Last year I cooked three large dinners to commemorate Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Each get-together took place the day before each holiday. I decided to do the same this year and had my first get-together last night.
It was a little small, but I still spent eight hours cooking creepy food. I made homemade veggie ravioli with pesto (zombie guts), zucchini bread (slug muffins), a veggie plate with zucchini, tomatoes, squash, carrots, and bell peppers, and Darling prepared skull-and-crossbones potato salad (the taters were skull shaped, and sliced olives created huge eye sockets). For dessert I served "Snot Pudding", which contained lemon pudding mix, key lime juice, tofu, cranberry concentrate, banana, and a sprinkling of fresh mint. The pudding was very unevenly blended, so the flavors were all distinct, a strange mix of sweet and sour that proved too creepy for some of the kids in attendance :)
Now to start thinking about Thanksgiving...
Friday, October 31, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
One Sep Forward, Two Steps Back
I admit to feeling a little panicked about our increasing expenses this month. In the past few weeks, Darling and I have taken on lawyer bills, new family debt repayment, health and life insurance payments, the deferment period ended on my student loan, and the price of monthly bus tickets increased from $10/month to $18/month - doubling our transportation costs! We officially have higher expenses than expected income, and it maybe months before Darling can legally embark on the job hunt.
In the past, the first expense I look to cut is food. We've been spending about $70 a week on groceries for the past month, and we can live on half that. Not this month, however. We're on the cusp of the holiday season, and it's often now that I buy the baking goods - nuts, cocoa, coconut, molasses, and brown sugar - that will see us through the rest of the year's desserts. This year we're developing our food storage skills and trying to put some of this fall produce aside to be enjoyed midwinter. This is not the time to say no to fresh fruit and veg. Most importantly, cooking is the most economical way of heating the house, and consuming more calories produces personal insulation.
I'm hoping to cut down on our bills substantially now that a/c season is over, and our landlord is changing our phone package to include long distance, which will create a substantial savings. Other than that, I'm not sure where we can dig up some savings without abandoning our new insurance policies...
In the past, the first expense I look to cut is food. We've been spending about $70 a week on groceries for the past month, and we can live on half that. Not this month, however. We're on the cusp of the holiday season, and it's often now that I buy the baking goods - nuts, cocoa, coconut, molasses, and brown sugar - that will see us through the rest of the year's desserts. This year we're developing our food storage skills and trying to put some of this fall produce aside to be enjoyed midwinter. This is not the time to say no to fresh fruit and veg. Most importantly, cooking is the most economical way of heating the house, and consuming more calories produces personal insulation.
I'm hoping to cut down on our bills substantially now that a/c season is over, and our landlord is changing our phone package to include long distance, which will create a substantial savings. Other than that, I'm not sure where we can dig up some savings without abandoning our new insurance policies...
Monday, October 27, 2008
Money Update
Did the money stuff today. This is the first time since June we've known we'd make rent more than a few days in advance. I also have money set aside for the bills the landlord hasn't gotten to us yet, have our first payment to our lawyer processing, and confirmed our Greenling account. I'm going to spend $20 today on groceries and fun stuff like that. I'm really tempted to stop into Breeds and purchase at least one more garlic plant with some of that grocery money. We don't, however, have the $100 I owe my brother (will pay him $150 next Monday), or have money set aside for our loan payment or Mom's phone bill (also postponed until next Monday).
I've been quite fortunate at work for the past couple of weeks, pulling in some of the best tips in my 1 1/2 years of being a waitresses. I hope that keeps up through the holidays. We received two letters from Homeland Security, one scary and the other encouraging. Darling has his third biometrics appointment in four years scheduled for November 7th. A few weeks after we'll find out whether we need another marriage validation interview. The first one was so easy, I suspect another will be a breeze. My husband and I are overwhelmingly in love, and I can't imagine that anyone could identify the sacrifices we've made for the sake of his residency as fraudulent.
