The farm and farmhouse

Husband's extra paycheck hit so I made a large $600 transfer to his Roth! Only $300 to go before the April deadline.

I got my $100 state tax refund back and rather than waste it I sent it to the LOC. Need to get serious about demolishing debt if we are wanting to take on a construction loan!

I have $2,250 worth of goats sold. I will get that money when they are weaned in May.

This month I am focusing on the rest of husband's 2015 Roth contribution, and paying off the credit cards before the statement. Then next month will be working on the computer loan. If I could scrape enough money to pay it off in April that would be amazing, but May is more likely... A girl can dream.

I'm so excited! The construction company came out to look at the house and create a bid for our addition we've been wanting to do for years.

Of course they are going to take a few weeks for the actual numbers, but they gave me a rough estimate based on their other jobs of $105ish a sq foot. Or $45,000 completely finished!

We are wanting to shoot for $35,000. But they were so nice, and will let us DIY anything we want to do. Saving us a considerable amount of money. A lot of general contractors won't let you work in "their space" but these guys said they will do or let us do anything we want. So I can hire out my own electrician (who is a friend and gives me a discount), and husband and I can paint, hang insulation, etc.

Of course I don't want to get too excited until I see the real contract.

I don't even mind if we just have to get the shell put up, and then we can save and pay cash for finishing the interior if we need to. We were just praying that the exterior would be under $35k.

I can't believe this may actually become a reality this year.

We got husband's profit sharing statement from his work. They contributed $3,855 to his account this year! Making his total $6,409 at 40% vested. Sweet! Free money.

I paid the house payment bringing our mortgage down to $47,280.96.

I got my federal tax refund and sent the $100 to the Roth.

Lots of little progress on our goals.

Baby goats are being born. The weather is warm and we are gearing up to start working on projects again.

I got my final horse trailer payment and sent it to the computer loan, bringing my balance down to $868!!

I also paid off my credit cards except for $100 due next month.

Things are looking better financially. I did get my old job back and will start soon.


I love progress!

I finally submitted my taxes. At the last minute I decided to input a $1,000 for husband's Roth, so I would get back $100 for the savers credit. I'll have to make sure to send the money to his account before the April deadline. I'll definitely send the $100 from the taxes, and there is an extra paycheck coming up next month so I'll send $350 then. Just have to come up with another $450 which should be easy enough.

Should know about the new job within the next day or two.

Really feeling the itch to get projects done, or some deep cleaning. But I just don't even know where to start. I'm sick of our house looking unfinished and dirty. No matter how much cleaning I do, it still looks yucky with the old scratched floors and missing trim. I so want it to be finished this year, but the amount of money to complete just seems impossible.

Design work is picking up, and I've got a couple vet checks left. Really going to try to use my paychecks wisely to knock out as much debt as I can. I've been very good about spending lately except the occasional fast food or snack.

Husband actually had extra money left in his paycheck this month after bills, spending, and paying his credit card off. I can't remember the last time we had a positive balance. I never do because every single dollar I have (besides my buffer of course) gets put towards something on payday. I don't leave extra money sitting in my account, it instantly gets sent to savings or debt.

I put in my two weeks notice today at the vet.

I am sad for my co-workers, but happy to soon be rid of the stress. My last day will be the 25th which is great because I have goats due starting on the 29th and now I will get to be home.

My old/new job interview is Thursday. I'm still not sure how I completely feel about going back but I am cautiously hopeful that it will be better.

Almost caught back up from the low paychecks. Another $350 to go before I can earnestly start working towards my goals again.


Really need to submit my taxes, but I'm only getting $100 back and it just depresses me.

I will admit. I gave in. Dell would not quit calling me every couple weeks trying to talk me into getting a warranty on the top of the line desktop I bought. I kept telling them no no no.

Well yesterday I got tired of dealing with it and said yes. >.< I told them it was too much money and in the end I talked them down to $100 for a 3 year in home full service warranty. Which is quite cheap compared to the $250 a YEAR warranty that they try to sell you when you buy the computer. Patience and persistence is rewarded.

