Money: Of Budgeting & Donating

Just this week I was looking over my finances....

As I've mentioned hub and I are in the midst of a "only buy used" month as our one green change this month (although I did give him the okay to buy a new spiral notebook for his notes for school....after encouraging him to buy a recycled paper one so it's somewhat "used"). But I'm also hopeful that this experience and next month's proposed buy-nothing month, will help us cut back on our free spending ways.

In life before hub, I was a phenomenal budgeter and rarely bought anything unless it was a true necessity, as I was entirely focused on paying off debt and living to the great quote of "living simply so that others may simply live." I was the gal who would walk parched for two miles rather than spend $1 on a bottle of something. I cringed going out to dinner or coffee with friends when I could host them in my house instead for cheaper (and without as much waste). I cried over Christmas presents. Then, in walked my handsome-mister-wonderful, who also happened to be like most soldiers and spend his paycheck til it was gone. Over the last two years while we've paid off quite a bit of debt between the two of us, we definitely have also gotten into the habit of being able to spend very freely. Where I could happily live on a lot less, there is another person in this house who likes to be able to buy rewarding things as he desires them, which in turn leaves me spending more cause I just plain don't want to be the only one going without. This isn't always a bad thing, but I'm well aware that a lot of money gets "wasted" on Starbucks, special cheeses, and random Amazon purchases between the two of us. (And I have to admit that I'm much better off when I stay out of Target!)

That all being said, we've done a great job of being mindful of where future gaps might be. Hub receives a housing stipend that is pro-rated for each day that he is in school as part of his military education benefits. However in months such as September, December, January, March, and June, that amount is less as he's not in school for the entirety of those months due to breaks. He also won't go to school during the summer, so that leaves summers without a housing stipend. Thus part of what I save for during the year is to be able to cover the gaps and our summer housing needs.

I think I've mentioned that hub and I keep our finances separate, as it makes it easier and much more pleasant for us. So beyond saving for gaps in housing payments, I also focus on paying our vehicle payments, my student loan, and anything I've aquired on my credit card, and as much as I can extra for each of those monthly bills. (I've taken to paying for gas, any groceries I buy, etc on the credit card as it grants a very small amount of cash back....and then I pay it off at the end of the month.) I also pay the car insurance when it comes due every six months. Hub pays our cell phones, our utility bills (natural gas, electricity, water/sewer, garbage), our DirecTV (since he's the one that wanted it) and internet, most the monthly groceries, and generally buys at least one meal out and one tank of gas for me each month. He buys his own gas for his truck and anything else he wants/needs. We don't ask questions where the rest of the money goes and after implementing this method for our budgeting, it's actually worked out well for us. Thus far, we've always paid our bills on time, paid stuff down faster, been able to budget ahead of upcoming trips or major purchases, and have been able to save for when we knew there would be short-comings.

With the new part-time job, we're definitely in a much better financial situation then we might have been. (But the reality is that we'll be okay if/when I go back to just one of the positions, and in talking to my boss today for that one position, my job and hence finances should be secure through at least the next academic year.....). We've also gotten to the point where when friends come into town, we're able to treat them to dinner and/or drinks, especially since they've generally already paid a decent amount in plane tickets or gas to get here. It's nice to be in a position to take care of others as we see fit or as is needed. (Although we've also had several conversations about what all this should look like and encompass....there's sometimes a difference between what we can and what we should do....and between what might be expected of us in other situations.)

Regardless of the overall finances however, one thing I have been incredibly mindful of since our return to Oregon is to donate each month to organizations that support my beliefs. As a Christian, I believe it's my duty to donate/tithe each month, in order to give back to God's greater work, and honestly it's just a nice thing to do....period. My needs are more than met and I feel incredibly fortunate/blessed to have the jobs and home that I do. I have no question as to God's providence in my life and know that He has provided enough for me to be pass it on to others. I will readily admit that I'm not donating 10% of my income, which is the Biblical mandate, but I'm giving more at times than I am sometimes comfortable with.....and amazingly He always provides more than I could have ever imagined. Most my monthly donation goes toward an international social justice organization and then to an environmental organization, but we also were blessed with an incredible rental situation at a slightly lower-than-expected rate so I also try to donate an extra amount to support the mission account created in memory of the mother of our landlords.

....and I just have to reiterate that every single time He continues to provide. I don't give in expectation of getting back, but it never ceases to amaze me that every time we've been nearer a pinch, something else has arrived just when we needed it. Case in point: this month I'd saved and budgeted to cover rent (as hub's been on break), my regular bills, and a smaller than usual amount to cover any other expenses, while only expecting to have 1/3 the amount that I usually receive coming in (since there's a break between teaching and thus checks.....). However today I discovered that they'd changed up the way our teaching was paid this term and I have another check sitting in my account. Score! Here goes another donation check and the rest is going to savings for this summer!

I know that everyone has their own way of mananging finances, and there's still much that hub and I could improve on and change. At some point, hub will want to buy a house, so we'll need a down payment, but for right now I'm just focusing on paying off our vehicles and attempting to pay down my quarter-of-a-mortage sized grad loan.