I've been quite fortunate at work for the past couple of weeks, pulling in some of the best tips in my 1 1/2 years of being a waitresses. I hope that keeps up through the holidays. We received two letters from Homeland Security, one scary and the other encouraging. Darling has his third biometrics appointment in four years scheduled for November 7th. A few weeks after we'll find out whether we need another marriage validation interview. The first one was so easy, I suspect another will be a breeze. My husband and I are overwhelmingly in love, and I can't imagine that anyone could identify the sacrifices we've made for the sake of his residency as fraudulent.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
3rd Party Charges Revisited
Remember last month when my phone bill doubled and discovered the fraudulent 3rd Party Charges? I checked my bill for this month and discovered another $13 charged to my account from one of the same companies I'd complained about last month!
I called customer service and explained the situation, asking that the charges be removed considering I'd requested 3rd party protection last month. The woman assisting me explained that although I have 3rd Party protection, that only prevents new companies from getting my information - the corporations already stealing from me have every right to continue doing so!!!
She then went on to review the (close to $100) in charges they've billed me, going so far as to say - "oh, in September they were much cheaper."
"This is a totally fraudulent company!" I tried not to yell, "They are not doing me any favors stealing less one month!"
I then called the fraudulent company and was told that all charges would be credited back to my phone account, but they couldn't guarantee I'd be protected from future charges. I've been encouraged by thieves and my phone company alike to simply not pay that portion of my bill and wait for the credit, which will take two to three months. I have never paid a bill late; my utility accounts are my only source of credit! My credit score affects my ability to rent apartments and cars, and may affect my job opportunities! I cannot believe this ridiculous door to theft is left open for all land-line users, and consumers are expected to just play their idiotic games!
I called customer service and explained the situation, asking that the charges be removed considering I'd requested 3rd party protection last month. The woman assisting me explained that although I have 3rd Party protection, that only prevents new companies from getting my information - the corporations already stealing from me have every right to continue doing so!!!
She then went on to review the (close to $100) in charges they've billed me, going so far as to say - "oh, in September they were much cheaper."
"This is a totally fraudulent company!" I tried not to yell, "They are not doing me any favors stealing less one month!"
I then called the fraudulent company and was told that all charges would be credited back to my phone account, but they couldn't guarantee I'd be protected from future charges. I've been encouraged by thieves and my phone company alike to simply not pay that portion of my bill and wait for the credit, which will take two to three months. I have never paid a bill late; my utility accounts are my only source of credit! My credit score affects my ability to rent apartments and cars, and may affect my job opportunities! I cannot believe this ridiculous door to theft is left open for all land-line users, and consumers are expected to just play their idiotic games!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Basic Bread Recipe
This is My Basic Bread Recipe that I taught my beginner bakers. You'll notice that I use a minimum of tools, only one measuring cup, a regular spoon, and a large spoon.
I pour two cups of hot water straight from the facet into a large mixing bowl. I add two spoons of raw organic sugar (or plain white sugar, depending on what's available) and two spoons of instant yeast. I stir the yeast until it dissolves and allow it to happily munch on the sugar for ten minutes. After that ten minutes I check for the foamy "growth" of yeast on the warm water, and add a half-spoon of salt, a cup of unbleached white flour, and a lid's worth of vegetable oil (probably about two tablespoons).
If I want this to be herb bread, I also add a handful of oregano, sage, thyme, or in yesterday's case, rosemary. Often I add about a half cup of flax.
I mix the ingredients, then add a cup of whole wheat flour and mix that well. After adding the third cup of flour, the dough should stir into a sticky ball. I coat this ball in more whole wheat flour and turn it onto the counter, cover my hands in flour, and knead this ball for a full ten minutes, adding more flour each time it becomes sticky enough to cling to the surface.
