Thread 33632751

I am working on a lot of things, trying to juggle many projects for self improvement.
Education, fitness, organization, spirituality, social life, all things that need work.
The very first one I am tackling is Finance.

I've tried working more hours for years.
Maybe I just don't have the discipline for it, but it has not served me.
60 - 80 hr work weeks have me brain dead, making impulsive decisions that hurt my health.
I did a budget and learned I actually lost money by working instead of doing things like meal prepping.
I'm sure it can be done if you are disciplined enough, but at least right now, I'm not that guy.

So if raising income isn't working, I want to lower my money burn rate.
That's where gardening comes in.
My biggest personal expense is healthy food.
It's expensive in both money and time.
I want to make a garden, preparing foods long term with a dehydrator and canning could significantly reduce my burn rate over the coming years.
Then anything that I MUST buy (that can be stored) I can load up on a 0%APY credit card for a near lifetime supply.
Chop it into a 15 month bill.
Beat Both interest and inflation.

MAJOR PROBLEM: I know FUCK-ALL about GARDENING
I know plants like water. I know that...
But everything I have found so far requires some prior knowledge.
I don't even know what to search or look up to learn.
Most of the info out there seems to be about farming for profit, I just want enough to feed me. with a little left over to dehydrate and save.

I also wouldn't mind raising something. Like a snail farm, or oysters.
I once saw a guy who just had a barrel full of cat-fish, he would rip one out like a pickle and cook it.
So I'm open to anything.

TLDR I am asking advice for:
- Saving money long term.
- Advice on how to start gardening
- Advice on how to farm something small enough it fits in my house.

I'll be back in about 30 min to respond.
I'm late for work....

I’m not sure if gardening is really your best option. It’s really time consuming, every plant is different so you’ll have to learn how to take care of each crop, and there is no guarantee that you’ll the plants will produce fruit in the first harvest season. My advice would be to look into getting local organic produce and locally sourced dairy & meats. It’s important that you’re getting 7-8 hours of sleep at night. It sounds like you’re really overworking yourself as well, that’s not good for your health and like you said, it makes you more impulsive. As for saving money, you can turn your air conditioner up higher when it’s warm and turn it off if the weather is nice. Caulking the cracks in your walls will also help improve that. That will definitely cut down your electric bill. Make sure you turn the lights off when you leave. Unplug appliances that are energy suckers when you’re not using them. Use LED light bulbs instead CFL. Cook at home and bring your lunch to work. If you have a car, some insurance companies will do “safe driver” discounts. If you’re in the US, skip shopping at Walmart. Their grocery prices are awful. Trader Joe’s and Aldi have pretty good prices. If you have tv subscriptions like Netflix you can cancel those and only use the free apps like Freevee, Tubi, & Crackle. If you’re in the US, you can also sell stuff you no longer want on the app Mercari or EBay. They’re basically like online garage sales. Thrift clothes instead of buying brand new.

>>33632832
>Thrift clothes instead of buying brand new.
>Cook at home and bring your lunch to work.
already on that one. It's so far good.
>sounds like you’re really overworking yourself
Yes, I quit taking so many shifts and now I only work 40-ish hours a week.
My health, mental and physical was really suffering.
>It’s important that you’re getting 7-8 hours of sleep at night.
Working on it. I have sleep problems, but I have been making progress lately.
I get 8 hours sleep about twice a week. the rest is like 4 - 6 hours.
>Caulking the cracks in your walls will also help improve that.
>Use LED light bulbs instead CFL.
I hadn't thought of that.
I'll make a plan to energy max my house better.
>skip Walmart, Their grocery prices are awful.
>Trader Joe’s and Aldi have pretty good prices.
Awesome to know.
I was wondering if I should check all the stores, make a spread sheet of price comparisons.
All I have found thus far is bigger is better if you can afford it.
Learning how to manage purchases over the course of a year instead of paycheck to paycheck has been enlightening.
>Cancel TV subscriptions like Netflix
On it. I am reading more books now anyway.
It makes my brain feel better.
>If you’re in the US, you can also sell stuff you no longer want on the app Mercari or EBay.
Hadn't thought of that either. I'm writing that down.

