Debt Free Coundown

I pasted this from my old blog so I can update it here.

2006-06-17 - 12:52 p.m.

To be or not to be Debt free

$29,721.22 in debt we couldn’t believe it, and that was not counting our mortgage loan. How did we get that much in debt? Is this common I thought? Most people have two car loans and smaller loans, most people had credit cards I didn’t want to be like most people!

I was tired of scrapping for money even for a soda, being scared to answer the phone, not being able to go out and eat at a restaurant cause we didn’t have the money, putting our vacations if any one credit cards. I hated it.

Right before Christmas I was at a flea market and found these children’s book I knew was classics from being a library tech for years. I bought these books for $5.00 cleaned them up did some research on Ebay and sold them for $137.00! With that money I happily bought my husband for Christmas a satellite radio to use on his long trip to work each morning.

During one of his trips he listened to a show called, “Dave Ramsey” he went out to get the books read them, and then introduced me to Dave, I was hooked too. Can we go through life without no debt? Wasn’t it the norm to have credit cards and debt? Can we retire really comfortable on just what he makes now?

We were 40yrs old, was it too late to start? We did some calculations and were amazed that yes we could do this, and so much more. The thought of not having no more bills to pay to have a nice chunk of savings money for emergency warmed this moms heart completely. All a mom wants is a home and security for her family. I want to feel safe. Hubby wants to be a good provider for his family this seemed like the ideal plan.

While everyone was doing the quick rich schemes of buying an old house and fixing it up we started paying off our debt and stop making any new ones. We didn’t go on vacations, we used our bonus or any extra money we got to pay off stuff, we changed how we got taxes back so we wont be paying the governent to use our money instead we got extra each month to pay off our debt. After three months we looked back and saw what we had done. One major loan was gone, both cars were paid in full! I can’t believe the cars are ours!

By the next month we had caught up on all the other smaller bills that were overdue and we had $1000 in savings account just sitting there. No one was calling us for over due bills, I actually enjoyed answering the phone now hahaha. >

Right about the same time before Christmas a property development offered to buy our $150,000- 75 acre ranch. We loved our ranch we had lived in it for a few years now, we had high hopes for it.

However with the cost of trying to maintain it and hubby already working full time and I was a full time stay at home mom it was hard to do and we were stretching just to make our $1200 monthly payment with all the other bills. After a few years we were only paying the interest of the loan. It didn’t feel like ours.

For months we had heard them bulldozing around our property on a 400 acre neighbor ranch. I knew deep in my heart they had sold out to developers. We dreaded the small one acre property’s popping up around us and loose dogs everywhere and people wondering into our property.

Sure enough one day they came to us wanting to buy our property. They offered us a really good amount of money. Enough to pay off the current ranch and put down on another, we talked about it and I started hitting the local websites for another ranch just in case we decided to do this. We then looked at our current bills and was surprised to see our debt. We prayed about it, we talked some more, we had been reading Dave Ramsey by now and listening to his shows he made us realize it was just material the land and the house it wasnt the only one out there, we could downsize we could find another place it was ok. We could let go.

In the end we did do it, we downsized and found this beautiful 15 acre property near other farmers and homesteaders with the same amount of acres as ours. I don’t mind neighbors I just want them to be like me, and not have party’s every weekend and radios blaring every day. Our neighbors raised goats and chickens just like us they were great!

It had two houses one for us and one for my parents that I promised when I was younger I would help take care of them, I am so glad for the extra house too cause God works in mysterious ways. My mom had got cancer that year and they were able to retire and we were able to help them out being so close I could help keep an eye on them. My beautiful mother passed away this June 2007 but I am so happy she was able to live in our little cottage house for awhile and enjoy it picking her beloved pecans. Now we are helping take care of my dad and I am so glad he is close by, we help take care of each other.

I loved the neighbors the 60 plus pecan trees, the barns and outbuildings, the water well and canal and city water!

We were able to pay $100,000 down on our mortgage of the $165,000 loan and get a good mortgage rate so our mortgage payment went down from $1200 a month to $600 a month!

The savings account money just thrilled me I wanted more! Now each month hubby and I go to the computer and eagerly put down the new balances for our loans and watch our debt go down. I can not wait for the day that we can call up the Dave Ramsey show and scream like all the others before us, “WE ARE DEBT FREE!!!!!”