After kneading for at least ten minutes (this is one measurement I never fudge), I apply a liberal coating of olive oil on the surface of the ball of dough, place it back in the mixing bowl, and cover it with a towel for an hour. After that hour, it has doubled in size. I punch it down, knead it for a few minutes longer, and let it rise in a covered bread pan for another half hour. I bake it in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for half an hour.
I pour two cups of hot water straight from the facet into a large mixing bowl. I add two spoons of raw organic sugar (or plain white sugar, depending on what's available) and two spoons of instant yeast. I stir the yeast until it dissolves and allow it to happily munch on the sugar for ten minutes. After that ten minutes I check for the foamy "growth" of yeast on the warm water, and add a half-spoon of salt, a cup of unbleached white flour, and a lid's worth of vegetable oil (probably about two tablespoons).
If I want this to be herb bread, I also add a handful of oregano, sage, thyme, or in yesterday's case, rosemary. Often I add about a half cup of flax.
I mix the ingredients, then add a cup of whole wheat flour and mix that well. After adding the third cup of flour, the dough should stir into a sticky ball. I coat this ball in more whole wheat flour and turn it onto the counter, cover my hands in flour, and knead this ball for a full ten minutes, adding more flour each time it becomes sticky enough to cling to the surface.
After kneading for at least ten minutes (this is one measurement I never fudge), I apply a liberal coating of olive oil on the surface of the ball of dough, place it back in the mixing bowl, and cover it with a towel for an hour. After that hour, it has doubled in size. I punch it down, knead it for a few minutes longer, and let it rise in a covered bread pan for another half hour. I bake it in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for half an hour.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Bread Fun And Politics
Today I hung out with two work friends and taught them how to bake bread. It was interesting going through the process step-by-step, kind of relearning the process myself and remembering my early fascination with yeast, gluten, flour, and herbs. Having two other creative minds with me made it even more enjoyable because we played with ideas and discussed flavor combination, and together came up with a delicious rosemary and flax seed recipe. It felt good to show them at what phases experimentation is appropriate - and why certain things have to be done a certain way. Having taught myself to bake, I fell into certain pit falls because I didn't know how to tell when bread was well-kneaded, didn't know not to panic when the bread comes out of the oven hard as a rock (it softens within minutes). It was so satisfying to share our end-result over coffee.
While waiting for dough to rise, we decided to participate in early voting, making the day all the more productive. In fact, I felt that both acts were highly democratic and patriotic. I believe I voted for a politician who may truly bring about change (hint, hint), while helping friends learn a precious skill that will enable them to make healthier, more sustainable choices in the future.
While waiting for dough to rise, we decided to participate in early voting, making the day all the more productive. In fact, I felt that both acts were highly democratic and patriotic. I believe I voted for a politician who may truly bring about change (hint, hint), while helping friends learn a precious skill that will enable them to make healthier, more sustainable choices in the future.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Garlic and Food Fun
I can't believe it's been nearly a week since my last post! We've been busy with work and school, I guess.
Today I went shopping for apples, bananas, and sugar and ended up stopping by the hardware and garden center on the way to the store and found some garlic seedlings hidden in the back. We were planning on planting garlic cloves (a month late) but it seemed just as sensible to buy and plant six seedlings. It's good to see some green in that ground while waiting to see if that spinach will eventually decide to sprout. Since each plant produces one bulb (which in turn can contain as many as 20 cloves), I'm thinking of picking up the store's remaining seedlings next week. There's no such thing as having too much garlic, after all.
Despite feeling drawn to the grocery store - again - I confirmed our Greenling order and can't wait to see it on Thursday. A local box, 21 smoothie bananas, and 5 apples. Darling and I still have some veg leftover from the order two weeks ago (it will take us at least another month to go through our four onions), so we know we're getting enough food. We just have to make an effort to use it.
We have most of rent in the bank, which is a relief. I still haven't been able to set up our weekly automatic payment system, but we're getting there.
