Our patch of earth

[Marianne]

This is great!
A lot of us here have experience on how to cut expenses. I'm a pencil pusher and a list maker as well - this vs that and how much can we save by doing it. It's crazy how little you can live on when you put your mind to it. We had less income, yet it seemed like we had more.
The garden was where I saved the most money. My goal was to grow enough to last us until the next year's harvest. Tomatoes were my favorite as we used so many tomato based products. I was so satisfied when we ate meals that everything came from our place...except the butter. Never thought about it at that time. Ha! Oh, just throwing this out there, I buy organic bulk herbs and spices from Amazon, other organic stuff from Azure Standard - azurestandard.com . I don't grow everything like I used to.
I loved my chickens. Since mine free ranged all day, every day, I didn't feed them until late and most of the time it was scratch grains. Lots of bugs and seeds out here. During the cold season, fermented food is the way to go - healthier birds plus they eat less according to those who keep track of such things.

Keep us posted!

 

[Reice]

Life just got real.

We are going full on getting this done, like in a few weeks. Some things happened and the dam burst.

Already knew the hubby wasn't going to be staying at current job and was on his way out. Well, he is on his way out, like today. His son had something pop up on his face Saturday morning that got progressively worse. Since that time, we've been to the emergency room 3 times, the eye doctor, and admitted to hospital for a day with massive IV antibiotics and steroids to avoid sepsis. He's home now, thank goodness and on the mend. But, when the hubby needed to take a day off, just one day, when his son was in the hospital the boss was a big time jerk. Really showed us his true colors. This is family, and was a life or death situation, and he threw a fit because he had to cover for hubby one shift. Screw that!

So, the big things we never seemed to have time to get done will now be getting done. In the next few weeks will be getting road work finished, electricity from the pole to house trenched and hooked up, flooring finished, 2 windows fixed, house tied down and skirted, kitchen sink installed, on demand water heater installed. Then the move and getting current house ready to sale. Might be a bit before we get internet out there, in case I go quiet lol.

Not going to panic about the no income for a bit. Hubby has 3 side jobs lined up after we get settled. Heck, income wasn't that great where he was anyways, so any job will pay about the same, but expenses are going way down.

My head is kinda spinning right now, sorry if this is jumbled, haha.

Report more when I can.

 

[sumi]

Oh wow... Things got very real, very quickly, but good on your DH for walking out! Gosh, family is important his boss sounds like a jerk! Best of luck now and please let us know how you get on, when you can get online

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Wishing you the best. Yeah, God's timing is not always according to OUR schedule. But, you may, in the long term end up being very thankful that this situation was forced on you. How is your step-son doing right now? Did he get the infection cleared up?

It also sounds like it will be for the best that your DH will not be tied to a job for a while. This will allow him to give his all to getting things done on your new home, and getting your house on the market.

 

[baymule]

Sounds like a blessing disguise to me. If you have a smart phone, you can pick up internet on it. If not, well, I hope you can get to a connection and update us from time to time. We sat out here for 9 months, I kept up on my cell phone. Finally bit the bullet and got satellite internet. Let us know how things are going!

 

[Marianne]

Nutz!! But I'm glad he's outta there and also hope the son is getting better. Do what you need to do to move in. We moved here with only one room drywalled (not taped), a flush toilet, no permanent heat in the middle of January, temps in the teens or lower. We made it. I can laugh about it now. One day you'll look back and be proud of yourselves for the steps you're taking now.
Hang in there.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

@Marianne , your story sounds familiar!!!

 

[Mini Horses]

It is amazing what you CAN do when you have to.

Hope you can update us on occasions -- library has free internet here. It's come around that you will now jump into the fire and get moved. Then get the current home sold.

It will work if you keep the goal in mind and cut all expenses you can. You can do this!

 

[Reice]

Took the skidsteer back this morning. Some rain Sunday evening caused some hiccups and the hubby didn't get everything completed he would have liked, but it is what it is. The equipment is returned, we can get down the road, and what is left can be done with a shovel and rake.