Part of the reason I gave in was because for the past month I have been considering getting a warranty. Just because it was so expensive, I would hate to think of something happening. I've never bought a warranty before, but I've also never gotten a $3,000 computer before either. $100 isn't a big deal if it removes worry for 3 years, especially since I use the computer for work.

Then they of course tried to talk me into getting the warranty for husband's laptop he bought at the same time. Ha. We hate the laptop, and have had numerous problems. We will probably trade it in eventually. The warranty for that was $290, ridiculous since we only paid about twice that to buy it. No thank you.

Anyway, I received an unexpected check and have $100 to pay for it, so no big deal.

Vet job is still getting worse. 2 out of the 3 vets are quitting in March. Including my favorite vet. I thought the workers who have been there for several years where making pretty good money, but I talked to one yesterday who said she was barely making above minimum wage. What the heck. Why do they put up with all that for minimum wage? She was lamenting that she should have went back to her old job... Yeah this is a sinking ship. I'm getting off before it all goes down. Hoping to be gone before March when the vets leave. It's going to be such a mess. They are already so so busy. I don't know what's going to happen.

My favorite vet is leaving because her family is 6 hours away, and she only gets one day off every other week so she never has enough time off to go visit them. Really? Why couldn't they just give her another day off? They would rather lose her than give her anything. Just shows what kind of people they are. Everyone is replaceable to them, if you don't follow their ridiculous rules.

I'm tired of being scolded and yelled at. At my old job people loved me, they respected me, and I was good at it. Here I just feel like an idiot, constantly told I can't do anything right. I got yelled at yesterday because I pushed down too hard when I was writing with a marker... Okay then.

With the recent sickness, and job instability I've really gotten cautious with our budget. I've realized with our current spending, we would be about $500 short a month if we had to rely on just husband's income. That frightens me.

I need advice on what to do with any extra income. Right now I am paying $200 a month on my 0% interest computer loan. Which will get it paid off before the financing runs out. We are also paying $30 interest only on the LOC.

Should I work on getting the computer paid off to free up that $200 a month in the budget. OR should I be paying down the LOC, which does not help the budget but makes the most sense on paper since it's charging interest and has the highest balance?

Part of me thinks it's silly to payoff a 0% loan early, but it would free up the budget and I think the quick win will give me an emotional boost over the LOC which will take quite some time to pay.

Which would you do?

** Job Update **

My interview with my old job is next Sunday.

I almost got fired at the vet on Wednesday. I accidentally missed a meeting which I did not know about. I was really expecting to get fired. But I did talk with husband and decided that if the owner was rude or disrespectful that I would quit and not tolerate her terror anymore. She ended up not coming in to have a "talk" with me, so her husband sat down with me instead. He is much nicer and more chill. He said just said to be careful and not do it again. So I got off easy.

I will admit I will feel bad for the other workers when I quit at the vet. The other new morning girl got fired for being late. (The 5th person to quit or get fired in my 90 days...) So they are so so short staffed. Actually I am picking up an extra day a week for now. Figure I might as well make as much money as I can just in case. I am going to miss the animals and the knowledge I am learning, but I won't miss the stress and instability.

I am feeling much better. But I have not coughed out any of the pneumonia since it is stuck below my lung disease. So if I don't cough it out soon I will get sick again.

Money is very tight since I didn't work for weeks, and now work is still light. Thankfully I finally received a payment for my horse trailer I sold last year, my parents gifted me some money, and husband's sweet friends at work took up a small collection and gave it to us with a get well soon card. What nice people. So proud that my husband is such a good and hard working person that people offer to help him in time of need.

I made the house payment today (need to update mortgage numbers), the LOC payment, I paid another $100 on the computer, and I have some money left to pay towards our car insurance which is due soon.

