by Hope
We are preparing to be hit by the outer rims of Florence tomorrow. Northeast Georgia is expecting lots of rain and high winds for the next couple of days. You will see I’ve given myself $50 to get a few storm supplies. We are good on food, but I’m going to stock up on some bottled water and batteries for flashlights. We really have no idea what to expect.
We are also packing GO bags just in case. Our home lies in a valley and our yard flood with normal rain. We’ve got an evacuation plan in place, just in case. But hoping for the best.
Anticipated Spending - Week of 9/14
| Description | Anticipated | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| Income *after taxes | $378 | |
| Gas | ($70) | |
| Volleyball - entrance fees | ($10) | |
| Storm Preparedness | ($50) | |
| Total | $248 | |
Nothing really to explain this week. I did double my gas budget since my mom and sister will be in town, and I’m picking them up in Atlanta Sunday (pending storm status, of course.)
I appreciate all the feedback on my upcoming No Spend Month in October and plan of attack for debt payoff. I’ll have updates on my plans in the coming weeks.
Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.
But life has a way of rewriting your plans.
A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.
Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.
Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.
She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.
Instead of purchasing bottled water, you can fill up gallon ziplock bags with water (or your pots and pans, etc.). If you fear the power will go out, half-fill some bags with water and pop them in the freezer. You can use them as ice to keep food cold in your refrigerator or cooler, and drink the water in them once they melt.
Great suggestion! I was thinking about ice too.
Free water and ice is the best!
Growing up, nasty blizzards that would knock the power out for multiple days were common. We always just filled up bathtubs/containers/pitchers with water.
If your region is anything like ours you are in for a scavenger hunt with bottled water and d batteries. We went to 5 different places before we were finally able to locate a portable power supply for the phones. The shelves were pretty hard up when it came to gallon water bottles. Anyway good luck.