What are your finance secrets? Any good ones to share? Any good frugally green tips for our monthly goals this year or ways to help increase incentives for decreased free spending?

Wonderful Moments Amid Exhaustion!

The weekend has arrived!!

I've never wanted to again be someone working each day hoping for the weekend...but right now I am so thankful that the weekend has arrived! Each of us counselors is doing 1-2 daily briefings, paperwork, and then our regular appointments--as August is busier for a reason I'm not really wanting to mention. Ironically I'm actually more efficient the busier I am and work is still incredibly enjoyable, but its also tiring. Some mornings work starts an hour earlier, but even with the busyness its still possible to greet each client with a smile and to look for the beauty in the moments.

My exhaustion leaves me tuckered out in the evenings at home, but luckily the hub is on "leave" these two weeks, although I'm not sure he's enjoying having all house duties-ha! My goal is to have adjusted to the new schedule by mid-point of the month, so that I'm back to efficient home life when he has to return to his crazy schedule.

However there have been some absolutely WONDERFUL things that occurred in this past week:

--On Monday, a $100 gift card arrived on my desk for doing a job well done. I was totally shocked and didn't expect it at all. A client had submitted a positive comment card on me that I guess got passed up the chain to Headquarters...and low and behold this extra bonus landed on my desk on Monday!

--On Monday and Friday I made a new 5K personal record--running in 26 minutes and 40-45 seconds both times. Ten years ago when I ran 5K races in high school, my best time was somewhere in the 27th minute, so it's incredible to me that I'm running faster now. Still need 1.5-3 miles to maintain my overall weekly mileage goal, but it's on the list of things I intend to enjoy today.

--Molly the English Lab has been visiting us since Weds. She'll be here until Monday evening. A solid lil gal who has kept our dogs exhausted and entertained since her arrival! By last night she'd relaxed into our routine and was able to sleep in her kennel next to the other gals without a single bark! She's been a joy to have, but it's also been a great comparison to see how well trained our dogs actually are on some things.

--The hub spent 1.5-2 hours in the kitchen last night making eggplant parmesan, which is one of my favorite restaurant dishes. Sadly he didn't like his end product, but the effort was so greatly appreciated!

---We are now 3 days away from Mom and Granny getting here! It finally dawned on me how quickly they'll be here and we're definitely looking forward to it. :)

--Finally had 10 minutes yesterday to get to the post office and mail off the box of clothes to my Oregon gal. Six or seven different outfits (1 pair of pants, 2 skirts, 1 button-down, 1 cardigan, 3 dresses, 3 tanks, and 2 shirts) all for $14.50 in postage. Hopefully most of it will fit and she'll have some decent work clothes at her disposal now!

--And speaking of finances: The hub paid off his student loan amount this last week. End of this month, we pay off his last outstanding bill and then we've just got my grad student loans and the new truck (which will just about be paid off in six months). I'm so proud of us: In just over a year of living together and with just 5 months of my own full time employment, we've paid off over $15,000 and spent an additional $5,000 on furnishing and starting up our home. I'm going to admit that it hasn't always been fun pinching pennies at times, but I think the outcome has made it worth it!

While it's been busier and more exhausting---there are always great things going on and great things to look forward to also. And with that I'm off to walk Molly---as she's pulled the leash down and dragged it around the house for the second time this morning! :) Hope you all have an enjoyable and restorative weekend as well!

Home and Life as of Late

Beyond work, the house seems to be the primary thing on my mind as of late. My mother and granny are coming to visit in August (exciting!), which has also influenced me to have the house situated before they get here.  Luckily, our financial plan was based upon getting the new bed and sectional during these summer months.  As I've mentioned before, we've had much difficulty with delivery to our current location.  Our primary couch we ordered last summer from West Elm took an unexpected extra 3-4 weeks due to our location, and while we enjoy their style we've opted to no longer do business with them due to their unwillingness to alter delivery options. Macy's will not deliver to this side of Louisiana, but allows for scheduled furniture pickup from the Houston warehouse. Penney's guaranteed delivery within 4 weeks to any continental US location, but 2 months after ordering our sectional our delivery date had yet to be determined. We have a very modern taste that is difficult to find in most stores, but we've definitely been wishing for the ability to find a store that would allow for furniture to be purchased and picked up in the same day. 

Hence one of the reasons we decided to purchase a king bed from.....Ikea. Definitely not the most environmentally friendly option, but since Ikea is 3 hours away we were able to purchase and set up our new modern style, king bed in the same day.  Add on to that the fact that we purchased a new bed set w/ two night stands, mattress, and almost all organic bedding (I've been purchasing sales for months) for about $1000, and I'm definitely happy we decided to go this route. I have no doubt that the particle board, veneers, and new mattress are off-gassing all sorts of chemicals, but in this case the cheaper, easier method won out.  Ikea did offer a natural/somewhat organic mattress but in the end we went with the regular one.  I will tell you that the enlarged sleeping space has been amazing, although the dogs aren't too happy about being relegated back to the floor! We won't always have walk-in closets so down the road I'd like to get the matching chest of drawers also.

