Soapweed said:
Back in about 1960, I recall being along when my dad drove in to the local gas station to have the attendant "fill 'er up." We had just recently sold our 400 pound Hereford steer calves. Dad commented, "Looks like a 33 cent pound of steer calf will buy a 33 cent gallon of gas. Trying buying a gallon of gas with a pound of steer calf today, even with pretty darned good calf prices.
Yup. I remember selling calves for .22 and .24---and that's what regular and 'ethyl' sold for---at a volumne place i pumped gas @ while going to college.
I've maintained for yrs, that same ratio would work for me!
FIL does lots of comparisions like that when price shopping----says you could take big enuf load of yrlg steers to town behind a pickup to come home with a new pickup---now you gotta follow a pot to town with your old truck.
On the gas deal---I kinda follow one of Alan Nation's theorys:
"If you think something's too expensive to buy---maybe you should be selling it?" I used to work the oil patch some---winters mostly---had more farming, less cows. And more energy. So knew it and liked it. So--put some farly expensive gas (i was buying it) into the car and went on a canadian road trip. Met some junior (little co's) oil/gas drillers, invested some money. Well's we're into have from 6 mo's to 1 & 1/2 yr 'payout'---this is when you break even on that well. 1 1/2 yr payout is considered kinda long----to them----how'd that work for most of us?
But--any resource play, you're selling the store--or at least not restocking inventory---so, you gotta keep drilling, exploring, or aquiring or you go backwards. And they don't all hit. Anyway, I think it's beneficial to most people to diversify their assets---Beautiful day in Montana today---better go use some more of it--adios 8)