Just a nitpicky comment, but laws in the United States of America enumerate the limits to the govenment. The laws are not listings of what is allowed. This is in contrast to the laws in other countries, e.g. the United Kingdom which actually lists what is allowed.
Ergo, if there is no US federal/state/municipal law on "chicken-in-your-backyard-prohibited", there is no limitation.
IANAL, and I don't even play one on TV. If some other lawyer-ly type would correct me if I misunderstood this basic tenet.
We went to our local NHL game the night of our wedding in our wedding attire. A random stranger gave us an origami dollar bill elephant for a wedding present. It is still sitting on our dresser.
To play devil's advocate...if you have to pay bills on credit cards because you are having too much withdrawn, it could be bad from the standpoint of having to pay interest instead of having cash to pay for something.
This is the first year that we have received a significant refund. Unfortunately, we could not predict my husband losing his job last year and being ineligible for unemployment. This left us with only my income to support our family, which put us in a much lower tax bracket. In addition to that, we have a child and my husband went back to school full time to finish his degree. Thankfully, our income tax refund helped pay off some debt!
Amy, great strategy. Convenience makes a huge difference in how we eat and snack - I always laugh when I see the pre-washed, prepped veggies/fruits in individual serving sizes in the produce section, but there's a reason they sell. I'd much rather save my money and make my own "convenience products."
Great addition! It's always nice to have something home-cooked that you just have to heat and serve. You can save on groceries, too, if you can buy enough in bulk and know that you'll use it.
My best secret is to prep my veggies once a week. Right when I get home from the store, I wash, chop, and bag. We grab from the veggie drawer every night as we prepare dinner and they are ready for us!
Its amazing how often we won't use vegetables, just because they aren't ready to use.
I love PBR. I work in a bar with over 100 different brews. I appreciate the craft brew industry; I actually just recently became a Certified Beer Server, or a Cicerone. But you can frequently find me drinking Mickey's or PBR. There is a right place and time for everything.
Count me in the "no giant refund" camp. It is almost impossible to owe nothing and be owed nothing by the government, but $30 is $30. Everyone should do their best to limit the amount of refund they receive so they don't view it as free money to blow.
My son's friend gave him a coleman water jug filled with ice cubes with frozen $2 coins in them...and the card said something like: I thought I'd get you some cold hard cash for your birthday.
Also this same friend the year before gave him a loaf of bread with (20) 1 dollar bills inbetween the slices and it looked like lettuce...My son got a kick out of that.
Ha! It's all about rolling them up really small before trying to squeeze them through!
I think my favorite is the origami. But I would definitely hold onto it for awhile instead of depositing it or spending it. Why give away something so beautiful?!
Good points Jim! We were successful in receiving a modification through the MHAP. We worked with Bank of America and while I read horror stories everyday, our experience was excellent. (Short of the 1 year of worrying and feeling as if our life was on hold.)
I believe the key to our success was engaging the help of our US Senator, Jeanne Shaheen. Senator Shaheen's office sent in a congressional inquiry which in turn put our case in front of someone and allowed it to be assigned to 1 person. We had one point of contact for the entire 8-10 month process.
When we completed our trial mod, we received our perm mod paperwork within days. Our contact at BofA said that 9 out of 10 times the reason why the mod's are denied is for failure of the borrower to prove income and/or to send in complete documents.
Of course I don't know how true this is but I can only speak from my own experience, which was great.
I suggest that those people that feel as if they are getting the run around contact their US Senators for help!
For us personally, I've found that the extra kick in April gets spent as quickly as it comes in because it feels too much like "free money." I do a much better job of managing the extra couple of hundred dollars on every paycheck.
I've been targeting the $0 refund for 3-4 years now, and always manage to get within a couple of hundred dollars on the plus side. With IRS's calculator and relatively simple taxes, I think most people COULD get it close if they wanted to.
Different strokes for different folks, for sure, but I've just found that the opposite works for us! :)
That's so cool, add it to the list! These creative ways of giving money are definitely going to 'wow' some people and turn the focus away from the dollar amount of the gift!
