http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/ Frugal Living Forums, a frugal living community with emphasis on debt reduction, responsible spending, consuming less, recycling and helping each other bridge the gaps for a sustainable future. en Sun, 26 May 2013 03:36:55 GMT vBulletin 1 http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/ http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/tigo/5551-getting-back-wagon.html Mon, 20 May 2013 15:09:31 GMT The last few months have been unusual even for us. There were several medical issues that had to be addressed that kicked our behinds financially and emotionally. The big kids now have a semester or year of college under their belts and everyone is getting ready to face the summer. Pixie is taking... The last few months have been unusual even for us. There were several medical issues that had to be addressed that kicked our behinds financially and emotionally. The big kids now have a semester or year of college under their belts and everyone is getting ready to face the summer. Pixie is taking one class but Lou and Annie are taking the summer off. They will focus on work and Annie needs to get in her volunteer hours so she can apply for the vet tech program. Little Bear and Little Mouse will get an easier homeschool schedule for the summer. We will still focus on writing and reading. I have signed the little men up for swim lessons and I plan to have them try a few other activities.
Now that we are all healthy again I have the energy to focus on our homesteading and budget goals. I will have (forced) volunteer labor with the big kids having more down time this summer to really kick the repairs and improvements list down.
Little Bear seems to do better with his GI issues when he eats simpler, less processed foods. We have been experimenting with vegan cooking so that our grocery budget will stretch to include more local and organic items. The farmers markets are finally starting up so this helps a great deal. I have already dragged out my old vegetarian cook books and can't wait to share some old favorites we haven't had in years. ]]> tigo http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/tigo/5551-getting-back-wagon.html http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5550-patio-garden.html Mon, 20 May 2013 00:11:27 GMT We have a large patio garden. Every year we plant at least 10 tomato plants, 4 or 5 assorted squash plants (we grow them vertical), pole and bush beans, cucumbers, onions, lettuce, radish, carrots, Swiss chard, spinach, beets, herbs, edible flowers, etc. There are over 30 pots to plant. Some are... We have a large patio garden. Every year we plant at least 10 tomato plants, 4 or 5 assorted squash plants (we grow them vertical), pole and bush beans, cucumbers, onions, lettuce, radish, carrots, Swiss chard, spinach, beets, herbs, edible flowers, etc. There are over 30 pots to plant. Some are large half barrels. Some are just small indoor pots really.

This year we are topping up the pots with soil and planting again.

So far we have spent $115 on plants, seeds, and soil for the yard. This not only includes the patio, but the front entry planter and the Sweet Peas and net to climb for the flower garden. I am trying to keep tabs on the costs to see if we actually earn our money back in vegetables. We'll see by the end of the summer. ]]> peanut http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5550-patio-garden.html http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5549-vacation-update.html Sat, 11 May 2013 20:07:35 GMT :) We are going on vacation...somewhat. Things being what they are, we have very little time for vacation this year. Hubby has five weeks vacation through work, but we cannot afford to take them if we want to fix up the house. Soooo... We are going to take 7 days to go to the West Coast to... :) We are going on vacation...somewhat. Things being what they are, we have very little time for vacation this year. Hubby has five weeks vacation through work, but we cannot afford to take them if we want to fix up the house. Soooo...

We are going to take 7 days to go to the West Coast to see hubby's nephew married. Then we'll come back in time for an Awards Night I am supposed to attend. And then we'll head to a friend's community for their 100th birthday bash for a weekend. As far as I know, that's it for this year. Don't know what hubby is going to do with his other 4 weeks of vacation time. Hope he enjoys staying home! ]]> peanut http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5549-vacation-update.html http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5548-renovation-tally.html Thu, 09 May 2013 23:04:24 GMT Time to take a break and look at what needs to be done, and realistically what can be done! Hubby sat down and made his 'dream list' of renovations on the property. A quick tally and I quit adding up the dollars when I hit $75,000.00. Here's the list, including the priority we placed on them. Bear in mind this man wants to retire in two years!

#1 Priority

• Remove tree in backyard that is causing foundation problems.
• Repair damage to wall from shifting house.
• Install telepost in basement, if needed.
• Have chimney cleaned.