Also at Ikea we purchased this great picture of a lime tree that is hanging in our kitchen.  I know that reproduced big box artwork isn't exactly the greatest, but it goes with our kitchen and we both love it.

Last weekend I painted my childhood chest of drawers, shelf, and night stand in the same brown spray paint I used on the end table.  It's amazing what a new coat of paint and some new hardware can do! All of these will be used in the guest room. Our neighbors have been wanting to increase a mattress size also and will swap out our queen size mattress set for one of their full size sets.  As long as this queen set is comfortable for them then they won't have to purchase a new one, and we'll make the swap official. We also will return their extra futon that we've been using as an extra bed in our spare room.

This is the current living room lay-out after rearranging due to the TV.  If you haven't noticed, we keep ourselves occupied by rearranging furniture! ;) In this room we swapped the lay-out so the table is at the back end of the room and the sitting area is near the front.  The furniture placement will change slightly next weekend when the hub picks up the Macys sectional from the Houston warehouse. At that point our futon will move into the extra kitchen area, and people will have a more comfortable place in there to sit. In the above photo, you can see the lil' quilt that my gal's sister made-to-order for me!  Eventually we do want to find a second hand buffet/bar and a better desk option, but for the most part our furniture buying is now complete! 

Feels like a lot of purchases, but I know they're budgeted for, well researched, and are items that will serve us for years to come. We still have some special touches with art work, etc, but altogether I'm so glad with our lil' home.

We didn't take any pictures of our recent trip to Houston as I forgot the camera, but one of the things we made sure to do on this trip was to drive through part of downtown.  It reminded me a lot of Portland to be honest and was very pretty.  There are a lot of things that the hub and I would love to check out in Houston, but honestly after this next trip for the sectional I'm not sure we really want to head back due to the insane traffic we always face while there.  Traffic jams galore and crazy drivers definitely decrease our desire to explore and check out the wonderful museums and the like that are there. Houston would be a great place to check out if you direct flight into it and easily transport downtown, but I have yet to meet a single person who enjoys driving in it.

It's the Weekend! :)

Work this week was incredibly busy so I'll readily admit that this was the first week where I counted down til weekend.  The hub had some long nights out in the field followed by early mornings so he too is enjoying sleeping in and relaxing.  We have a couple things to take care of today: I have a hair trim and he might go fishing with friends, but knowing us we'll probably enjoy the slowness of the day and daydream about our goals.  And speaking of goals:

---Yesterday we sent in the final amount to pay off the car!! :)  It always feels incredibly great to pay off items and to work on paying larger debts back.  The title should arrive in a week and the pay off noted on my credit at end of month.  I ended my student loan deferment and am in repayment which also feels great.  The hub continues to research trucks and by the end of May we should have one purchased.  In my calculations it should be paid off by this time next spring.

---Our tomato has tripled in size and looks awesome.  We brought it in last night due to chillier nights lately, so I'm hopeful it'll continue to do well.  The basil died within the first few days of planting, but the jalapeno and rosemary are surviving fine.  My daffodils have bloomed out, but the star lily is back from winter hibernation.  I hope to get a few more starts this weekend and some additional grass seed. BUT we have little grass starts making a come back! We're just hopeful more seed will encourage additional sprouts rather than waiting for it to spread.  The dogs haven't been too happy about not getting outside as much, but they're surviving.

---The neighbors returned my sander (and did I mention they're not moving now?!) so I'm hopeful I'll sand the end table in the next weekend or two. The hub ordered us a sectional last weekend as we'd discovered a good deal online.  It's not organic by any means, but the size is perfect for my 6'4" husband and contained what we both wanted in a sectional.  It's red which is a change for us, but we needed more color in the living room.  The company said they were willing to deliver to our rural area and within four weeks, so we're just waiting for the call to schedule. Once it arrives the living room will be situated, the futon will move into the dog/office zone and we'll just be budgeting for the King bed.

--Still managing to work out 3-5x a week. Since changing contraception, I finally feel my body responding to exercising and healthier eating.  It's nice to feel the extra hormones purging and the realignment toward my natural body chemistry.  A coworker lives two streets away so we've talked about running together some evenings-- it's always helpful to work out with other people.  I had a personal goal on Weds as the husband had a long day (6am-2am) so I took work-out clothes to work, left the car in our adjoining lot, and proved to myself that it's possible to make the 6 mile trek home (decent weather prevailing).  Truthfully I only made 4 miles before our neighbor made a big UTurn in the main road and ignoring my protesting told me to get in his jeep.  However, being my stubborn self I then walked the dogs two miles just to prove that the total 6 miles could be accomplished. (Must be the Scots-Irish side of my nature!)

