I have used my Brand New-To-Me Chalkboard (3.99 plus tax at the Goodwill) to provide an illustration of my 2010 resolutions... #3 is part Mr. G's too...I think, God love him, he is mostly humouring me*...
See, it is not that I really want to be a Farmer...I mean some casual gardening is fine & dandy, but farming, so I've heard, is a hard hard way to earn your livin'... I do want to have enough organic produce to provide for our table year 'round and maybe some to sell at the local farmer's market...
some chickens (some=3)...maybe a little goat...possibly a pet cow...
Let's call it Farming Lite...
And, important footnote, Mr. G and I do have the bad habit of draggin' home dogs and cats that
seem to have found themselves homeless...
our latest find is Lady Bug Rosie...and her room is our master bath...of course, Lady Bug doesn't live in there, but when it is bed time or when Mr. G and I head off to our jobs, that is where she hangs out...Can I just say I look forward to the day when I can take a bath without somebody drinkin' my bathwater? Because it wouldn't be our house if Lady Bug didn't have some cute personality tic...She won't eat unless I'm in the bathroom with her (our dogs eat separately...food aggression drives me nuts)...
We need more room unless we stop this pickin' up every goofy dog that is runnin' in the middle of the road...and that is just a pipe dream anyway...at least until legions of people stop being such incredible sorry-assed creatures...that is an Even Bigger Pipe Dream...
ANYWAY, to achieve #3 on the list requires the sudden onset of intensive saving for the next 2 years...
We hashed out the budget in January, took it out for a test drive this month and decided to "start for real" in March...
seems we burned through our "discretionary" spending $ the first weekend of the February...
Danger, Will Robinson, Danger: Steep Freakin' Learning Curve Ahead...
We do very little credit card spending, have a little credit card debt and a decent savings account...
but we're used to spending, even in these strapped times, whatever is left over from the month's expenses...
magazine here, take-out there...plants for the garden, some thrift shopping...some more take-out...and massive vet bills...
Adds up appallingly fast, doesn't it?
Whether or not we can pull this off will be hanging wayyyy up in the air for some time, but I cannot help but believe that even if our farm never materializes, the next couple of years are not just going to be about learning to control our money (I won't even buy into my own delusion by adding "better" at the tail end of that sentence) but about refining other areas of our life together** and of our selves as separate beings***...
Any and all budget tips welcome...
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*possibly praying to God every night, on his knees in the garage, that it doesn't happen
**this will almost assuredly bring about some serious disagreements
***and possibly involve jail time for somebody
4 comments:
Here's to hoping you can stay outta jail.......love the goals, and I think you can do it!
Suzanne
Great Blog! You are a "Realist" meaning "You tell it all like it is!" Farming lite is a dream. Farmers farm not to make money but because it is their mission in life to feed the hungery. Dogs are a love any pet for that matter. Taking care of animals costs money, Now days they have insurace to help with expenses. Develop a Income flow, List everything you have put a price tag on it then make a decision what to sell. Every Morning ask your-self what can I do today to make money, then take steps towards it. New blog on the Hx. of the Ladybug: http://historyoftheladybug.blogspot.com/
Yes, it easier to dream, isn't it? Great goals AND super cute chalkboard! :)
Donna
Boy, don't those vet bill add up? Don't forget the goat and cow will also have vet bills. We too would love to have just a few acres for some animals. We are house hunting but don't find just the right thing.
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