The Good News: Darling and I managed to make the second and final payment for his Summer classes. This was aided in part by his dropping Spanish.
The bad news? Well, Darling dropped Spanish. And we couldn't afford for him to register for Fall classes...and we haven't quite made rent. Like, at all.
We barely kept up with the interest payments on my student loans, knocking a couple of bucks off the principle. Our total debt (including late rent), is $12,477.82.
Our assets (all in the investment fund) come to $1633.71.
Our total net worth is -$10,844.11...which is actually $77.49 more than last month, when I was also behind on my bills. Every small improvement counts.
Last month I came up with a game to focus on earning and learning every day of the month. It dropped off when I got sick, and I never picked up again. To be honest, every day this month felt like a challenge without the game. There were days that I worked from dawn until dusk and felt like I was barely treading water - and in fact we went under. Unlike the majority of our housemates, we've never actually paid rent late. We've over-drafted the account, paid late Friday afternoon and worked like mad during the weekend, borrowed money from my brother, taken advantage of the well-timed three-day-weekend, but never woken up on the first of the month with no money in the bank.
I have a new plan for this month to get us out of the hole and back on track, but I'll keep it to myself for a few days to confirm with Darling and other interested parties and work out the kinks. Hope everyone else had a mildly profitable June!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Boundaries, Toms, and Digging
Darling and I drove back to Mom's house Monday night and got in really late. We re-marked the boundaries (which were naturally knocked out of place during the leveling) and started the trenches on Tuesday. We were so tired from our late night, however, that we didn't get incredibly far. We passed out together on a chair and slept away the afternoon.
Wednesday we dug a little more and ran some errands. That evening I skinned tomatoes for hours while we watched episodes of Lost.
Thursday I worked at the farm for several hours and came home to find two longhorns chilling in the garden. The female hopped the fence back into her pasture with a little posturing, but we had to let the male do whatever he wanted until he sauntered back to the rest of his herd a few hours later, then we patched the fence. Fortunately, they didn't actually touch the garden itself, just the surrounding grass and trees. But this occupied us for most of our digging time.
Friday I worked a few more hours at the farm and came home bone tired. Darling had made real progress with the trenches that morning. We spent the afternoon canning the whole tomatoes I'd skinned the other night (5 quarts), and making a local dinner (taters from our garden in a salad with eggs and acorn squash from the farm). We dug a little bit more, but were driven in by the rain. We headed back to Austin that evening.
Yesterday I woke up and started laundry feeling almost gleeful for the privilege - our clothing gets really rank out there. Washed and hung a couple of loads and then went to help one of my housemates with a short film he is shooting. Next week Darling and I don't have to work Friday or Saturday, so we're planning on not driving back until Sunday morning. How weird is it to look forward to five whole days to dig?
Wednesday we dug a little more and ran some errands. That evening I skinned tomatoes for hours while we watched episodes of Lost.
Thursday I worked at the farm for several hours and came home to find two longhorns chilling in the garden. The female hopped the fence back into her pasture with a little posturing, but we had to let the male do whatever he wanted until he sauntered back to the rest of his herd a few hours later, then we patched the fence. Fortunately, they didn't actually touch the garden itself, just the surrounding grass and trees. But this occupied us for most of our digging time.
Friday I worked a few more hours at the farm and came home bone tired. Darling had made real progress with the trenches that morning. We spent the afternoon canning the whole tomatoes I'd skinned the other night (5 quarts), and making a local dinner (taters from our garden in a salad with eggs and acorn squash from the farm). We dug a little bit more, but were driven in by the rain. We headed back to Austin that evening.
Yesterday I woke up and started laundry feeling almost gleeful for the privilege - our clothing gets really rank out there. Washed and hung a couple of loads and then went to help one of my housemates with a short film he is shooting. Next week Darling and I don't have to work Friday or Saturday, so we're planning on not driving back until Sunday morning. How weird is it to look forward to five whole days to dig?