And overall things are moving along alright.  Last night we made the hour drive to a nearby little town that we love.  The hub was able to see the gorgeous wildflowers along the highway and we played a little game of "count the Baptist churches along the road." :)  The food is amazing at the restaurant we frequent and the customer service had largely improved in the months since we'd last been there.  We left more than satisfied and then settled into wonderful conversation on the way home.  After a busier than normal week with limited time together, it was the perfect start to our weekend.

I'm looking forward to the next few months ahead of us.  While they'll remain busy, we have two long weekends scheduled together, we'll be taking care of some of our goals, and there's a good chance we'll be spending time with old Oregon friends.  I hope each of you is moving into spring with an open heart and plenty of sunshine.  Hugs and best wishes! :)

Highlights from the Week

It's been a really good week overall! 

--The hub got back on Sunday afternoon and then we both had regular work weeks.  He finally had a 3 day and was wonderful enough to do some housework on Friday while I was at work.  It's been fabulous to have two whole days to spend together, so we've been keeping it pretty low key---running errands, making dinner, enjoying the small moments with the dogs, etc. 

--Work continues well.  All of us new staff are now settled and I've taken on a regular load at this point.  I'm loving my office organization and decorating I did last weekend, as it makes for a comfortable work environment.  I had a high moment on Wednesday when a retiree came in and told me that the resume I'd helped him with landed him all three of the interviews that he'd wanted!!  Little things like that make me really appreciate the opportunity to work in a job that allows me to help people.

--I'm in the habit of running every day right after work and it's been great for processing the work day and relaxing.  I broke down lately and replaced some of my sports bras and socks (I've had the same ones for 10-12 years)....and let me tell you, definitely worthwhile investment! ;-)  I'm no longer fiddling with straps as I run.  Now I just need to create a new work-out playlist! 

--One of my old coworkers gifted us a lil' old TV before they left.  Hub set it up on Friday in the spare room and got a remote for it yesterday.  We priced new TVs and agreed on size and type for when the funding is available.  My coworkers  give me a hard time for not having a TV, but the two of us don't really watch much anyway.  Technically we can watch TV on our big projector screen but we just choose not to.  We do live stream movies and some sports on the computer and that's mainly what we choose to watch when we do watch anyway. 

--We're one small payment away from paying off the car and I've arranged my first student loan payment.  By end of summer we'll have the last of our outstanding bills paid off (well except for my student loan which will take years still and the new truck payment which should be mainly paid off next spring).  I'm really proud of our money budgeting & management these first 9 months together when I've been unemployed, and our ability to pay off the unexpected bills that we recently discovered.  I'm looking forward to putting extra money away for payments/savings because we want to rather than because we have to though!

--I spent yesterday afternoon researching new bed options.  We were going to purchase a new bed from West Elm as we love their style and prices; however they never resolved our previous shipping issue and I wasn't impressed with their customer service, so I'll no longer do business with them.  Additionally, we've started discussing quality rather than price lately.  The husband is a proponent of hardwood and I'm leaning toward an organic mattress option which equates to a lot more money.  (Health outcomes based on exposures to flame retardants (PBDEs) which are required by law for mattresses are dismaying.)  We're looking at having to double our budget for a new king size bed.....but since we spend 1/3 of our lives in our beds then it's definitely worthwhile. 

--Last night was Earth Hour from 8:30-9:30pm when people across the world turn out their lights in support of environmental awareness and commitment.  We ended up seeing a movie on post, so I'm not sure that counts as participating but the lights in our house were off and we weren't using lights in the movie.  I really like seeing movies on post because they're always shown between the new release time and rental period, so they're at a reduced cost.  And it was nice to spend an evening out together!

--Last weekend I'd purchased a few starts: tomato, basil, rosemary, and a jalapeno for the hub.  We had a cold spell so I kept them inside, well watered, and in the front window all week.  However I just planted them in our flower bed containers yesterday afternoon, so hopefully they'll produce something!  I also was surprised that the daffodils I'd planted about a month ago actually came up and now we have happy lil' flowers in the front bed!

--We've given up on the grass re-seeding in the back yard. The dogs have been doing pretty well outside during (still some holes but.....) and they actually enjoy being outside more than not now. They have a new  lil pup friend from next door who is in our yard more than in her yard. ;) Luckily, we've had no new blow-outs from the food as we've started transitioning them back to the old food choice. 

Then just the little things that bring us joy:

-Doggie smiles, green leaves on the trees, birdies in the morning chirping outside our bedroom windows, laughter together, our favorite local beer is back in season!, cooking together (hub just introduced me to breakfast burritos---AMAZING! and he makes great breakfast on the weekends), Netflix movies and interesting books, etc.

I hope each of you has had a fulfilling week too!

Photo Project Day 14: RELAXATION

Breezes and sunshine blowing through the windows today!  The gals and I spent a good chunk of the afternoon hanging out in the backyard-them gallavanting around and I reading eco-decorating magazines while sipping on a glass of Oregon wine.

