Power Play, Eating a Hole in my Pocket
The budget is a big obstacle in getting to Skokomish. We're trying to save nearly 1/3 of my income. We're not big spenders as a general rule - we rarely buy name brand anything, we don't spend a lot on entertainment, and we don't carry credit card balances so our only interest payments are the home mortgage and a student loan. Still, there doesn't seem to be much accumulating in the savings account at the end of each month.
I looked at last month's bills. There were two that immediately stood out where we could find the savings we need: electricity and food.
The power company took $400 last month. Most of that was to run the air conditioner; we've turned the temperature up 5 degrees and all the ceiling fans on high. It costs 76 cents to dry a load of clothes; the clothesline that sterilizes and bleaches our cloth diapers will see more use. My computer burns about $7 each month just sitting on all night; I've started shutting it down before bed. We already use CFLs instead of incandescent bulbs; we might burn those even less by adjusting to a 'dawn to dusk' schedule instead of a 'mid-morning to well after dark' schedule.
Food cost us about $1500 last month - $300 apiece, and that includes the baby still on just milk. About 2/3 was groceries, and the rest was eating out. For the next year, we're going to eat out only Sunday lunch and maybe dinner, and all other meals at home. We're going to keep our monthly grocery bill under $250, and we're not going to sacrifice adequate nutrition and variety while doing it. How? We're starting by eating through everything we have stockpiled in the house before we make another shopping trip.
A Goal
I have a goal. I'm going to move my family to a farm.
Obstacle: We have no knowledge of farming. We kill houseplants through neglect and poor placement. I've read enough Steinbeck to know that even those raised on a farm may fail miserably.
Facility: The property we like is on Skokomish Farms, which is being designed as a community where homeowners with no farming experience can learn and benefit from a professional's experience.
Obstacle: Even the cheapest lots at Skokomish Farms are prohibitively expensive, and that's just for the land, with no house. Our mortgage is upside down, so selling our house now would leave us still in debt and with nothing for a down payment.
Facility: We have set in place a budget that would allow us to pay off our house in about three years - or make a reasonable down payment on the farm.
Obstacle: That budget requires some extremely frugal living and some sacrifices we are not accustomed to making.
Facility: My family is committed to the dream. My wife came up with the idea in the first place, and she has the stubborn tenacious personality to see it through. My oldest daughter is excited about the idea and clearly understands that one of the sacrifices will be eating in instead of out.
Obstacle: Even living as cheaply as we can, we despair that the properties at Skokomish will be taken before we can build the required capital.
Facility: The USDA and FHA have some loans available that might pave the way - if we qualify for them.