This week I finally got my garden planted. Shayne built me a raised bed from some ancient lumber my mom had up in her garage rafters, and we filled it with organic soil and compost (total cost = $20). I bought some broccoli and two types of tomato plants from the greenhouse, plus started my own broccoli, carrot, and tomato seeds. The carrots didn't make it, but everything else is in the ground and starting to grow. When the seedlings are a little bigger I should mulch to help keep the moisture in, but I'm happy for now.
Since I plan to continue to grow my produce or buy it in-season from the farmer's market, I've had to learn new and different ways of storing food. Last year was something of an experiment; I had never frozen or canned a fruit or veggie in my life. I had mixed success with the freezing. The broccoli turned soggy, and the carrots were kind of... spongy. The corn, peas, and beans were great. After talking to people who know much more than me, I learned what I had probably done wrong. First, the veggies weren't dry when I bagged and froze them. Second, since I just sucked the air out of the baggies with a straw, they got freezer burn.
A vacuum sealer was recommended to me to keep my frozen produce from getting freezer burn. Since I don't yet know if it will really work and I don't have a lot of spare money to spend, I picked up a Reynolds HandiVac. Using special zip-top baggies, this little contraption sucks all the air out of the bag and supposedly keeps food fresher, longer. I used it to suck the air out of bags of sausages and peppers, then tossed them in the freezer. After a week, both packages looked fine. There didn't appear to be any leaks, which was the main complaint on the reviews. When I pulled out the peppers to use them, I did notice a bit of frost on the areas where the bag hadn't been sucked in enough to touch the food. The places were there were no air pockets (98% of the whole), looked fine. The peppers are still in there, 3 weeks later, and there is no freezer burn on them at all. I intentionally ran my trial in the upstairs freezer, since it seems to burn food faster than the one downstairs, possibly because it's opened more often...? So, for a $10 investment, I'm pretty happy! It might not be as powerful or versatile as a "real" vacuum sealer, but it seems to do what I need it to do.
As for the work on the house... It's still coming along. I can't decide if it's nice or frustrating to have someone else doing the work for us. On one hand, I can just sit back and watch it all happen. On the other hand, I'm relying on other people and working around their schedules. Although... Considering the speed at which we normally operate (S-L-O-W), this is probably an improvement! Currently, the office walls are pretty much done and just need to be sanded. The ceiling is in the process of being patched. We're almost there...!
The electrician showed up and found that the knob-and-tube is live and powers half of the upstairs, including the ceiling fan in our bedroom. The good news is that she didn't think it would be all that difficult to run a new line up from the breaker. She's coming back tomorrow to get started on that, as well as installing the wiring for a ceiling fan.
I'm thinking that within 2 weeks, we'll be tearing apart the master bedroom closet to install drywall and frame the "new" divider between it and the office closet. As quickly as Tony works when it's just taping and hanging, it'll probably only be another week after that before we're ready to paint and refinish the floors.
Which is good, since I'll be giving birth in about 3 and a half months... Yeek!
5/25/2009
5/24/2009
Dave Ramsey is my new hero...
Back in December I wrote about how we planned to use Dave's principles to help us get out of debt. Since then we've gotten a little derailed by having to save extra money for when I'll be off work with the baby, but I still managed to pay extra on my student loans. As of yesterday I paid off a third student loan, leaving us with one more student loan and our car payment. I also decided that, even though I rarely carry a balance on our Visa, it was time to get rid of it. It's now in little plastic pieces in the trash.
I'm amazed at how difficult it was to cut up that one little card. Seriously, you'd think it had been in the family for years or something! Oh wait, I guess it had.... I guess it was kind of serving as a false security blanket. I would always think, "Oh if there's an emergency, we can just put "it" on the credit card." Stupid, especially since we've always had a savings account. We know from personal experience that emergencies happen. At least once a year, something unexpected will happen, whether it's a medical expense, pet illness/injury, broken appliance, or whatever. Especially with an old home, surprises are bound to happen. So why should it be a surprise? I know something will happen. I know something will go wrong. Why did it take so long to realize that my dumb ass should just plan for it? Then it's not an "emergency". Duh.