This is our bedroom currently.  We just got new drapes that I found on clearance for the living area.  We're anticipating the couch we're budgeting for next time it goes on sale and as we currently use a projector with a screen to view movies---the new drapes are darker and more opaque allowing viewing possibilities during the daytime.  It worked out well as the hub wasn't a huge fan of the drapes in our bedroom, so we were able to hang the seafoam green ones in our room (and the other pair will go in the guest room which doesn't have drapes).  Swapping out to our other duvet makes the room so much more inviting and relaxing---we're both enjoying it.

However also in the budgeting plans is a king size platform bed.  We currently have a queen and while I never thought I'd be someone who wants a king....now that I have a 6'4" husband and like to sleep with a knee pulled up too....my sleep would definitely benefit from a larger bed (aka I actually relish some of the nights the poor man has to sleep out in the field for training....as it means I get a decent night's sleep!).  We were going to get a California King until we discovered that while a Cal King is longer, it's not as wide as a regular King...so a regular King it is!  The current frames we're looking at only require a mattress however and not box springs which definitely helps the budget!  Our friends down the road are also talking about going up a size to a queen, and as they currently have two full size beds in their house, I offered to swap our queen mattress and box springs for one of their sets.  That will help with their overall purchase costs and still give us the opportunity to finally have a guest bed too!

I'm purchasing the new, larger bedding in stages....looking for good deals/sales and trying to weigh cost versus health benefits of organic, sustainable etc.  I know the best source is used, but its hard to find stuff that fits our style especially with limited thrift stores in this area.  Eventually we hope to build two matching wall mounted night stands also, and I haven't decided if I want to repaint my childhood dresser or not (this indecision left it white when I painted all the end tables this summer, and truthfully I could strip and restain it....it's mahogny underneath).  The print over the bed is of a beautiful, large painting by my best friend's father....a piece I'd absolutely love to own but have never quite been willing/able to fork over the money for it!  Eventually I'm hoping to transfer photos taken by my husband onto large canvases which we can hang around the house.  But all of these "design" pieces take time, which is okay by me, especially as I don't anticipate us really being in the right financial situation to make many of these purchases (big or small) for several more months.  So instead, right now, I'm just enjoying the little pieces that we do have and the relaxing view of our bedroom that we have upon entering it. 

Whew!--Authentic & Changed

The week went by in a whirlwind of the new routine!  Luckily yesterday was a restful day especially since today included a spontaneous trip to look for a new sectional.  It's now 10pm on Sunday evening, my bed is calling my name, and I'm finally trying to post and catch up on everyone's blogs from the previous week.  But to be honest, at this point, I still wouldn't have it any other way.  I got asked to cover this coming week at work also, and I'm looking forward to the extra time, training, and money.  While it's still not official, there may just be a silver lining of the unemployment cloud headed this way....

However yesterday I had some thoughts....about the concept of getting caught up in the working cycle as a means to pay off that which you don't actually get to enjoy all that much in your own home.  As the husband and I talk about purchasing an additional couch/sectional, a larger more comfortable bed (my husband is tall and I admit I completely like to take up my side of the bed), and a replacement TV for the broken one in our garage....I began to think about how much time I've actually been able to spend enjoying the couch we do have during these last couple of weeks.  Thus I stationed my rear on the couch for most of Saturday and the husband and I indulged ourselves with some really well done instant Netflix documentaries (The Garden; Dear Zachary--check them out!).  While I'm unsure about the timing of these purchases I do have to offer the other side: we're being intelligent about current sale prices, delivery options (which necessitates pick up in Houston), and investing in pieces that will fit our lifestyle for years to come.  Basically we are looking to create a comfortable, functional, inviting home...and we're headed toward a financial situation to make some of the purchases we've been waiting on.  Although the very, very guilty frugal side of me has her own hesitations.  Yet, I also have realized that currently I'm working because I WANT to be working, to be utilizing my brain and skills to help other people in a meaningful way, and so I'm not working unhappily as a means to buy us things.  (Although the potential paychecks will be fabulous for getting us out of debt and prepped for the changes that will occur in the next year.....all of which is still possible with the said purchases.) 

All these thoughts though lead me back to the point of this blog.  As you all know, for months I've been debating where this blog is headed.  The one thing that I keep coming back to is the title that I selected when I started writing: Simply Authentic.  Thus I really feel that this blog's purpose is for me to be truthful and authentic about where I/we currently am/are on this journey of simplicity.  I will readily admit that marriage has altered who I am, my current location has altered the options available for some of my enviro-simple inclinations, and having to consider a second individual's desires has also led to compromise on some things.....thus the person who I am now and how I am living is a very different reality from my existence when I first started this blog.  Although none of my passions have changed, I also feel that I've entered a period of just not knowing how to move forward to put my passions into daily practice.  I feel in some ways that this move and adjustment to marrying someone with a slightly different mentality has made me face how  many of the other side think and exist.  It's definitely a far cry from the sustainability bubble and social justice focused circle I had surrounding me during the last several years....and it's been a challenge.  Thus as mentioned in previous posts, the most authentic thing I can say is that I'm still trying to figure out just how to approach some of these things.....while still being, well ME.

