My dad advises me not to rent to colored people because he says the property value will drop, it will alienate the neighbors, homeboys will take over the property, etc.This really makes my blood boil because he has never been a landlord and his advice seems highly unprofessional.

Then you immediately develop blood blisters at the bites and the itching is maddening and lasts for days.

I will tell you that I had no spread sheet and did every transaction from my cell phone using the calculator app.

Jennifer S.summed it up well.Farming is definitely a way of life that people will sacrifice allot of blood ,sweat, and tears for.The monetary returns are very risky,low compared to a lot of other REI activities.People fall in love with the romantic side of the business,like the picturesque scenery,animal husbandry,challenges they have no idea about,producing your own food  for sale or your own consumption,ect.Just remember this,animal agriculture requires someone there 365 days a year.Either you or someone trusted or vested in the operation.There are lots of reasons why only about 2% of the population is directly involved in agriculture.You would be wise to explore those reasons and see if you can live with it.It can be a great way of life,but it is a hard life.How do I know this?

Direct mail still works - those old timers are not on the internet - you can't even get internet at my father in laws house, he does not have it and their is no signal to the cell phone, he doesn't even know it drives the grandkids nuts.  

Even if you can't give up the Starbucks or eating out habit, it's probably worth it to see if you can get a better deal on your cable package, car insurance, cell phone plan, etc., then invest the difference into your retirement savings.

Take Home Pay - ~$4000 per monthTithe - ~$500 (this is very important and non negotiable)Current Mortgage - ~$1100 per month ($196,000 @ 3% VA Loan)Utilities -  ~$350 (Natural Gas, Water, Electricity)Credit Card Debt - ~$600 in payments ($25000 total)Groceries - ~$600 - $700 Car Fuel - ~$300Bills -  ~$180 (Cell Phone, Internet, Netflix)This leaves ~$250 - $300 per month for savings/Dr.

It's what us southerners and our south is known for... it's deep in our blood.  

Trail cameras, they can be attached to your cell account for $10 a month.

On the other hand if you want some spending cash, you can flip cell phones or thrift store items on ebay and Amazon.