I've also finally taken the time to draw up a budget. And we're going to stick to it. I have a hard time keeping on a budget when I use a debit card. I can never remember how much I have left in each category, and I never carry anything over from the month before. If I have extra, I'll either spend it somewhere else or toss it in savings. Then, when the car needs a repair, I'll have to take the money back out of savings. It works, but it's not easy for me to keep track of. So, I'm going to give the "envelope system" a try.
Basically, this is a series of envelopes that are labelled with each category. Things like groceries, eating out, entertainment, car repairs, gas, etc. This way I know exactly how much money is left for each category, and I have to actually think about the money I'm spending. Even though debit comes out of our checking account, it just never seems like real money. I'll still use the debit for utilities or other recurring or online payments, but I think our spending will be much easier to track if I use cash and then put the receipts into the envelope the money came out of.
Even though we haven't been able to follow Dave's plan to the letter, I'm very pleased at the progress we're making. Thankfully we've never done anything really stupid with our money. We aren't behind on payments, we've always saved some of our money, and I've always been something of a frugal spender. We're very fortunate that we've not had any big personal or financial disasters. But we've not been doing anything smart with our money, either. At least we're finally learning how to tell our money where to go and how to make it work for us. Better late than never!
I'm amazed at how difficult it was to cut up that one little card. Seriously, you'd think it had been in the family for years or something! Oh wait, I guess it had.... I guess it was kind of serving as a false security blanket. I would always think, "Oh if there's an emergency, we can just put "it" on the credit card." Stupid, especially since we've always had a savings account. We know from personal experience that emergencies happen. At least once a year, something unexpected will happen, whether it's a medical expense, pet illness/injury, broken appliance, or whatever. Especially with an old home, surprises are bound to happen. So why should it be a surprise? I know something will happen. I know something will go wrong. Why did it take so long to realize that my dumb ass should just plan for it? Then it's not an "emergency". Duh.
I've also finally taken the time to draw up a budget. And we're going to stick to it. I have a hard time keeping on a budget when I use a debit card. I can never remember how much I have left in each category, and I never carry anything over from the month before. If I have extra, I'll either spend it somewhere else or toss it in savings. Then, when the car needs a repair, I'll have to take the money back out of savings. It works, but it's not easy for me to keep track of. So, I'm going to give the "envelope system" a try.
Basically, this is a series of envelopes that are labelled with each category. Things like groceries, eating out, entertainment, car repairs, gas, etc. This way I know exactly how much money is left for each category, and I have to actually think about the money I'm spending. Even though debit comes out of our checking account, it just never seems like real money. I'll still use the debit for utilities or other recurring or online payments, but I think our spending will be much easier to track if I use cash and then put the receipts into the envelope the money came out of.
Even though we haven't been able to follow Dave's plan to the letter, I'm very pleased at the progress we're making. Thankfully we've never done anything really stupid with our money. We aren't behind on payments, we've always saved some of our money, and I've always been something of a frugal spender. We're very fortunate that we've not had any big personal or financial disasters. But we've not been doing anything smart with our money, either. At least we're finally learning how to tell our money where to go and how to make it work for us. Better late than never!
5/18/2009
I want!
Sometimes, I feel like I have about as much patience as the average 3 year old. Even thought I want to live a simple life (and am succeeding for the most part), some days it feels like I want so many things that I just can't have. It seems ironic that the simple life comes with its own set of wants, even though living simply should be steering me away from "superficial" desires.
Since we bought the Prairie Box, we have been living quite frugally overall. Aside from our front-loading HE washing machine, I can't think of any large items we've purchased brand new. Through craigslist and other secondhand venues, I've managed to find a barely used Trek bicycle, a great 1973 John Deere lawn tractor, mission-style dining set, and all of our large baby-related items, plus several pieces of antique furniture. Everything we've bought, we've made sure it is a quality item that will last for a long time. I buy clothes on ebay and from secondhand stores (though I do sneak in some new stuff now and then!). In our remodel, we're using salvaged items where possible, like woodwork and doors. And, we're retaining original features that other people might have just trashed, like repairing the plaster instead of replacing with drywall.