Today I went shopping for apples, bananas, and sugar and ended up stopping by the hardware and garden center on the way to the store and found some garlic seedlings hidden in the back. We were planning on planting garlic cloves (a month late) but it seemed just as sensible to buy and plant six seedlings. It's good to see some green in that ground while waiting to see if that spinach will eventually decide to sprout. Since each plant produces one bulb (which in turn can contain as many as 20 cloves), I'm thinking of picking up the store's remaining seedlings next week. There's no such thing as having too much garlic, after all.
Despite feeling drawn to the grocery store - again - I confirmed our Greenling order and can't wait to see it on Thursday. A local box, 21 smoothie bananas, and 5 apples. Darling and I still have some veg leftover from the order two weeks ago (it will take us at least another month to go through our four onions), so we know we're getting enough food. We just have to make an effort to use it.
We have most of rent in the bank, which is a relief. I still haven't been able to set up our weekly automatic payment system, but we're getting there.
Kreativ Blogger Award
Jenny, writer of one of my favorite blogs, FrugalVegcafe, has passed along the Kreativ Blogger award to me.These are the rules for getting this award:
- List 6 things about yourself
- Pass this award on to other bloggers
1. I have a very hard time noticing facial features, including haircuts. I have had friends grow very long beards and then shave them without ever noticing a difference. This makes it very hard for me to recognize friends and coworkers out of context, as well as actors and other celebrities.2. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people ask, and then answer, their own questions to make their point. Example: "He wanted me to drive him to work - but guess what - I'm out of gas." I think this bothers me because it takes a direct and neutral statement ("He wanted me to drive him to work but I'm out of gas.") and makes it unnecessarily antagonistic. Am I the only person who feels this way?
3. I cannot properly pronounce the "or" syllable. When I say "word" it sounds like "ward." I went to speech therapy for years, so it is not noticeable at all. However, I am totally incapable of pronouncing my own middle name correctly, saying "Carinia" instead of "Corina."
4. I have a strawberry tattooed on my wrist which strangers often ask "the meaning of." An actual explanation of the history and significance of this art would take a a lengthy explanation of my entire adolescence and beyond. Ultimately, body art must speak for itself.
5. Jack Kerouac is my favorite writer, and Darling and I love listening to On The Road while on long trips.
6. Darling and I are tabletop role-players, which means we play Dungeons and Dragons sorts of games (though I've never actually played Dungeons and Dragons). We are currently play-testing a game system friends have created, and spend Wednesday playing Mage, The Awakening. I consider the free entertainment we get from these games to be a vital aspect of our frugality.
I'd like to pass this award on to Vegan Ruthie, who's blog is packed with creative, frugal, and green ideas.
Mrs. Hoppes grows and cans her own food, preps her own biodiesel, and home schools her kids. I can't wait to be sustainable enough to follow in her footsteps!
And N. and J. At Bad Human are great inspiration. They garden without a back yard, raise worms inside, and are building an archery bow. Which is just cool.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
2 New Skills
Yesterday I picked the three eggplants over-ripening on the vine, broiled them, and blended them with yogurt, garlic, olive oil and (local) lemon juice to produce baba ganoujh. It is yummy and a great way to use up that vegetable I can't make myself eat any other way. Now I'm actually looking forward to the next harvest :)
I went out for late night knitting with my friend/instructor, who gave me some lovely gray and brown wool and taught me how to purl. Now I'm working on my second scarf. I can't wait to go to the Hill Country Weavers and pick out my own supplies, but we can't budget that quite yet.
We didn't earn as much as I hoped to last weekend, but wrote a check to my Sister-in-Law J and bought some staples from Wheatsville. I haven't fallen off the local-delivery bandwagon yet, but did need to pick up some staples (olive oil and toiletries) that we can't get from Greenling. I ended up purchasing more than intended, though, so we've canceled this weeks order and look forward to getting another local box Thursday after next.
