I often look at things I do around the place in lieu of paper currency.
For example, firewood.
A cord of hardwood here sells for 'about' $150. I say about, because almost everyone sells it by that unknown quantity, "the pickup load".... Since most of them throw it in, my guess is even a large pickup won't hold but a 1/2 cord or maybe slightly more, and they get 80-90 bucks/load for it, so that roughly figures out to a conservative 150/cord.
My 4 cord sheds thus are 'worth' $600 filled. Probably more, since they will actually be seasoned a year, and nearly every firewood seller is splitting theirs one day and delivering it the next, or within a week, tops...and usually calling it seasoned.
BUT then if you figure to have $600 after tax dollars, you'd have to earn $761 or more depending on your income tax rate ( I added 10% income tax rate + 15.3% SS), so that makes my 4 sheds worth more like 4x760= 3,000 bucks !
It takes me about a 5 day week, working 6hrs day (about all I'm good for in this kind of work anymore) per shed by the time I cut the logs in the woods, drag them out, cut into rounds, split and stack.
Works out to about $25/hr gross (less tractor/chainsaw/woodsplitter expenses...call it $5/hr..)....that I'll never see in paper currency, but not bad 'money' for working out in the fresh air at my own pace, building my little 'bank account'.
What things do you do around your place that make you 'money' you never see ?
Appliance repair ? (This can be BIG money per hour ! )
Auto repair, even if just routine maintenance like changing oil/filters.
Growing your own food ? Hard to compete sometimes with 'factory food' until you factor in the tax angle. Can't forget that !
Your own water company ? (Well or spring).
Your own sewer disposal ? (Septic/other)
When you think over what you do on your place, it's amazing the bucks you don't have to earn, and pay taxes on, to come out with a pretty good life. This is an often over looked benefit of homesteading.