#2 Priority

• Renovate kitchen (Need to go down to the studs and remove the ceiling due to poor renovation by previous homeowners.).
• Refinish all hardwood floors on both levels.
• Renovate front entry (already started).
• Replace garage.
• Renovate basement bathroom (need new toilet, sink, and flooring. A paint job wouldn't hurt.)
• Refinish steel and brass heating grates (we live in a 1928 home so these are the big heavy suckers).
• Install a fan in the upstairs bathroom & a razor plug in (will do when the kitchen ceiling is torn out.)

#3 Priority

• Renovate back yard
• Renovate front yard
• Replace fence on south side of property
• Replace fence between houses
• New windows (we still have single pane windows on. We keep storm windows on them year round to help control heat.)
• Replace furnace (not a priority because it works fine, it's just closing in on 25 years old)
• Re-do insulation in attic (not a priority, but has Zonolite. We are not moving it without professional help.)

Our renovation list and budget shifts like the Sands of Time. :lol: ]]> peanut http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5548-renovation-tally.html http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5547-entry-renovation-continues.html Wed, 08 May 2013 00:38:17 GMT We spent Sunday on the renovation too. Hubby installed the light and exchanged the switches and switch plate. We also bought a door stop to fit over the door hinge and he installed it. Works great! Monday we spent a lot of time looking over flooring options. As I pointed out to hubby, the... We spent Sunday on the renovation too. Hubby installed the light and exchanged the switches and switch plate. We also bought a door stop to fit over the door hinge and he installed it. Works great!

Monday we spent a lot of time looking over flooring options. As I pointed out to hubby, the cheapest route to go is to try and save what we currently have. BUT, if that is not possible, we need to look at alternatives. We ended up coming home with a couple samples of Pergo flooring.

Yesterday and today we worked on scraping the floor off. He showed me how he does it and I have been pecking away at it.

Next up is bifold doors for the closet. Today I had hubby over to RONA and Home Depot to check out the options. We talked about different door solutions. Neither of us want to hang a curtain there. Our experience with sliding doors is they squeak a lot and block entrance into the closet. There's no room in the wall for a pocket door. And there's no room in the entryway for two regular pull out doors. Our experience with accordian doors has not been all that great either. That leaves us with bifold doors. Hubby is doing some online research this week and we will see what he comes up with for this coming weekend.

The total cost for this renovation so far has been right around $600 CAD, and that includes that $320 doorknob/dead bolt replacement. I am trying to keep the total under $1000. Do not know if that's possible, but I am going to try. This is not your average HGTV renovation! We have serious budget restrictions here. We need any and all extra money for a kitchen renovation. ]]> peanut http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5547-entry-renovation-continues.html http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5546-relief.html Mon, 06 May 2013 21:48:20 GMT Hubby came home, opened the door, said "Whhaaa...???" and laughed. He wanted to know what happened. I told him I was bored. He wanted to know me and who else. So I told him my friend helped me. He agreed it looks much brighter and better.

However, he lamented the loss of the green ceiling :rolleyes:, was not very happy about the floors (but then neither am I) :sigh:, and was not happy about the loss of his precious falling apart boot rack. The one I made that really needed to see the garbage.

Sooo...since Saturday, he has installed the light, exchanged the switches, installed the switch plate, installed a door stop, been shopping for boot racks, and flooring for the front entry. Today we went to Lowe's and priced out custom bifold doors for the closet. They are expensive. Over $300 CAD a pair. That would blow my renovation budget out of the water. I told hubby the man at RONA told me we could cut our own down to size with the table saw. And their doors are $45 each to start with. Much cheaper than Lowe's at $75 each.

We also checked out laminate and vinyl floors for the front entry to cover the old damaged hardwood. Brought some samples of Pergo home from Lowe's. Not sure I want to cover the hardwood yet. It needs to be a smooth surface and we do not have that at the moment.

So things move forward. We even checked Co-op for cedar 4x4s for raised beds, but no luck there. So it will be Lowe's or the cedar specialty store in town, which means $150/raised bed in wood alone. ]]> peanut http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5546-relief.html http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5545-entry-renovation-date.html Sun, 05 May 2013 01:02:22 GMT I have done all I can do without further input from hubby. He arrives home tonight. We'll see what he says.