Watching the grandson this morning while daughter attends summer class. She's got a lot on her plate so I'll probably be pitching in a lot. Going back to college, has a 2 y/o, and will be giving me a granddaughter around Christmas while single (recent split with her hubby, and surprise! preggo!) at age 30. It's all good, she is out of the abusive relationship and is trying to better herself. Guess she figured if her mom could do it, so can she. (Okay, I only had her, she might find it a wee bit tougher). Had originally went to college at age 29 and got 2 different associate degrees, then recently went back for my bachelors. Graduated last December and still haven't decided what avenue to pursue with it. We decided that I was to wait until we get moved before I did anything and that is in the works. But we may just decide to keep it one income for us.

Stepson seems completely over the thing that put him in the hospital and is full steam ahead. He is also in college and had moved back in for the summer. Is it bad I'm counting the weeks til he moves back to school for fall classes? The dude can eat, eek!! lol

This week we intend on getting the electric line trenched and attached. I have this giddy feeling once we have power there I won't be able to stay away, haha. Hey, we do already have a couch and love seat there, I can just sleep on that, right? We got them from a former co-worker for free and they are better than what we currently have. So when it comes time to move, current couch and recliner stays with house, cuts down on moving them, yay!

Speaking of moving things, I don't think it will be too bad. All the kitchen appliances in current house are staying. Hubby had a stove and fridge that were his when he was single and they are sitting in his family storage building about 500ft from our place. The dryer is also staying since he has that in storage as well, moving the washing machine. Have 3 beds here, only 2 are going, one staying. Heck, current house will be marketed as partially furnished. Free heavy dresser I found is staying. Small but heavy dining room table going and small deep freeze. Weird glass entertainment center going, unfortunately (I hate it, but it's what we have). That's it for the big stuff, the rest can be moved easily. Hubby has a beat-up pickup truck and small trailer and I have a minivan with stow-n-go seats. The house is about 5 miles from where we currently live. Shouldn't be too horrible.

Should also point out again that we are going 1/3rd smaller living space, from 1280sqft to 840sqft. There's a lot that is going to be sold, donated or come with the house. Have I mentioned I was previously intentionally houseless a few years ago and living out of a van for 6 months? hehe Had everything I could need in it and it was liberating. Now I feel like we just have too much darn stuff!!! I'm glad we are going to a smaller house and will be forced to pair down. You don't own the stuff, the stuff owns you.. how true!

Between 2010 and 2012 I had the brand spankin' new house in south Texas with a big pretty mortgage and all new nice heavy furniture in a 2000sqft house. At the time it was high dual-income and daughter grown and out of the house. Then former hubby got cancer, fought it for 2 years and didn't survive (one of the best man I ever knew). So I was widowed and just burdened with a house full of 'stuff'. Heavy expensive stuff. And I hated it. Lugged that stuff for almost 4 years and a few moves. It was a huge burden on my shoulders. I wanted freedom from it and all it came with. At that time I was living with someone, wanted out badly, but was burdened with all that crap. Fixed up a full-size van, took some trips to 6 states, couldn't take it anymore where I was living and left. Thankfully the guy offered to buy my house full of stuff in one shot. WAYYYY under what I paid but I took it to be free. For 6 months I had everything I needed in that van and loved it! I house sat for a few months, stayed in my parents driveway a few months, was figuring stuff out when current house fell in my lap. My sis found it, I paid $1500 for current house, and put a few grand into it fixing it up and have been here 3 years. And... in 3 years it seems that it just keeps accumulating stuff. My new hubby kind of picks on me for my 'minimalist and uncluttered' ways, but really it still seems like we got too much darn stuff. This move will be a great purge.

Haha.. kind of rambled there, sorry.

 

[milkmansdaughter]

I LIKE you, Reice!
Thanks for giving us such a detailed story. And yes, the "stuff" does seem to grow and multiply doesn't it?? I always seem to be giving stuff away and yet there's always more.