I don't regret any of these decisions or feel deprived in any way. I'm satisfied with our lifestyle and feel blessed to have as much as we do. Because we're not in debt up to our eyeballs, when we do need or want something, we can go out and buy it without feeling guilty. But my "simple life" wants aren't quite in the same league. We can't just run out and buy a perfectly maintained old farmhouse on 10 acres, complete with a vintage barn, pastures, a pond, and woods... I can't put 3 chickens and 2 goats on our little half-acre. With all the house work, plus preparing for a baby, I'll be lucky if the 4' by 8' garden bed gets put in.
The idea of the "perfect homestead" haunts me. It pops into my head whenever I'm frustrated with our neighbors, or a loud train rumbles by, or the church on the corner plays its fake bell music for 30 minutes every noon and evening. I daydream of sitting on my back porch, watching the sun rise, and not having a neighbor within sight. I think about how wonderful it would be to watch our children playing with the chickens or chasing frogs by our pond.
I browse the real estate listings, and it's somewhat reassuring to see that our perfect home isn't on the market yet. Some are close. Some make me jealous. But none are quite "right". I truly believe that God helped us to find the Prairie Box; I haven't yet found a house for the same price that is even close to as perfect as this one has been. It's our stepping stone. Through this house, we've learned what we want and need in a home. It's helped us to chose a lifestyle that's simpler and easier on the planet. It's taught me a lot about renovating and restoring an old home. These are all lessons we will take with us.
I believe that when the time is right, God will again provide us with our ideal home. I just wish I wasn't so impatient! In the meantime, though, I can still look out the windows and enjoy our little slice of almost-country life. I can learn more about gardening, canning, and animal husbandry. I can continue to un-remuddle our poor little house. And I can practice being happy with what I have, probably the most important thing I can learn...
Since we bought the Prairie Box, we have been living quite frugally overall. Aside from our front-loading HE washing machine, I can't think of any large items we've purchased brand new. Through craigslist and other secondhand venues, I've managed to find a barely used Trek bicycle, a great 1973 John Deere lawn tractor, mission-style dining set, and all of our large baby-related items, plus several pieces of antique furniture. Everything we've bought, we've made sure it is a quality item that will last for a long time. I buy clothes on ebay and from secondhand stores (though I do sneak in some new stuff now and then!). In our remodel, we're using salvaged items where possible, like woodwork and doors. And, we're retaining original features that other people might have just trashed, like repairing the plaster instead of replacing with drywall.
I don't regret any of these decisions or feel deprived in any way. I'm satisfied with our lifestyle and feel blessed to have as much as we do. Because we're not in debt up to our eyeballs, when we do need or want something, we can go out and buy it without feeling guilty. But my "simple life" wants aren't quite in the same league. We can't just run out and buy a perfectly maintained old farmhouse on 10 acres, complete with a vintage barn, pastures, a pond, and woods... I can't put 3 chickens and 2 goats on our little half-acre. With all the house work, plus preparing for a baby, I'll be lucky if the 4' by 8' garden bed gets put in.
The idea of the "perfect homestead" haunts me. It pops into my head whenever I'm frustrated with our neighbors, or a loud train rumbles by, or the church on the corner plays its fake bell music for 30 minutes every noon and evening. I daydream of sitting on my back porch, watching the sun rise, and not having a neighbor within sight. I think about how wonderful it would be to watch our children playing with the chickens or chasing frogs by our pond.
I browse the real estate listings, and it's somewhat reassuring to see that our perfect home isn't on the market yet. Some are close. Some make me jealous. But none are quite "right". I truly believe that God helped us to find the Prairie Box; I haven't yet found a house for the same price that is even close to as perfect as this one has been. It's our stepping stone. Through this house, we've learned what we want and need in a home. It's helped us to chose a lifestyle that's simpler and easier on the planet. It's taught me a lot about renovating and restoring an old home. These are all lessons we will take with us.
I believe that when the time is right, God will again provide us with our ideal home. I just wish I wasn't so impatient! In the meantime, though, I can still look out the windows and enjoy our little slice of almost-country life. I can learn more about gardening, canning, and animal husbandry. I can continue to un-remuddle our poor little house. And I can practice being happy with what I have, probably the most important thing I can learn...
5/12/2009
Hall closet? Check!
