I won't even check their figures, but....
Well, well, well. According to these guys, I've lost a ton of dollars over the past 50+ years because I stupidly burn wood. Not only that, but if I burned NG, which I can't, I could turn my thermostats down, put on some extra clothing and be uncomfortable all winter. Because I burn wood, I don't turn the thermostats down, I remove clothing (indoors) in the winter and I am very comfortable all winter. But it costs me a lot of money....at least according to those guys. And how many people can get by with 30,000 btus?
Not only the above, but I also own a chainsaw for cutting the wood and I am constantly buying gas and oil for the saw; I have to purchase chains for the saw and I have to buy files to sharpen the things. I own a splitter and I have to buy gas and oil to run it. I own an atv and a trailer for hauling the wood and that atv takes gas and oil. I just purchased a new trailer this summer so there is another $400 I spent. In addition to that, I also own an axe, splitting maul, sledge hammer, 3 iron wedges, cant hook, chains, come-a-long, etc. Man, that is a tremendous investment!
In addition to the above, we purchased a new wood stove 3 years ago. At that time we also put up a SS chimney and also built a new hearth. Well, the stove and chimney were costly. But, my neighbor owed me some time and dollars so he built the hearth for us and even put up the chimney. The stove was purchased at a big discount so that was worth a lot.
In addition to the above, I spend a lot of time cutting, splitting, stacking, moving to house and all with the wood. Then there are the ashes to contend with and the mess it makes wherever you split wood and the messes with ashes, etc. It takes space. We just put up a new shed and a portion of it will be used for wood storage.
So what have we got for all of this?
In our case (I have more experience with our own rather than using someone else's situation), we have a few extra things. Like the atv, but even without cutting firewood we would have an atv. The trailer; even without hauling wood we would still have that trailer. The saw; even without cutting firewood we find we have a need for the saw. The splitter. This is an added expense and tool. We have owned it a bit over 20 years and paid somewhere around $800 for it. That's $80 per year. We have taken in perhaps $1000 (probably more) so that brings the cost down a bit. Still not cheap but I would hate to be without one. The hydraulic splitter was purchased after an injury made it almost impossible for me to split the wood by hand. The various tools like cant hook, axe, etc. are minimal cost and will last a lifetime. Still those dollars could have been put in a bank to earn 1-2% interest!
I have no idea how much time I spend annually with the putting up of the wood but is this not better than paying and having to drive to a gym? The body needs exercise and I enjoy putting up wood a whole lot more than doing some silly exercises or having to drive somewhere and pay to sweat.
All in all, we have burned wood for a good many years now and have never regretted it. I have a problem visualizing us not burning wood so long as we live in the north. I'd hate to be without it for sure. We do stay much more comfortable with wood heat and it is better for the environment. In our case, we own a woodlot so the wood is there. We could just leave all the trees that die every year for the woodpeckers and insects, but they still have plenty. Overall, for me, it is the fact that I can be comfortable in my home during the coldest part of winter. Of course, that means I usually stay at home during winter because when I go to someone else's place I almost freeze! Another benefit is that my wife is able to do a lot of cooking on our wood stove which saves the dollars we would normally spend on LP. If the neighborhood gets cut off from electricity, like during some freezing rain period, the neighbors come here to stay warm.
A couple other points is the fact that I can sell firewood to earn back some of those dollars. I also can use some firewood as a tithe or as a goodwill offer to some folks not as fortunate as I. It is written, "...Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." So we do every year try to help some of those folks....but we do it not expecting anything in return. We've even been known to dump some wood in somebody's driveway when they were not home. Hopefully they never find out where it came from.
So maybe the wood burning has cost us over the years. I can't really put a pencil to it exactly but methinks it is not true at all. I believe we have saved a lot of dollars over the many years, have received much satisfaction for doing for ourselves and others, have received much benefit with the exercise and the very best part is that we will stay very comfortable in our home rather than having to live in a cold house. The rest is all gravy. Also, most folks have hobbies; what's wrong with having wood cutting as a hobby? Does it then cost you as much? You get back a lot in return for a little money spent.
Even if the cost of managing a flock is more that buying eggs at the store, there's a value there beyond money.
