Calculating mulching cost of operation

[Terra Firma Scott]

If you take into account fuel , oils , track/sprocket/roller wear , loader pins , teeth , belts , bearings , downtime , machine depreciation , interest paid on loans , advertising , yellow pages ads , buisness cards and letter heads , registration and insurance , breakdown repairs , work vehicle costs , transport cost's , hired help costs , damage you pay for out of your pocket because it's not worth claiming etc. you will find that you are not really making anything at all . All we are doing is filling in time untill we die . We would all be better off putting on a paper hat an working at Mc Donalds . The only thing we really get out of it is we are in the great outdoors and are not answerable to a boss and we make enough for our families to survive on . I do'nt know of anyone in the industry that would be able to say "i'll have that " and just write out a cheque for $10,000 without borrowing money .

Ok so I dont feel so ALONE in the extended LIST of costs....

My CPA chuckled and told me the same thing about alot of business owners being better off working at Mc Donalds too ....haha..well I wont say Ive gotten to that point yet ...

I tend to want to know straight up real numbers...not leaving this or that out of the REAL cost equation is just lying to myself about wether or not Im actually MAKING money....

 

[QwikDraw]

Well this post is sort of depressing me. I'll hit 1000 hr on the ASV this week and I've only made 25% of the payments so far. I'd probably need 10K cash to break even on the trade in. Which I am seriously considering..

And don't forget all the DOT fees! I had a DOT safety audit a month ago. The paper work for a F350 and 16K trailer (class A) was ridiculous. Among a million other things he said I needed to join a group and that would random drug test me and it was going to cost $500-$800 a year...yeah, right.

 

[Eagleview]

I tried on one of their hats , i do'nt look too bad and it's $12 an hour . But if anyone whistles at me in the drive through i'm gonna flatten them .

 

[TMTS]

Qickdraw- shop around for the drug testing program...I am enrolled in one through the local hospital's occupational health services...cost about $100 to set up and $45 per year...and I;ve only been asked to be tested once in 3 years - which I think costs $50 or so...

check with the one of the trucking companies in your area, as they are all supposed to be in a DOT drug program...

-TMTS

 

[QwikDraw]

Thanks TMTS..

I was taking the inspectors word for it...I never shopped around. For that amount I will glady do it to. I have to get all my paperwork in order still..employment records, maintenance records, etc..

Ted