I can’t wait to call my credit company up and say GOODBYE! I can’t wait too tell a clerk who offers me a credit card, “No thanks I am debt free and loving it! hahaha


Update: Its been 11months now and I have updated a bit on this page. I have to admit it has not been easy, there has been days where I was crying cause I am disgusted with our carpet or in embarased cause my company has to sit in a sofa that it slinks down when they sit cause the springs are broken. I envy people going on vacations or shopping just for fun and I can't. In the long run its going to pay off. I keep thinking in my head about the ants and the grasshopper story. I am so blessed that I have a hubby that is patient with me and is on the same goals. At the same time we are teaching our kids and we are hoping they too will learn these new money saving skills as they grow older. We dont want to teach them bad money habits. thank you Lord

Update: Jan/2/08 Its been 2 years now and 1 month coming up in Feb- Gosh what can I say its been two long years but yes we are still doing the Dave Ramsey thing and we have strayed a few times, we have gotten plenty frustrated when the cars break down for the 8th time, when we have to pay for broken appliance or have to call in a plumber or someone else because we couldnt fix it ourselfs.

Stressed out we finally took some money and headed for the beach this end of summer for a much needed mini vacation weekend with the kids. After losing my mother this June its been a heart breaking long summer. We took over my fathers utility bills where he stays at on our property so he wouldnt have to worry about it and i was afraid he might forget to pay it and it would go off on him my mom used to take care of that, At least this way I know he has a roof over his head, food to eat and warmth or coolness in the house. We also pay for his cell phone line so we can keep track of him its attached to our plan. This however slowed us down on paying for off our debt. My heart filled with love for my husband when he agreed to do this without even blinking. Am I lucky or what to have such a loving caring spouse who helps me take care of my parents.

My dad in turn though has helped us with the farm so much helping me keep the property clean and fixing up the cottage that is going to be ours someday. We wouldnt have been able to fix it up for years if they didnt move in. Anyways we are almost at the end of our journey. My husband is blessed to be working for a company that gives us a yearly bonus sometimes. We have been holding our breath to see how much we are going to get to pay off our tractor loan to be debt free. I just heard yesterday we are going to get it, how much we wont know till end of Feb so we are waiting. Meanwhile we will need a lawn mower tractor before spring . The good thing is our emergency fund is up to $2,000 now.

Feb 21, 2008

WE ARE DEBT FREE!

I make one final payment today for my daughters braces and our tractor payment is on its way it took us 2years and one month but we are finally DEBT FREE!!!!!

Once we pay off our tractor we are finished with baby step 2 and on to baby step 3 which is doing a 6 month emergency plan, then the other baby steps which I will list later.

Plus we are saving up for our Alaska trip in July for our 20th annivesary trip. We have to take July because its when my husbands mother can watch the kids for us. I will let you know what happens next month.

March 2008

We are on baby step 3 now saving up our emergency fund for 3 months. I didnt buy myself a new sofa but I did buy a used one at my favorite flea market for $35. Its big enough for me and the kids to lay on together it will do for now till I get the one I really want. We went thrift store shopping for clothes for me and the kids we needed clothes for Church we have started to go back to church because we feel so blessed. I bought two new shirts for my husband to wear and 4 outfits each for me and the kids. We did look around at other stores for clothes but we just dont like the style they have out this year. 60's look.

We decided with summer coming around the corner we are not doing the Alaska trip instead we hope to take a weekend trip to San Diego for our annivesary then later in Oct maybe take a Disney world tour in Florida with the kids. Havent decided if we are driving or flying.

Sam

Another Year of trying to lose weight

Well I had seen a picture of me from my uncles camera the other day and I was in shock and almost turned to tears. I looked horrible sideways. You might say well most people look horrible sideways :) well.... Most people think they are overweight when they are not. I know for a fact by looking at my weight, heights that I am over the healthy limit is a nice way to put it.

So starting Tuesday I started to exercise at the gym again and I bought some healthy foods, snacks for us at home. I made mini bags of snacks which is shown above. Some bags have low cal yogurt pretzel, low cal figs, rice cakes. I did over 10,000 steps yesterday I was going to do some home exercise but I was just really sore.

I looked up my old email address and found an old place I used to go for weight loss stuff. Its really improved through the years its called "Sparks Page" http://www.sparkpeople.com/ I can add my weight, food, exercise logs into it. The best part is its Free!

This morning I walked with my sister and did over 5000 steps. I have to do 10,000 to maintain my weight and if I want to lose I need to go over 10,000.

Wish me luck

Sam

Frugal Unit Studies

Frugal Unit Studies

Here is a list of my favorite Unit Studies Sites. I love Unit Studies and use them a lot in my Movie Unit studies. Please feel free to add some that I have missed to the comments page.

