Breaking Up and kitty news......

Hello All....
   It's a beautiful sunny morning.  It's nice to see the sun again after a few days of rain.  Unfortunately, rain equals growing grass.  So, yes, I need to mow again already. The grass is green though, a very pretty green.

 Ok, so here's the latest in my saga...

Garden News.... the best way to describe my garden right now is neglected.  I haven't had time to really go out and work, but lettuce, carrots and beans are holding their own.  Onions and garlic are still hanging in there and still no sign of tomatoes or peppers.  It hasn't been that warm lately, so maybe they know it's too early. 

Breaking Up News..... I was checking our bank account on line and I see a suspicious fee.  A "maintenance fee"  to the tune of $19.95..... what the hell??  So I call the bank, and the sweet lady on the line tells me that she can't discuss account information over the phone.  Ok, I can appreciate that, but really, the last thing I need right now is another errand to run.  "You'll have to come in and speak with one of our customer service associates" she says.  I reluctantly agree and hang up.  Later in the day I go there and I am told that the "maintenance fee" is because we didn't keep a balance of at least $4000 dollars..... well, YEA, since we are running our own business!  But the good news is that the sweet little thing "is going to switch us to the account that only requires $1500 at all times.... well, isn't that great???  That's such a relief!  And you'll only charge me $10 a month if I go under $1500?  Oh aren't you a blessing!    NOT!
We are breaking up with our big name bank and going to a local no fee, no minimum balance bank. No more "poor tax" for us.

I just wanted to add this picture of my little Delilah, she's a feral kitty that is so sweet.  I had her spayed and release.  You can be sure she shows up every day for breakfast and dinner! 

Meet homemaker kim!

Here I am!

Well, Look at me!  I actually figured out how to put a picture on my blog! 

Just a quick post so I could try this out.... I'm actually not going into the store today until after I pick up my son.  I'm heading to a auction and visiting some friends (human and kitties) where I used to work. 

Have a great day everybody!

2 weeks old

Hello everybody!
  
Again, it's been a while since I've posted and again I'm sorry.  Luckily, We've been busy at the store. We are officially 2 weeks old!  Ahhhh, just a baby!   So far it's doing pretty well, especially since we haven't really done any real advertising yet.  People are slowly finding us and even though it's been a little slow lately, we are sure things will pick up soon.  We contacted our local newspaper and they put in the business column that we are open and what we are about... thankfully the cost was Free!   Next week will start a paid advertising in the paper.  We added a coupon to it, so we're looking forward to seeing just how many folks actually use the coupon.  We have a festival coming up in just a couple weeks that we are really looking forward to doing.  We really think things will take off once we do that festival.... lots and lots of people come to this festival. 

On the home making side of things, My house is actually clean!  :)  That's always good news!  I made up that schedule I had talked about and it is working so far.  I'm totally exhausted by the end of the day, but hey, I sleep well!  One thing I do have to change is how I mow the yard.  Usually I just do the front of the house and the sides and do the back another day.  (I don't have the privilege of having a ride on mower, I have an old push mower.... not even a self propelled!)  But lately, I fit mowing in when I can, so I've been doing EVERYTHING in one sweep and end up, well, embarassingly sore.  So, I'm gonna have to stop doing that.  Luckily though, when the summers get hotter, the back yard tends to grow at a much slower rate.... so at least my neighbors won't hate me too much! 

The garden is coming slowly but surely.  I'm sad to say though, that my onions just aren't doing that well this year.  Last year I had so many that I had onions up until February, but this year... I'll be lucky to have a couple months worth.... I moved them to a non raised bed at the top of the yard (we have a slight slope) and after some hard rains the earth was pushed away from them leaving their tiny shoulders exposed, I tried to fix it, but they just haven't been happy since.  I definitely need to keep things in beds here for all the critters and eroding rain. 

Food wise, we are on a strict budget, but I'm shopping as healthy as I can given our budget and doing better.  This past week I've alternated between meat and beans as a protein, and it's going ok, but hubby is still getting used to it ;)  

On the financial front, we are plugging along.  We still haven't sold our car we wanted to sell.  Our neighbor said he would help us with changing the oil and things like that to get it sold, but he has been busy, slowing down the process.  We have not seen the inside of a restaurant for 2 weeks now and that was on the company dime.  We took out some folks for dinner that had done some graphic work for us for the store.  I feel a little out of control when it comes to our financial life right now.  When you have no money going into the account and only money going out, it gets scarey.  When I talk about it to my husband or ask questions, he thinks I'm doubting him, but I'm just being a girl who needs to talk about my fears.  He looked at me just baffled when I told him all he has to do is encourage me when I get like that.  Tell me everything will be fine.  That simple. 

I have felt the need to re-read America's Cheapest Family : Gets you right on the money written by Steve and Annette Economides.  I read this book about a year ago when we were in the home stretch of paying off all our debt and for encouragement and freshen the ideas I'm reading it again.  It's great and if you're a money geek like me, you'd enjoy it. 

Well, guys, thanks for hanging in there with me during my update.  I know I need to take pictures- I really need to take the time to do that.  Let me know what's going on with you. How's your financial life?  Are you a full time working homemaker too? 

Until next time friends!

Getting there and easy money decisions....

Morning All,  I have figured out how to keep the house clean and tidy.... kinda anyway... it's going well so far, I should say.  After work, we come home and I do one load of laundry and one other chore, say dust the downstairs.... next night, laundry and dust upstairs.  It will take longer for me to get the whole house clean, but hey, you gotta do what you can.  Now if I can figure out how to get the errands done, we'll be good to go.