For February I just want to pay down debt. I don't want to set a number on it, since finances are unsure right now. But anything helps.

Been working outside since we've had 60 degree weather. Husband and I finally got up the dog fence last night! We had quite a bit of trouble when the goats chewed through the wire in several places and we had to repair. Arg. I'm hoping they won't do it again now that it is all up and tight. Now it just needs hooked up and retested. I'd love to get that done today.

Also need to do goat vaccines today, baby goats are due in exactly 30 days. Can't wait for all that adorable snuggliness. Fingers crossed for lots of babies. The waiting list is so long.

Well after 6 days in the hospital they finally let me go home. But only because my mother is the nursing supervisor and she has been taking care of me.

I'm still in a lot of pain, having trouble keeping food down, trouble breathing, and just generally weak and sick. I don't know if I've ever felt so bad, even after heart surgery.

My husband has been so good to me and is waiting on me hand and foot. My mom stays here during the day while he is working. I really just want to start feeling better. I'm so bored, and stiff from laying around. Sleeping and eating is a huge problem.

Keep me in your thoughts. I just want to feel better.

Well in a bad turn of events I had to go to the ER on Sunday night after battling with severe chest pain for several days, and fighting with my lung disease for the past couple months. The night before we had to leave husband's work party early which I had looked forward to all year.

I was in so much pain I thought I collapsed my lung (I've done it a couple times before) but was surprised to find that I was very very sick with pneumonia, caused by my lung disease. They couldn't believe I was up walking, going shopping, and pretty functional.

I thought I had coughed out my lung disease last week, but apparently that was just a small part of it and I had been building up a large infection for who knows how long, which is probably why I've been feeling so poorly for a while now.

My white blood count was over 30,000. And 4 days later, I'm still here and really no progress. I have a huge phobia of needles and hospitals, and I am still in a lot of pain. I get lab work everyday, and my mother has been coming to hold my hand at 4:30am every morning while they do it. I have terrible veins besides that and they are running out of places to stick. Husband has been sleeping in a chair next to me, and then leaving for work daily and I am extremely bored and lonely.

It stinks because my lung disease is basically a plug which I can't cough up, and it's trapped the infection down below it. So I'm not going to get better until I cough it up, which can take me weeks or months to do. So right now it's a waiting game. I'm getting around the clock breathing treatments which aren't working, and there really isn't much they can do at this time besides hope by some miracle I can dislodge it. Of course my lungs are already so sore and tired. Feeling very discouraged. Even if I do cough it up it will just come back in a couple weeks. I'm just tired of dealing with the constant pain, breathing problems, and coughing.

They are now mentioning removing part of my lung, to possibly keep it from coming back. But not enough cases on it to know if it would even work or just make it worse.

Keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I'm not sure how money is going to go, since I'm not really able to work at this time. Just trying to make it through each day.

I posted this in the comments, but I figured I should just start a new post.

Thanks for all the feedback guys.

I do live in a rural community, and job choices are limited to fast food, retail, or full-time. Or I can drive an hour plus away to a bigger city, which is not worth it at this point. Especially with snow coming soon. I guess I'm looking at the old job because it's easy. I don't have to relearn anything. I'm good at it, and I know what to expect. Also, I can quit the vet job ASAP and not have to wait until I can find something else.

I did approach my previous boss and said I might be interested. I laid down my demands, that I would only work 3 days a week instead of 5 or 6, and I wouldn't being doing split shifts anymore. I also said I wouldn't be staying over to finish things up due to missed deadlines by other people. Before that he actually offered that the person who is handling things now would be willing to pick up any work that I don't have time to finish.

He told me to think about it some more before I decided. I felt no pressure. He did tell me he has mellowed down some, which I do believe and have seen in the last year. It sounds like we have come to a good compromise, but I guess there is no way of telling if it would stick or not without giving it a try.

To be clear the old boss was never mean, or belittled me like the current boss. He would loose his temper, but he would always apologize.

