confused_uk

My house is a similar size but I heat with oil, it's costs around $3500 a year to heat & that's with the heat on low because no-one is living in it. I would like to change to wood but I don't think I have the space to store it but just out of interest how much is a cord?

dbd33

In volume? 4'x4'x8' In cost, all over map, we had three cords, cut to 12" delivered, for around $800 last Autumn.

confused_uk

So quite a bit cheaper than oil then. Does that last you all winter? I was thinking about adding a wood pellet heater as I don't think it requires as much space for storing, not sure if they are quite as efficient though

dbd33

I don't say that people shouldn't but I wouldn't because the need for cheap land drives one far from the city which is problematic for children because:

- the good schools are in the city.
- their peers are in the city, in the country the next kid is five miles away and the wrong age
- the city is a better educational environment, children learn from people to whom they're exposed; if they're exposed to two languages they learn two languages, if they're exposed to ten cultures they gain an appreciation for diversity.
- the entertainment is in the city, in rural locations children amuse themselves by killing things, boozing, doing drugs and driving things dangerously.
- living minimally deprives children of everyday necessities such as ipads.
- children in the country are dependent on their parents to a degree that seems unhealthy to me, they can't bicycle or take the bus to the pool or cinema, they have to be driven everywhere (or the parents turn a blind eye while they drive themselves).
- if the children graduate from high school they'll move to the city, they'd be better prepared if that's where they grew up.

Do you really want your children to grow up able to play a mean fiddle and take a shotgun to a fisher but not knowing what a durain or a banana or a turban is or how to work an Oyster card?

dbd33

We'll get two winters from those three cords. I used to burn that much in one winter at another house so, when we moved here, that's what we ordered. We used about half last winter (a harsh one). We have another source of heat though, a propane furnace. Propane powers the furnace, cooking stove and clothes dryer and costs, iirc, about $900/year (3 fills @ $300).

My brother has a pellet stove, he says it works well but you're beholden to the pellet industry. A simple wood stove can burn purchased or found logs and, in dire straits, the furniture and/or wall studs.

confused_uk

That's a very good point though I'm if you smash things up small enough you'll get it in

Simon Legree

Not really that small. Most logs are cut to 18" lengths. I have a very efficient Opal sealed fireplace in the basement and it has no problem with that size. It will keep the whole place at 24C. My house sitter likes it that way. She uses about two cords from November to April. It's mainly maple with some yellow birch. I paid $185 a cord last spring, which is when you should buy your wood, so that it can "season" through the summer.

confused_uk

I meant smash things up small to get them into a pellet stove.

I would love a wood burner I just don't have the room

bats

I agree with the kids thing. As an example, we live in a village of about 1000 people. A friend has two kids and until recently when they reached driving age she was out every evening after work ferrying them to sports events. Saturdays too and sometimes whole weekends away. She had no life of her own outside work, housework, and taxiing kids. When we talked about it she said that this way she knew where they were, what they were doing most of the time. They weren't out at bush parties smoking and drinking.

Almost Canadian

I suspect you will find that, in most cities and towns in Canada, parents spend a large amount of time ferrying their kids to and from activities as most locations for activities are not situated close to routes for public transport. It's one of those things parents have to accept.

confused_uk

I agree, I grew up in an area with excellent public transport & my mum still ferried me everywhere, I think it's just part of being a parent

bats

Er yes, but it is possible to get transit in cities. The OP is talking about rural life so it's highly unlikely so unless they want to keep their kids at home they need car(s), time, and money for gas. That was my point which I thought was obvious after dbd's earlier post.

iaink

I know a woman like that

Probably costs us 8-10k a year to run the two cars, and neither is a guzzler. Ironic as my better half now drives for the local "transit", toting old folks and druggies around to go shopping or to medical appointments.

confused_uk

The OP has considered cars & gas already & probably already know what a hassle kids & their activities can be. I think AC's point was that most parents end up doing these things anyway no matter where they live.

bats

Sighs

In the city there are things called buses, trams, subways. Kids can use these things to get to the mall, the library, the swimming pool, to visit friends, go to the cinema. In the countryside there is no choice so parents have to spend more time and money driving the kids around. If city folk don't want their children to use public transit that's their choice.

The OP wants to know if $20k is enough so they need to factor in these expenses.