To Do List....

it just keeps growing and growing.

I started pricing out storage sheds today...the current place has lots of basement type storage (sorely lacking in the in house storage area however) for tools and lawn equipment.  The new place...not so much.

At first I thought about one of those rent to own sheds but upon doing the math and such decided that I'm quite happy with one of those $300 (or less) metal sheds that Tanker, me and my bro (once properly bribed with a meal) can throw together.  All we really need it for is lawn equipment...there is plenty of storage space for my beloved power tools in the house until we're ready to build a real garage/workshop.  $300 spent (plus the cost of bribing my brother) is a whole sight better than $2k or more.

And it's all about saving monies, don't ya know!

Speaking of saving monies...okay, not that this is exactly SAVING money but when I get the distinct pleasure of furnishing a house that is twice the size of what we are currently in this is sorta saving (really it is)...I'm so super excited about this:

400 mile Yard Sale

The weekend after we move...close to our little area...a massive playground in which I get to frolic about in hopes of finding treasures to assist in filling in the spaces our severe lack of furniture will leave.  I'm hoping to find some goodies on the cheap that a little TLC can spruce right on up...I'm handy with a paint brush, staple gun, fabric and sander among other things.  Let me at 'em!  If all goes well, I'll bore you to bits with before, during and after shots.  Fingers crossed that all goes well....I've really got to be finding more chairs to cozy up to the massive dining room table I have plans to build!

All of that, of course, hinges on finding hidden treasures cheap.  I know, it can be done.  I'm keeping the budget on the shopping fun low however.  As much as I would love to go and spend thousands bedecking the grand ol' Victorian out in true style...I know that on a cash only diet that's just not feasible.

But I'll sure try!

Learning Curves....(and Lumpia)

I have a bunch of friends struggling with what we'll call "the new normal"...they had been accustomed to living high without a care, racking up credit debt...they are now not living so high and learning to live on a much tighter budget.  They are experiencing a learning curve.

In the past week I've gotten no less than 10 emails or FB messages from said friends; wondering how we did it for so long, living on just above minimum wage but still slowly bringing down debt.

Um...prioritize.

Stop planning those vacations to Florida...stop buying the rapidly growing children brand new expensive clothing...thrift, stay home and hang, find local FREE entertainment.

I tend to forget that people are really just looking for an easy answer because honestly, that is stuff they all know really.  And I know they all know how to use Google.

Now...on to more important things....Lumpia.

H/T Google for the random image that came up during a search.

I adore them...I crave them...I need a good recipe for them.

Yes, I googled.

There are a half dozen now bookmarked and saved in my "Cook Me!" file.  But if, by some random chance, you have a recipe you love...share...pretty please!

(Clickity an ad, if you will, perhaps the large one down below...no purchase necessary...another pretty please!)

Ugh....Just Ugh!

I swear, going over the budget and working out the numbers is going to be the death of me.  Why in the world I ever thought a career in Finance would work out is beyond me.

Math R hard.

I hates it.

It is not my precious...it's a filthy little hobbits.

Okay...geek-freak out complete.

The good news is that I've pretty well got everything worked out.  Thankfully.  Or I would have eventually found myself offering up a child sacrifice to Mammon.

Oh and the gofundme is gone.  We will do it all on our own.  It is our responsibility to deal with.

Also a decision that was made after seeing how a friend in "desperate" need whined about how though the need that was not a need but a want was met, it was not met fast enough to suit.  This hurt because I assisted in meeting some of the "need" and did a pass on items for my own spawns' holiday to do so (it was only two books worth but still).  It also brought to light (because it finally happened in a way that hurt) that we overlook our own needs so often that it puts us in a bind, like now.  A fiver or ten spot here and there adds up...and after looking over the financials from last year, I realized how many of those went elsewhere and not to our dwindling savings.

Not this year.

No, we won't be going full selfish mode.  But we will do a double check on where we stand before we offer help from now on.  There will be deep thought put into monetary donations from this point on.