He WAS very demanding, things had to be just so, lots of last minute changes, working weekends, staying late, etc.

It just wasn't cohesive to having a 2nd job. So when I had the opportunity to go full time in web design I jumped. Now business has slowed down to part time, and I NEED a 2nd job.

He loves me like a daughter. Heck I used to babysit his kids. (Now they are old enough to drive, scary) He respects me as a human. Unlike the new boss who thinks I'm good for nothing, and really couldn't care less about me. So there's that. His heart was good. He just asked for too much.

I am hoping going in with clear boundaries, that if things start to fall back how they were I can point out our agreement, or quit.

Both husband and my mother are encouraging me to go back. They agree I was happier there, even with the frustrations.

One thing that is a hold up is wage. I would get $1.75 instant raise to what I am getting now. But really I was hoping for more, and the boss isn't against it. The problem is that since it's a non-profit the budget is set before the beginning of the year, and to change it is a slow and painful process with committees and meetings. Blah.

Lots to think about.

I am seriously considering going back to my old job and ditching the vet job. Am I crazy? I've only been working 11 weeks.

I felt stressed at my last job. But it pales in comparison to the new job. At the old job I had a lot of responsibilities, and they constantly stretched me thin. I felt overworked and undervalued, but they were nice to me and I had a lot of privileges.

The new job, the boss is literately crazy and down right mean. It's constant eggshells of worrying about making a mistake and getting fired. I like working with animals, but the coworkers on my shift are short with me, and don't like to chat or really have anything to do with me. I pretty much just try to stay out of the way, and keep my mouth shut. I am a super sensitive person, and do NOT take well to harsh criticism.

It's tough learning a new job, I know that sounds kind of petty but at the vet I am constantly scolded and made to feel like I am stupid. I am quite intelligent, and really I was VERY good at my last job. So it's a hard pill to swallow going from the top to the bottom.

Maybe I didn't have it as bad as I thought previously. I wonder if I would truly be happy anywhere, or if I'm always going to want something else. Maybe it's me who sabotages my work because I take things too personally, and because I try too hard to please everyone.

My current way of thinking is that it has been over a year now that I quit. They would happily take me back, and I feel like I've grown and matured enough that I could stand up for myself, and not let people take advantage of me anymore. I could pick how much I'm willing to work, and how many duties I would take on, and I believe they would agree to anything at this point. I think they have realized how valuable I was, now that they are over a barrel. I think I could handle the stress better, because now I can actually see that I was worth something, and I don't feel like I have to make everyone happy or owe them anything.

But I am worried I am looking at it with rose colored glasses, because it has been a while and I am forgetting the things that made me crazy.

At the old job, I was mostly frustrated and overworked. At the new job, I am treated like crap. If I can make it through a day without being yelled at, and feeling hurt and upset then it's a success. I wasn't excited to go to my old work (it was boring and tedious), but at least I didn't feel anxious about making mistakes. Frustrated is starting to sound better than upset. The vet owner has actually told me and the rest of the workers that she is our master and that we have to do anything she says because we are nothing. She took away our breaks, and then said we could have them back if we begged and groveled. I mean really, who says that?

The other issue is that my web design business just lost our biggest client. And I am beginning to worry about the future of the company. That combined with the fact that I could get fired at a moments notice at the vet it beginning to make me feel unstable. Especially since we couldn't live on husband's income alone, and we are wanting to take on more payments.

I am making minimum wage at the vet. They promised I would get a raise after my 90 days. But after seeing how stingy and self centered the owner is, I'm not counting on much. I'm starting to wonder if minimum wage is worth being constantly anxious and treated poorly.

On the other hand, if I stuck it out and learned more and got better maybe I would feel more relaxed and not make as many mistakes.