Thursday morning he left early for his conference, not suspecting a thing. Thursday morning my student phoned me canceling our cooking class because her daughter was home from school sick. That meant I could start on emptying out the closet and demolition right away. And I did! I only hit a snag with the linoleum floor. The people who built the entry laid the linoleum first and then built the closet over top of it. The linoleum also came up in layers. The top layer first. The second and third layers were a bear. I phoned the store I planned to rent a machine from to scrape the glue off the floor and they said "Sure! it will do it!" Famous last words. I went on to washing the space down with TSP.

My friend came over after lunch and we put on the first primer coat. Picked up the machine to strip the floor. Found out it did not work as described. Not only that, but it gouged the floor. AND it was too awkward for me to use. The floor is ruined! Hubby will be furious! :sigh: Can't be perfect. I focused on the rest of the reno. Took the evening off and went to bed a bit discouraged.

I was up bright and early Friday to put on the second primer coat. My friend arrived in time to help me cut the doorway trim for the sunroom entrance. We stopped there as she noticed the trim wasn't wide enough for the other doorway. :sigh:

In the afternoon we painted the finish coat on everything. Looks lovely! And then went shopping for a new shoe rack and recycling bins for the hallway. Looks a lot better there now.

Pictures? Before and after...







(Waiting for hubby to do the electrical)

(The ceiling. Waiting for hubby to install the light.)

(The ruined floor)

What's left to do?

~ order bifold doors to fit
~ install lights and change out switches
~ floor
~ trim around hallway door
~ baseboards

Hope hubby and the budget are up to it. And speaking of budget. So far everything total was under $600, and that includes the $322 door knob set. ]]> peanut http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5545-entry-renovation-date.html http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5544-shopping-day.html Thu, 02 May 2013 03:19:21 GMT Today I made the commitment. I actually bought the supplies to redo the entry. I stopped by the paint store first and got some tips and the paint to cover up the paneling and hardboard. Then it was off to RONA and Home Depot to pick up lighting, switches, switch plate, light bulbs, and new... Today I made the commitment. I actually bought the supplies to redo the entry. I stopped by the paint store first and got some tips and the paint to cover up the paneling and hardboard.

Then it was off to RONA and Home Depot to pick up lighting, switches, switch plate, light bulbs, and new trim for the doorways. I have everything hidden away in my studio, where hubby never goes!

I picked up a linoleum lifting tool, and have the machine booked that takes the backing and glue off the floor for tomorrow afternoon.

I am getting mega-excited! :dancing:

I sent an email off to my friend inviting her to come help paint tomorrow afternoon. :toothy: We'll see if she decides to come help.

The two things I could not purchase today were bifold doors and 1x10 baseboards. They did not have bifold doors to fit our opening. They are special order apparently. And I couldn't find any plain pine straight 1x10 baseboards. So those will have to wait till hubby gets home. ]]> peanut http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5544-shopping-day.html http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/nadine64/5543-i-need-help-flower.html Wed, 01 May 2013 08:00:06 GMT If anyone can help, I would love to find out what type of flower this is. Attachment 25372 (http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/attachments/kitchen-basics/25372-who-better-cook-you-your-spouse-603833_504119889641333_1047595932_n.jpg) If anyone can help, I would love to find out what type of flower this is. ]]> nadine64 http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/nadine64/5543-i-need-help-flower.html http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5542-conversation-good.html Tue, 30 Apr 2013 21:04:29 GMT Hubby and I had several conversations this weekend about the house and property. It resulted in knowing more about what he wants to see in the entry. Hardwood or tile floor. No swag lamp because it gets in the way of getting things out of the high cupboard we have above the coat closet. We... Hubby and I had several conversations this weekend about the house and property. It resulted in knowing more about what he wants to see in the entry. Hardwood or tile floor. No swag lamp because it gets in the way of getting things out of the high cupboard we have above the coat closet. We actually picked out the light fixture at RONA. Just didn't buy it because, well, he doesn't know what's happening this weekend yet.

We came to an agreement that it is best to do a DIY renovation of the front entry, and save our money for a nice reno of the kitchen.

Our taxes are filed and our accountant let us know the return hubby would be getting on his taxes. Turns out to be a hefty amount that will go straight into the C&H account for a new kitchen.

We also checked landscape ties for raised beds. The clerk at RONA's told us not to use them, but to check another place for untreated cedar or fir for the beds. So we're checking some of the farm supply stores in town for untreated cedar or fir. Turns out the only reason hubby axed the yard plan was the cost of the raised beds. He has no idea how much things cost these days!