>>33632832
>I’m not sure if gardening is really your best option.
>It’s really time consuming,
I wonder about that. I really don't know.
I've heard if you garden for just personal use the upkeep isn't much.
It's fine if the first year harvest doesn't yeild, as long as overtime the reacquiring harvests beat prices at the store.
You probably get it but for example:
Seeds, Special dirt, wood for boxes, ext. = up front cost will be equivalent of X months groceries.
(not to mention time for initial set up...)
But besides water and time cost, what else is there for upkeep?
If it takes 10 years for a overall tried to save me money, that might be too long...
But I was hoping/assuming between 1 - 3 years it would pay dividends.
>every plant is different so you’ll have to learn how to take care of each crop,
Interesting. What do they really need besides sunlight and water?
Can they be really picky for requirements?
>look into getting local organic produce and locally sourced dairy & meats.
I've looked at local dairy and meats but not produce.
I will have to run the math on what it would cost to to have the garden vs buy that in bulk and store some of it long term.
Thanks for your advice btw!
Helped me organize my thoughts.

>>33633111
If you’re dedicated in the long run it could definitely be beneficial. Yes plants are the most needy little beings out there. Some need direct sunlight, some need shade. Some need to be watered multiple times a day. Some only need to watered every few days and are more susceptible to root rot. With corn you have the issue that it might mold in the stock while it’s growing. Some need a soil that’s more acidic or vise versa. In my experience, squash, carrots, pumpkin, and watermelon are pretty easy to grow. Mint leaf is pretty easy too and has a lot of health benefits. Bugs hate the smell too which is a nice benefit. Cactus will also grow in pretty much any soil and it’s pretty good if you pull out the spikes and grill it. Tomato’s are a pain in the ass because you’ll have to a stand when they get tall enough and adjust it as they grow or the stem may snap off. Strawberries have the same issue. Fruit and nut trees are annoying because they’ll eventually need to be moved outside and planted in the soil.

Oh and forgot to add, some need a really humid environment and some don’t. They can be picky little things lol. Depending on where you’re at, some areas offer communal gardens and they’ll give you a plot to grow stuff pretty cheap.

>>33633111
I do lots of gardening on a mega budget in an urban environment. I assume you’re cooking already. Grow all possible leftover scraps of veggies. The root end bit of an onion will regrow into new onion if planted, same with the end nubbin of a carrot that has the leaves. I plant lots of seeds from fresh fruit, I got many peach plants started from seeds as an exa, and the trees are now bearing tasty fruit. I have a paper bag that I put my dry seeds into. I try to compost nearly all organic waste from my kitchen, and this is the dirt I use to grow everything. I don’t have anything fancy for composting, I just use a shovel to turn a heap on the ground and keep it moist with hose water if too dry to compost. If possible build raised beds from anything strong enough or repurpose old containers like cutting the top off of a milk jug or something similar. Experiment constantly to see what can grow and where. Try to propagate some plants on a regular basis, some are easy and some take skills. But lots of propagations can be done without fancy tools, herb clumps can be ripped apart by hand. See what other people around you are growing and what conditions work best for them and copy. If you walk the streets watch for fruit trees in alleys and save the pits from what you eat. Urban foraging is great place to start. The largest expense for me is water. Some cities may give out rain collection barrels for free. Forget about reading, maybe watch a few videos, mostly just experiment and get your hands dirty and forget about the rules. Rules like don’t grow peaches from pits you eat seem to be bullshit

>>33633264
>Yes plants are the most needy little beings out there.
I see. Maybe I should make a list of the idiot proof plants with similar needs and just do those.
If nothing else, it will bite out a little of my grocery budget.
I wonder if there's a little local trade community in my town.
I should check out a farmers market.
Had no idea cactus was edible. that's awesome.
I wanted to do some kind of berry, maybe raspberries.
>Fruit and nut trees are annoying because they’ll eventually need to be moved outside and planted in the soil.
I wanted to do peanuts and olives if possible.
Maybe a fruit tree.
I have the space to plant a tree, but the land isn't mine.
Could I move the tree to just a giant bin to plant outside?
Or is the root system so big it's gotta be in the ground or nothing?

>>33633359
That's amazing!
Is there a name for what you do?
Recycling stuff and growing in an urban environment?
I want to study this but idk if there's a name or community for it.

>>33633264
>>33633283
I'm thinking of going to a plant nursery and asking what is idiot proof for my climate.
What grows together.
I have a backyard and a walk in closet for some indoor grow stuff.
Also a big shelf I was thinking of making a herb garden.
So I've got like... 2 - 4 different arrangements I can make maybe.
Like same dirt and conditions.
Maybe that's where I start.

BTW what do those greenhouses do? I've seen them before, no idea what's going on or why they look like that.
Is that the humidity you were talking about?

