In 2000, noncapital living expenses of 1,087 farm families enrolled in the Illinois Farm Business Farm Management Association (FBFM) averaged $42,544 for the year or, in other words, $3,545 per month (Table 1). The average noncapital living expense in 2000 was 4.1 percent higher than 1999 and 6.1 percent higher than in 1998. Another $4,982 was used to buy capital items such as the personal share of the family automobile, furniture, and household equipment. Thus, the grand total for living expenses averaged $47,526 for 2000 compared with $45,225 for 1999, or a $2,301 increase per family. The average amount spent per family for capital items was $611 more, while noncapital expenses increased $1,690 per family. The sample farms were mainly grain farms located primarily in central and northern Illinois.
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