He did manage to pick up the phone yesterday and talk to a couple of home inspectors though. One had the name of a foundation specialist for us to call. He said there are actually two or three in town that know basements better than he does.

So things are moving along here slowly... We might get something done by the end of May. ]]> peanut http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5542-conversation-good.html http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5541-entry-renovation-has-begun.html Sat, 27 Apr 2013 22:17:05 GMT I started out with a full de-clutter and deep clean of the space. I mopped every inch of it to get rid of spider webs and built up crud. I had to put everything back in, because hubby still doesn't know about the renovation that will happen when he's gone away.

I asked hubby to help me with a 'couple things' in the entry. I think he is beginning to suspect something is up. I asked him if he would fix the paneling in the entry so it did not bulge over the doorway. He did.

And then I asked him about using the end wall as a feature wall. He is dubious, but he pulled the remaining paneling off that wall to expose a lovely wide board siding - the original side of the house. He even cleaned it up, chipping off all the glue that had been used on the paneling. For the record, hubby is rarely this helpful. In fact, it's like pulling teeth to get him to do anything around here!

While he was out today I booked a machine to clean the linoleum glue off the hardwood, so I can sand and refinish the hardwood floor, if it's in good shape. If not, I'll just paint it.

Talked to my friend and partner in crime. She said I could store bifold doors at her place until hubby leaves. She's coming over anyways to help.

I also finished refinishing the bench for the space. Total cost $30.



And I cut, stained, and installed a shelf in a mirror half moon planter I picked up last night at Winners/HomeSense for $39.



Next up I will have to buy some supplies. I will store them in my studio till hubby leaves. He never goes in my studio. :) I am starting to get excited. BUT my back is starting to hurt too. I had a full day today and now I'm resting before we eat and take it easy this evening. My back is my weak spot. :( Will have to baby it through. ]]> peanut http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5541-entry-renovation-has-begun.html http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5540-roll.html Sat, 27 Apr 2013 03:48:16 GMT I decided to go ahead with the locksmith. He quoted me 'about $100' over the phone. Came out and looked at it and sighed. Then said it would be close to $200. In the end it cost me $321CAD to fix that thing!!! :yikes: The door is old and the fittings were old and all had to be replaced. I took what I could get, not what I wanted. There was only one that fit my door apparently. I will work around it. On the up side, I paid cash and it is one of the most secure doors around now!

I decided to work on renovating the entry while hubby is away at a conference this coming weekend. Today I started refinishing a small bench we use to hold scarves and mitts. A friend took me to Fabricland and we picked up a remnant to use for the top of it for $5.25CAD. Pretty nice deal! I took the bench apart and covered the top today. Tomorrow I'll work on the bottom.

Tonight my friend and I went out again and picked up some primer, had my old can of finish coat paint shook up, and bought a mirror for the front entry. The mirror is above a half moon planter. I'm going to plunk a half moon shelf inside the planter to hold keys and and letters while we put our shoes and boots on to go out the door.

I talked things over with my friend and we figure to redo that entry will cost about $500. I'm prepared to spend up to $1000. But I don't think that will be necessary. I'm not doing an HGTV makeover! ]]> peanut http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5540-roll.html http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5539-entry-renovation.html Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:06:10 GMT The first thing to do when faced with a renovation is to ask yourself "Do I really need it?" Followed by "What is the least that can be done for the biggest visual bang and least dollar input?"

I think I just cut the cost of the entryway renovation considerably. I phoned the best locksmith in town to come look at the front door and replace the doorknob. I gave him measurements and he says they have a doorknob to fit! I am beyond ecstatic! They will come this afternoon to check things out.

This is good news because the contractor I had look at the situation was saying they don't make doorknobs to fit that door anymore. Therefore I needed a new door. And a new door meant changing the wall covering because it was too thin for the modern jambs. And of course that would mean taking all the paneling down in the entry and redoing the closet too. And the floor needs redoing anyway. By the time he was done he had us at $5000 for a new entry. That was about five years ago. That's how long we've been without a front doorknob. Longer actually, by quite a bit.