>>33633362
I would look up what plants grow best in the climate you live in. Def beneficial to research the maintenance on them before you decide which ones you want to grow. Cactus also produces fruit called prickly pear that’s edible. Haven’t had it personally but hear it’s good. Haven’t grown raspberries before, but I’ve done blackberries and they’re pretty easy. I’d imagine raspberries aren’t much different. I don’t think peanuts would be too hard. For an olive or fruit tree it depends on how you start it. If you are starting it from a seed, you’ve got a good while before it’s bigs enough to plant in the ground. If you’re buying a pre-grown plant then it’s gonna be a shorter period of time. You could try doing it in a big bucket outside. You’ll know when it’s getting too big for the container. It’ll stop growing and show signs that it’s starting to die

>>33633367
There’s probably a name for this kind of gardening or obsession or whatever you call it. I just noticed some people getting results with little overhead cost and the experimentation is enjoyable for me. I’m tight on space and trying to grow vertical now. These cattle panels can be had for cheap and can allow vines like grapes watermelon squash or whatever to climb up.

>>33633401
I think that’s a great plan. You should go for it!

Yeah greenhouses are more humid. They also give you a little more protection over environmental things like a hail storm or too much rain water logging the plants. It also helps keep pests out (somewhat). Birds, squirrels, rodents, and rabbits are your enemies in this instance. There’s also pests that are specific to plants. Tomatoes get these annoying spiky caterpillar worm things that’ll latch on to the plant and feed on them until they die. You can also get a praying mantis kit and release them in your greenhouse, those little guys are awesome. They’ll eat all the pests in your greenhouse and they don’t eat plants.

>>33633542
>Yeah greenhouses are more humid.
I really like Asian foods like Taro, which definitely need a tropical kind of climate.
I'm in the mountains of America, so creating that climate would probably be overboard.
Maybe someday when I have money to spend a little frivolously.
I don't want to fuck with tomatoes, to hard.
I really like them, but I only like 5 a year.
That praying mantis thing sounds fucking rad.

>>33633434
I thought cactus was completely ornamental.
based on post cards I've seen, I thought all they did was wear sunglasses and wave at passing cars.
I will have to look up how big they need to get to bear fruit.
>Haven’t grown raspberries before
blackberries would be fine too.
I just want some kind of berry because I've been making my own Kombucha.
I get free tea from work, but the fruit is expensive.
That's really the only ingredients you NEED once you have the scoby.
olive trees seem pretty small, hopefully I can get away with a few in big buckets...

>>33633482
>growing vertical
>cattle panels for vines
That's another awesome Idea. I am definitely stealing that from you.
>There’s probably a name for this kind of gardening or obsession or whatever you call it.
You mentioned "Urban forging" earlier, maybe that's something?
I'll look into it and see if it turns up a term.
I would love to experiment later.
However my primary concern is saving money right now.

My goal is to save enough money to quit my job, or at least just go part time so I can spend time building something I actually enjoy doing with my life.
The less I need to spend money on, the sooner I can quit and get on with my life.

>A money saving tip I have found.
>especially if you have a shitty wagie job
STEAL FROM WORK
I've been there long enough, my job has a high turn over rate.
As it stands they can't afford to fire me over anything petty.
Also I am usually the last to leave.
There are deliveries weekly of bulk.
They don't notice one thing missing from some boxes bought in bulk.
so every week I steal a thing of paper towels, garbage bags, paper plates, tea, etcetera.
Even if my boss finds out, none of these things are important enough to fire me.over.
So little by little, hopefully by the time I quit I will have saved up almost a lifetime supply of these things.

I will have to make a list of the money saving methods here later. rn my eyelids are getting really heavy.
Thank you all again for your advice.

>>33632751 (OP)
Staying busy is for fools. Keep all your activity within the upper right quadrant of picrel and rule the world as you get cool ideas in those quiet moments.

>>33635256
Interesting. I will look up this Stephen Covey.
I wonder how he classifies important and non-important.
I have definitely spent almost all my time in Quad 1 and 3, and I feel the results.
I notice my first reaction to this is "It's not possible to ONLY stay in Quad 2."
My brain immediately started trying to disprove it.
That kind of reaction could be fear...

I was just learning about Epicurean Philosophy, and in many ways this seems like the Tetra Pharmakon, laid out in a different way.

I want to make a list of money saving tips covered here.

>Cancel Subscriptions.
use free TV or online. I steal subs from friends that don't care.
Luckily, I don't play video games, seems expensive.
I do have a book addiction, I spend between $30 - $100 a month on that.
I'll start re-reading my favorites. I don't remember them all by now.

>Unplug anything you ain't using.
>candles and sunlight.
>Switch to LED bulbs
>weather proof house
Whip out that fat caulk and seal it up.
>Thrift clothes
>steal from work