Friday, June 18, 2010
Week Off
We were planning on heading back to my Mom's house on Wednesday, but Tuesday night I was hit with a wave of nausea which was soon joined by an intense headache. Both accompanied me through the night, then the next morning...I ended up sleeping until seven in the evening, waking up only to call my Mom and boss to let them know I couldn't possibly make a two hour drive.
The headache remained until the next afternoon, at which point I suddenly felt great. I accepted a gig working for The Sierra Club, which earned me about $20. Darling called his workplace and arranged to work tonight and tomorrow. So we'll have been a little productive on our week "off."
The good news is that the land is leveled! We'll head back to Mom's on Monday and start digging the trenches for the footing Tuesday morning - I intend to race the sun. We're not sure if we'll be able to dig quickly/well enough to justify not paying someone with a machine to do the work for us, but I don't think it will take more than a week of hard labor, and in the meantime we can talk to plumbers.
The headache remained until the next afternoon, at which point I suddenly felt great. I accepted a gig working for The Sierra Club, which earned me about $20. Darling called his workplace and arranged to work tonight and tomorrow. So we'll have been a little productive on our week "off."
The good news is that the land is leveled! We'll head back to Mom's on Monday and start digging the trenches for the footing Tuesday morning - I intend to race the sun. We're not sure if we'll be able to dig quickly/well enough to justify not paying someone with a machine to do the work for us, but I don't think it will take more than a week of hard labor, and in the meantime we can talk to plumbers.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Compromise
One thing Darling and I have worried about lately is whether we're compromising too much.
For instance, I decided to become a vegan a few weeks ago. But then I realized Mom is a nervous wreck about keeping us well-fed on a vegetarian diet (she and my Dad are convinced that meat is a vital food group). Since she is providing us with food for our stay there, telling her I don't want cheese or eggs would probably push her over the edge. So while I'm eating fewer animal products, I don't question her sauteing her home-grown veggies in butter or using fresh eggs (from the neighbors' hens) in her berry cobblers. Which is easy enough to justify, despite the fact that I truly believe that veganism is a better way of life on the whole.
We're driving constantly. Not just to and from Austin, but to and from town. We're even using the car to get around town from time to time. We're also watching television. A lot. Not just DVDs of Lost and the news. We tune into Family Guy, My Name is Earl, How I Met Your Mother, Seinfeld, half an episode of Oprah, and if we're bored enough we'll put up with King of Queens. Darling and I don't like television, but when we're bone tired and can't stand to talk about the house anymore, we stare at the screen with hungry ferocity.
Speaking of the house, I just want the darn thing built. Never mind the evils of linoleum or pvc, forget reclaimed and salvaged materials, I'd frame it with the last redwood and insulate it with puffin feathers if they were delivered at an affordable price. The simplest materials and processes are unbelievably difficult, it's so hard to maintain an ecologically sound state of mind. Organic straw in Texas? $10 a bale. Not including delivery. Getting a guy to level the freaking grade? Apparently priceless.
For instance, I decided to become a vegan a few weeks ago. But then I realized Mom is a nervous wreck about keeping us well-fed on a vegetarian diet (she and my Dad are convinced that meat is a vital food group). Since she is providing us with food for our stay there, telling her I don't want cheese or eggs would probably push her over the edge. So while I'm eating fewer animal products, I don't question her sauteing her home-grown veggies in butter or using fresh eggs (from the neighbors' hens) in her berry cobblers. Which is easy enough to justify, despite the fact that I truly believe that veganism is a better way of life on the whole.
We're driving constantly. Not just to and from Austin, but to and from town. We're even using the car to get around town from time to time. We're also watching television. A lot. Not just DVDs of Lost and the news. We tune into Family Guy, My Name is Earl, How I Met Your Mother, Seinfeld, half an episode of Oprah, and if we're bored enough we'll put up with King of Queens. Darling and I don't like television, but when we're bone tired and can't stand to talk about the house anymore, we stare at the screen with hungry ferocity.
