Money, Quality & Time

Every project centers around the three factors of time, quality, and money.  I encountered this idea in an unlikely place - a mom and pop Cajun restaurant in St. Joseph, Missouri.  It was on a little printed out sign that read:

You can pick two of the three: Fast, Cheap, or Good.

If you want it Fast and Cheap, it will not be Good.

If you want it Good and Fast, it will not be Cheap.

If you want it Cheap and Good, it will not be Fast.

So simple and so true - especially on a homestead.  Examples:

Garden Gate
Cheap: $20 (including hardware)
Good: true 2x4 hard heart wood, last-a-lifetime hinges
Time: all freaking day

Beef - 200lbs
Cheap: $75 + cost of butcher
Good: Grass fed, humanely raised, hormone-free, and oh so tasty
Time: 9 months of care, growing, and waiting

Chicken Coop Remodel
Cheap: $300 ish
Good: 16' by 25' chicken coop, new roof, new siding, new cute trim, new windows fresh paint, improved nesting boxes, 1200 lb capacity grain bin
Time: Started over a year ago and still not finished.  Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...

Barn Rebuild
Cheap: You don't want to know.
Good: Custom professional work, hard wood restoration construction, new siding, new steel roof, new doors.
Time: 6 months (would have taken us YEARS - see Chicken Coop Remodel)

Fence
Cheap: $150 for practically unlimited length of fencing (for our property)
Good: Electric fence - deer plow through and knock it down daily and good luck keeping goats in.
Time: A few hours.

Since we have high expectations and limited resources, we are continuously relying on time and thus exercising our patience.  My patience muscles are sore, but growing.