I had trouble this winter getting from the front yard to the back door to get inside due to ice collecting on the sidewalk. We aren't talking a thin bit that can be handled with ice melt. We're talking 6" thick ice piling up on the sidewalk. It's treacherous and I have already fallen once. My other choice is to walk down an icy and rutted alley to get in the back yard and to the back door the long way. That is very inconvenient for people dropping me off at night and wanting to make sure I arrive home safely. Not to mention treacherous for me.

So it has become imperative to get the front door knob fixed.

This is a safety issue. I can hardly wait for the locksmith to come. I hope and pray he has a doorknob that will fit. ]]> peanut http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5539-entry-renovation.html http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5538-de-clutter-continues.html Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:05:30 GMT What a day yesterday! I managed to achieve a lot. I was tutoring all morning. And on the way home came across a neighbor whose car was stuck in the snow and ice in the back alley. She had hit the ruts the wrong way and ended up in the snowbank, overshooting her garage. I tried to chip away at... What a day yesterday! I managed to achieve a lot. I was tutoring all morning. And on the way home came across a neighbor whose car was stuck in the snow and ice in the back alley. She had hit the ruts the wrong way and ended up in the snowbank, overshooting her garage. I tried to chip away at the ice under her bumper with an thingie that breaks up ice. Don't know what they're called. Realized she and her husband were of little use. They are very senior. Said a prayer for help, and who should appear around the corner but about 7 students from a nearby school! They looked to be about grade 8, so I put 4 or 5 of them plus myself at the front of the car to lift and push. Worked like a charm! My neighbor was out in no time. :) Came home feeling pretty good but tired. I'm very out of shape.

Spent the afternoon decluttering. I worked on the home office as much as possible. Really couldn't do much because it is mostly hubby's stuff. I decided to go through the filing cabinet drawers that are mine and sort through stuff. That morphed into a deep clean/declutter of greeting cards, which I have in 3 places in the house. I ended up with a grocery bag full of greeting cards and stationary to sell on Kijiji.

After that I realized I really could not declutter the office without hubby's help. So I moved onto a room I could do something about - my studio/sewing room. It was fine until the end of the craft sale season last year, when I had to move everything into that room. So I pulled out all my old inventory. As I am only selling rugs from here on, I decided to list the remains of last year's inventory for sale online to see what happens. So spent part of the evening doing that.

Now my front entry is growing crowded with things for sale online, and I have company coming Thursday evening. I am going to have to relocate the sale items someplace else temporarily. But that will be Thursday afternoon's job. :) ]]> peanut http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5538-de-clutter-continues.html http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5537-vacation.html Sat, 20 Apr 2013 20:39:58 GMT Vacation is on, vacation is off. Hubby feels the heart pull him to see his prodigal nephew married. So I think we will go. But we may not go for as long or as far. We can cut the trip costs in half that way. It would be $1500 for the two of us for 9 days. The catch is we have to pull a 12... Vacation is on, vacation is off. Hubby feels the heart pull him to see his prodigal nephew married. So I think we will go. But we may not go for as long or as far. We can cut the trip costs in half that way. It would be $1500 for the two of us for 9 days. The catch is we have to pull a 12 hour day of driving to land at his sister's for free accommodation. Not sure I want hubby to drive that long. Plus I will have to keep tight reins on the grocery budget.

We can cut the cost of the trip in half even yet if we don't go to the Island. But that's where our friend is, and it seems a waste to drive 2-3 days and be so close and not see him. Still, the main reason for going is nephew's wedding. I will leave the final decision up to hubby. ]]> peanut http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5537-vacation.html http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5535-decluttering-cds.html Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:23:24 GMT I have well over 300 CDs in this house. Most of them I inherited when my mom died. A lot of them I do not want to even listen to. I have been loading the ones I do want to listen to onto my laptop. And then listing them for sale online. So far no one has inquired about them. We will see. ... I have well over 300 CDs in this house. Most of them I inherited when my mom died. A lot of them I do not want to even listen to. I have been loading the ones I do want to listen to onto my laptop. And then listing them for sale online. So far no one has inquired about them. We will see. They may be destined for charity. Or a very cheap sell to the local used bookstore.

My plan, once everything is loaded on my computer, is to back up to a flash drive. I am smiling thinking of all the space I will free up in my home by getting these out of here! :) Three hundred CDs take up a fair bit of space.