Speaking of the house, I just want the darn thing built. Never mind the evils of linoleum or pvc, forget reclaimed and salvaged materials, I'd frame it with the last redwood and insulate it with puffin feathers if they were delivered at an affordable price. The simplest materials and processes are unbelievably difficult, it's so hard to maintain an ecologically sound state of mind. Organic straw in Texas? $10 a bale. Not including delivery. Getting a guy to level the freaking grade? Apparently priceless.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Building Mom's House 6-7 to 6-13
6-7
Dom and I hit the road during the house meeting. We didn't feel great about that, but we really wanted to be back at Mom's and alert at 8 a.m. when the Mr. D arrived with a bulldozer. We dropped off some of Darling's schoolwork on the way out of town. Arrived just before midnight.
6-8
Darling and I just about had a mutual nervous breakdown when Mr. D - our fourth contractor hired for this job - was twenty minutes late. But not only did he arrive, but he had his father, brother, and nephew with him to help with the work. The brought in two truckloads of clay and the dozer to do the work.
Then it started to rain. Darling and I panicked a little - the bales were barely dry from the last downpour. We went to pick up a few more tarps. When we came back, the workers were heading out. They didn't mind the rain, but the thunder and lightning indicated a safety hazard. The D family said they'd be back when things dried out.
I picked tomatoes in the rain, started a huge pot of pasta sauce, and watched Season 1 of Lost with Mom and Darling.
6-9
Still raining. No D Family. Went out and picked more toms in the mud to add to the sauce. We watched the rest of Season 1 of Lost while the sauce simmered. My boss from the farm called and said not to bother coming in the next day. More than 5 inches of rain in 12 hours.
6-10
Rained again most of the day. Darling and I went to the library so he could catch up with homework. We canned the pasta sauce and had some extra with spaghetti for dinner. Felt like we'd wasted the week.
6-11
Worked on the farm. The flooding totally trashed the place. After working 6 hours came home to see that Darling and moved about 150 straw bales into the sun to dry, helped him move the other 150. Might suffer some casualties. Mr. D called to say he'd probably be able to finish the job Monday while we're not here. So tired after work, bone tired. Working so hard and not seeming to get anywhere.
6-12
Tarped up the dry bales as well as we possibly could. After tornado watches and flooding the past week, what can we expect? Headed back to Austin. Intended to go upstairs and go to sleep, to blog, to relax, but Darling wanted pizza. I made a spelt crust from scratch and picked a few pounds of tomatoes, basil, garlic chives, oregano, thyme, and sage to make a sauce. Drew a small crowd of housemates as the smells filled the air (and heated the kitchen into the triple digits). Ended up serving a sit down meal to seven of us. Exhausting after a hard week and a long drive, but incredibly fulfilling. So good to be home.
6-13
Worked at the cafe this morning waiting tables while Darling worked in the kitchen. Hung out with friends afterward. We'll be in town until Tuesday or Wednesday - Darling has an exam. Hope the leveling does well without us.
Dom and I hit the road during the house meeting. We didn't feel great about that, but we really wanted to be back at Mom's and alert at 8 a.m. when the Mr. D arrived with a bulldozer. We dropped off some of Darling's schoolwork on the way out of town. Arrived just before midnight.
6-8
Darling and I just about had a mutual nervous breakdown when Mr. D - our fourth contractor hired for this job - was twenty minutes late. But not only did he arrive, but he had his father, brother, and nephew with him to help with the work. The brought in two truckloads of clay and the dozer to do the work.
Then it started to rain. Darling and I panicked a little - the bales were barely dry from the last downpour. We went to pick up a few more tarps. When we came back, the workers were heading out. They didn't mind the rain, but the thunder and lightning indicated a safety hazard. The D family said they'd be back when things dried out.
I picked tomatoes in the rain, started a huge pot of pasta sauce, and watched Season 1 of Lost with Mom and Darling.
