A farmer’s savings account can reside in his pasture

Here, the other day, I found a 1979 Chevy for sale. I needed some parts off of it for my feed truck.

The guy selling it only wanted $800 for it, so I offered him $500. He said he’d take it. So, I had to come up with some money, quick.

I got to thinking about what kind of junk I had laying around the farm. A couple of years ago, I bought a set of forks that fit on the front end loader of a John Deere tractor. I gave $200 for them. The only problem was I don’t own a John Deere and never have.

When I bought those forks, I figured I could fix my Ford tractor so it would hook up to the John Deere forks, but the fact is I’ve never gotten around to it. So, I decided to sell the forks for $500 and go get that truck.

I priced them all over the internet for $650. Sure enough, a guy messaged me and offered me $500. I couldn’t have been more thrilled. I met him at a gas station and he loaded them up.

Now, the next part wasn’t so easy. I had to figure out a way to load this old truck on my flatbed. The truck won’t start, so we took come alongs and ratchet straps. It took a little effort and ingenuity, but we finally got the truck loaded.

On the way home, I stopped for gas and a guy walked up to me as I was pumping my gas. He asked if I’d sell the tail gate off the old truck. I said sure, what do you think it’s worth. He said I’ve got $300 in my pocket. So, beings I just need the hood and doors I sold him the tailgate.

As we were taking the tailgate off, he looked inside the truck and said, “Hey, I like that old eight-track cassette radio. What would you take for that?”

I said, “I don’t have a clue what’s that thing worth?”

He said, “Well, they are hard to find, I’ll give you $100 for it.”

I told him, “Ok, but I don’t know how to get it out.”

So he took it out while I went in for some peanuts and a soda pop. When I got back he had the radio out. He went inside and got the $100 from the ATM.

I was liking this truck more and more. I only have a $100 invested, or, maybe, I don’t if you count that I made money selling the hay forks, either way this old truck is cheaper than what I had planned on.

That evening, I pulled into the house with my trailer and the old Chevy parts truck. My wife gave it a sad look. Before she could say anything I told her I’d unload it at the back end of the pasture.

I knew she would give me some grief for buying another hunk of junk. So, I flashed out a $100 bill at her and said let’s go eat in town. She didn’t gripe anymore.

Now, we’ve been married since before CD players and CDs, so I know she squirrels money away for things she wants.

So, like any good husband/ farmer I hid the remaining cash I had in that old Chevy truck. I didn’t tell her that little detail.

I’ve only got $100 of my money tied up in it, so it’s kind like a big piggy bank. Once I swap the doors and the hood, I’ll advertise the remaining parts on it for sale. After they sell, I’ll stick that money in the hidey hole out in the back pasture.