One Step Closer to our Dream

In mid-January, Todd and I went to take a look at an RV in our price range over an hour away from our home.  After attending the Cleveland RV show the day before, we knew exactly what we were looking for in an RV and we were ready to start actively searching for our (new to us) home on wheels.  We looked at a couple of RV’s before the RV show and were not impressed to say the least.  When we arrived to the dealership and saw the RV we had come to see and I was disappointed.  There were a few things that needed fixed, the interior was outdated, the tires were dry-rotted, the carpets were filthy, and there didn’t seem to be much room in the RV.  Defeated, I saw a large Class A across the way that was more than what we had in the bank to purchase an RV.  We stepped into the rig and were immediately blown away.  I am pretty sure my first word was “Wow!”  It.Was.Gorgeous!

After walking through the entire RV, we were still in awe of the beautiful rig.  With only 72,500 miles on it, it met all of our requirements and then some!  The rig was just purchased from another dealership and driven up from Florida {no rust!}, it had only one owner, it was meticulously taken care of, its records and repair receipts (there were only 2 of them) kept organized in an accordion file, used unleaded gasoline, had two bump-outs to create plenty of room for our family, large freshwater holding tanks (important for boondocking) and it had wonderful storage space.  This was the rig of our dreams that we could live in {very} comfortably.

After going to a local McDonald’s to use their WiFi, we did research on the rig to see if the quality was there, to check reviews and to see how much negotiating needed to be done to bring it down to a reasonable price below the NADA value.  We were pleasantly surprised by what we found: the reviews on this Make/Model rig were great and the price was well below the NADA wholesale value.  After talking about it for a little while longer, we decided to put a deposit down on the rig contingent on an inspection.

A week later, we were informed that the inspection was done on the entire RV and it was cleared, so we had ourselves an RV.  Todd and I did something we said we were never going to do again: we took out a loan for a portion of the RV.  It is funny how lenders (and even the dealership) wanted us to take out a 10 year loan on the 13 year old RV.  No thanks.  Instead, we opted for an 18 month loan that we are looking to have paid off as soon as possible.  According to Dave Ramsey’s teachings, we should pay off the RV before paying off the house, but we only have 9 more months until the house is paid off.  It will take less than 4 months to pay off the rig after the house is paid off.

We named the rig Tinkerbell.  Everyone I tell thinks it’s the worst name to call the beast, but the 33’ 2000 Rexhall Rexair is a small RV comparatively.  Also, the rig needs a few little repairs and Todd will be “Tinkering” with it until the weather warms up and we can get out on the road!

For your viewing pleasure, here are some pictures of our new home on wheels:

View from the cockpit

Second view from the cockpit

Photo of the kitchen area
(taken by the dealership: not sure why there is dust particles all over this picture.)

Our plan this year is to take Tink out for as many 3-day weekends as possible starting the beginning of May until the weather turns cool in the fall with an extended excursion depending on if hubby’s new job offers any time off.  We cannot wait to get out in the wilderness and start boondocking!

Saving Money: Cell Phone Plans

 It has been over 6 months since Todd and I have switchedfrom a contracted cell phone plan to prepaid.  We had AT&T, and I decided to stay with them because they had the best priced plan for how I use my phone: a lot of texting, few minutes and no data.  I also chose to stay with AT&T because I didn’t want to have to purchase a new phone.  Todd, on the other hand, wanted to try Straight Talk through Walmart.  Due to where we live and whatever service provider they were using, his signal was not the best and his calls were dropped frequently.  Thank goodness it was a month-by-month plan!  He then switched to T-Mobile’s prepaid plan and experienced the same issues.  By the third month, he switched to a Verizon prepaid plan and has been happy ever since! 

Our contracted cell phone plan was costing us $125.00+/month for 3 phones (Todd’s mom had one of the phones so they could talk mobile-to-mobile without burning minutes in our plan: we do not have a land line).  With this plan, we had a set amount of minutes that could be rolled over each month if they went unused, unlimited text and only Todd’s phone had internet access.  Today, with have:

My Plan: 250 minutes/month + unlimited text for $25.00/month

Todd’s Plan: 500 minutes/month + unlimited text + unlimited data use* for $35.00/month

This works perfect for us.

