A Message From the Owner:

Going Out of Business

After giving it a lot of thought, I have decided to close down Sagebrush Woodcrafts. There are a lot of reasons for this, but a good part of it is because business has been kind of slow this year, and honestly, I don’t see it getting any better anytime soon. It’s hard for people to afford nice things when they’re struggling to pay for housing.

Another reason is because, well, part of the reason I started this business is because I’m disabled and can’t really work full-time. It was supposed to be a way to supplement my income. So fun fact: when you’re disabled and on SSI (or if you’re on SSDI and receive medicaid), you can’t have more than $2,000 in the bank. That limit has not been changed since 1984. Additionally, if you’re on SSI, you can only make $65 before they start reducing your payments by half of what you make beyond that (So if you make $66, your payments go down by $0.50). That $65 income exclusion has been the same since the program was established in 1972. When you’re self-employed, they determine your monthly income by dividing your annual income by 12, which kind of makes sense, but if you see most of your income during a particular season, it can make things rough during the off-season. Honestly, the only reason I haven’t had any issues with that so far is because I’ve been able to put my extra money into a Special Needs Trust, which is fine for saving for big expenses like new tools and stuff, but when you need money for just the more routine things, well, it’s very demoralizing having to ask permission from someone else (the trustee, in this case) to pay for your own business expenses. And the absolute worst case scenario is that, if I make more than a certain amount (I’m only talking about $4,000-5,000 annually, which isn’t much), I’d risk financial disaster because my payments would go down, my income-based rent would go up, and the asset limit would keep me from setting enough money aside to pay my bills during the off-season).


That’s what I’ve been dealing with for the last few years, and even though I’m switching to Disabled Adult Child benefits (basically SSDI based on my parents’ work history, which I’m eligible for now that my father is receiving retirement benefits) which doesn’t have asset limits or payments that change based on income, Medicaid still has them, and my increased benefits aren’t enough for me to be able to pay for my healthcare without Medicaid. Additionally, having to report my income to three separate government organizations is a huge hassle and honestly, it’s become increasingly difficult to manage that on top of making new products, planning which shows to attend, and all the other stuff I’d rather be devoting my very limited physical and mental energy toward. I just can’t do it anymore.


It’s been a fun experience and I am so glad to have spent the last 9 years doing this and to have met every single one of you who has stopped by my booth and ordered through my website. But now, it’s time for me to move on to other things. I’ll be having a sale very soon though, so definitely keep your eyes on my website and Facebook page. It will be a good time to get some holiday gifts for really cheap.


Farewell for now

-Evan Fritz (Owner)