What are Unit Studies?
Has a great article on it:

Love at home: http://www.loveathome.com/homeschool/frugal.htm

Homeschool world: http://www.home-school.com/Articles/phs18-kymwright.html
EHOW: http://www.ehow.com/how_2142035_develop-homeschool-unit-study.html
Fun Schooling great list of what to do: http://happyhomeschool.familyclassroom.net/Archives/Geography/Country.shtml

Chat groups on Unit Studies:
Here are some Yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Unit_studies/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unit_study_collaborative/

Main sites for Unit Studies:
Unit Safari Christian based: http://www.homeschoolingonashoestring.com/unit-safari.html
Directory of unit Studies: http://www.thefourwheelers.com/units.php
About.com State Unit Study: http://homeschooling.about.com/cs/unitssubjgeog/a/susindex.htm http://homeschooling.about.com/od/unitonline/Online_Unit_Study_Directory.htm
Homeschool Mom: http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/schoolroom/unitstudies.php
Easy fun school check out their email newsletter too: http://www.easyfunschool.com/IndexUnitStudies.html
Unit Study site map: http://www.waldsfe.org/UnitStudies/ussitemap.htm

Pay sites for Unit Studies:
Everything Homeschooling: Monthly Thematic Studies! http://www.everythinghomeschooling.com/
High Lights of Homeschooling: http://www.hshighlights.com/

Videos/Media for Unit Studies:
Expert Village: http://homegarden.expertvillage.com/videos/homeschooling-unit-studies.htm
Youtube example Electricity: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dmzzZsC-kM

My Bread Machine

Quote for the day: The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water is indescribable in its evocations of innocence and delight. -M. F. K. Fisher

Here is my bread machine. Notice how I don't say my "New Bread Machine" I bought this little beauty this week while I was flea marketing with my sister Marta. The lady was selling it for a friend for $8.00. I talked her down to $5.00. She said she only used it twice. Looks like it to me but its a really old model a welbelt.

We turned it on to see if it would turn on, it did and it started turning the blade. I was happy took it home and cleaned it up. That night I made some wheat bread, it came out ok. I forgot that I should put warm water into the mix not cold to activate the yeast so it didnt rise very much.

Its been so long I forgot how to do breads. Today I went out and bought flour of all kinds. I am so excited. I am still going to get a brand new bread maker because I wouldnt leave this one alone for a long length of time. It does not have a time delay either. There is nothing like waking up to your automatic coffee maker and bread maker in the morning turning on by itself making fresh coffee and fresh bread at exactly the time you want it to be done.

Call us spoiled but its like having a private cook! I tried to order the bread maker at Walmart but they are out of stock darn them. So I have to wait meanwhile I will have fun with this old model even though it groans like its in pain it will still make me tons of bread and I have a old recipe book that came with it. I wouldnt have bought it without it, though I could have looked on line for it, I didnt want to bother.

I think I did a good frugal deal. If you find one make sure it has a recipe/instructions manual or unless you know where to get it at then you can buy it. Make sure you turn it on and see if the blade will move and it will get warm is my advice.

Pecan Trees

Our first view and picture of the house when we went to go look at it 4yrs ago notice the 4-sale sign up front we fell in love at first sight.

I have decided to do a blog for my pecan trees since it seems I get a lot of hits for it on my website. I wanted to add a more personal touch.

The best place to get a pecan tree is from a local nursery. Becareful of the where the nursery got it from. If your in Texas you sure dont want a tree from another state because of the climate.

Pecan trees as stated on my website are very brittle and break off easily especially with strong winds. Does it mean you can't plant them if you have high winds "yes" you can. We have trees on our property over 60yrs old and we have winds up to 75'miles and they are still standing.

Here in Texas around Aug, Sept, we start to clean up our orchard for future crop that will fall in Oct/Nov/Dec. With the limbs and branches you can use them for your own use or sale them in the winter for fire wood.

I have a lot of people ask where do we sell them. Well around here we have a few local places that will buy them from you, just look in your phone book. We however have such a small acres of only 60 trees I sell them directly to the consumer. We get a better price this way.

The best thing you can do is open your orchard up to pickers and then sell it by the pound. Kids love to pick pecans, this saves you back breaking work and time. Make sure you have insurance on your place in case of accidents. Places you can contact, word of mouth friends, family, local homeschool groups, schools. I would recommend the HS first only because most of them will have their parents with them while in a school field trip there are only a few parents to watch all the kids.

