I don't have many bee colonies, and I don't sell a lot of honey but I figured by the selling of my honey the second year I was breaking even or a little ahead. That's with buy my bees, jars and part of my extractor and building the rest of it. getting my jars from wally world and labels printed at Office Depot.
I also have a great wife that helps with the extraction. And a couple of years ago my old tractor needed a new pressure plate($1100)price of part. and you have to take it apart to put it in. She asked me Wouldn't you like to just buy a newer tractor, bought a 72 hp Massey with a large frontend loader and a metal canopy. She bought me the 9mm with green dot laser for Christmas, and just got a new Carbon Express Intercept supercoil crossbow and she said you will need some more bolts don't you(it came with 4x32scope, quiver and 3 bolts with 100 and 125 grain field tips) So I did get a dozen more Carbon Express 52113 Maxima 20" bolts and 3 packs of broadheads. Told you I have a great wife.
Good luck to you all,
Joe D