I started having a plan in about 2007. I kept my 1975 chevy, because it has a carburetor (sp not in my dictionary - but in other words it is NOT fuel injected), and I think it could be re-tooled to run on methane. I planned on chickens. I replaced the central a/c compressor unit in 2005 - found out the central inside unit was ancient and would cost $4K to replace. Kinda went ok, let's just patch it through, because I have always hated central heat, very inefficient, and I do have a small house, so I replaced a transformer, and a heating element (had to get one for a dryer), and clean the coils annually on the inside unit. When it goes all the way, it just goes.
I bought a wood parlor stove at an estate sale in 2005, it was rusty, in storage for 10 years, and said I would refinish it. How do I pick the when? Rolling blackouts, high bills and shivering my way through last winter, got it done, and properly installed with triple wall chimney in the attic and fireproof flooring surround, this summer. I've had my heat on twice - including for about half an hour this morning. Stove had gone out, it was 63 in the house, and I need to clean ash out of it and check my chimney, been burning some hackberry mixed with my oak.
I decided in 2009 that I might want bees, in 2010 all of the bees in the neighborhood were wiped out by a bad removal, so in March 2011 I had the bees all lined out as soon as the cash came in the door to pay for them. With them came the fencing I knew I would have to add, the bee section was done 20 minutes before the bees got here, so my workers didn't get stung.
My 10 year plan was self sufficiency: Energy - methane, solar, passive solar. Can't do wind in city limits, can't lay geothermal line that is effective without digging too deep and it would definitely violate city code. I really started the planning in 2005 after the last child moved out, so I've got 4 years to finish. Talked to a solar expert in 2005 and was told I would have to give up my energy guzzling appliances. I gave the electric range away this year, love my induction cooktop. I installed a very small solar system this year as backup for the ponds, to start learning solar. I want to learn to expand it. With the chevy down, and the mazda wrecked, I've got a couple more batteries, need to learn to daisy chain them.
Food: chickens (got those in Spring 2010), bees for honey and gardens, gardens went in, in 2002, expanded greatly in 2011, despite the drought, I ran soaker hoses and covered unplanted areas with pond liner to block evaporation, 20 minutes a day on a soaker got me a great garden. I wanted a goat, because I thought I could tolerate goats milk - can't tolerate cow's milk at all, but I do not have enough land, I could lease grazing space cheap nearby but I would have to fence it, and I don't have time to move a tethered goat around. Plus, I've seen the damage they can do to gardens, etc. Maybe a dwarf goat some day, after the drought is over.
When I see something about to break in the house, I just start incorporating a new, better way to do it, and do a work-around. Solar hot water weighs too much for my roof, but solar panels do not. I am hoping they will come out with induction hot water on demand by the time my 4 year old electric water heater burns out.
The foundation was dipping at the back of my garage, so when the rain finally jacked the thin slab up, I got my helper out here and for $80 including him and materials, that foundation spot is fixed. And while we were at it the hollies came out, making room for a greenhouse, which I just happened to need for business and garden stuff, and it's not large, but it got put up, JUST AS chicks came in at the feed store, so I've got 5 pullets in the greenhouse.
So how do I decide how to spend my money on SS? What needs done NOW that is part of the big picture, what adjacent parts need done to support that (ie: privacy fence for beekeeping - some kind of extended strong roof if I ever try solar hot water.)
I don't spend money I don't have, I have NO credit cards, few debts except my mortgage. Everything is cash and carry.
Gypsi