But the nice thing about the support of the blog world is that you realize that simplicty is so many things to so many people.  Rhonda over at Down to Earth consistently advises that you must tailor simplicity to where you currently are in your life....and so that is how I'm trying to proceed forward.  So you probably will notice some postings here that contradict previous postings or confessions of "regressions" back to the "mainstream," but I think the thing that makes me feel secure about continuing is recognizing that I truly can only post about where and who I am now.  And the best way to proceed forward is to be authentic about it all....after all simplicity is sort of like the ocean that I love so dear...sometimes its an ebb and flow process.

So all THAT being said, here is a listing of some of the changes that have occurred...just to clear some of the air ;)

Confessions:
--We get plastic bags often at the store and use them to pick up the feces of our pets.  I know this is environmentally unfriendly...however paper bags are not an option due to maggot issues in the trash can. 
--I no longer clean with baking soda and vinegar....instead I've sold out to Clorox Green Works and to be honest I'm not even entirely sure why....and for those horrible green water stains we have here I've also had to resort to tougher chemical cleaners...
--We also use paper towels frequently, mainly to wipe up Roxi's pees (we're having house training issues alot lately); although we do use old bath towels too and to wipe their feet when they come inside.
--I can't kick my long shower habit.  They've gotten shorter since marrying but some days nothing soothes my soul like a good long shower.
--I didn't want to pay shipping ordering my veggie mascara from back home so I just bought the cheap, unhealthy drug store kind.
--I finally broke down and threw out 2 pairs of those old, smelly ballet slippers I've had for years...and felt incredibly guilty in the process.
--Since there aren't a lot of good used business clothes options around here, I invested in a bunch of new work clothes for this new job. 
--I threw a soup can in the trash at work because they don't recycle there (although this is something I'm going to work on if I do get hired on there....).
--I hardly even worry about organic or local produce, since there isn't any available around here right now and the dogs & winter rains demolished everything we'd planted.....
--I've been drinking cheap coffee bought in bulk rather than the kind that helps save people and the planet.

And I'm sure there are many other slights I could list.  Yet in producing this list I did have to remind myself that at least I'm cognizant of the fact that these are slights to the health and vitality of ourselves and planet, whereas many others wouldn't even question these behaviors/choices.  And I also reminded myself of many of the positive things that we really are doing for ourselves from a financial, health, environmental, and simplistic standpoint...so maybe even though I've changed...I'm still hopeful we're not doing too bad.

As always, here's to you and yours----head up, heart strong, and renewed.....

Holly Days are Here Again

Looking into the area behind our back yard with the recent snowfall

Our Trees for Troops Christmas tree!!

So Christmastime is here again and I've decided to return to the blog. Sugar cookies are cooling on the counter, the pets are lounging about lazily, and Bing has been singing us his holiday hits for the last two days straight! Our free tree is up and decorated with ornaments from Mom and Dad. Our holiday lights have been hung on our back patio with care!

Much has changed and yet much has stayed the same in the last month, although altogether things have gotten better. I subbed fairly consistently during the month of November, although it proved to the husband and I that sharing one vehicle isn't conducive to my actually maintaining a job. So we're in the process of gathering a down payment so that sometime in the spring we'll be able to purchase a second vehicle. I also recently got a second on-call (although more off-call) part-time position that will start in January--hopefully this will lead into a full-time position. In the meantime I'll continue to have subbing opportunities as well.

We spent the Thanksgiving holiday with various friends. A high school buddy of mine was presenting at a conference in New Orleans so we joined him and explored the city over the actual holiday. We both definitely want to return to check out more of the culture and history that exists there! From New Orleans, we traveled to Georgia to meet up with friends of my husband and then to attend a wedding for a couple from our military post here in Louisiana. The wedding was small and really done well! The return drive across the south was beautiful during the fall and the time away together was much needed. While we planned well with cheap hotel rates, we still blew through a decent chunk of change.....thus we've been re-learning to live on the cheap.

Our food budget for this month has been much less and our initial grocery trip included buying in bulk and price comparing just about everything. However in an attempt to save money it also meant forgoing some of our usually organic choices for more commercial ones (ie regular yogurt rather than organic, etc etc-- btw there is a major taste difference). The only choice this didn't impact was our eggs--after watching Food Inc (which is now available on instant Netflix) the husband agrees that organic, free range eggs are the most ethical choice we can make. However by buying in bulk, we've also lessened the number of trips we need to be making to the grocery store which is very nice!!

The pets continue to keep us entertained...and on our toes. After noticing the horrible, chemical smell coming from the clay litter in Major's box, we have switched to some great pine shavings. The litter clumps much better, lasts longer, and doesn't smell hardly at all. Ironically cleaning out his litter, now reminds me of cleaning a hamster's cage!

Another product I recently had to replace/reorder was that of my mineral foundation. While I went ahead and replaced my mascara with the cheaper version, I didn't want to skimp out on the substance that covers the majority of my face: my foundation. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the order from Alima (remember: Portland based, recycles make-up containers) also shipped in recyclable packaging, included many free sample products, and sent us organic chocolate samples for the holidays too! VERY PLEASED!!

