Making the switch to the DR plan. Accountability list

**Ceashels** · 11-08-2010, 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by Greebo

The 8th has arrived. New job starts today! I'm a bit nervous!

No idea how much I'll be around for a while - the new job may be quite busy to start. If you don't see me for a while, don't worry too much.

Yay! Peace and quie.... oh, he can read this can't he?

**MissSeetonFan** · 11-16-2010, 12:11 PM

Congratulations on the new job, Greebo.

**Ceashels** · 05-24-2011, 07:53 PM

Greebo! Time to update!

**Greebo** · 05-24-2011, 07:56 PM

Originally Posted by Ceashels

Greebo! Time to update!

Thanks, slacker - don't bother trying to fill in any details yourself!

**Ceashels** · 05-24-2011, 10:34 PM

Lets see, in Nov, 2010, I took the necessary courses to get my Lead Paint Removal/Maintenance Certification so we can do the work ourselves instead of paying premium specialists.

I was referred to a few more clients for my house cleaning business

so I am now cleaning 4-5 houses weekly.

After renovating the ground floor unit and having the upstairs tenants move down, we took a break from renovating for the holidays, this was then followed by both Greebo and I getting sick in January which led to less time working on the projects.

Our tenants are just scraping by as hours are getting cut so we are accepting their general labor skills in lieu of rent. They have been able to work off what they owed and have a decent amount of "credit" that can be applied to a future month. I really hope they budget wisely so they can ride out the storm until better job opportunities come along.

We have a few large projects left in the basement of the building but the second unit is now rent-able.

It took a long time to get there but we got there. phew!

We are "handing over" the units to a property manager who we like and who has a similar philosophy. She is much better at finding tenants who won't be a problem and it is working out very nicely for us.

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We still have biweekly budget meetings.... mostly... okay, sometimes the mid month meeting gets lost. OOPS! But we always keep our end of/beginning of the month meetings. This allows us to review what we did spend and we tabulate what we expect to make for the upcoming cycle. Every dollar still gets a name and a place to sit until its needed.

and we are working on year three of the DR plan.

Greebo can fill you in on the numbers as I'm sure mine aren't up to date on the budget board. He can be the slacker now

. hehehe
His stock plan at work is starting soon so I know our budget will tighten up again.

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It is amazing at the changes we've made. I reread this entire thread just to see where we started and how far we've come. I'm really grateful for the future we are building, not just for us, but for my Mom and my Brother too.

Life is good.

**kita** · 05-25-2011, 04:17 AM

Nice to see ceashells side of things since Greebo is the one who talks and has details...

**Greebo** · 05-25-2011, 08:29 AM

Numbers? The only numbers I disclose are our remaining debt... which are out of date I grant.

**Ceashels** · 05-25-2011, 08:40 AM

Ummm.....

Slacker!

hehehe

**Greebo** · 05-25-2011, 09:15 AM

That's me!

**Ceashels** · 09-19-2011, 03:50 PM

So....

We are nearly finished the renovations at the property (owned by my Mom). But last month we gutted our basement so everything there is now in storage, in the guest room or in the entrance room of our home.

Three days before Irene hit us our AC died. Thank goodness it is the end of season! We have some window units that we use since there is such poor duct work in our home and those units have kept us going. Since we were going to revise the duct work anyway... we are looking at two zones for heat and cooling. We will set up the zones in two phases and will install the upper zone in spring and the lower zone sometime later.

Right now, we're just putting money aside to pay for phase one. I've never seen Greebo so tempted to borrow again but I have to give the man credit. We're going to cash flow this project.

So I still somehow keep accumulating stuff when I clean out shelves and drawers.... and I'm very ready to become a minimalist.

**Greebo** · 09-19-2011, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by Ceashels

So I still somehow keep accumulating stuff when I clean out shelves and drawers.... and I'm very ready to become a minimalist.

She says that right until I offer to rent another dumpster and put everything in it...