I'm just not sure anymore. For some reason I am feeling the pull back to my old job. Not because anyone is forcing me to. (They have stopped asking) But just looking at the pros and cons. I can take off whenever, come in late if I have an emergency, stay home if I'm sick, etc. As compared to being fired if I'm over 5 minutes later for any reason. (weather, flat tire, anything)

I would miss getting to talk to people, and I am learning a lot of animal stuff. But I've been super sick lately and I am wondering if it isn't stress related from the job.

Please, knock some sense into me.

I mean that literately and figuratively.

When we purchased the house we were told we had a septic but didn't know where it was, or what shape it was in, or how old, etc.

We've been basically ignoring it since everything was in working order. Knowing that eventually it was going to give in. Well in the past week or two some raw sewage has begun to come out of what seems to be an overflow pipe. Ew. So father in law did some tracking and found the tank, and got it open. It's full all the way to the top, no surprise.

I've called around and it looks like we will be getting it pumped out for around $200. Which leads to our next problem.

The septic tank is very close to where we were going to put the addition this year, and it seems very small. No idea what shape it is in, so we are going to have it inspected when they pump it. But most likely we are going to have to have it replaced when we do the addition to support the new bathroom, and just because it's probably ancient.

We will know more after they come to look at it. Maybe it would be okay for a few more years, but it might just be easier to get it done while we already have the yard getting dug up. Unfortunately a new septic is in the $6k - $10k range, and will eat up a large amount of our budget.

Mortgage is down to $47,602.57. I paid some towards the computer, and husband's truck fund is at $920, which sadly did not meet our 2015 goal.

Also, I did some messing around with our taxes, and at this point it looks like we may owe or may only get a couple hundred back. Boo. We usually get $1,500 and put that towards our goals. So that's a downer, but not surprising since I have two new part time jobs. Won't know for sure until all our W2's come in, since I was just estimating with pay stubs.

I went ahead and sent another $150 to the Roth, so I have officially completed that goal for the year! Woohoo!

Flooding is starting to get real. Roads are closing in all directions, and people are evacuating. The local airport had to drive their planes on the highway to higher ground yesterday! Talk about a weird sight. Hundreds of farmers are moving equipment and thousands of tons of grain to safety. Historic buildings are trying to get out all the artifacts and antiques. Our bridge which connects two states was closed today for only the 2nd time in history. The nearest crossing would be an additional 3+ hour drive on a good day. Many people including my brother-in-law who work across state the line are having to live on the other side until the waters recede. We are completely cut off on several sides at this time due to flood gates being shut, and one town is flooded into an inaccessible island. Scary stuff. Waters are not suppose to peak until Friday or Saturday, and are predicted to raise over 4 feet by midnight tonight. In 10 feet most or all local levees fail, and several towns will be completely destroyed. We are suppose to stop at another 9.1 feet. So it's going to be very very close. A few levees are beginning to slide, and people are on watch 24/7 to sandbag potential gaps. If anything this has really brought the small community together.


No need to worry about me, My house is 10 miles from the river so I am unaffected besides traveling. But it is a weird thing to watch possible history in the making, and not be able to do anything except wait.

Prayers for my area would be appreciated. It's been raining nonstop and they are predicting the worst flood in a 100 years. I live right along a river, and several towns are expected to be underwater this week. People are getting evacuated, including some of my family. They have two days to pack up and get out, before the levee is predicted to fail. I can't imagine how sad it would be to know you'll be loosing your house in a couple days and there is nothing to stop it.

Still hoping this rain will stop before anymore damage is done.

I added the $350 from husband's bonus to the Roth. Still waiting on him to decide how much to send to the truck fund. Hoping we can finish it and the Roth off before the new year.


We actually completed the workbench! It took just a few hours.



Although it doesn't look like much it's quite large. It's 4.5' long, and 3' high. Which is the maximum size that could fit in the space. It gives us just enough room to hold the saw which has been laying in my dining room floor for over a year, and the new toolbox I got husband for Christmas.

