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Sep 11, 2020    |       6 comments

Time for the Twins to Fly

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The time is here and we couldn’t be more excited…the twins are moving out. Sea Cadet found an apartment in the newspaper, called about it, we went to visit and the twins discussed.

Now their application is approved. And we will finalize a move in date today. We are looking at a day next week assuming it’s okay with the landlord and they can get utilities set up. (Specifically, internet, History Buff will not move without it being set up.)

They are excited.

The littles (well, they aren’t so little anymore, but it’s still how I think of them) are excited.

I am excited.

All for different reasons…but lots of excitement around here.

The twins cooking one of their late night meals.

No Spend September No More

But that does mean, I through No Spend September out the window…hear me out.

  • As previously agreed to (and I believe written here,) I gave them both their September rent back to put towards their move. There’s $500 I spent.
  • I also helped them by paying the $50 application fee and $100 of their $500 deposit. Another $150.
  • And then, I spent about $220 on some of the “needs” for their new place…
    • I bought them a vacuum because their new place is all carpet. (We don’t have any carpet in our house, thus no vacuum; otherwise, I would have suggested sharing as I doubt they will vacuum often.)
    • I bought them a basic set of pots and pans. (I have absolutely no extras since we are pretty minimalist.)
    • I bought the basic pantry type items to stock their kitchen.

I am certain I will help them out a bit more before the move is complete.

Gone but Not Too Far

Their new apartment is about as old as our house, the rent is the same as our house and it’s probably almost the same square footage wise. It’s also just 2 miles from the house.

They have a laundry room, but no washer or dryer. For the time being they will continue to wash clothes at home. And they have also told me that they will be stocking their toilet paper from my house as well…

My dad says I am going to see them every day for a while because with all the new financial responsibilities, they are going to be broke until they learn to budget accordingly. As a result, I am not lowering my food budget just yet.

I am excited for them. But I’m also excited for me. I will have a true living room again. And maybe I can move my office out of my bedroom. We will be able to park in our driveway without having to rearrange cars every time someone has to leave. And this is a great way for the twins to launch into the next phase of adulthood!

 

Sep 10, 2020    |       3 comments

Wildfires, Winds, and Emergency Funds

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Wildfires, Winds, and Emergency Funds

The Pacific Northwest is on fire right now. And so is my anxiety.

Extremely dry conditions and unusually strong winds have made for some unreal conditions. The closest fire to us is just 10 miles away (you can see the smoke in the right of this picture I took last night). We live in such a suburban and farming county, that I never dreamed it would be so close to home! The skies are smoky and orange all day, making you feel like someone forgot to turn off the sepia filter.

Putting the “Emergency” in Emergency Funds

Around here we all keep using 2020’s favorite word—unprecedented. And it’s making me look at our emergency funds with such gratitude. We still have that $8,000 in our emergency fund, plus our tax return that we’re reserving in case we have to shut down the business again.

There’s an evacuation center just up the street from us at a local school, and one of our employees had to evacuate in the middle of the night. This has all made me think about what you’d grab. What you’d lose. What pictures I’d have for the insurance company. Luckily, this nearby fire is now 50% contained (thank you, amazing fire fighters!). But entire towns are gone in our state, and I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose your home and your business at once.

Wind Damage

The wind has created a more immediate need for our emergency fund. When we first looked at this house, I cringed looking at some large trees on a slope behind the house. There’s an Alder that didn’t look unhealthy, but it just gave me the creeps. It could hit the house if it fell.

I researched arborists last week, figuring I could have someone come out and assess the trees and give us an estimate on removing that tree. It gives us privacy from the neighbors behind us, but I wanted to gather information. I felt like we had some time, though, because the tree seemed okay and most trees seem to fall around here in winter wind or ice storms.

Well, on Labor Day, we were up at my in-laws. We came home late that evening and the wind was craaaazy. I looked at that tree uneasily. I had the kids sleep in a room in the front of the house just in case.

The next morning, I got up and saw that some branches had fallen out of the tree. They were so close to the house behind us that we went up to check on them (that’s one way to get to know your neighbors…). Turns out those branches had fallen on their deck just a minute or two after one of them had walked inside. It scared them to death.

Luckily it didn’t do any damage to their property, but now things are urgent—that tree has got to go. I’ve reached out to an arborist. We don’t have an estimate yet but it’s going to be more expensive than I care to think about. But man, I’m grateful for emergency funds, especially during a year like 2020.

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