Loved the article. We were given 2 roosters last week and purchased 6 hens. They are all about 20 weeks old. I swore I would never have chickens on the farm, but here I am with them. They are such fun to watch. Now we are learning about chickens. Kind of backwards. Fortunately, the barn cats are looking after all them. You cannot even find a mouse on our farm (or a possum, rabbit, squirrel). Along with their feeding, they freely graze throughout the day and head for their "beds" at night. So far, we have 2 eggs from the Brahma and are awaiting our Sexlinks to start producing. I cannot tell you how excited my husband was to wake me up at 5:30 am to show me our first egg. Can't wait until they all are laying eggs. Thanks again for sharing.
Just as you said, it's a forced savings account! Unfortunately some of us need that. Though regarding the rates, I wouldnt have my money in a low interest earning savings account anyways, Id put it in dividend stocks so it can grow and outpace inflation.
This is the first year I owe the government and I hate it. It's a couple thousand dollars, and it hurts! I have plenty of money to cover it, but cutting a big check to them is terrible!
While I hate the idea of giving the government a loan, I think I hate giving them a bunch of money all at once, too. Kind of a lose-lose scenario.
Good question, Andrea. It definitely depends on the day, but assuming it's above 30 degrees and we are around on the farm, we let the chickens out of their coop once we get up to do morning chores. (By being a bit lazy and waiting until late morning, the chickens have actually had a chance to lay more eggs in their laying boxes. The alternative is to try to find eggs all over the yard.) We have a Great Pyrenees/Bloodhound mix with a deep bark and a penchant for furry things, so we know that as long as he's around, the chickens will likely be safe. We do keep him in his kennel for much of the day, however, because we have an open farm layout (no border fence) and he could end up on the road next to our house where the farmers go screaming by with their grain trucks in the spring and fall. (We've lost one dog that way.)
If we are home, the dog in the kennel is enough to scare away most land-bound critters (which are nocturnal, anyway, and likely not out.) We also have a Rat Terrier who helps keep the rat and mouse population down so they are not getting into the feed, as much. For the most part, however, the day is a safe time for them to be out. They are on alert for the occasional overhead hawk, and some of the same things we've done to keep animals from our fruit trees (hanging compact discs from the branches of our cherry tree, for example) also works to keep away predators.
We do lose a few a year, but it's usually due to a wayward hen who got too far away from the flock when the sun went down and the rest of the flock went in for the night. Sometimes, you'll find her that night, up in a tree praying for morning to come. Other times, you'll find her the next morning, still in the tree, asleep and safe. Rarely, however, you'll find her dead in the yard. It's always sad.
I really hope that your city gets something passed. Even in Nebraska, it's a mixed bag. Our state capital allows them, but the other major cities don't. And while it's easy to move slightly outside of city limits for the purpose of having a bit more freedom, Nebraska is a unique state with lots of open areas. I can't imagine trying to raise chickens in an area that's more densely populated. Good luck!
So true. For years I have tried to resist buying new electronics, and I've been happily using hardware others have decided to recycle. That means I have a second hand TV and a few second hand computers. Even most of our furniture is second hand...
One gap not address in the analysis is people not living within their means is the first problem and is an issue at all levels. If people and the US government, do not live within their means the issue will never be addressed which is too much debt. Also many people have not done what is necessary to improve their situation which is have balance because the pain has not caused many people to change their ways because lack of basic financial skill are not there.
Cut cost and expand your income are the two ways to fix things. Both are within everyone's responsibility. If the government wants to play in this help people via providing skills in financial management which is a key to success. This is the area to focus.
Capital is being "horded" because the "market" does not know what the bottom is so we are in a prolonged pain. If the bailout and redistribution did not happen then the short term pain would have been higher but money would have flowed to the opportunities that would create jobs.
Just a nitpicky comment, but laws in the United States of America enumerate the limits to the govenment. The laws are not listings of what is allowed. This is in contrast to the laws in other countries, e.g. the United Kingdom which actually lists what is allowed.