I have yet to use all of my minutes each month though Todd has had to conserve his minutes at the end of each month (I married a talker and a mama’s boy!).

I like that with these cell phone plans, we are paying for only what we really need and use.  By doing so, we are saving over $60/month on our cell phone plans.  Not only that, if for any reason we want to eliminate a cell phone, we can do so without the large penalty!

Do you use your cell phone for fun (social media, games, etc.) or just as a way to communicate with others?  Have you considered a prepaid phone? They sure have come a long way from the TracPhone I had in college for emergencies!

*In order to be part of this plan, they do not allow smart phones.

New Year Aspirations 2014

This year, I am keeping my New Year Aspirations SIMPLE!

I get so discouraged when I don’t meet my goals each and every year.  This year, I am going to accomplish them all.

Read the One Year Bible from start to finish

I have read the Bible in 90 Days a couple of years back and that was tough!  I want to wake up and do my devotions every morning in 2014 before I do anything else to start my day.

Lose 40 pounds

Every year I want to lose weight, but this year it is going to happen.  It HAS to happen. 40 lbs is less than a pound a week which does not sound too far-fetched.  Honestly, I just want to feel good in my own skin and be able to lead an active life.

Pay Off the Mortgage

To date, we owe $24,497.32 on our mortgage.  We were able to pay off ½ of the mortgage last year and we hope to pay off the rest this year to be mortgage-free by October 2014!

These are the aspirations I will be focusing on in 2014.

What are your goals for this year?

2013 Year in Review

It is hard to believe that another year has come and gone.
I decided to take a look back to see what all we have been up to here on the homestead.

January:
At the end of 2012, Todd and I decided to attempt to pay off half of our mortgage balance in 2013.  As of October, we succeeded!  After reading through this post of what our game plan was for the year, I am happy to report that we were able to live on half of our income without really cutting back our lifestyle.  We still completed a home-improvement project (updating the kitchen counters for $125) and we have another one in process as I type (new floor in the living room).

February:
In February, I made my own laundry detergent and to this day, we are still using the product!  We have another 2 1/2 gallons to go until it will be time to make another 5 gallon batch of concentrated detergent.  This recipe is a keeper, and we have all of the supplies needed to whip up another batch in the next few months.

March:
In March, I started to feel like we have way too much "stuff" and that our house is much more than what we need/want.  

April:
The first week of April, we had a family trip to Aruba with my mom and her husband to celebrate their 10 year wedding anniversary.  I could use a trip like this every year.

May:
May is always a special month for us because it is the month we married.  This year, for our 6th year of marriage, we took a short 3-day trip to Columbus, OH and had a blast.

June:
Every year around June, I wonder if I want to keep the blog going or to just let it sit.  This month, there was only one post about my internal battle to decide whether we should hire a housekeeper or if I should just do the housekeeping myself!

July:
July of this year was a busy one!  A yellow lab adopted us, my car turned 7 years old, and we started talking about downsizing our home.

August:
I gave up on gardening in August.  I realized that as much as I love to plan the garden every year and plant the seeds, my priority is not to see the garden through and make it all it could be.

September:
I documented some of the fun things Todd and I did over the summer for very little (or no) money at all.

October:
A new member of the family came to join us in October and I started a new cleaning routine that has been easy for me to keep up with!

November:
The only post in November included pictures of a covered bridge tour we did throughout October.

December:
In December, I now notice that we have come full circle realizing that we are not happy with the big house, all the possessions and all of the consumerism that takes place around us.  In December, we let out a big secret that Todd and I want to purchase an RV and travel the US.  Since deciding to do this back in early October, our plans have been evolving.  It went from selling it all and living on the road full-time to downsizing our home and possibly making it a duplex so that we can be with our families and have a home-base for a few months a year.  I am sure there will be a few posts on this in 2014.

So, there you have the entire year on Sparing-Change.  It has been a fun yet challenging year this year, as every year seems to be.  This year, we are learning that it doesn't take a lot of money (or any at all!) to have fun.  We have enjoyed going on many hikes with the puppies, and we really enjoy being out in nature.

We look forward to taking on whatever 2014 has to offer.