That being said....next week a trip into town with several bags of outgrown but entirely serviceable clothing will be made so that they may find their way into the donation bin.  There will, hopefully, be several boxes of kitchenware and the likes as well.

The purge is underway.

(P.S.  Click an ad if you would please....you don't have to buy anything...you don't even have to look if you don't want...but your click might, just might, help my adsense account reach the minimum for the first time EVER.)

Reassessment Time....

a move is in our future...again.

Don't get me wrong...we really do love the house, mostly.  There have been several issues pop up over the last month however that go to show us that the landlord had his crew rush to finish...and they finished badly.  All issues that he will be fixing, eventually.

The big thing for us is lack of land and selling price.  We sit on a half acre lot and have use of the adjacent half acre lot.  Unfortunately, the landlord is suffering under the delusion that the property is worth a lot...I'm sure it was, a couple of years ago.  But now, with no less than 5 homes for sale in a half mile radius...all for less or equal the amount he's asking (and the equal amount ones have way more land attached and more amenities)...his asking price is too high for us to say for sure we'll be buying at the end of our lease.

There are dozens of other properties, with large amounts of land (LARGE amounts...cannot stress that enough) that are in the same price range as this one.  We're talking double digit acreage...with a home....with streams/creeks/river frontage, barns, sheds, etc.  Of course, none of these fit our needs (ability to lease) when we moved back to KY...they still don't with the whole leasing thing.  But when the time comes to buy....they'll fit nicely in the bracket we intend to spend.

Naturally, we are aware that they likely won't be available (maybe...depends) when we're ready to buy...but we can hope.

Most will require a move further north in the State...not much further but some....a few are actually considerably closer to the School for the Deaf (which we are still assuming the eldest will need...assessments still pending there).  I do hate to move the screamers to yet another new school...their current one is ranked right up there with their last in how eager and willing they were to work with us on the eldest screamer's IEP.  Thankfully, my spawn are made of willow and bend with the wind.  Good thing since the wind tends to blow us a bit of everywhere.

So we begin with the whittling down of luxuries (not that there are a lot) to quicken the growth of our personal down payment fund (as the one the landlord is supposedly building will be null and void with our decision to not purchase...note that I am seriously doubting he is actually putting any percentage of our rent into any kind of account except his own personal one) along with saving up to get the junker Durango fixed (still so beyond pissed over that) because we just can't take the hit to the credit that trading it in on another vehicle (and getting a new loan) would give.  Thankfully....we've got time.  Not much...but time.

We hope.

$5 and a Big Pickle Jar...

So we have a few of those industrial size pickle jars (don't judge our love of pickles) and I read somewhere (probably Pinterest) about a lady that takes every $5 bill she get and puts it back.  In something like 7 years, she amassed over $20k...just sticking back every $5.

Pickle jar...you are about to become an experiment.  Starting sometime next month, the pickle jar will become the $5 jar.  A second one will become loose change jar.  (Note:  I should probably put one in my car as there is currently at least $4 worth of change hanging out in just the door pocket thingy right now.)

Since we will be transitioning from using debit for everything BACK to cash (with the exception of bills that are already set to be paid through ACH/Debit) only, we're sure to land on a Fiver now and again.  And change, oh boy...that will always be a given.  Tanker is down with the plan.  We both have noticed that we spend considerably more money paying via debit...so cash only and saving every little cent it is (literally).

Call it an experiment in curiosity more than anything.  We know what we spend via debit (it's there for me to see, download and pour over anytime I want).  Now we want to see how we'll do via cash only.

Confession...we aren't used to having the income we have now.  We're used to living on half the amount.  We went through a period of not knowing what to do with ourselves and wasting money.  It became easy to see it, want it, buy it.  And we found the screamers coming down with serious cases of the 'gimme' disease.  No more.

Spending like that didn't make us happy or make us better people.  It just gave us more crap to pack up and move or sell.  A flippin' headache.