In the next week or two I want to spend some time thinking about the direction of this blog. Getting married and moving has definitely changed up my world as I've known it and at times that filters into other areas of our lives too. It dawned on me this past week that I no longer flinch when I throw a glass container into the trash, nor when I'm drinking out of a Styrofoam container...and it bothers me that these things have become normal to me. Yet I also don't see myself attempting to take on the battle of creating change either. Whether or not that makes me apathetic and part of the problem, I have yet to decide......

However I also recognize that many of the values that I do hold most dear are ultimately ingrained and have stuck throughout the many transitions of this last year. My lettuce continues to grow in the front beds (its about the only thing that survived the fluke snow we had last weekend!), we're still thinking about toxic exposures and attempting to prevent them in our home, I'm still darning clothes that need mending, and I'm still thinking about where my money is going....but maybe, just maybe, I'm also wondering what it means these days to be just so authentically me....

One thing is for sure: I'm glad for the remembrance of the season and the refreshing nature that comes with the new year! Until I post again, happiness and fullness for each of you!

Purchases and Debt

So unfortunately by being unemployed still...I'm financially dependent on my husband. This is a concept that at first was very difficult for me to accept, although he's been a good sport about it all and about having to think more about spending. After being a grad student for so long, I have the tendency to get a little cranky about money, but he also grew up having to pinch his pennies so we actually do alright. There doesn't tend to be much, if any, left over at the end of each month, but the current bills get paid and we have what we need plus a few fun things each month. I'm used to always having some sort of a cushion in my account, but I guess knowing the military will provide our housing needs and health care regardless makes me a little less leery about how close to empty we come most months. However, the husband knows how important it is to me to get out debt, so we're both trying to pay off what we have now (1 loan apiece) and plan for how to pay off what will be coming up due (my two student loans). Yet, as always is the case, there are some unintended expenses too--such as having to replace our car battery last weekend and the vet bill we accrued after first getting our dog.

The original plan was that my paycheck would automatically go toward paying off all of my debts; however with no job in sight my husband has had to pick up part of my burden. Yet we also unfortunately accrued some credit card debt with move expenses, setting up the home, acquiring the pets, and some recent trips (his for work which will eventually be reimbursed and my recent mental health break). Luckily, I had anticipated our use of a credit card and so I had closed out my previous $0 balance card and opened a new one that would grant us 0% interest for the first six months. Luckily, we should just be paying it off or near paying it off in the next month, which will be great as we won't get charged interest (especially as it would have been our highest interest rate) on most or any of it. Then I can increase the amount on my loan payment again until my other payments begin. Debt is a war I don't like to engage in, but I also feel that almost all of our recent financial choices have been worthwhile in the long run. Truthfully though, not a day goes by that I'm not hoping and praying that a job is actually going to open up soon, so I'll be able to contribute toward lifting the load that consistently weighs on my mind.

While some of our purchases could have been made more frugally or held off on, all of what we've purchased has been well worth it and most have been investments in other ways. Some that come to mind are the following:

--We bought a $50 bottom line vacuum that has consistently sucked up a ton of dust and animal hair during the 1-2x a week that I use it. I make sure to clean out it's HEPA filter each time I use it to keep it in optimum working order, and I'm hopeful that between the HEPA vacuum and the air filter for the house we can keep a lot of dust and potential allergies at bay. For the price we paid for the vacuum, I definitely am impressed with how well it does and hope it continues to work for quite a chunk of time.

--We've talked about the pets previously. While they cost via general upkeep and food, the initial "donation" we made for both of them was much, much cheaper than covering the fixing and shots for an animal that we could have found as a stray. We price compare their food and I've been making treats for Anna from scratch. We also invested in hardier toys for the dog, and the cat is a bit more easily entertained (and the dog would eat his toys) so we've only bought one toy for the cat. However, we get enormous amounts of entertainment, exercise, and love out of the creatures, and thus it feels they are worth the costs we do put into them and more.

--We ordered a box of products from Burt's Bees, as we use their shampoos and soaps primarily for health precaution reasons. Each item that we use, I have investigated in the Skin Deep data base in order to determine its safety rating and how it compares to other products. While it's a bit more to use these products, the long term health benefits are worth it. I also made sure to order enough to qualify for free shipping and so that we have enough on hand for several months. Plus that cuts down on the amount of times we have to order, further decreasing the environmental effects of shipping.

--I also have put my foot down about buying organic, free range eggs and organic yogurt. I started eating dairy before moving down here as it makes it easier for us to make meals together. It also makes it cheaper over all since we don't have to buy multiple products, and most soy products cost more anymore. I do still drink soy milk, and we buy the yogurt in bulk to reduce the cost and packaging also. I'd like us to get to the point where we're only using organic dairy for both of us and free range meats for the hubby, but at this point cost is too much of an issue to over-ride the health benefits and the treatment of the animals. I can't believe I'm writing that....sigh.