I'm in an organization kick, so it was nice to be able to pick up all the random tools that were spread throughout the house and give them a home. Also the bottom shelf gave us room to stack all our bigger items, rather than just piled up on the floor. I'm thinking of adding a cute curtain to the front, just to hide the clutter better.

Husband got me an office chair for Christmas. It's bright orange which adds a pop of color, and matches perfectly with my fox themed office/dining room. I have orange art all over the walls. Several people have asked what the finished desk looks like.



I wish I had taken a picture of the front of the chair. It has a pretty quilted pattern on it, and it's very comfortable. So much better than sitting in a wooden chair for hours a day. (Yes I do use 2 computers at once. lol)

I haven't built the wall mounted shelves I had planned on. I'm still undecided if that would be too cluttered, or if the desk will even stay here permanently. So for now, we are considering just getting one of those cube shelves for the dining room, which can hold some of our books, decor, and excess stuff.

2016 is full of uncertainties.

We are really wanting to do a home addition next year which is going to cost upwards of $30k+. But it's not set in stone yet, especially with our recent unexpected expenses. Getting a loan for that amount is no problem, and the payment will be easily managed. But I do not feel comfortable having so much debt at one time. So the remodel will probably depend of how much debt we can knock down in the next few months.

So for now our 2016 will be:

1.) $1,000 in Animal Fund
2.) Pay off Computer
3.) $7,000 in Roth
4.) Pay off LOC
5.) $2,000 in Truck Fund

Animal fund is the biggest priority. Considering I have a $500 windfall coming in the next few weeks, and I have quite a few kids due in the spring it shouldn't be a problem. There will be no more fencing or housing expenses to eat up my profit this year. It's all done.

The computer needs paid off. It's a 0% loan, but it's consumer debt and it needs to be gone before we add anymore payments.

Still want to continue adding to the Roth. My goal is to add $2,500. The same as it was this year.

LOC is up again from the furnace and fencing. But the furnace was going to be considered as part of the remodel, so we may just roll this loan into the remodel loan when the time comes. We will still try to pay it down as much as possible beforehand. Any we pay down or save will give us more wiggle room in the remodel budget.

Save another $1,000 for a new used car. Husband had his heart set on a truck, but if we are serious about the remodel we won't be able to afford both. We are going to continue to save for it, and most likely he will purchased another used jeep which would be half the price of a truck.

Overall we want to save for the necessities, and pay down what we can. In a perfect world we would also start putting back some cash for the remodel. But we will have to wait and see how it goes first.

Had a good mini vacation visiting family this weekend. Finished up my Christmas shopping. Really hoping my credit cards with Christmas and our recent home expenses will be completely paid off by next week's paycheck. The truck fund is so close, and we still have husband's bonus to decide what to do with. So thinking we will finish that up, and probably finish the Roth as well. No way the animal fund is going to be completed. Which I am okay with since I had the big fence expense this year.

Time to start thinking about next year's goals. I will make another entry soon with details.

Despite seemingly slow progress on our house, I thought it would be fun to post what my husband and I have accomplished or replaced since we purchased it 3 years ago.

Outdoor

Patched and painted goat house
2 platforms for goat house
Window in goat house
3 raised garden boxes
18'x21' animal shelter
3.5 acres of fencing
Raised stone flower box
New 200amp electric to the house
Cut down 2 trees
Painted wood windows
Roof
7 windows

Indoor
All electrical
Hot water heater
Hot water plumbing
Insulation
Drywall
Furnace
Storm door
Bathroom door
Sun room door
Painted interior
Toilet, shower, vanity, mirror, shelving
Kitchen and bathroom flooring
Refrigerator
Window and door trim
Lighting fixtures & ceiling fans
Desk
Various furniture

Considering all that, it's amazing just how much we have accomplished while remaining debt free. (Until this month. lol)

Upcoming or In Progress Projects
Invisible Dog Fencing
Workbench
Finish kitchen and bathroom trim
Refinishing hardwood
Baseboards

That seems like such a short list comparatively. Of course there is a lot of other little things like recaulking the tub that need done as well. But I'd say we are getting close to the finish line!