Now, we're pretending that we're bringing in what we're accustomed to.  I don't check the balance after all the bills are paid and we have a set amount each pay period budgeted for groceries, gas and entertainment.  You know what, this month has been a good month for us.  Hopefully it's a preview of the new norm.

This Month....

has played hell on me.

Budget all out of whack, body all out of whack, brain all out of whack.

The budget was an easy fix...stop fixing things until the 'Stead is in our name.  The rent on this place is nearly twice what our mortgage payment is going to be (go figure).

Body, not such an easy fix...some kind of bug has taken up residence and is refusing to budge.  No, not been to the doc because right now the insurance has my PCP as some doctor that's 3+ hours away...um, no.  So just battling on as I can, missing work off and on...good thing it's just a temp job right now and my sales numbers are good or they'd boot me.

Brain...well, that goes along with the body.  Just tired.  And when it's time for bed, wired.  I really need an off switch installed up there.

In other news, the garden is coming along nicely...I sold a bunch of chicks and adults....hatched out more...got more heirloom seeds in today...strawberries are in the ground (mostly)...orchard is popping right along.

I leave you with last week's pic of a row of peas....straight lines are overrated.

Job Huntin'....Again

Yes, I still have the job at McD's...but let's face it...I'm the breadwinner now and minimum wage ain't winning bread.  I've not worked since mid-October due to a SURPRISE pregnancy followed promptly by an even bigger SURPRISE miscarriage.  No worries, I'm alright with it (mentally and physically) as I had zero time to even get excited or think about the prospect of another screamer roaming the world.  However, it did require some leave from work.

Top that joyous fun of with taking youngest screamer to the doc late last month for a random cough/cold/bug thing only to get told "hey, I'm sending you to a Pediatric Cardiologist"...good times folks, good times.  Of course, now we're in a rush to get everything with youngest screamer squared away before the TriCare runs out at the end of March and my crappy McD's insurance kicks in.  I should point out here, I will be working for insurance and gas money only if I don't find something better.

On average, a good full paycheck runs about $326 or so (give or take $50) every 2 weeks...insurance will run me $157.52 every 2 weeks...gas about $60 or so (depending on price fluctuations, etc) every two weeks.  That leaves less than $110 every two weeks to pay bills and get groceries.  You see, working for insurance...this will be the theme song of the country soon.  Oh and I should point out also....this is the minimum amount of coverage I can opt for.  Which also means co-pays on EVERYTHING and huge, massive deductibles.  The fun just keeps rolling on in!

But, we're still alive...still standing...and still holding it together.  For that, I'm thankful.

Now, I've got to go make a list of folks to call after the holiday so all checkups (eyes and ears for the blind and deaf in the house) can be done and done before all hell breaks loose.

Happy "We've Come to Convert You Savages" Day...or as most of you know it....Happy Thanksgiving!!


MATURE CONTENT....NOT SAFE FOR WORK (but funny as hell).

Land Ho!

It's official...we're taking the junk land owner plunge.  Nevada, watch out!

It took a little convincing, but I got Tanker to mull it over and look at the possibilities.  Never fear, it's all built into the budget...see, I was sneaky like that.  Debt free (at least Tanker will be, lol) and landowners (at last!) by this time next year.

I'm excited...it may be a good long time before we're actually on it but hey...it's a start, right?  Now to start reading up on gardening in that climate...ha!

It has been asked....

how I got started on this prep/survival trip. I haven't really shared that here but figured "what the hey"...may as well.

Back in 2006, shortly after the youngest screamer was born, the Spouse and myself decided it was time to put down some roots and buy a house. Being incredibly unversed in the process, we got screwed with some shady lending practices (oh, shock and disbelief) and ended up being reemed by a surprise tax and insurance bill the following year. We were under the impression that said taxes and insurance were escrowed into the mortgage...they were not...we were actually told by the lawyer rep'ing the mortgage company AT THE SIGNING that they were...they were not...the ORIGINAL loan docs said they were....the company that bought the loan chose not to honor that particular point in the contract and did not inform us of the change. Said taxes did eventually get escrowed into the mortgage BUT doubled the mortgage payment (nice, eh?). What would have been a non-issue the previous year was a serious issue. You see, about 5 months after purchasing, the Spouse lost his job on a technicality (which the same company used to release several of its long time, higher paid employees and hire lower paid temps...nice, eh?). The Spouse was making less than half of what he had been making at home purchase time and we were on a less than shoestring budget when the tax bomb dropped.

