Valhalla is going to cost a lot of money, but it won't be expensive.
Think about that sentence, twice. Here it is again: Valhalla is going to cost a lot of money, but it won't be expensive.
How will that be possible? Through a frugality program that will dramatically reduce operations costs, facilitate and expedite financial accounting tasks, and also teach Valhallans how they too - as individuals - can live well while spending less than they ever did before.
A fun introduction to saving money: cracking down on grocery costs
Take a few minutes to watch only one of the techniques that Valhalla's frugality program will employ and will be teaching:
To begin with, Valhalla must have a general policy of never paying the full retail price for anything. This means waiting until a necessary item goes on sale, or better yet, buying quality-used items instead of brand-new ones.
There's no good reason to buy a brand-new electrical generator if a comparible used one can be found on Craigslist or at an auction for half the regular retail price. It would be irresponsible to buy a hugely expensive new truck for mere farm and construction work when a pleasantly battered - yet mechanically sound - used truck could easily be found for only a few thousand dollars.
Equipment that would only occasionally needed, such as a ditch witch for digging trenches, should be rented rather than purchased. On the other hand, items such as a concrete mixer for mixing earthen plasters will undoubtedly be used very regulary and should therefore be purchased new (when they are on sale, of course).
Unique to Valhalla: a Savings Meter
It's hard to go anywhere nowadays without seeing large meters showing nonprofit or civic organizations' fundraising goals and the amounts that they have collected to date.
The problem is, meters such as the one shown on the left fail to communicate anything at all about the organization's ability to properly manage the funds that they receive. I always wonder how much an organization spends on salaries and administrative costs, and wonder about what their fiscal priorities really are.
We therefore came up with way to quickly show donors where Valhalla priorities are: through a money saved meter that would be prominently displayed on Valhalla's public website, as well as in our fundraising materials and annual reports.
The regularly updated savings meter would reflect only the amounts of money saved in purchases and operating costs (as opposed to money held in a savings account). Clicking on the meter would then pop up a spreadsheet showing individual purchases with each item's original price, the sale price actually paid, and the amount saved.
In this way donors will be confident that fiscal responsibility is a top Valhalla priority, while the Valhallans themselves will learn new dollar-stretching skills that can enhance their own lives -- and their own personal bank accounts!
Think about that sentence, twice. Here it is again: Valhalla is going to cost a lot of money, but it won't be expensive.
How will that be possible? Through a frugality program that will dramatically reduce operations costs, facilitate and expedite financial accounting tasks, and also teach Valhallans how they too - as individuals - can live well while spending less than they ever did before.
A fun introduction to saving money: cracking down on grocery costs
Take a few minutes to watch only one of the techniques that Valhalla's frugality program will employ and will be teaching:
Pretty amazing, and we're already implimenting some of these techniques in our personal household while tracking our savings on a spreadsheet. Each month we add up what we've saved on groceries and other purchases, then deposit that same amount into a special savings account. It really is like a fun new hobby to watch that account grow.
Valhalla will eventually save even more by producing the vegetables, meats and dairy products necessary for feeding our target population of 50, although it will naturally take some time before we reach full capacity on food production. In the meantime, coupons and stockpiling will help to keep costs down.
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Very Important and Surprising Reality:
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Rent vs. Buy vs. New vs. Quality-Used
To begin with, Valhalla must have a general policy of never paying the full retail price for anything. This means waiting until a necessary item goes on sale, or better yet, buying quality-used items instead of brand-new ones.
There's no good reason to buy a brand-new electrical generator if a comparible used one can be found on Craigslist or at an auction for half the regular retail price. It would be irresponsible to buy a hugely expensive new truck for mere farm and construction work when a pleasantly battered - yet mechanically sound - used truck could easily be found for only a few thousand dollars.
Equipment that would only occasionally needed, such as a ditch witch for digging trenches, should be rented rather than purchased. On the other hand, items such as a concrete mixer for mixing earthen plasters will undoubtedly be used very regulary and should therefore be purchased new (when they are on sale, of course).
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Honor donors by caring for every penny they give:
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It's hard to go anywhere nowadays without seeing large meters showing nonprofit or civic organizations' fundraising goals and the amounts that they have collected to date.The problem is, meters such as the one shown on the left fail to communicate anything at all about the organization's ability to properly manage the funds that they receive. I always wonder how much an organization spends on salaries and administrative costs, and wonder about what their fiscal priorities really are.
 |
MONEY WE HAVE SAVED
on Valhalla operations and
equipment costs this year
(example)
|
The regularly updated savings meter would reflect only the amounts of money saved in purchases and operating costs (as opposed to money held in a savings account). Clicking on the meter would then pop up a spreadsheet showing individual purchases with each item's original price, the sale price actually paid, and the amount saved.
In this way donors will be confident that fiscal responsibility is a top Valhalla priority, while the Valhallans themselves will learn new dollar-stretching skills that can enhance their own lives -- and their own personal bank accounts!
Related Materials From Our Library
Our IRS application for nonprofit
status is being processed,
yet you can still donate to help Valhalla today!
yet you can still donate to help Valhalla today!