My goal this week is to finish ripping the CDs. I'm half done now. ]]> peanut http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5535-decluttering-cds.html http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5534-saving-renovation.html Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:24:38 GMT So the move to improving our retirement situation is two pronged: save money and earn money. Hubby does a great job on the second one. Not so great on the first. I do good on the first, but not so great on the second. It's either a recipe for disaster or a recipe for success. I am being optimistic and saying a recipe for success.

First object is to find out where we are financially. I discovered we have improved our net worth by a considerable amount since last year this time. That is very good. Excellent! So we will continue what we're doing in that area at least. But that is not enough money for all the work we want to get done. And that money is not all available cash to us. A lot is our retirement funds. Which we do not want to touch.

I talked to hubby about a line of credit. We really do not want to do that. But it might become a necessity in order to finish the house in time for his retirement. We will see. We would rather pay cash.

So...specifics (which most people avoid on FV)...

We currently spend $600/mth. on groceries - all organic, free range, antibiotic & hormone free food...gluten-free, dairy free, sugar free. That has been axed to $400/mth. Certainly for the remaining 1 1/2 months the boarder is not here. Lots of vegetarian, soup, and canned fish meals.

I am going to use the money saved from the grocery bill for the backyard garden this year, including the raised beds. They will not be built until that huge tree is taken down and the structural engineer comes in to look at the basement. No point having them crushed by it. So I'm thinking they might be a late summer/fall project at this point.

My challenge is to empty my sewing room so we can move the boarder upstairs. Then we can rip out the basement, if necessary, for the structural engineer to look at. In order to do that I need to do a serious declutter. I am starting by going through all the CDs in the house, ripping them to the computer and selling them. No point having them take up space. I don't need them. I'll back them up on a flash drive. That will clear out 2 1/2 CD stands/bookcase shelves.

We put a moratorium on all dining out. Instead I will have to think of some way to encourage hubby to help in the kitchen every now and then. Maybe he can cook a meal on his day off. Seems he gets fewer of those these days.

For some reason we seem to have a lot of money in the medical jar. I am going to take the cost of my naturopath out of that jar instead of the account. Then, when hubby gets reimbursed for the visit, it can go directly into C&H. Plus I will not be going to the naturopath beyond hubby's ability to be reimbursed.

We already do not go out to movies or for entertainment unless it's free and we have time. So we cannot cut there.

When the boarder comes back hubby is thinking of raising her rent. She currently pays $600/mth. It costs about half that to have her here. The going rate for room and board is $825/mth. though. So we could certainly raise it a bit.

My goal is to put $2000/mth. into the C&H account (Car and House account, for renovations). Let's see how well we do. So far this month we only have $500 in there. I have $250 set aside by shorting all my jars in my jar budget system this pay period. It will be hard to come up with an additional $1250. If the boarder were here and paying full rent, we might be able to do it. But as it stands, it will be difficult. We have an additional $700 in our Operating Account that, if we are careful, will be untouched this pay period and able to go to C&H. I would need an additional $550 to make goal. Hmmm... ]]> peanut http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5534-saving-renovation.html http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5533-one-thing-leads-another.html Wed, 17 Apr 2013 02:38:23 GMT You know all those retirement dreams? Well they all hinge on one thing. Fixing up this house we're in to get maximum dollars so we can sell it and move to a city near our children. The city near them is far more expensive than where we live.

Fixing up this house is no small task. We need a new kitchen, new front entry, and refinished hardwood throughout. We need a mature ash tree removed out back and the foundation checked by a structural engineer. If there are problems we have to either fix them or expect to take a big cut in the price of the house. Not our desired outcome. Then there's a new garage and south side fence needed as well. I'm not sure how we're going to manage this. Ideally we want it all done by next fall. :thud:

If there has to be foundation repairs we will probably have to give our boarder the boot until they are finished. Or find room for her elsewhere in the house. That is entirely possible, if I get rid of a lot of my sewing stuff and clear out the upstairs sewing room for her. Hmmm...

One thing at a time. Right now we need to:

1. Redo the budget for major savings.
2. Declutter the house big time.
3. Put the tax refund into the C&H account rather than spend it.