I went out for late night knitting with my friend/instructor, who gave me some lovely gray and brown wool and taught me how to purl. Now I'm working on my second scarf. I can't wait to go to the Hill Country Weavers and pick out my own supplies, but we can't budget that quite yet.
We didn't earn as much as I hoped to last weekend, but wrote a check to my Sister-in-Law J and bought some staples from Wheatsville. I haven't fallen off the local-delivery bandwagon yet, but did need to pick up some staples (olive oil and toiletries) that we can't get from Greenling. I ended up purchasing more than intended, though, so we've canceled this weeks order and look forward to getting another local box Thursday after next.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Two Incidents
I was waiting for the bus, knitting, and a young man sat next to me on the bench.
He asked what I was doing, and I replied. He wrinkled his nose and said, not exactly rudely, "I thought knitting was something 80-year-old women did when they had nothing better to do.
I didn't know how to respond to that statement, so I shrugged and went about my business, which seemed slightly more productive than his business of staring blankly into space while waiting for the bus.
A few days later, in class, my teacher asked us if we would still draft if we won the lottery. The majority of students, excluding myself, responded negatively. Apparently I was one of few people who are studying a craft for the joy of it, not simply as a means to a higher income.
The two incidents, separated by a week, share a strange parallel. In the first, it seemed to a stranger that my very enjoyable craft project was an old-fashioned time-killer. In the second, fellow students dedicating money and time to a very important endeavor revealed that they actually resent spending that time and money and would do otherwise given the opportunity!
Which is the bigger waste of time? Which is the least excusable luxury? Developing a fun, frugal, and productive skill that will enable me to rely less on a sweat-shop driven industry, or attending a class I hate for skills that bore me?
I aced my first exam and finished a scarf.
As producers, we must consume. As creators, we appreciate. I choose to be the latter.
He asked what I was doing, and I replied. He wrinkled his nose and said, not exactly rudely, "I thought knitting was something 80-year-old women did when they had nothing better to do.
I didn't know how to respond to that statement, so I shrugged and went about my business, which seemed slightly more productive than his business of staring blankly into space while waiting for the bus.
A few days later, in class, my teacher asked us if we would still draft if we won the lottery. The majority of students, excluding myself, responded negatively. Apparently I was one of few people who are studying a craft for the joy of it, not simply as a means to a higher income.
The two incidents, separated by a week, share a strange parallel. In the first, it seemed to a stranger that my very enjoyable craft project was an old-fashioned time-killer. In the second, fellow students dedicating money and time to a very important endeavor revealed that they actually resent spending that time and money and would do otherwise given the opportunity!
Which is the bigger waste of time? Which is the least excusable luxury? Developing a fun, frugal, and productive skill that will enable me to rely less on a sweat-shop driven industry, or attending a class I hate for skills that bore me?
I aced my first exam and finished a scarf.
As producers, we must consume. As creators, we appreciate. I choose to be the latter.
Friday, October 10, 2008
More on Local Farming
Hats off to N and J for celebrating Thanksgiving with an heirloom turkey!
One common complaint about both maintaining good health and a green lifestyle is the price. In some situations one will pay a little more money in order to do what is truly The Right Thing. In the case of heirloom meat, one will pay a LOT more money! But the rewards are priceless. Farmers work so hard to provide quality products, and are taking a huge risk in doing so. Just like it might be easier for you or me to live off the dollar menu at McDonalds, it might be easier for that farmer to operate a factory farm. I remember a factory farm "pitch" from my childhood when I was a member of the 4H club: we viewed a slide-show of chickens in tight cages and listened to a lecture on how much profit could be made per sq. ft. of space. Farmers who raise livestock responsibly are going against the corporate grain, and should be rewarded for their stewardship of our resources.