We fell behind...a lot. Long story short, the house went into forclosure and we jingle mailed the mortgage company. No way we were going to pay what would end up being 3x's the actual value of a house that was killing our youngest child without us knowing (different story, another time). We were essentially homeless. Everything went into a Uhaul and we moved from KY to MO, staying with my parents for 3 months before the Spouse became gainfully employed and we got our own place. Sounds like current events doesn't it? Only way earlier...call it a foretelling of the future, lol. In the end the mortgage company got their money via short sell and then some...no, we did not see the extra because they loopholed (wow, another shocker) by selling the house BACK to themselves then selling it to someone else. Just shows on the credit report as a closed account with late payments in 2008...go figure.

At any rate, that particular snafu in our lives led me to finding a way to pad our meager means. It became a slight obsession at first, the quest to keep us fed, clothed and no longer living paycheck to paycheck (not easy to do on $8hr for a family of four). To be honest, it took a very long time...to me at least. We're darn near there...no longer relying on the system to supplement our food needs, no debt other than fairly minor student loans and no longer living paycheck to paycheck. We have enough foodstuffs put by to last us quite a while if needed (though they will soon enough be on a boat to Germany) and I know that if I have to I can make the clothing we need in addition to other household stuff.

It's a nice place to be, this small comfort zone. But it's not complete, meaning I haven't relaxed. There is always something else that can be done to further the comfort, something else that can increase the self-reliance. This is a journey, a quest per se...how can X be done in a better way for example?

So there you have it...the story of how one "things" obsessed family became drawn to this lifestyle...or at least a part of it. The biggest part of it.

What I need is....

a miracle...what I need is you!! (whoa, 80's flashback)

Nah, seriously though...I could use something. Front upper and lower ball joints and an exhaust system for a 1989 Honda Civic (base, 4sp...why yes, Momma can drive a stick thank you very much). Anyone got one they want to get rid of? Really, I need 'em...bad. The Honda is parked until we can get her patched which means that Momma and the family is without transport. Well, there is my mother...but do I REALLY want to depend on her for the next bit...nah, didn't think so.

Go get a car, you says? Sure, why not...'cause I don't feel the need to mess with MO laws only to turn around and do it again when we go wherever we are going. Besides, the old girl (aka The Honda...not me) is still kickin' butt on the road. She just needs a little TLC is all. Plus the little red nugget (again, not me) gets something like 35mpg at last figure...I really, really can't beat that.

So, transportationless I be...for a bit. We'll get her patched before the end of November (I hope!!) but I'd love to not have to fork over $500 to do it...I have enough $$ going elsewhere as it is this month and not a bit to spare...sigh.

Commiserate with me?

The Under $100 Challenge

I've set myself up for failure...plain and simple. How? I've challenged myself to feed this family of four on less than $100 a week and feed us well. As in lots of fresh fruit and veggies, lean meats and no junk (aka processed/boxed foods). Not so easy during this time of year since I can't hit the farmers' market just yet, head to the parental figures' garden for a veggie raid or step out on the porch for homegrown goodies. Oh, can I throw in here that I don't often have coupons that I use because well...let's face it...the off brand is generally cheaper anyway.

In theory, it should work. I have the menus for the month planned out pretty much, but will be shopping weekly instead of all at once (that allows for a switch up of meals if wanted). I have some 'cheating' help in the form of WIC for the youngest screamer that negates a bit of milk, eggs and cheese along with juice and dry cereal (oh, way too much dry cereal really...you should see all the freakin' boxes around here). PLUS, I will still be adding to the preps a little each week. It's feasible to do this, but the question remains...can I?

Should be interesting to see, eh?