Effective immediately the grocery budget has been cut by 1/3. That 1/3 will go into a couple of raised beds and the house account. I've been squirreling away extra funds for the house account anyways. That will just be some more. ]]> peanut http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5533-one-thing-leads-another.html http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5532-retirement-planning.html Tue, 16 Apr 2013 04:10:27 GMT Planning for retirement can be dicey when there's two of you and you have very different ideas. Enter "The Joy of Retirement" by David Borchard and Patricia Donohoe. Using a very practical question and answer approach, they have couples work separately to fill out lists and grids to mark what they want out of retirement, and to see where and if they can afford it.

Hubby and I often do not see eye to eye on things. That is no secret to anyone here at the Village who have followed my threads through the years. I love him dearly, but sometimes I want to thwack him up the side of the head! Thankfully Borchard and Donohoe intervened!

I gave him the book to read after our latest stalemate on which end of the country we were going to move to for retirement. We still haven't totally decided BUT we did decide a few things:

• We want to live in a big city,
• We want a newer house - no more old character homes,
• We want it all fixed up - no more fixer uppers!
• We want to be close to medical services for me,
• We want to be near universities for educational opportunities,
• We want to be near research facilities for hubby whose hobby is genealogy,
• And, last but not least, we want to be near the kids.

For me, I could add a few...

• I want to be within walking distance of shopping,
• I want to be in an artsy area or near one,
• I want my doctor and dentist to be within walking distance.
• I want my hairdresser within walking distance.
• I want a house I can operate a business from.
• Preferably one I can rent a room to a boarder for extra income.

Not a small list. I dread thinking what any realtor would do with this! But I have faith I will find this house someday, somewhere near my girls. I'm not in a hurry. Could be a couple of years before hubby retires and is ready to move. We'll see. ]]> peanut http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5532-retirement-planning.html http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5531-vacation-menus.html Sun, 14 Apr 2013 15:07:03 GMT Want to know what a gluten-free, dairy free, sugar-free menu for on-the-road looks like? Here's my tentative menu plan so far. It assumes four people traveling.

Menu for Summer Vacation 2013

Snacks - Dulse, nuts, fresh fruit, cookies, truffles, goji berry bark, rice crackers & almond butter, pb, L'Arabars (for later in trip), chips, raw energy balls

Day 1 - 11 hr. drive - supper on the road.
B - Egg, Rice Cake, salsa
L - tabbouleh, coleslaw, sandwiches
S - a cold soup, biscuits, salads from home
Day 2 - 7 hr. drive to a hotel with kitchenette
B - Quinoa Porridge
L - Salads, soup, biscuits
S - Vegetarian Wraps
Day 3
B - Pancakes, eggs, bacon/sausage
L - Veggie sticks, Sandwiches
S - wedding (we eat what is on the menu and I suffer the next day)
Day 4 - on the road but only for a few hours
B - Smoothies
L - Tuna Waldorf Salad, Sandwiches
S - Salmon fillets, rice, veggies
Day 5
B - Egg, rice cake, salsa
L - Sushi
S - Chicken stir fry & rice
Day 6
B - Quinoa Porridge
L - Bean Salad, Sandwiches
S - Mexican Skillet (aka shipwreck)
Day 7 - on the road for supper
B - Smoothies
L - Cold Soup, Sandwiches OR something in Victoria
Snack - afternoon tea at the Empress (I'm breaking my diet this day!)
S - whatever we can find in the cooler. Maybe a fish & chips restaurant in Victoria.
Day 8
B - Smoothies
L - Kitchen Sink Salad, biscuits
S - pizza (GF, DF, SF)
Day 9 - on the road 9 hrs.
B - Egg, salsa, rice cake
L - salads, sandwiches
S - soup, biscuits
Day 10 - on the road 7 hrs.
B - Quinoa Porridge
L - leftovers
S - staying with relatives, so whatever they feed us
Day 11 - on the road 7 hrs.
B - whatever relatives feed us
L - Subway salad/meal
S - Clam Fettucini & tossed salad

So I need to pack a lot of the food to make this stuff. Probably I'll premix dry ingredients into zippered bags and just take wet ingredients with me. Plus I need to take a blender, a loaf pan, some cheap pizza pan, and a sushi mat. Hubby is balking at the blender. If I don't get my smoothies periodically I am going to come back looking like the Goodyear Blimp! Don't know how to navigate that issue yet. ]]> peanut http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/blogs/peanut/5531-vacation-menus.html