Ergo, if there is no US federal/state/municipal law on "chicken-in-your-backyard-prohibited", there is no limitation.
IANAL, and I don't even play one on TV. If some other lawyer-ly type would correct me if I misunderstood this basic tenet.
We went to our local NHL game the night of our wedding in our wedding attire. A random stranger gave us an origami dollar bill elephant for a wedding present. It is still sitting on our dresser.
To play devil's advocate...if you have to pay bills on credit cards because you are having too much withdrawn, it could be bad from the standpoint of having to pay interest instead of having cash to pay for something.
This is the first year that we have received a significant refund. Unfortunately, we could not predict my husband losing his job last year and being ineligible for unemployment. This left us with only my income to support our family, which put us in a much lower tax bracket. In addition to that, we have a child and my husband went back to school full time to finish his degree. Thankfully, our income tax refund helped pay off some debt!
Amy, great strategy. Convenience makes a huge difference in how we eat and snack - I always laugh when I see the pre-washed, prepped veggies/fruits in individual serving sizes in the produce section, but there's a reason they sell. I'd much rather save my money and make my own "convenience products."
Great addition! It's always nice to have something home-cooked that you just have to heat and serve. You can save on groceries, too, if you can buy enough in bulk and know that you'll use it.
My best secret is to prep my veggies once a week. Right when I get home from the store, I wash, chop, and bag. We grab from the veggie drawer every night as we prepare dinner and they are ready for us!
Its amazing how often we won't use vegetables, just because they aren't ready to use.
I love PBR. I work in a bar with over 100 different brews. I appreciate the craft brew industry; I actually just recently became a Certified Beer Server, or a Cicerone. But you can frequently find me drinking Mickey's or PBR. There is a right place and time for everything.
Finally! Free listing fees. April 19th can't come sooner.
We've done treasure hunts for money. Every few clues you find more money until the biggest amount of money is at the end... :o)
Count me in the "no giant refund" camp. It is almost impossible to owe nothing and be owed nothing by the government, but $30 is $30. Everyone should do their best to limit the amount of refund they receive so they don't view it as free money to blow.
My son's friend gave him a coleman water jug filled with ice cubes with frozen $2 coins in them...and the card said something like: I thought I'd get you some cold hard cash for your birthday.
Also this same friend the year before gave him a loaf of bread with (20) 1 dollar bills inbetween the slices and it looked like lettuce...My son got a kick out of that.
Linsey, are there any varieties of chicken you've tried raising that you didn't like, or breeds that are known to be particularly difficult?
Ha! It's all about rolling them up really small before trying to squeeze them through!
I think my favorite is the origami. But I would definitely hold onto it for awhile instead of depositing it or spending it. Why give away something so beautiful?!
Good points Jim! We were successful in receiving a modification through the MHAP. We worked with Bank of America and while I read horror stories everyday, our experience was excellent. (Short of the 1 year of worrying and feeling as if our life was on hold.)
I believe the key to our success was engaging the help of our US Senator, Jeanne Shaheen. Senator Shaheen's office sent in a congressional inquiry which in turn put our case in front of someone and allowed it to be assigned to 1 person. We had one point of contact for the entire 8-10 month process.
When we completed our trial mod, we received our perm mod paperwork within days. Our contact at BofA said that 9 out of 10 times the reason why the mod's are denied is for failure of the borrower to prove income and/or to send in complete documents.
Of course I don't know how true this is but I can only speak from my own experience, which was great.
I suggest that those people that feel as if they are getting the run around contact their US Senators for help!
Filling balloons sounds hard -- have you ever tried stuffing items inside a balloon? Not as easy as it sounds ...
The Never-Ending roll is my fave idea!
For us personally, I've found that the extra kick in April gets spent as quickly as it comes in because it feels too much like "free money." I do a much better job of managing the extra couple of hundred dollars on every paycheck.
I've been targeting the $0 refund for 3-4 years now, and always manage to get within a couple of hundred dollars on the plus side. With IRS's calculator and relatively simple taxes, I think most people COULD get it close if they wanted to.