Eventual Large Projects
Master suite addition
Reside house
Replace remaining windows

Husband and I are both working extra shifts to help cover recent expenses. Also husband gets an annual yearly Christmas bonus, which is due anytime. So that should help boost our goals.

After the credit cards are paid for the statement, we will start working on the LOC.

Furnace is installed, I love heat.

Fence is mostly up. Husband and I are working on the underground dog fencing. My Christmas shopping is nearly done.

Hopefully that is the end of the big expenses. We've spent over $7,000 in the past 2 months on home improvements. Yikes!

My cold is starting to clear up, but now it's a chain reaction to my lungs. Two nights ago I stayed up all night coughing. Then had a bridal shower to host. Ugh.

Anyway, lots of happenings here, and LOTS of spending. Goodness. The fence is half up! It poured rain here for 3 days straight, and they still came out and did it in the rain. I was surprised. Hopefully will be finished this weekend.

Purchased the last bit of hay for the winter, $280. Ouch.

Had to pay for stuff for the bridal shower. I did some minor online black Friday shopping. Only spent $20. I just ordered the invisible fence for the dog. Another $300 outgo.

Furnace has finally been decided. The mini splits were going to be $7k which we couldn't swing, so after a lot of deliberation with the HVAC guy we purchased a new 2 stage propane furnace. The ducts are still horrible, but once we build the addition we will move the furnace and it will be a lot easier to put in new ducts. So we are going to leave them for now and in the mean time we will have some heat. Price is around $2,800. We have paid a $1,500 deposit.

It's going to take quite a while to dig myself out of all the recent expenses. But I am very excited about all the projects getting completed. Just wish it wasn't all at once. lol.

I feel so run down. I've had several bad days at the new job. I've made some mistakes, due to just not knowing everything yet. And several of the people have been short with me. I'm very sensitive, and do not take raised voices, or harsh criticism well. Especially when it's due to misunderstanding, or just not knowing something. After work I went and bought a soda, came home and had a good cry and a nap.

Besides that, I've been sick for nearly a month now. My lungs were giving me fits, then I started a new medicine which made me feel absolutely horrible, now I've got a bad head cold. Sigh. I just want to feel like myself again.

The fencing guy did come out. He can't start until two weekends from now. And then it takes at least a week to finish. So it won't be done until December. Also he raised his prices a bit, so now I need to come up with another $500. Which is really going to push my goals back even farther.

I get easily stressed and flustered, so all these things that have come up are really dragging me down. Today I need to be working on my web design clients, but I would much rather just lay around and relax on my "day off." It's been hard to get motivated, or focused to get anything done.

The carpenter finally got my closet trim cut, and the bank has finalized the LOC.

The fencing guy has set appointments then cancelled last minute twice now. He swears he will be here Tuesday... Won't hold my breath.

Furnace is still up in the air right now. The first price he found on the units was about 3 times what we want to pay. But he misunderstood and had us down for 3 instead of 2. So that will lower the price, he is also looking into other brands. Fingers crossed we can make it happen.

Paid some on the computer, and towards the truck.

Also added back the LOC in the sidebar for the windows/furnace. Will be paying that down with our standard $200 a month home project budget, and additional as we can.

I can't believe it's already half way through November! I need to kick it into high gear if I ever want to be able to reach my goals for the year.

Right now I just want to get the fence installed and paid for. After that I can switch focus to other things. I tend to work on two main things at once, one debt, one savings. My normal checks are usually sent towards debt, and any cash I collect I put in an envelope to save for something different than our normal savings. My fence fund is nearing completion. Then extra cash will go towards the animals. The cash savings seem to grow slower, but it's amazing how much random cash I accumulate. Either by selling stuff, freelance work, or my parents often give me small amounts of money when I visit. $10 here, or $20 there. It adds up!

It's cold! Being without a furnace is no fun!

