Living off the grid

I have been thinking more and more being able to up live off the grid.

I don't know that it will happen ever, it sure won't be anytime soon.

I just get tired having so little control over things, like my electric bill, it went up a lot and I honestly don't know we have been doing pretty good about shutting off lights and keeping things more unplugged.

We have been really working on planning our garden we know what we are going to plant and have a rough map for our garden I will be writing about that a
lot starting next week.

Growing your own food that is one big way to be self sustaining.

Is the bad economy really that surprizing

I don't know if economy posts belong on a blog that I am gearing towards living simply but, it does effect us all and lets face it, sometimes our personal economy is what got us into simple living.

Yesterday the stock market tanked almost 300 points today promises more of the same, They say because the jobless rate is increasing, and profits for companies are not in line with expectations.

The experts are shocked, why, In my home town several companies have started layoffs and I have heard of other companies around the country laying off thousands of people.

Yet the experts are caught off guard, is because they just want things to improve so badly they are ignoring all the bad news and clinging desperately to what good news it out there.

Income tax refund

I have never had a windfall anyone in my family who dies either has no money or does not leave me any, i do get tire of hearing about people who come into money and buy cars or pay off their house, I know some one whose in laws even bought them a house because they had a bankruptcy on their credit report.

I just filed my income tax return and it was already accepted by the IRS and I am getting back more than I thought, a little over 4000 dollars, not bad.

Now what to do with it, I know me and my wife will have different ideas, maybe we can compromise.

It is only lettuce

Yesterday at work one of my coworkers called me over to out Cafe area where he was showing me how much food he to throw away.

it was 4 cases of Lettuce, it expired yesterday but it is vacuumed sealed and keep as cold as you can keep lettuce, and looks as fresh as the day they packed it.

By certain laws and company policies we had to throw it out.

It is a shame that is how we feel about food in this country we have had so much for so long we think nothing of throwing 40 pounds of lettuce in the trash.

Of course part of the reason companies have become paranoid about giving stuff away is because of lawsuits so in some instances you can see why they do just throw it out.

Preparing for a lay off

My wife may be losing her job, she works for a small wholesale company and recently some big guys have moved and really started taking business away.

Her boss, the owner of the company does not seem too optimistic about their chances so we are going to take a little time and prepare for the worse.

In recent months we have adjusted our lifestyle to basically be able to live off my income, it is a little tight but it is doable, and we have been using her income to pay off bills.

It is a strategy that has been working very well, but I am going to tweak it a bit.

I keep 1000 dollars in a savings account for emergencies, I am going to at least double that, maybe triple, before I get back into out full blown debt reduction plan.

My job is pretty safe, as far as I know, and Will be getting a raise in April, plus we have large income tax refund coming in February.

So it should not be too bad especially since we have been trying to get my wife home more anyway.

I just wanted it to be on our terms but things don't always go that way.

Trade in your electronics

I just read an interesting article from www.yahoo.com about websites that you can trade in your old cell phones, and laptops and other electronics.

I entered some info about some old stuff laying around the house, a laptop, and blackberry I decided I did not need and could not afford, and few other things.

They offered 43 dollars for a laptop, yes it is a dinosaur and nothing cool like like an Alienware computer but still I was a little shocked.

Yes it is better than just throwing it out, and it would get it out of the house but wow that is not much.

I did not realize how many sites there were that let you sell old electronics.

My debt reduction plan

We just recently paid off our last credit card, I started late last year with around 3000 dollars and now we owe nothing in credit card debt.

We, still have car, window loan, student debt and a mortgage and my same as cash computer loan, which has to paid off by October.

I think I am going to focust on our car and computer, we owe around 95oo hundred on our 2008 cobalt, I really think we can pay it off this year, maybe by summer definatly by Autumn.

The computer really should not be too much of an issue as I already have it budgeted in.

Too Kindle or not Took kindle

Here I sit wanting to simplify my life, get rid of stuff, save money, pay off debt and all the other things that goes with trying to live life of simplicity, but every so often a gadget comes around that makes me want to buy it.

I have no use for an iphone and I don't even have an IPod yet but I am having a time trying to talk my self out of the Amazon Kindle.

They have two models one costs over 500 dollars, I just want the tone that costs around 250. I am thinking first I can pay cash and still keep working on my debt reduction plan, the books are generally only 10 bucks including new releases in hard cover that would cost at least 25 and I would be reducing clutter and not using paper.

With the exception of the price tag it seems like a winning solution, I have not done yet but I am thinking about it.

New stuff this year

One of other passions is self improvment.

I would like to have website or blog just about that. Here is my dilemma: Should I use this current blog as a self improvement, since that path I am taking to simple living is self improvement for me. Or should I start with another website to talk about, debt reduction, finances, anger all the things that can go into self improvement.

I am think more into having a separate blog because not everyone is in to the simple living thing like I am yet.

Like my wife LOL

I am also considering trying to write a book, if time permits, it probably won't but It is on my list of things I would like to do. I think my story could help other people, at least it is worth giving away if no one wants to pay little for it.

Plans for 2010

As I continue my path to live more simply, I want to start doing things with my hands. We are planning on building activity table for my kids.

Nothing fancy just something they can color on play with play-doh on.

I also have had in interest in solar cooking.

I think I am going to start with one made out of cardboard, I have ready you can make nice ones out it.

I want to see if I am going to use it before I build a better one later.

Christian living

Here is something I need to talk a little more about, my walk with Jesus.

I finally broke down and went to talk to our pastor the other day. After a lot of prodding from my wife, and I came clean to him.

It was nothing horrible those confessions came years ago. Now it was just being overwhelmed, feelings of guilt, feeling like I was a luke warm christian, at best, stuff like that.

I am blessed to have a pastor that is my age and is struggling with many of the same things so it was a very beneficial 90 minute meeting.

Now my challenge to read the red words in the Bible for the rest of the year to get to know Jesus. I am a little embarrassed that I don't know Jesus all that well considering I have been christian for over 20 years, but I guess better now then never.

Problem #2

Yesterday I posted about one of our roadblocks to getting our lives in order, I was thinking that execution is only one of them.

We also need to stop wasting time. In the evening we generally end up watching television with the kids.

We call it spending time together but I am starting to wonder if it is.

It is an excuse not to talk about our problems, it is certainly a road block to fixing our problems.

We can start getting our kids involved, Out 2 year old likes to help do the dishes and cook, picking up is still a challenge, but it is for us as well.

An hour a day is probably all we need to get most of our stuff done.

Its not the act but the execution

My wife and I had a discussion/fight about the state of our home. It is a mess, stuff everywhere our stuff the kids stuff, more kids stuff and some more kids stuff.

Whose fault it in, no one and every one's. We both work right now so sometimes things can get a little out of hand. Right now they are a lot of out hand.

My wife did have a point we have good ideas, we even agree on some of them but it is the execution or the follow through we seem to have issues with.

I think once we get over being mad at each other we are going to plan a weekend to let the kids, go to grandma's or Nana's while we execute some our plans.

A weekend of throwing stuff out, that sounds fun, at least to me.