Of course, my husband has been a vegetarian for ten years and we have chosen to maintain that lifestyle choice. So we're supporting the produce side of local farms :) Unsure of whether our Greenling order will last the week, we're making a conscious effort to cook every day and use the veg before it goes bad. This has taken a little imagination, but has been delicious. I made savory onion pie today, served with green salad (chopped the last of the radish into it). I then made key lime "pudding," with a clear jelling agent and sugar. It was too rich for my blood, and I decided to bake whole wheat sugar cookies tomorrow and create jammy dodgers with the leftovers. Sadly we're about out of butter and oil, so I'm not sure how we'll go about those cookies.
I've also been inspired to attack our garden once more. I gave the soil a good turning, ripping grass roots out by the handful. A neighbor drove me to a nearby curb where I've watched three large trash bags of cut grass sit for weeks (so I know the seed is dead). We packed those bags into our trunk, and now one sits next to our compost bin. The other was laid over our garden, where I tucked spinach seeds into the freshly churned dirt and gave the area a good watering.
In five days, I hope to see their little green heads pop up and know we'll have greens through the winter.
One common complaint about both maintaining good health and a green lifestyle is the price. In some situations one will pay a little more money in order to do what is truly The Right Thing. In the case of heirloom meat, one will pay a LOT more money! But the rewards are priceless. Farmers work so hard to provide quality products, and are taking a huge risk in doing so. Just like it might be easier for you or me to live off the dollar menu at McDonalds, it might be easier for that farmer to operate a factory farm. I remember a factory farm "pitch" from my childhood when I was a member of the 4H club: we viewed a slide-show of chickens in tight cages and listened to a lecture on how much profit could be made per sq. ft. of space. Farmers who raise livestock responsibly are going against the corporate grain, and should be rewarded for their stewardship of our resources.
Of course, my husband has been a vegetarian for ten years and we have chosen to maintain that lifestyle choice. So we're supporting the produce side of local farms :) Unsure of whether our Greenling order will last the week, we're making a conscious effort to cook every day and use the veg before it goes bad. This has taken a little imagination, but has been delicious. I made savory onion pie today, served with green salad (chopped the last of the radish into it). I then made key lime "pudding," with a clear jelling agent and sugar. It was too rich for my blood, and I decided to bake whole wheat sugar cookies tomorrow and create jammy dodgers with the leftovers. Sadly we're about out of butter and oil, so I'm not sure how we'll go about those cookies.
I've also been inspired to attack our garden once more. I gave the soil a good turning, ripping grass roots out by the handful. A neighbor drove me to a nearby curb where I've watched three large trash bags of cut grass sit for weeks (so I know the seed is dead). We packed those bags into our trunk, and now one sits next to our compost bin. The other was laid over our garden, where I tucked spinach seeds into the freshly churned dirt and gave the area a good watering.
In five days, I hope to see their little green heads pop up and know we'll have greens through the winter.
Guess Who Offers Student Discounts?
Our immigration lawyer gives student discounts! Our $1500 fee was knocked down to $1200 when I mentioned Darling's course work. Still quite expensive for us, but not unbearable. We sent Darling's paperwork two days ago and should expect a response/work permit within thee months. Considering that, due to debt, our expenses have increased about 25%, this is a good thing.
Yesterday we got our weekly grocery order from Greenlings.com, and I LOVE it. We received 14 different types of produce, ranging from arugula to key limes, all from local farmers, as well as locally produced bread, cookies, and spinach-feta spread. I can't wait to experiment with new recipes to use up the yellow and red onions we now have, and the many fresh salads we have to look forward to. It also inspired ideas about how we can make No-Spend Month a permanent lifestyle via automatic deposits.
Our first (and only) successful No Spend Month was due to the grocery gift cards we purchased the month before. Even when we left the house to go shopping, we carried neither debit card nor cash, there was no way we could make a purchase.
If we shop online, we can arrange for a month's worth of supplies that will arrive on Thursdays, debit our account on Monday, and never require our thought or attention. Groceries were our last expenditure that required cash or card. We can have rent, bills, and loan payments all automatically transferred from our account on a regularly scheduled basis.