6-9
Still raining. No D Family. Went out and picked more toms in the mud to add to the sauce. We watched the rest of Season 1 of Lost while the sauce simmered. My boss from the farm called and said not to bother coming in the next day. More than 5 inches of rain in 12 hours.
6-10
Rained again most of the day. Darling and I went to the library so he could catch up with homework. We canned the pasta sauce and had some extra with spaghetti for dinner. Felt like we'd wasted the week.
6-11
Worked on the farm. The flooding totally trashed the place. After working 6 hours came home to see that Darling and moved about 150 straw bales into the sun to dry, helped him move the other 150. Might suffer some casualties. Mr. D called to say he'd probably be able to finish the job Monday while we're not here. So tired after work, bone tired. Working so hard and not seeming to get anywhere.
6-12
Tarped up the dry bales as well as we possibly could. After tornado watches and flooding the past week, what can we expect? Headed back to Austin. Intended to go upstairs and go to sleep, to blog, to relax, but Darling wanted pizza. I made a spelt crust from scratch and picked a few pounds of tomatoes, basil, garlic chives, oregano, thyme, and sage to make a sauce. Drew a small crowd of housemates as the smells filled the air (and heated the kitchen into the triple digits). Ended up serving a sit down meal to seven of us. Exhausting after a hard week and a long drive, but incredibly fulfilling. So good to be home.
6-13
Worked at the cafe this morning waiting tables while Darling worked in the kitchen. Hung out with friends afterward. We'll be in town until Tuesday or Wednesday - Darling has an exam. Hope the leveling does well without us.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Building Mom's House 6-1 to 6-6
June 1st
I earned no money, but did decide not to buy the hitch and trailer, which gave us an "extra" $350 to work with this month. We also saved $20 on gas by taking a passenger on our trip to Mom's.
June 2nd
The bulldozer guy totally didn't show. We slept in after a late night and didn't even eat lunch until after three. Made a few calls and schedule a new guy to come on Friday.
It rained and we had to rush out and cover the straw with tarps. It was covered by the carport, but not as well as we hoped. So we earned no money, but learned to watch the weather.
Had dinner from the garden. Corn, green beans, and baked potatoes. At least the garden needed the rain.
June 3rd
Earned $40 working on the farm. It rained all day, I spent the time inside studying plumbing.
June 4th
Earned $40 working on the farm in the mud. Came home to discover that yet another bulldozer guy didn't even call to cancel on us. Ground still isn't level. And the three chickens weren't in their coop. I found them in the side yard/jungle chilling in the trees. They came back to the coop that evening to sleep.
Told Darling to call Mr. D, the man recommended by the man recommended by my boss on the farm. Mr. D arrived less than an hour after Darling, a handsome man unconcerned by my Mom's rambunctious pit bull. Said he'd be back tomorrow at 8 a.m. with tools to do job. I am officially in love with this man.
In the meantime Darling and I moved some bales that were wet from rain.
Today I learned to go with local contractors.
June 5th Mr. D arrived with his nephew and the equipment to survey the property. He gave us a quote and will be coming Tuesday morning. Darling and I drove home in the evening. Not only did I not earn money, but our passenger back to Austin fell through so we had to pay for gas ourselves. We even stopped to eat the worst Mexican food ever. I seriously never want to see another enchilada again.
Today: I learned that after a week with no coffee, I can not drink two cups in the morning. I feel sick!
Darling is bringing home a paycheck from work, thank goodness.
We're three weeks behind schedule, but the plans are looking better every day.
I earned no money, but did decide not to buy the hitch and trailer, which gave us an "extra" $350 to work with this month. We also saved $20 on gas by taking a passenger on our trip to Mom's.
June 2nd
The bulldozer guy totally didn't show. We slept in after a late night and didn't even eat lunch until after three. Made a few calls and schedule a new guy to come on Friday.