My little garden is growing as well as it can.  I'm watering almost every morning.  I have lost a couple things due to light frost, but it's ok.  Garlic, onions, lettuce, carrots, spinach and a couple bean plants are up and doing well so far.  I covered them up with straw last night to be safe against the cold.  Last season I cut my pear tree way back because it had fire blight and it is coming back quite well this season. It's short for sure and looks more like a bush than a tree, but it's healthy.  I'll have to wait and see if it blooms this year, I'm guessing not though.  I think I mentioned before, but I have given a 5' diameter space to mother nature to do with what she wants and it's doing it's thing for now.  You can't really tell yet, since we've only mowed once.  I sprinkled some flower seeds out there, maybe they'll take hold, maybe not.  We'll let mother decide.  :)

I've got two little kitties coming to my house for a daily meal.  The one, I named Dililah, I have had spayed and she is as cute and sweet as a button!  Another my husband named Barbie Q, is also a sweet thing and I'm amazed at how sweet she has become now that we have earned her trust.  She just had a litter of kittens, but I don't know where she had them.  I know what day she had them and I'm hoping we will have the money to get her spayed in june.  That will give her babies time to nurse and wean off and give Barbie time to dry her milk up.   We'll see.  So, on the homefront, we are getting there.

Now onto business.... aren't you just so excited to hear!?!

My little guy, well, he's 10, is doing ok adjusting to being at the store a lot of the time.  He's on spring break right now, so we're all getting used to being there all day.... us working and him playing.  We have learned quickly that if we just stop for 10 minutes, at least one of us, and play with him, blow off some steam, he does much better on his own for awhile.... Summer is going to be tough, but, we've got family and friends telling us he can visit with them so he won't be cooped at the store every day all day.

Our store is doing well for having just opened.  We are slow, but we are managing to get at least one sale a day.  We are advertising more and more.  Once we get the news out and get a good foot hold on this thing, I think we will be fine.  We have quite a buzz going on facebook and everyone that comes in tells us they are happy we are opened.  People had to travel to get our products or shop online, so that is good news!  My husband will be doing a festival next month and that will really get the word out..... it's just this first part we need to get through.

And now,  I know you've been waiting so patiently for, the easy money decisions.  What kind of formula have I come up with that makes money decisions easy you ask?  You can't wait, I know.....
Well, it is this.  Get ready.  Here it comes!

When you have little to no money, usually the answer is no.

That's the trick.  Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy. 

Since we had to send the government (god bless their lovely souls) $4000 in taxes, that ate up almost half of our money to live on during this adjustment period with the store.  You're probably wondering what the heck kim?  Why 4K?  Well, thanks to my previous employer (god bless their lovely souls) they didn't take out enough in taxes this past year, plus even though we had taxes taken out of my husbands profit share when he left his company, we still had to pay more.  Gaaahhhh, I know.....

Anyway, back to this mind blowing trick.  No money = no buy.  Period.  No more thought necessary.

New mulch for the gardens? No.   Plants for the garden?  No.  Work with the seeds you have. 
Dinner out because we're tired and just not up to cooking?  No.  You have no money for that.  Ok, how 'bout just McDonalds?  No.  No money for that either.  Pretty easy huh? 

If it isn't gas for the cars (oh Lord, that's a post in itself), bills or food from the discount outlet grocery store, it's not happening!

But we aren't poor.  We are just broke at this point in our lives.  We have money to last us for a little bit longer and a car to sell.  (we were planning on getting rid of it anyway) So are you asking, kim?, why on earth are you doing all this, working longs hours, doing something you've never done before, reworking your chore schedule, living on a tighter than tight budget, why kim why? 

I'll tell you why.  We are together. Yes, my son goes off to school for the day, but when he is done, I pick him up.  My husband and I don't part ways and go to jobs that we hate, with people we have nothing in common with and spend most of our days with them.  We are together, side by side, laughing.  Enjoying our successes and supporting each other when we get scared.  It's not for everybody.  For sure, this life isn't for everybody.  But it's good for us.  We love it.  And even if the last nickel gets spent and we have nothing left, the sun will still rise.  We will still be together side by side. 

That's why.

Enjoy your day friends.  Enjoy your life. 

2 hours in.... and switching gears....

Hello everybody,  well, we have day 1 of our business being open under our belt.  It was an exciting day.  It was 2 hours in before we had our first customer and wow what a feeling!  Not bad for being a soft open and he just happened to find us on the internet and not facebook!   All and all it was a great day-- we didn't meet our average goal for an average day, but a little more than half way there on the very first day.  Now we get to change gears and enjoy the actual business side and wave goodbye to setting the business up.  It was challenging and we are proud of what we have done, but we are ready to say goodbye to that phase.... at least until we open up store #2 ;)  

Have a great day everybody and Happy Spring!  We are closed today and we are actually staying home today..... Next week, marketing!   Oh yea and on the actual homemaker side of homemaker kim, I am going to set a schedule to manage all the chores and cleaning that need to be done here home side.....

Good News-- Carrots, Lettuce, Spinach and Beans are coming up!  No sign of tomatoes or peppers yet.

Till next time friends!

First day of the rest of my life....

Hello again guys,  Sorry it's been so long since I've posted.... we've been busy busy busy these last couple weeks getting the store ready for today!  Today is our first day open.... a soft opening... but open nevertheless!  We went out last night to celebrate with my brother and sister in law.  She did our logo and it looks great.  Anyway, we are on our way.  The boat taking us to our next stage in life is pulling away from the dock.... we're waving goodbye to our old life..... today is the first day of the rest of my life!!  More details to come!

Have a great weekend and a Happy Easter!