Blogging Away Debt

Doing Without – Giving up Convenience for Space

So as we begin to adjust to life in a much smaller space and learning to make use of items we kept in some unusual ways, there has been only one glaring thing that the kids have missed…a microwave. That became quickly apparent one night when they tried to make chicken wings for dinner from the frozen bag and plated them only to determine there was no quick fix for defrosting them. Conventional oven route they went.

As we laughed together about this incident, I was grateful that we had used up all our typical microwave treats as we were eating through our pantry in preparation for this move. The one that stands out is popcorn. Microwave popcorn has definitely been one of their go to snack items, and we arrived here with just one bag left (and I’m sure they didn’t know that one was there or it would have been used.)

I knew coming in here there wasn’t a microwave and my thought was that they aren’t too expensive now, especially with the smaller, no-frill options so I would just buy one when we got here. But here’s the dilemma (aside from the money woes I mentioned in this morning’s post:)

Our new apartment kitchen - it may look messy but really I just haven't found space for everything. — Our new apartment kitchen – it may look messy but really I just haven’t found space for everything.

We are WAY out of space. There is no pantry. There is one drawer (and it falls out every time we open it.) Truly, this is not a mess. Everything you see is clean, I just haven’t been able to find storage for everything.

So as I think about this, I think…what about a year without a microwave, without a toaster (which we got rid of during the purge thinking we could use the oven to serve the same purpose.) Not only will it save me the expense of a microwave, but with only one section of counter space large enough to hold it, it will free up a large amount of space that would otherwise be non-negotiable.

So for now, we are going to go old school and be microwave free. I know there are others who do this…any hints for me? (On a positive note, you may remember my hemming and hawing about the kids’ tendency to buy frozen meals with their grocery budget and how I got so tired of those…well, that won’t be an option for the time being. Woohoo!)

I Quit!

by Hope

“I quit, I’m over it!”

Seriously, that’s the call I received yesterday at 5pm, 2 days before the job was to be done! It was the painter/handyman/landscaper I hired to get the house ready to sell.

So not only is my dad here making lists of all the things (expenses) that need to be done to put the house on the market, but the contractor I hired to do the bulk of it quit.

I don’t know if there was an exchange between them or if he is just exhausted, but now it’s a mess. Nothing is complete, shelving and lights have been taken down, the paint that was put up is 1) the wrong color and 2) splotchy.

And on top of that I had paid him more than half of the agreed upon amount up front…

Ugh!!!

Needless to say I’m stressed, stressed over the money, stressed over the work and even more stressed over my dad being here to witness it. I so wanted him to be proud of me, to come and have so little to do that we could put the house on the market.

So on the good side, we are settled in, the apartment is tiny and cozy and all the kids seem to be settling in okay. I will post more on that later, but today, have to help figure a way to get out of the mess we are now in with the house.