Tony the Drywall Guy made big progress today. He was only here about an hour, but he "patched" the former office closet over, making it once again a hall closet. See?
Of course, when we bought the house, the room was nicely finished in wallpaper-covered paneling, and the door opening was trimmed with el cheapo builder's special trim...
I'm so excited to have real progress that actually makes a difference in the function of the house. Once the office closet is completed, the hall closet will become a place to store linens, the vacuum cleaner, and seasonal items like coats and extra blankets.
Wow, you know you've really hit adulthood when you get excited about things like closets...
Tony will be back on Friday, hopefully with an electrician. Then the knob and tube will be taken care of, and we'll have a new ceiling fan hookup.
I don't really have any great "before" pictures, but I suppose this gives you an idea of what it used to be:
I'm so excited to have real progress that actually makes a difference in the function of the house. Once the office closet is completed, the hall closet will become a place to store linens, the vacuum cleaner, and seasonal items like coats and extra blankets.
Wow, you know you've really hit adulthood when you get excited about things like closets...
Tony will be back on Friday, hopefully with an electrician. Then the knob and tube will be taken care of, and we'll have a new ceiling fan hookup.
5/10/2009
Wow, I really can keep a secret!
But today I decided it's been long enough... As of this week, I am 20 weeks pregnant!!
That's one of the reasons I went on a posting hiatus at the beginning of the year. I felt awful for the first 15 weeks. Morning sickness doesn't even begin to describe it. Thankfully after about 12 weeks, I started getting some energy back, but the nausea didn't stop for another month or so. Still, during that time we were busy squirrelling away baby bargains that we found secondhand. So far we've managed to find a crib/changing table/dresser combo, bassinet, swing, bouncer, a Pottery Barn bedding set, a small dresser, a rocking chair, and a Jeep jogging stroller. And I think our grand total is still under $500. I'm so cheap. Er, I mean "frugal".
Now that I feel better, we're working on the house a little more. Tony the Drywall Guy has been dilligently working on the office walls, and he's finished the skimcoating. This week, he's going to install the 4.5' by 8' "patch" where the PPOs made a closet opening.
Tony also helped us find out that the knob and tube we found is indeed live. Yay... Fortunately, he also knows trustworthy electricians, and he's acting as a GC to get one here and working. Tony is our new hero. We're going to have the electrician remove the k&t as well as install wiring for a ceiling fan. I might also have him look at the two outlets in the living room that suddenly stopped working...
The next stage of our project will be rebuilding the two closets between the bedrooms. Considering the small space and the amount of damage done, I think we're just going to gut and drywall. There's just not enough plaster left to even try to save it. Considering how small the space is and how quickly Tony works, that should be a two-day project once we get there.
Amazing. The end is near!
That's one of the reasons I went on a posting hiatus at the beginning of the year. I felt awful for the first 15 weeks. Morning sickness doesn't even begin to describe it. Thankfully after about 12 weeks, I started getting some energy back, but the nausea didn't stop for another month or so. Still, during that time we were busy squirrelling away baby bargains that we found secondhand. So far we've managed to find a crib/changing table/dresser combo, bassinet, swing, bouncer, a Pottery Barn bedding set, a small dresser, a rocking chair, and a Jeep jogging stroller. And I think our grand total is still under $500. I'm so cheap. Er, I mean "frugal".
Now that I feel better, we're working on the house a little more. Tony the Drywall Guy has been dilligently working on the office walls, and he's finished the skimcoating. This week, he's going to install the 4.5' by 8' "patch" where the PPOs made a closet opening.
Tony also helped us find out that the knob and tube we found is indeed live. Yay... Fortunately, he also knows trustworthy electricians, and he's acting as a GC to get one here and working. Tony is our new hero. We're going to have the electrician remove the k&t as well as install wiring for a ceiling fan. I might also have him look at the two outlets in the living room that suddenly stopped working...
The next stage of our project will be rebuilding the two closets between the bedrooms. Considering the small space and the amount of damage done, I think we're just going to gut and drywall. There's just not enough plaster left to even try to save it. Considering how small the space is and how quickly Tony works, that should be a two-day project once we get there.
Amazing. The end is near!
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