Different strokes for different folks, for sure, but I've just found that the opposite works for us! :)
That's so cool, add it to the list! These creative ways of giving money are definitely going to 'wow' some people and turn the focus away from the dollar amount of the gift!
Loved the article. We were given 2 roosters last week and purchased 6 hens. They are all about 20 weeks old. I swore I would never have chickens on the farm, but here I am with them. They are such fun to watch. Now we are learning about chickens. Kind of backwards. Fortunately, the barn cats are looking after all them. You cannot even find a mouse on our farm (or a possum, rabbit, squirrel). Along with their feeding, they freely graze throughout the day and head for their "beds" at night. So far, we have 2 eggs from the Brahma and are awaiting our Sexlinks to start producing. I cannot tell you how excited my husband was to wake me up at 5:30 am to show me our first egg. Can't wait until they all are laying eggs. Thanks again for sharing.
Just as you said, it's a forced savings account! Unfortunately some of us need that. Though regarding the rates, I wouldnt have my money in a low interest earning savings account anyways, Id put it in dividend stocks so it can grow and outpace inflation.
www.moneyistheroot.com
This is the first year I owe the government and I hate it. It's a couple thousand dollars, and it hurts! I have plenty of money to cover it, but cutting a big check to them is terrible!
While I hate the idea of giving the government a loan, I think I hate giving them a bunch of money all at once, too. Kind of a lose-lose scenario.
Good question, Andrea. It definitely depends on the day, but assuming it's above 30 degrees and we are around on the farm, we let the chickens out of their coop once we get up to do morning chores. (By being a bit lazy and waiting until late morning, the chickens have actually had a chance to lay more eggs in their laying boxes. The alternative is to try to find eggs all over the yard.) We have a Great Pyrenees/Bloodhound mix with a deep bark and a penchant for furry things, so we know that as long as he's around, the chickens will likely be safe. We do keep him in his kennel for much of the day, however, because we have an open farm layout (no border fence) and he could end up on the road next to our house where the farmers go screaming by with their grain trucks in the spring and fall. (We've lost one dog that way.)
If we are home, the dog in the kennel is enough to scare away most land-bound critters (which are nocturnal, anyway, and likely not out.) We also have a Rat Terrier who helps keep the rat and mouse population down so they are not getting into the feed, as much. For the most part, however, the day is a safe time for them to be out. They are on alert for the occasional overhead hawk, and some of the same things we've done to keep animals from our fruit trees (hanging compact discs from the branches of our cherry tree, for example) also works to keep away predators.
We do lose a few a year, but it's usually due to a wayward hen who got too far away from the flock when the sun went down and the rest of the flock went in for the night. Sometimes, you'll find her that night, up in a tree praying for morning to come. Other times, you'll find her the next morning, still in the tree, asleep and safe. Rarely, however, you'll find her dead in the yard. It's always sad.
I really hope that your city gets something passed. Even in Nebraska, it's a mixed bag. Our state capital allows them, but the other major cities don't. And while it's easy to move slightly outside of city limits for the purpose of having a bit more freedom, Nebraska is a unique state with lots of open areas. I can't imagine trying to raise chickens in an area that's more densely populated. Good luck!
So true. For years I have tried to resist buying new electronics, and I've been happily using hardware others have decided to recycle. That means I have a second hand TV and a few second hand computers. Even most of our furniture is second hand...
One gap not address in the analysis is people not living within their means is the first problem and is an issue at all levels. If people and the US government, do not live within their means the issue will never be addressed which is too much debt. Also many people have not done what is necessary to improve their situation which is have balance because the pain has not caused many people to change their ways because lack of basic financial skill are not there.
Cut cost and expand your income are the two ways to fix things. Both are within everyone's responsibility. If the government wants to play in this help people via providing skills in financial management which is a key to success. This is the area to focus.
Capital is being "horded" because the "market" does not know what the bottom is so we are in a prolonged pain. If the bailout and redistribution did not happen then the short term pain would have been higher but money would have flowed to the opportunities that would create jobs.