no parrots, but ducks and possibly chickens are just fine.

Our long term goal is to sell our business and move further SOUTH. I have no desire to see snow ever again (I am originally from Wisconsin), and I want to be able to grow more throughout the year.

You might consider a guard goose. We had a gander that ate grass and would knock at the door for goodies. When I drove in he would come flying in like a low flying bomber as the chickens ran to the car. If he didn't recognize the car he would honk, hiss, bite and attack the car. Many visitors were afraid of him.

 

[shareneh]

My ten year plan went to pot when the economy slowed down. I wanted to move to Maine and live the rest of my years there. I have never been there but assumed I could find a job doing some clerical or other work as I got older. That's out now. I will stay here in ND and tough it out.

My oldest kids are independent now. One is in Texas the other two are living on their own in a town about 30 miles from me. I get to see them when I want but they are their own sole providers. If they had to they could move back in with me but they wouldn't enjoy it because they like their freedom. They have significant others and they are making a way for themselves.

I also wanted to be a trucker for a while but now have put that on the shelf because of the fuel prices.

Yeah, the economy crashing did change my outlook. :/

 

[SKR8PN]

By the way, your up awfully early.

LOL! After my heart attack 5 years ago, I started working out at least 3 days a week. The Gym opens at 5:30 AM, so I try to get there around 6 ish so I can be back here,and start my day shortly after 7.

 

[Big Daddy]

I do make goals, short-term (six months to a year), mid-range (3-5 years), and long-term (retirement!) If I don't hit them, I just adjust the date, or re-evaluate the goal.

I try to do this once or twice a year, in writing. It makes a HUGE difference in many areas of life.

One thing I adjusted was the idea of replacing my horse. I am filling my little barn to fill that space just in case temptation overcomes me! I am expecting to start getting offers of freebies. I have many times over the years. I just don't want the extra expense right now, especially since we don't have enough pasture to support a horse, so have to purchase lots of hay.

I adjusted my short-term goals to become more ss, hence the goats and turkeys and canning and gardens. This also includes longer-term goals.....an energy-efficient house, for example.

Those horses will kill you. We have 4 and the pastures are only good for about 5 mos. We spend about 500 a month on hay. Can't give horses away around here. So we just keep feeding them. We could never let them go for meat.

 

[Beekissed]

There may come a day when you are glad to have that meat yourselves.

I know what you mean, Wifezilla, about animals who are not for food. When the older dog dies, we will keep the younger as he is a good forager(could kill his own food easily) and a great guard/livestock dog. We will not, however, be getting him a companion dog. All other animals will be able to either fend for themselves for most of the time(cats) or be able to provide meat for the table(sheep, chickens, geese).

I think our long-term goals have changed just in the past few months and we no longer dream about that farm we wanted to own or about when my #2 son gets out of Vet school.....we are starting to realize that it may never happen. We will still proceed to pursue those dreams within reason, but we are keeping the immediate future real flexible.

Its kind of sad for the young people, as they need to shift gears and face some rough realities. But then, many generations have had to do that down through the ages.....and they got tougher and survived. This just may be the events that define this era. Other eras had wars and depressions, you name it....this may be our bad times.

 

[Big Daddy]

Yeah I tell the wife we need a book on cooking horse meat. They can feed us instead of the other way around. She doesn't find it amusing.

Wifezilla, what kind of fruit trees do you have. We planted 2 apple trees that were about 3 years old when we planted them. The wind is so heavy here that it blows the apples off before they mature. Do you have peach trees?

You might want to keep a couple cats for mouse control. We have 3 barn cats and no mice at all or prairie dogs or rabbits for that matter. We have a couple fox families in the area though. They might be taking care of the rabbits.