**Ceashels** · 12-30-2011, 09:54 AM

Budget changes this past year:

The past 6 months have been tighter budget wise since Greebo entered the companies stock plan. It has paid off in the end but there were days when I wanted extra things for the home that I HAD to postpone. Even I felt the pinch this last year!

We established a hills and valley fund to cover the expenses for any month when I don't make what I projected (this is handy when I miss work because of injuries, illness or snow). This has been replenished for the next 6 month stock plan cycle since more money is pulled out of Greebo's paycheck. So our budget gets to remain tight with six month intervals of woohoo we can cover the next project. LOL

Home renovation situation:

Lets see, since gutting our basement our AC has died and replacement will require an upgraded electric panel. Thank goodness it died with just 2 weeks of summer left so we used window units to keep us sane. We've been socking money into the project fund at the end of every month but it never seemed we were making much headway to the overall goal. Our HVAC man will give us the specifics of what walls need to be opened and we will do the carpentry work ourselves which will save us some money.

With the cashing in of the stocks we now have enough to cover the electrical work and most of the cost to put a second heating/cooling zone into the upper level where the AC is needed most. We will eventually upgrade the furnace and put in an AC for the lower zone later in 2012 and I hope the furnace doesn't die .... its rather old.

We, and by "we" I mean Greebo, installed a new, temporary counter in the kitchen and that finally got rid of the ants we "hosted" all summer. Unfortunately the garbage disposal broke in the process so a new sink and disposal was added. I love the deeper sink but it meant lifting the counter up higher off the cabinet bases so there is now a gap under the counter... LOL.... one day that kitchen will get redone as well.

Our anniversary gift became a new dishwasher which he installed last week and what a difference!!! I'm amazed at how inefficient our old model was at getting things clean. One wash took off the build up of 'haze' on all of our glassware. Amazing!

Business:

We finished most of every major project at the investment units. Overall they are holding their own but we have one building where the tenants just can't afford to pay. We've lowered the rent this year to help make it easier in this economy but it is going to be difficult to continue since my Mom receives a paycheck each month from the business to help cover her monthly expenses.

Life:

Everything else has been put on hold while we saved. No vacation except to visit the in-laws for a weekend and a day trip to treat my nephew to the Philadelphia Aquarium. We did have 'getaway' plans for an extended weekend in Philli so I could see all the history.... but that can happen later.

We have one more gift to buy for Christmas but have no idea what to get his parents when we visit them in January... There is money still in our Christmas fund so we are pretty close to knowing how much to budget next year for the gift giving season.

My Mom was diagnosed with endometrial cancer this past summer and has had surgery and is finishing up her last 3 weeks of radiation therapy. We're not sure if chemo is in the plan just yet but she has been doing great so far. I'm hoping we can avoid any chemo, she isn't frail but would be at the end of it.

We put Our Precious sheltie down just before Thanksgiving. It wasn't an easy decision but it was the best for her. She was 14 yrs and was at the end of her journey so now she can run... and see on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge. I'm hoping this will leave us open to foster other animals in need... but if the rescue organizer is smart, she'll give us another with limited chance of permanent adoption. LOL

Plans for the upcoming year:

Budget: Increase the grocery budget in the fall to cover those added little things around the holidays. (like the homemade Bailey's).

Stay focused and look at the bigger picture more often. I think it will be easier once we get 1-2 projects done... These are the projects that we can't DIY.

Renovations: Finish the HVAC upgraded system then start working on rewiring and replumbing.... which ever takes the priority at the time.

Business: We are planning on sharing TMMO with our tenants and help them at least learn how budgeting can progress them in their goals. W provided them with the book last summer but they haven't finished reading it. It won't find jobs for them but I hope it helps them see outside the box.

Life: Take a vacation with my bff and her family along the Carolina coast. And start hosting game days again. I really miss having a day of leisure with friends.

I think that covers the most of it.