As much as I've accepted my current unemployment situation, I still can't help but hope that someday soon one of these job applications is going to pan out into a job that I can enjoy and that will help get us a little closer to the financial path I'd like for us to be on. I've definitely been applying for things outside my main interests and comfort zone--just hoping that something soon will develop into employment! Here's to keeping my fingers crossed and my prayers lifted!

Newest News and the Usual Thoughts

Well it's a week away from move date more or less. My school stuff is done and I have turned in what I hope is my last paper ever. I have one more day of working for my boss and we have resubmitted the article for publishing. Half my room is packed and the rest will go quickly next week. I was able to sell back almost all of the books I had wanted to resell, but I still have the stack of magazines to go through. And mainly I've been spending a lot of time visiting with family and friends before moving.

I've been in the process of applying for and interviewing for a job or two. Hopefully one of them works out. Both are part-time which would hopefully enable my husband and I to actually get to spend more time together, especially since his schedule is somewhat unpredictable. We just received our housing this week, so he's been able to spend the last few days moving in and unpacking what we already have down there. We decided to buy a used washer and dryer off a couple that we hope will last for quite a while, and he currently has our car down there (we drove down together a week or two ago) as we are going to try to just use one car. We will have to buy some furniture however, as neither one of us has much, but we are hoping to get a mix of used and new. We purchased a new couch, but have been gifted already a futon and an entertainment center. And the rest we will just wait on.

I've had the usual guilt surfacing in buying new stuff (hot weather clothes, the couch, etc), in spending money on good bye dinners and visiting, and just general consumption purposes. And the last few days I've had that usual questioning of whether or not I am living to the values that I want to. It's going to be a different transition--moving to a completely different location and actually living with my spouse also. The last year of being busier and living with another person has influenced me to be a little less environmentally aware and actively engaged than I was living by myself. I've also been consuming more and with less insight than I was previously. These changes aren't some that I'm entirely comfortable with and this transition either offers opportunities to get back on track or to get even further off track. However this transition period is also occurring in a less environmentally friendly location and includes another individual....

I'm looking forward to setting up house and hopeful that we still might be able to plant something on our patio. There are rumored to be a blueberry and a pumpkin farm nearby, so I'm also hopeful that we can tap into some local goods. We finally found a decent grocery store, although it's an hour drive away. We discovered that there is curbside recycling on post, although they don't recycle glass apparently. (Every time I've had to throw a glass container out, it just kills me.) But I'm hopeful there are a lot of other little ways that we can bring some of our Oregon "green-ness" into this new location. Whether that's based on continuing to buy safer personal care products, practicing greener cleaning via safer products and/or baking soda/vinegar, attempting to container garden, trying to buy in bulk to reduce waste, finding where used stores are, cutting back on impulse purchases, cooking and hosting more at home, etc; there are a lot of steps we can take to make the right impact.

Off I am to my final weekend on the coast of Oregon for a while. May each of you have an enjoyable weekend!

Transitions to Frugality

I'm currently writing from my cubicle on campus. As many of you know, I have been working as a research assistant this term for a former professor and thus now have my own space on campus. I'm just about to walk down to the MAX stop in order to transport home, hopefully beginning The Body Toxic on my train ride. Before I go though, I wanted to briefly write about the conversation I had this afternoon with some fellow graduate students/friends.

One of these individuals mentioned needing to live a more frugal existence and of course I responded with something along the lines of "oh that's right up my alley!" He then went over how much money he spends on a given week just for eating out and some of his other typical expenses. I was completely astounded! However they both were astonished at how little I do spend on groceries and going out expenses. It made me realize that even when I feel that I have been spending a lot, that I'm still far below others in my same age category.

So in an attempt to help, I did offer several suggestions for ways to cut back on expenses. Some of these suggestions included maintaining his current lifestyle but selecting cheaper options, and others were based on completely changing his current spending patterns. However in some ways I feel like the suggestions I offered probably went in one ear and out the other. When it's all said and done it DOES require a lifestyle change to majorly save money.

However that being said, I don't know that I feel that I miss out on much by only going out a couple of times a month with friends. Nor do I feel that I am short changing individuals in my life if I ask them to come hang out at my home over a cup of tea, rather than meet out somewhere. I also don't feel that by growing some of my own food, shopping mainly on the outer edges of the grocery store, and attempting to bring food from home most of the time that I am missing out nutritionally. When I buy a portion of my clothes second-hand, forgo most major name brands, and alter/create/repair items to wear, I still get many compliments on the way I dress. Instead I feel that my life is enriched by these choices and many more.

Sometimes it's just meeting people where they are though, and then slowly opening their eyes to other options that exist (and enrich). In the last week, I have had encouraging news from another friend, who really has taken my advice about paying off debts and is now hacking away at what he owes. While it can be an uphill battle at times, sometimes once you've made it over those first mounds the rush of no debt can be one of the best feelings of all. It's a feeling I'm looking forward to having myself again...that is...once I get these student loans payed off. ;-)

To home I go. Hope you all are having frugal evenings at home! Enjoy!