The next thing you can do is pick and crack them youself. Wel pick them in the morning and before it gets dark each day during pecan season. If I dont then the squirrels and racoons get them that night.

A friend of mine said they didnt make much selling them like she thought so they did the next best thing and bought a pecan peeler machine and harvester and after harvested they bought a candy machine to coat the pecans in different yummy flavors. They then sold them at the county fairs each year. I am not sure they made even after buying all that equipment but I did hear they were doing well.

If your looking for a smaller model then those huge machines I would recommend the one I have the Kinetic electric. Its funny at first I was scared to put a pecan in it thinking it would smash my fingers, but after a while I was so fast at it other people seeing it for the first time think WOW. http://www.crackyourpecans.com/Kinetic_electric_pecan_cracker.htm

is one of the places you can find it, its around $300 or less best look around for one.

Once cracked if any little pieces are left I give them to my chickens they just love them! or you can save the little pieces for pieces to sell too. The pecans shells can be used for compost under the flower bed or we toss them out in the field to help fertilize our fields.

Even old pecans are picked up and discarded for compost. I just love pecans trees and pecans every part of the tree can be of use. Its funny but my neighbor nubian goats across the street would bounce from one side of their field to the other on windy days I thought they were playing till I found out they were chasing our falling leaves when the wind blew to eat them. I thought it was so funny my own goats just love them too. For years I always wondered where the leaves went too each year.

Next year 2008 I am hoping to use the logs as a place for mushroom growing. I am doing research on it right now. So far I havent seen it done with them but I havent seen them say they can't use the pecan logs.

We usually have one good pecan season then another year its not so good so I wouldnt rely on it for a "only" income unless you plan to spray and put chemicals on it but who wants to buy those kind?.

The first year we had to spray, we contacted our local flyboy who does crops and had him spray our trees. We got the lowest dose we could find that wouldnt hurt our bees. Its been three years since then and we havent had much of the webworms like we did that first year.

Thats about it for now I might add things as I see them searching for them on my site.

Sam at the pecan ranch

Day after Christmas Eve

This is my nephews sisterinlaws Michelle and Stephanie but since they are still so young they call me Aunt Sam ...My daughter is the far right in white they are showing off their bracelets my sister Marta made for them.

This is my favorite picture for christmas my nephews children my great niece and nephew who is also Tom's and I's godson. Of course the boy to the right is my son Tommy.

Quote for the day: "Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb." -Sir Winston Churchill

Ok so its official the day after Christmas Eve is finally over. Christmas day is our favorite time of the year where we just kick back and eat left overs and just veg! I took a long nap, I even dreamed of my mother. I cried myself awake because I knew I was dreaming but it was so good to see her even if it was a dream.



We watched pirates of the carribean which was sooo long. I watched a movie this afternoon with my sister Marta. Tomorrow will probably be the same for us after doing chores we are just going to Veg again. Tom is off for a week yah!

Not much to report but we have a new baby lamb I will try to take a picture of it tomorrow. Its pure black. I had a chicken got killed last night. The sheep rubbed their big rears on my coop door and opened it and the predator got in. Thank goodness it was an old hen but I have lost so many already :(

I felt like updating my website today didnt feel like writing, I should though so I can send in my article. I have the writers research block.

Well thats about it for now

night

Merry Christmas

Coke Cola Brownies

Quote for the day: "Las cosas claras y el chocolate espeso."(Ideas should be clear and chocolate thick) -Proverb Anon

Yah thats my moms Coka Cola brownies yum. Yes you make it with good old coke/Soda. No I can't give anyone the recipe sorry sisters would beat me with a stick hahaha I have seen some versions of it on the web but nothing like my moms recipe.

I still remember fond memorys of my mom making for me for our football games. When I was a Junior in highschool we had to make something to contribute to the food stand. My mom would make these, they would sale it at the start for like 50cents but then they found out it was so good they would raise the price to a dollar! haha now that was a lot in the 80's

I have been enjoying my time making my moms recipes this year. I also made her sugar coated pecans. I am running out now so only have enough for baking and I am saving a bag or two for later on in the year when I may need them.

Not much more going on I am in washing dishes hell right now :( you know how it goes the never ending dishes they wont stop coming. Even with a new dishwasher there are sooo many pans especially when you bake, plus my husband does juicing every morning and I have to clean that darn juicer still sigh...oh well at least I got to come on here for a bit to check my emails and such.

Not sure if I am going to Sabinal in morning or not I suppose to make cookies still but its already 12am and I am sooo tired.

Night

Sam