I have most of the stuff to get it set up enough that the power company will hook me up, it's just the money to have them do it.

Option 1: Upgrade house wiring to 320 amp, and pull a feed from the house to the barn. Unfortunately, it needs to go under the driveway...... so, that's over 6 grand. Not gonna happen.

Option 2: Run a separate service entrance to the barn. That's cheaper, around 1600 or so, but, comes with a 25 dollar a month bill, just for having a second meter on the property. I am thinkin' for the price difference, it would take a LONG time for that 25 bucks a month to make up the 4K difference in pricing. This is likely the way I will go. But, as I just don't do a lot of my own work anymore..... I am finding it hard to justify spending the money. I am going too old and crippled to do much of that kind of thing any more. Much as I would like having power in the barn...... it would be more of a luxury item than anything else. Granted, it would clear a LOT of stuff out of my garage. I could move all my tools and such out there, and it would give me more room to work around whatever it was I was working around..... Probably tempt me into buying a lift as well..... another 3 grand or so.

Think is, from late fall, to early spring, I rarely set foot in the barn..... (around 7 months out of the year.....) I keep my tractors out there, (the batteries come into the garage, and sit on trickle chargers over the winter) and the rest is mostly just storage for 'yard stuff'...... I *might* be more inclined to work on my stuff.... if I had a lift though. So, there is that.

But, before ANY of that happened, it would need to be sealed up better.... (it IS a barn after all....) and that is yet another expense. Given the price of materials at the moment, and the trouble I have been having even getting someone out here to give me an estimate...... I really don't wanna think about how much that's gonna cost.

 

You clearly thought it thru. As have I. Oh to be 30 again!

 

30, and know what you know now.

I'd be a millionaire (turned down Microsoft stock on the IPO day.. $1K then would be several million today.)

RwP

 

Yep. I am 60 now, soon to have another birthday...... The MS doesn't help, nor does the arthritis, and breathing issues. Oh to be young again, with my current knowledge. Microsoft, Apple, and a few others I would invest in, and then retire ten years later. Be a millionaire in my 20's.

 

MS can be a horrible malady. I know several people who are inflicted. Good days, bad days. One person has all bad days and is relegated to a wheelchair. She discovered some kind of hamster ovary remedy or a bee something or other (or some such crazy thing like that) that perked her up a bit so that was helpful. I wish you the best. I know it’s a never ending battle.

I have the Arthur Ritus and that’s what slows me down. I’m 62 going on 82.

 

I'm 65. Funny, all of us schmartguiz seem to be older

RwP

 

I like to think practical.

The older I get the more I realize how little I know.

 

On the bright side, I haven’t stopped buying green bananas yet.

 

RwP

 

There are days that I feel like I am over100. Heat and humidity will do that to me. (hence, why central air was a requirement. )

For the most part, I do fairly well. I still work part time, still get around under my own power, don't need a wheel chair, etc. I haven't been taking any drugs for the MS for around a decade now. The drugs made me feel worse than the disease. That, and it screwed up my immune system so bad, that if one of the grandkids so much as sneezed, I was sick for a month....... Told my doc one day I just wanted to stop taking all the drugs, as I really didn't care for how they made me feel. I about stroked out when he said "OK"..... NOT what I expected. Of course, he then immediately put my in a study.... So, got poked, prodded, and ran thru the Loud Box once a month for a year. (MRI) Seem my MS was stable, so, I stayed off the drugs.

My biggest issue with working on vehicles these days is, working under 'em.... That whole "Grab some tools, crawl under, discover you need more/different tools, crawl out, get up, grab some other tools, crawl back under...." lather, rinse, repeat.... after four of five iterations of that, I'm done. Previously, I would just have one of my grandkids out there with me, playing tool gopher. But, they all moved out, so, no one here but me and my lady. She has her own things to do, and workin' on vehicles ain't one of 'em. Though she DOES help from time to time.

Unfortunately, my favorite garage in town closed up. One day they were open, the next time I drove past, it was an empty building, with a for sale sign. (and it was only like three days later.....) There isn't another garage around that I actually trust..... so, finding another one? That's gonna be fun.