It rained and we had to rush out and cover the straw with tarps. It was covered by the carport, but not as well as we hoped. So we earned no money, but learned to watch the weather.
Had dinner from the garden. Corn, green beans, and baked potatoes. At least the garden needed the rain.
June 3rd
Earned $40 working on the farm. It rained all day, I spent the time inside studying plumbing.
June 4th
Earned $40 working on the farm in the mud. Came home to discover that yet another bulldozer guy didn't even call to cancel on us. Ground still isn't level. And the three chickens weren't in their coop. I found them in the side yard/jungle chilling in the trees. They came back to the coop that evening to sleep.
Told Darling to call Mr. D, the man recommended by the man recommended by my boss on the farm. Mr. D arrived less than an hour after Darling, a handsome man unconcerned by my Mom's rambunctious pit bull. Said he'd be back tomorrow at 8 a.m. with tools to do job. I am officially in love with this man.
In the meantime Darling and I moved some bales that were wet from rain.
Today I learned to go with local contractors.
June 5th Mr. D arrived with his nephew and the equipment to survey the property. He gave us a quote and will be coming Tuesday morning. Darling and I drove home in the evening. Not only did I not earn money, but our passenger back to Austin fell through so we had to pay for gas ourselves. We even stopped to eat the worst Mexican food ever. I seriously never want to see another enchilada again.
Today: I learned that after a week with no coffee, I can not drink two cups in the morning. I feel sick!
Darling is bringing home a paycheck from work, thank goodness.
We're three weeks behind schedule, but the plans are looking better every day.
Thank You
Last week after posting my Net Worth but before logging off to spend a week at Mom's, I did something I have considered for years. I put a "donate" button on my blog.
Many bloggers do so for money, some for a living. To attempt this with The Challenge would feel disingenuous. This blog is, more than anything else, an interactive journal. I share my thoughts and hope that someone out there benefits by them. More often than not, I benefit by the words of advice and encouragement my readers impart. That is as good a trade as I could ever hope for! So I don't ask for financial assistance, and I don't put up advertisements. I don't like ads, and I don't like blogs heavy with endorsements.
However, I've long considered how The Challenge might help us pursue a life of service. Although Darling and I don't want to profit from The Challenge ourselves, it would be nice if readers wanted to help us help others. So I put up a "donate" button.
All donations will be applied directly to the house, spent on materials and contract work Darling and I aren't qualified to accomplish ourselves. Not on gas money, living expenses, or tools. I will allocate the donations in such a way that I can tell the giver exactly where and to whom their money went. I will probably add a feature to the page describing how much has been spent building the house and how much of that has been covered by contributors.
To my grateful surprise, someone has already donated an unexpectedly large amount. I obviously don't want to post her full name (without permission), but I do want to thank Samantha for her kindness. Samantha's donation will assist us in the leveling of the house, the first of numerous major expenses.
Thanks so much to Samantha, and thanks to all the readers who have lent their support and advice.
Many bloggers do so for money, some for a living. To attempt this with The Challenge would feel disingenuous. This blog is, more than anything else, an interactive journal. I share my thoughts and hope that someone out there benefits by them. More often than not, I benefit by the words of advice and encouragement my readers impart. That is as good a trade as I could ever hope for! So I don't ask for financial assistance, and I don't put up advertisements. I don't like ads, and I don't like blogs heavy with endorsements.
However, I've long considered how The Challenge might help us pursue a life of service. Although Darling and I don't want to profit from The Challenge ourselves, it would be nice if readers wanted to help us help others. So I put up a "donate" button.
All donations will be applied directly to the house, spent on materials and contract work Darling and I aren't qualified to accomplish ourselves. Not on gas money, living expenses, or tools. I will allocate the donations in such a way that I can tell the giver exactly where and to whom their money went. I will probably add a feature to the page describing how much has been spent building the house and how much of that has been covered by contributors.
