Making Memories - Not Getting More "Stuff"

My mother's birthday was last week, and I've decided that instead of getting her something that she wouldnt use (or want) for yet another year, that we were going to go make memories, and memories are what we made!

Yesterday, mom and I went to the Hocking Hills Canoe Livery about an hour away from her home.  We had a blast driving through the hills and valleys in an area mom had yet to explore.  We got to the livery in the knick of time to get on the next bus to take us 5 miles down the road and start our adventure.  This was mom's first canoeing trip, and it was the perfect day to be on the river!

We had an absolute blast on our trip together.  The best part was being able to spend time together enjoying the surroundings and talking with no interuptions.

Sometimes, it's just the simple things that are the most fun!

10 Reasons I Love Being Debt Free

It has been over 2 months that we paid off our last consumer debt and I am still in disbelief that we have no other debt other than our mortgage.  I have had debt in one form or another since I was 18 years old.  It started with a credit card (to get the “free” t-shirt), a car loan, and my first mortgage at the age of 22!  I was thinking the other day about why I love being debt free, and it looks a little something like this (in no particular order): 

1. Security in knowing that if anything were to happen, we have nothing compromising our income.
2. There is more money than month (for the first time in our married life!)
3. We now discuss (and plan) purchases before making them: no more impulse buys.
4. No more credit card statements clogging up our mailbox.
5. Monthly bills are much easier to keep track of when you have only 4 of them (vs. 12!)
6. There is no way possible to miss making a credit card payment and in-turn get a higher interest rate and penalty.
7. We are saving nearly $100/month in interest by not having debt payments.
8. We watch our net worth grow!
9. We can freely donate to charities and organizations we believe in.
10. There is disposable income to do frivolous things once in a while.

For those who are looking to get debt-free, this would be my advice:

• Decide that enough is enough!
• Check out Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover book from the library
• Listen to the Dave Ramsey Show podcast: it is very motivational
• Get started!

This is not a “get rid of debt in 6 months” scheme.  It takes time, patience, hard work and sacrifice.  It took us a year and a half to get out of debt.  Within that time, we made some stupid decisions (like putting french doors on a 0% financing program with Home Depot) but it all worked out.  We hit a few bumps in the road, and I can guarantee that you will too, but you get past them and move on. The relief that debt freedom brings every day is well worth the hard work and sacrifice.

As Dave Ramsey says, “Live like no one else so that later, you can live like no one else.”

This post is linked up with Homestead Revival's Preparedness Challenge and Homemaker By Choice's Weeklong Blog Hop.

Garden Update: I Give Up!

I have had it with the weeds this year, and I have given up on my garden.  We are still picking tomatoes, green peppers and zukes, but I have done nothing else with the garden.  I cant pick the weeds fast enough to get them under control.

This is what we are dealing with:

Looking into the garden - aka Weed Fest 2012!

Green Peppers

Last (barely) Surviving Zuke Plant

So much for wanting to get enough tomatoes to can and make salsa this year.  Maybe next year.

Wounded Chicken

Last Tuesday, out of the clear blue, our 15 month old puppy attacked Blondie, our 5 month old chicken.  Of course, this happened while I was at work, but I guess that is probably a good thing.  Lana got the discipline of her life from Todd (I don’t do well with discipline).  Todd had put Lana in the back yard with the chickens while he was getting ready to go somewhere after I had left for work and that’s when the attack took place.

Our animals have coexisted pretty well since day one.  Lana has been around the chicks since we brought them home, always inquisitive, but never hurting them.  Then Tuesday, she got Blondie, and she got her good.

Todd, bless his heart, always seems to have to deal with the sick or injured animals.  He would have to be at the house when we had the vet come out and vaccinate or medicate our pot bellied pig, Squiggy.  He had to take 175 lb Squiggy to the vet when our pigger got into some rat poison many years ago.  He’s taken care of kittens that we have taken in with horrible infections and wounds, and now, a wounded chicken.

Immediately, Todd went online to see how to address her wounds.  Blondie lost a lot of her feathers, and has a couple of wounds.  After doing a full inspection, he determined no bones were broken.  Then, he went to get antiseptic and sprayed on her wounds (which we found out we shouldn’t have done).   He gave her food and water and quarantined her to a small area for her to rest, wrapped up in a blanket to keep her warm. 

To be honest, we were surprised she survived the first night.  The second day, we put her out in the yard to run around and get some of the stink blown off of her.  She wasn’t too interested in finding bugs or running around. By the third day, she was with her sisters (while I watched her) to see how they did together.  Day four, she laid an egg!  Now, day seven, we are reintroducing her to sleep in the roost with the others.   I am hoping that the other two dont peck at her, so I will be out there at midnight to ensure everyone is OK, and Todd will check again at 3:30AM when he gets up for work!

I will tell you this, it is never a dull moment around here. 

I suppose that comes with owning animals.

25 Weeks 'Til Christmas: Week 19 Crayon Roll

This week is a great homemade gift idea for kids that I read a couple of years ago on one of my favorite blogs, Frugal & Simple. 

Crayon Rolls

Source: Frugal & Simple

If you havent read Rachel's blog, I highly recommend it.  There are alot of great money-saving tips and ideas.

Every Monday through the week of Christmas will be a new homemade gift idea/project.  Be sure to check them out!  Happy Crafting!

Ask Around Before You Buy!

Todd and I “found” wine together back in 2008.  We used to think that wine was always dry and tasted horrible until a trip up to the Thousand Islands in upstate New York.  We found that there are more than dry, bitter wines! 

Shortly after, we started making our own wine.  The wine we make is sweet and fruity, made from a kit like Orchard Breezin’ or RJ Spagnol.  On average it costs us less than $2/bottle to make.  Equipment is needed to make wine (glass carboys, hydrometers, holding buckets, etc.) but my mom bought it for me as a gift for my birthday one year, really helping to keep the cost per bottle of wine down.

This year, we decided we’d like to try to make beer.  It uses pretty much the same equipment as wine, except we’d need a very large stock pot (5+ gallons).  The Grape & Granary, a wine supply store in Akron, sells these pots for nearly $100.  While at the flea market a couple of weeks ago, we decided that we were on a mission to find a stock pot of this size.  We found one that was actually a turkey frier!  The price: $20.  We had the $20, but when Todd said that it was a turkey frier, I remembered that my father and my grandmother both have a turkey frier!  We passed on the stock pot and went over to my dad’s house. 

Low and behold, my dad actually had 2 stock pots that were exactly what we needed!  Why pay for something that you will only use twice a year when someone else already has one? 

So, we are in the processing of making our first batch of beer.  If it turns out well, we will be making a couple of batches to give away as gifts for Christmas.

This post has linked up with the Homestead Barn Hop!