The Only Constant Thing in Life is Change

My aunt once told me that the only constant thing in life is change.  How true that statement is!  Though I try to avoid change as much as possible, Todd and I have been talking a lot lately about what is important to us.  We feel weighed down by our home and possessions and we have come to realize that home ownership is not that important to us. 

While we were traveling one weekend talking about our dreams and what we enjoy doing together, I thought that everything I need in life is in the vehicle with me: my husband and our two dogs.  We were traveling all over northeast Ohio to view the 18 covered bridges that are scattered throughout Ashtabula County.  We were doing what we loved: traveling and exploring with our fur-babies.  I mentioned to Todd how great it would be to do this more often: enjoying great views of landscapes around us as well as great conversation with one another.  It dawned on me: we could do this all the time if we weren’t tied to our home and jobs! 

I told Todd that we should purchase an RV and travel the United States.  Go to one location and see all there is to see in that location for several months until we get sick of it and decide to move on, boondock, use solar panels for electricity, and camp out wherever we choose.  Mind you, I have crazy ideas all the time, and Todd thought this was just another passing crazy idea.  As the day went on and we kept discussing it (Todd was discussing it just to pacify me) he said, “You now have me wanting to do this!”  As soon as we got home, we started looking at our options for RV’s

This may all seem far-fetched, and I will admit, it is!  We decided a few years back that we want to live life now instead of wait until the typical retirement age to explore our surroundings.  These plans to travel will not happen overnight.  It may actually take 12-18 months to accomplish, but this is what we are working toward right now.  

The Game-Plan:

• Pay off the mortgage by October 2014
• Fix up the house to prepare to sell spring 2015
• Save up money to purchase a used Class A (a motor home that looks like a big bus)
• Sell all of our belongings
• Start our journey

If all else fails, we will have a paid off house that we can live in and continue to do what we have been doing for the past 7 years (working and trying to keep up). 

What is a far-fetched “dream” you would like to make reality?

Are you taking any steps to make your dream a reality?

Thrift Store Finds

We purchase the majority of our clothing from a thrift store in Akron, OH.  This place is enormous and it’s {nearly} impossible to walk out empty-handed.  We like the quality, assortment and prices offered on their clothing.  They also have shoes, household items, seasonal items and even some new clothing available; however, we focus on the gently used clothing.  I try to make the trek twice a year to update my wardrobe (or to replace the items that are worn out or have stains on them because I cant seem to eat without getting food on me!) and it just so happens that we were able to get there this past Sunday before our 3^rd (and final) Thanksgiving celebration with family.

What we walked out with:  6 shirts for me, 2 light jackets (one is a London Fog that looks brand new) and a camo shirt for Todd.  The total cost: $17.88.  Less than $20 and I have new shirts for work and play!

In years past, I had to try on clothing in the corner of the store to ensure they fit.  It is hard to tell how a piece of clothing will fit when having to try it on over another piece of clothing which led to purchasing a couple of items on each trip that really did not fit well and therefore went straight into the donate pile of clothing.  Now, the thrift store has dressing rooms!  Out of the 14 items I tried on, only 6 pieces fit properly. 

This is what I got:

 

 

Before washing and putting away my new clothing, I decided to go through my closet and purge the items that I don’t like, don’t fit and I don’t wear. 

I decided to get rid of all of my t-shirts except for 3 of them which I will use as pajamas, to work around the house and to exercise in.  It really kills me to get rid of clothing that I’ve never worn: I’m not sure why I decided to purchase the shirts as souvenirs in the first place because I have always looked horrible in them.  Now, someone else can enjoy them.  I was able to purge 15 items before adding my new thrift store finds to the rotation.  The clothing I purchased is {mainly} short sleeved.  I have a grey sweater, two black sweaters and a tan sweater I can wear over them to stay warm through the winter months.  I would like to invest in a couple of halftees (beige and black) so that I can wear my clothing spring, winter and fall.  

I wear the same clothing week in and week out.  It has been a constant struggle  process to try to downsize my wardrobe.  Even though I still have more than I need this is something I am consciously working on.

Do you shop at the thrift store?

What has been your experience?

Are you able use the one-in, one-out rule?