To my grateful surprise, someone has already donated an unexpectedly large amount. I obviously don't want to post her full name (without permission), but I do want to thank Samantha for her kindness. Samantha's donation will assist us in the leveling of the house, the first of numerous major expenses.
Thanks so much to Samantha, and thanks to all the readers who have lent their support and advice.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
June 2010 Net Worth
I don't want to talk about it.
But as a blogger, I feel obligated.
We currently have 1188.76 in assets. However, that is all within the retirement account, which I would break into if possible. In actuality, we don't have rent and we don't have the phone bill. So we are actually in the hole a thousand dollars. Not good.
We $12,110.36 in debt (not including rent or the phone bill). I canceled the weekly payments to the loan company. At least we have at least a month's grace since I've been overpaying so much for so long, but that doesn't mean interest won't add up. In the meantime, not only do we owe $302 to ACC next month, but we have to register Darling for his fall classes ASAP if he's not taking next semester off!
This gives us a net worth of -$10,921.60. That's $1,576.26 less than last month!
For the first time in a long time I'm wondering not how to build traction to increase our savings or decrease our rate of debt payment, but how to dig out of this deep hole! It looks like I need to come up with $72.50 just to tread water.
Therefore, I'm introducing a new game "Earnings and Learnings." Ever day I must learn something new, no matter how minor, and procure some amount of money - even if it comes down to searching the streets for dropped change. Starting today.
The Rules are as follows:
1. Money that's owed to me paid this month counts, as well as money forgotten in pockets and such
2. Money saved by not being at the co-op counts (every day and night we're not here saves us $16.50, seeing as we're not using utilities or eating the food).
3. Money Darling earns is included (but not lessons he learns)
4. The money only counts once it is in our hands or bank
5. Money spent on anything besides rent, the phone bill, or ACC counts against us - and that includes gas.
6. Darling and I win the game when we are out of the hole and all payments (this and next month's rent, ACC tuition, and phone bill) are made.
7. 10% of earnings will go to our IRA. It burns, but it's got to happen. That amount will be deducted from the daily record so that I don't have to subtract $200 from our balance all at once. The exception will be made for money saved by not going to the co-op.
But as a blogger, I feel obligated.
We currently have 1188.76 in assets. However, that is all within the retirement account, which I would break into if possible. In actuality, we don't have rent and we don't have the phone bill. So we are actually in the hole a thousand dollars. Not good.
We $12,110.36 in debt (not including rent or the phone bill). I canceled the weekly payments to the loan company. At least we have at least a month's grace since I've been overpaying so much for so long, but that doesn't mean interest won't add up. In the meantime, not only do we owe $302 to ACC next month, but we have to register Darling for his fall classes ASAP if he's not taking next semester off!
This gives us a net worth of -$10,921.60. That's $1,576.26 less than last month!
For the first time in a long time I'm wondering not how to build traction to increase our savings or decrease our rate of debt payment, but how to dig out of this deep hole! It looks like I need to come up with $72.50 just to tread water.
Therefore, I'm introducing a new game "Earnings and Learnings." Ever day I must learn something new, no matter how minor, and procure some amount of money - even if it comes down to searching the streets for dropped change. Starting today.
The Rules are as follows:
1. Money that's owed to me paid this month counts, as well as money forgotten in pockets and such
2. Money saved by not being at the co-op counts (every day and night we're not here saves us $16.50, seeing as we're not using utilities or eating the food).
3. Money Darling earns is included (but not lessons he learns)
4. The money only counts once it is in our hands or bank
5. Money spent on anything besides rent, the phone bill, or ACC counts against us - and that includes gas.
6. Darling and I win the game when we are out of the hole and all payments (this and next month's rent, ACC tuition, and phone bill) are made.
7. 10% of earnings will go to our IRA. It burns, but it's got to happen. That amount will be deducted from the daily record so that I don't have to subtract $200 from our balance all at once. The exception will be made for money saved by not going to the co-op.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)