I've decided to make the majority of our transfers occur every Monday, in order to maintain simplicity and control. Every Monday I will have $50 sent to each of our human creditors (my brother and lawyer, who should be paid back in five months and six months respectively), $50 sent to Greenlings, $15 to the phone company, and $200 sent to Ing (from whence it will be sent to my landlord's account once a month). If I earn more than $365 in a week, Darling and I can discuss where we would like that to go (savings would be nice), if we earn less we can decide which payment to put a hold on.
The ultimate benefit? Darling and I may forget what it means to handle money altogether! We won't carry it with us when we leave the house, we won't have to question whether that several hundred dollars in our bank account will become rent or not by the end of the month. If we fall behind, we'll need to catch up, but probably won't find ourselves with only 5 days before rent is due and a zero bank balance. Hopefully this process will take some of the anxiety out of earning a fluctuating income.
Yesterday we got our weekly grocery order from Greenlings.com, and I LOVE it. We received 14 different types of produce, ranging from arugula to key limes, all from local farmers, as well as locally produced bread, cookies, and spinach-feta spread. I can't wait to experiment with new recipes to use up the yellow and red onions we now have, and the many fresh salads we have to look forward to. It also inspired ideas about how we can make No-Spend Month a permanent lifestyle via automatic deposits.
Our first (and only) successful No Spend Month was due to the grocery gift cards we purchased the month before. Even when we left the house to go shopping, we carried neither debit card nor cash, there was no way we could make a purchase.
If we shop online, we can arrange for a month's worth of supplies that will arrive on Thursdays, debit our account on Monday, and never require our thought or attention. Groceries were our last expenditure that required cash or card. We can have rent, bills, and loan payments all automatically transferred from our account on a regularly scheduled basis.
I've decided to make the majority of our transfers occur every Monday, in order to maintain simplicity and control. Every Monday I will have $50 sent to each of our human creditors (my brother and lawyer, who should be paid back in five months and six months respectively), $50 sent to Greenlings, $15 to the phone company, and $200 sent to Ing (from whence it will be sent to my landlord's account once a month). If I earn more than $365 in a week, Darling and I can discuss where we would like that to go (savings would be nice), if we earn less we can decide which payment to put a hold on.
The ultimate benefit? Darling and I may forget what it means to handle money altogether! We won't carry it with us when we leave the house, we won't have to question whether that several hundred dollars in our bank account will become rent or not by the end of the month. If we fall behind, we'll need to catch up, but probably won't find ourselves with only 5 days before rent is due and a zero bank balance. Hopefully this process will take some of the anxiety out of earning a fluctuating income.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Local Organic Grocery Delivery
Darling and I dislike shopping. Grocery stores make us anxious and distracted. Even with a list in hand, we find it difficult to agree on necessities and resist temptation. And we've never been able to afford everything on our list, which seems to grow ever longer as the budget tightens and we see more products we'd like to enjoy.
Even if we could afford everything, getting it home without a car is a completely different kettle of fish. We can easily carry a weeks worth of food, more if we're buying bulk grains, but Heaven help us if we purchase a watermelon! Until we moved to our current home, where Blue Bell ice cream cost $3 for two pints at the convenience store next door, I hadn't eaten ice cream for two years because we couldn't get it home from the store before it melted.
That's why I've been so intrigued by Greenling.com, an organic/local grocery delivery service in Austin. I finally signed up for this weekly service today, and can expect my first order Thursday afternoon. I couldn't be more excited. Not only will my food arrive at my door, cutting out any need to brave the stores and lug my stuff home, but the variety is amazing! My order is simple: a $35 "Local Box" of local and sustainably harvested produce, and a $15 "Farmstead and Aritisanal Box" made up of cheeses, breads, eggs, sweets, and beverages, and 20 "smoothie" bananas at 29 cents each. For $60 I get to experience the best of Austin's farmland, support our local agriculture, experience foods and recipes I wouldn't otherwise try, and cut every bit of effort out of my least-favorite chore! The order automatically repeats every week if I don't go online to adjust it, so we theoretically never have to think about shopping again!
