Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Just the One

There was a very short period of time at the beginning of our marriage when we were DINKs (Dual Income No Kids). Mind you the incomes were pretty small and it was a very short time as we moved twice and I had to look for work but we also didn't have any children.

Since A was born, almost 7 years ago, we've become a single income family and we've had to find a way to make it work. We try not to buy anything unless what we're replacing is really and truly broken and we keep a budget so our spending is deliberate.
However, as I don't add any money to the coffers I feel a special responsibility to guard the coffers as best I can.
I look for clothes at second hand/consignment stores. (These shorts had never been worn!)

I visit ReStore to find things like paint and kitchen light fixtures. And use on-line websites to find things we want, like tree forts.
(The fort had a small catch, we had to disassemble, move and reassemble it.)

Sometimes I can even find things we need for free, like this mulch.
(This had a small catch too, I had to get it all to the backyard where it belonged.)

Whenever possible I try to do any manual labor that I can manage. Though there has been the odd injury and colour choice faux-pas I'm sure I have saved us lots of money in labour costs.

Which brings me to the fences. Our neighbours on both sides want to replace the fences and we are going to be on the hook for our half of the bill ($2400). However, both sides of our property have 10foot tall hedges. So that's 107 linear feet of ten foot tall hedge. (Of course the fence company said they would do it, for several hundred more dollars. Yikes!)
So, for the last month I have been cutting down hedge, putting the greenery in yard bags, bundling the branches and trunks, then putting them out with the recycling. But time is getting short with the installation approaching so I have had to pick up the pace.
Four yard bags of greenery, four yard bags of twigs, this pile of branches and another large pile of trunks not shown is what I have managed since Monday. My hands and back are sore, I have two blood blisters and I'm sick and tired of hedges.
And I'm only just over half way done. Fifty-seven feet done---fifty feet to go.

I have to keep reminding myself that I'm saving us $$ which is like making $$. Right??
Oh ya, and I have a new found respect for people who work this hard physically every day.

2 comments:

Mama Bear said...

I love thrift stores and yard sales, too! The one by us had a 50% off sale on almost everything in the store. We got what we needed for pennies!

Amazing job with the hedge, too. I can't imagine all that work! But a penny saved...

The Allen Family said...

You were such a beautiful bride!

Update Dec2020

My Guy A My Guy E School Rooms at Home Deck the Halls It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas