Every morning my oldest daughter and I get up at the crack of dawn and head to the farm before the rest of the family is awake. It's nice and cool, the chickens are waking up and crowing, the mourning dove are cooing, and irrigation systems are going making a trickling noise. It's very soothing and a lovely way to greet the day. (Can you tell I love all the sounds?).
I'm a teacher by profession and I could make a lot more money if I'd go back to teaching full time, but for this season in my life, being at home as much as possible and not bringing home a lot of paperwork is a better fit. Even if the work is more physically demanding.
And now that I'm picking berries, it's amazing how it has kept my spending in check!
When we go into the berry patch, we pick and put berries directly in the clam shell for market. These go into flats and then into a refrigeration unit. Typically, one is paid by the flat, so you want to pick fast enough to make a bit of cash, but the berries must be ripe.
Photo Credit: Zaqqy J.
Before when I went to purchase something, I tended to consider if I had enough money in the budget to buy whatever it was I thought I needed or wanted. And typically, I'm pretty good about my budget.
Now, when I go to the store and look at an item to purchase, all I can think about is how many clamshells would I need to pick to pay for such-n-such. Hmmm.
Photo Credit: selfnoise
It puts a whole new perspective on things.
I think I'm about to save a lot of dough.
