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by Hope

We have completed the checklist created in the Spring of summer yard projects. And I am so pleased!

The culmination was last week when we power washed (borrowed a power washer from my Uncle) and sealed the deck. The cost of supplies was $187. And the labor cost was ____ (still waiting for my daughter’s friend to send me his hours). But it looks so good…see for yourself!

As I walked around the property, I was overwhelmed with gratitude for all that we got done. The end result is a yard that is:

• Full of edible plants…blueberries, salad fixings, herbs, and so on.
• Less than 1/2 now needs to be maintained on a regular basis. We’ve been able to decrease the grassy area by about half.
• Dealt with the flooding issue caused by an overgrown culvert.
• Leveled and landscaped pathway from my carport to the back deck which significantly cut down on the tripping hazards (especially for me) and the mud the dogs will track into the house.
• Huge shade bed landscaped and with a significant weed barrier.

The final spend was $56 which was 10 bags of mulch, 4 bags of white marble rocks, and some landscape stakes.

What do you think of the results? It’s been lots and lots of sweat equity, lots and lots of cardboard collected (with permission) from my part time job to use as weed barrier, pallets from a friends job, and constantly watching Facebook marketplace for supplies for free or cheap.

But I am so please and proud of myself! And grateful. Now if only the cooler weather would hurry along so I can enjoy my outdoor living space.

Hope

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.