Instead I'll spend that time and energy learning to preserve foods, such as the bananas I obviously over-ordered this time. This weekend I will be freezing home-made banana bread and drying banana chips with my food dehydrator. Next week I will experiment with drying jalapenos, which can then be powdered and enjoyed come winter.
Even if we could afford everything, getting it home without a car is a completely different kettle of fish. We can easily carry a weeks worth of food, more if we're buying bulk grains, but Heaven help us if we purchase a watermelon! Until we moved to our current home, where Blue Bell ice cream cost $3 for two pints at the convenience store next door, I hadn't eaten ice cream for two years because we couldn't get it home from the store before it melted.
That's why I've been so intrigued by Greenling.com, an organic/local grocery delivery service in Austin. I finally signed up for this weekly service today, and can expect my first order Thursday afternoon. I couldn't be more excited. Not only will my food arrive at my door, cutting out any need to brave the stores and lug my stuff home, but the variety is amazing! My order is simple: a $35 "Local Box" of local and sustainably harvested produce, and a $15 "Farmstead and Aritisanal Box" made up of cheeses, breads, eggs, sweets, and beverages, and 20 "smoothie" bananas at 29 cents each. For $60 I get to experience the best of Austin's farmland, support our local agriculture, experience foods and recipes I wouldn't otherwise try, and cut every bit of effort out of my least-favorite chore! The order automatically repeats every week if I don't go online to adjust it, so we theoretically never have to think about shopping again!
Instead I'll spend that time and energy learning to preserve foods, such as the bananas I obviously over-ordered this time. This weekend I will be freezing home-made banana bread and drying banana chips with my food dehydrator. Next week I will experiment with drying jalapenos, which can then be powdered and enjoyed come winter.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
A Loan And Net Worth
This was an odder month than usual for the ole Net Worth. First we had Darling's lovely sister inform us that the rest of our debt to her is forgiven. That decreased our debt by $800 and left us with only one lender to deal with. Then we received notice that if we didn't come up with $1500 within a week, we could be looking for a new home overseas. And rent was due. I called my lovely brother and his wife, and they lent us $1,000. I'll admit that we didn't need to borrow that full amount, but paying bills and eating was also on the agenda for the month, so we took what was offered. Now that money is still in our bank account, minus what was needed for rent and some preliminary fees and $20 worth of groceries.
The good news is that I never did figure out how to get our money out of ING, and thanks to the loan, didn't really need to. So we still have $600 in savings.
We have $1,680.69 in assets, which is actually a heck of a lot better than last month when we had that huge overdraft.
We're $14,554.54 in debt, which is $19 more than last month. I think that may be the first time our debt has increased since starting this blog.
This brings our Net Worth to -$12,873.85, a $971.72 increase from last month and the highest it's ever been! Which actually cheers me up a little.
My goals for this month include paying back my brother and sister-in-law in full, with a little interest, and knock a few hundred dollars off our big, final, debt.
And learn how to sew curtains.
The good news is that I never did figure out how to get our money out of ING, and thanks to the loan, didn't really need to. So we still have $600 in savings.
We have $1,680.69 in assets, which is actually a heck of a lot better than last month when we had that huge overdraft.
We're $14,554.54 in debt, which is $19 more than last month. I think that may be the first time our debt has increased since starting this blog.
This brings our Net Worth to -$12,873.85, a $971.72 increase from last month and the highest it's ever been! Which actually cheers me up a little.
My goals for this month include paying back my brother and sister-in-law in full, with a little interest, and knock a few hundred dollars off our big, final, debt.
And learn how to sew curtains.
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