Saturday, February 4, 2012

Yup, 'Interesting' is One Way to Describe this Past Week...

Like Yeoldfurt said in his post earlier today, it's been an 'interesting' week.  It seems like everything around here either needs fixing or replacing these days.  The vehicles have been taking turns breaking down for three months now.  We've had to put money into every single one of them, each time from $200 to $1500.  They're just old vehicles and mechanical things have a tendency to wear out.  I broke that tooth a couple of weeks ago and get to spend $95 to have it pulled next Thursday (a good bit cheaper than what the dentist wanted to do) and today I got to spend $15.00 on a new mailbox and hardware because some hooligans trashed our old one night before last.  Makes me wonder what next week has in store for us. 

My venture at Yesteryear's pays for itself but not much more than that.  In the three months I've had the booth space, my net after expenses is a little over $100.  Not exactly a revenue stream, but I am purging a few things and turning them into cash.  My primary goal in setting up the booth space was to purge, so technically it's a success.  But I was hoping it would generate just a wee bit more cash than what it has so far.  I could really use an infusion of cash right now.  I'll give it a full year ...or until the first month I actually have to pay the booth rental ($35/month) out of my pocket instead of my sales ...and see if it's worth continuing. 

Looking around for what else I can sell, I couldn't help but take another look at the horses.  We have the two that we ride and we have the 23 year old who is our grandkid horse.  Those are 'forever horses.'  That only leaves the six year old, Lyric.  The one I was going to saddle break last year and it just didn't happen.  Well, technically, she's broke to saddle and will take a bit and bridle very nicely.  I've just never climbed up on her back.  Every time I think I'm going to, my wiser self reminds me of how well I wouldn't bounce if I hit the ground these days.  It's been about 12 years since I had a 'horse wreck' and I was lucky that time ...nothing broken, just some cracked ribs and a hairline fracture of my pelvis.  The way things have gone for us in general the last couple of years, I think my luck may have run out. 

So, I listed Lyric on Craigslist today.


She was a pretty little thing as baby and she's grown up to be a really nice mare.  I'm asking $600 and hoping I find someone half my age who has a bit more disposable income than I do ...most importantly, someone who will love her and appreciate her.  She deserves more than I can give her at the moment. 


This is my first ever attempt at selling something on Craigslist.  The price is right (free) ...I just hope she sells.  If I can get $600 for her, the money will go to stock up on hay for the three we will still be feeding.  Sounds like a lot of money, doesn't it?   We used to get 1000-pound round bales for $70/each ...delivered.  Now we can only find scrawny little 500-pound bales for $135/each including delivery.  So converted to round bales at today's prices, $600 is only about 4 weeks worth of hay for the three horses we'll still be feeding.  Lord, I hope the good rains we've had for two months now continue through the summer so our local hay producers can get up and running again!

18 comments:

  1. Bless you. I hope the horse sells and everything works out well for you.

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  2. Thanks, Stephen. Sure am glad you're back and doing better.

    Things will work out ...things ARE working out. We have a roof over our heads and manage to pay all our bills even with all the hiccups lately. There is just so much we want to do and need to do, it's frustrating to be constantly putting those things off just to survive. Maybe what I should be praying for is patience.

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  3. I hope she sells for what your asking. I've sold a couple of animals on craigslist, the nice thing is that it reaches a lot of people, so I'm sure you'll get at least a few interested buyers. Glad to hear Texas has been getting some rain.

    Blessings,
    Kate

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  4. Thanks, Kate. I'm hoping we do get some inquiries. I've sold horses online in the past, just never through Craigslist. I never even visited Craigslist myself until last last year...now I'm hooked. LOL

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  5. Hey, I just nominated you for the Liebster Blog Award so go over to MDR and check it out.
    As far as all the bad luck, hang in there, MDR crew is on the way.

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  6. Aw, thanks, MDR! Looking forward to seeing you and Mrs MDR again, and to meeting the rest of the crew!

    : )

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  7. Lyric is beautiful. Hope you get a good home that meets your price. I feel your pain about the hay. It's like spun gold here. I thought I had bought enough to get us through winter but we ran out 2 weeks ago and now paying $7.25 a bale.

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  8. Good luck finding her a good home and getting your asking price. I feel for you - I sold a lot of stuff on Craig List the last few years - some of it was easy to get rid of, some of it a little harder. Either way, it doesn't feel very good to *have* to sell things to get by. ((hugs)) michele

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  9. My girls want me to buy the horse....We are on less than an acre what do you think? Ummmm not. I wish we could come out for a day trip and meet ya'll. Horses included. She is super pretty..... Melissa

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  10. Thanks for visiting and commenting...

    Your horse is beautiful! I've never bought or sold on Craigs List.

    Blessings,
    Betty

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  11. @MammaBear...
    Small squares are $11 here. They're not even pretty bales! I can't wait for local cuttings. We've had a mild winter and great rainfall lately. I'm hoping the local hay producers will have a bumper crop this spring and help bring these prices back down!

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  12. @Michele...
    This is my first experience listing on Craigslist. I feel like her ad is lost in the shuffle now. You would have 'View Next 100 Listings' a couple of times to find her ad. No calls so far. Oh well.

    Your place is really looking good with all the clearing you guys have done lately. Can't wait to see it this spring when everything greens up!

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  13. @Melissa...
    Aw, girls always love horses! One acre is definitely not enough. But we will have to do a meet up one day. Maybe next summer?

    : )

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  14. Sounds groovy. We head your way every summer to the camp for my dd13almost 14 for her epilepsy. So could work..Thanks for the note back and forth it is fun.
    Melissa

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  15. That is a beautiful horse...ahh, life is just too short for me to own all the animals I want to own! I hope there is a great home for this beauty! ;D

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  16. Thank you, Julie...
    I have someone hopefully coming to see her in the next couple of days. Ironically, he's from the town we used to live in before we moved here six years ago ...the same town this mare was born in. I hope it's a good fit and he takes her home. He's bringing a trailer when he comes to see her, so I know he's serious.

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  17. Craig's List is fantastic, have bought furniture and sold lambs/goats there. Problem is I find so many things to buy I need to stay away, LOL, antique lawn chairs, metal ice box, wrought iron patio set, 3 hutches, one homemade out of barn wood, queen size headboard and footboard.

    The price of hay in California is out of site too. I can bring in a semi truck and trailer load for little more than 1/2 the price I am paying at the feed stores just don't need to park $5K of hay in my driveway and have it get rained on. Alfalfa hay here is $19 - $21 for a 3 wire ~100 lb bale.

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  18. Same problem here, Tombstone ...nowhere for $5K worth of hay to sit where it would be out of the weather. Actually, we have the additional problem of not having $5K laying around to buy that much hay at once. So it doesn't matter.

    We are down to just two horses as of last Sunday. Tractor is on the fritz so the two round bales we still have will need to be rolled out by hand ...if that's even possible. Decided this evening to buy 9 or 10 small squares (70-80 lb) this weekend and feed them out in flakes twice a day. With just two horses, a bale should last three days that way. So that buys us 30 days to get the tractor problem resolved. Always something, huh?

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