After talking it over with husband, and reading all of your thoughtful opinions I believe we will be going with the new mini splits.

Still waiting on an exact price, but it looks like mini splits will be around $3k and a new propane furnace would be about $2.5k not counting the fact that we would have to hire someone to dig out our tiny crawlspace, and then also pay for all new duct work. Looking at several thousand for that.

So mini splits is the easy choice. I'm a little wary, just because they aren't as common, but the HVAC guy and some friends that use them have encouraged me.

Debt is no fun, but heat is a necessity.

Fencing guy is hoping to start working on it this weekend! So that is good news. My horse is going to live at a friends house on a semi permanent loan. One of their two passed away, and the remaining horse is lonely. My horse used to live together with him, and they were buddies (a decade ago). I haven't ridden in years, and I think my old guy would be happier there with a friend and pasture in his old age. Not sure how I feel about it yet. I'm happy for him, but sad for me. I will miss him, even though I don't give him the attention he deserves. Trying not to be selfish. He will remain my horse, and I can go visit, or bring him back whenever I want. But he's been a part of me so long, it's hard to imagine him not here. We'll see what happens. It will save me a LOT of money on food costs over the winter, and will cut down on my work.

Banker tried to call me yesterday but I missed it, and they are closed today. I will try calling back tomorrow. Fingers crossed it's good news on the LOC and I can get the money for the windows and furnace ASAP.

Besides that I'm just going to try to be frugal and pay stuff off as fast as I can. Picking up some extra shifts at the new job already, but need to be careful not to let myself get overwhelmed. Christmas seems so close, and I feel like I will never catch up on finances.

So our furnace didn't want to start up again for the 4th year in a row. So we called the contractor out to come take a look. It only took him a couple minutes to pin point the broken part and he said he would try to find one for us.

He calls back today, after more than a week of searching he has found the last remaining part in the US for our furnace. It's $500...

Well the furnace is 30-40 years old, and a piece of junk. It's sooo inefficient, and we have rusty, leaky old ducts which we can not even get to. Every year we cross our fingers, that it's going to work. We turn the heat down to 55-60 and use space heaters. The propane alone is $1,500 - $2,000 every winter, on top of our electric bill which can soar up to $300 a month with space heaters. Ouch. All to be at a still chilly 65 degrees.

We have been wanting to get mini splits since we moved in. Which is a ductless heating and cooling system. (Because the crawl space is too small for ducts) But kept putting it off. Well the time may have finally come...

We can buy mini splits in sections. So for now we are looking at getting 2. One for the bedroom, and one for the living room/dining room/kitchen. We would still have to use one space heater in the bathroom like we normally do. (No central heat there currently, broken duct)

Off the top of his head he estimated they would cost around $3k to install. And later on when we had the cash we could add more for the bathroom and upstairs. He is going to sit down and give me real figures on Monday.

Honestly, with the $1,500 from the propane savings, and the $500 it would cost to fix our current furnace, we are looking at only a $1,000 difference. They are suppose to be super cheap to run in our area, and the thought of having air conditioning as well is quite appealing!

We knew this was coming, but didn't want it to be so soon. Now we have to make a quick decision. Not happy to have to take on debt. But at least I'm getting extra income from my new job.

We would have to add it to the LOC with the $1,000 for the windows. Of course we could instantly put our propane account credit towards it ($500 ish), and also the $120 monthly propane payment.

Not to mention the electric bill savings.

We are stuck between a rock and a hard place. He's been trying to talk us into replacing for several years now. And he really doesn't want us to throw more money on the old one.

What do you guys think?

The windows and doors are in! They all look fabulous. They had to cut some drywall to install the pocket door which I expected. Will just have to repair it.

The storm door works great, and the cat has already figured out how to use it. No more drafts.

The mortgage payment has hit bringing our total down to $47,920.23! Yay, finally got to the 47s!

In other news, I was recently put on a a round of new medicine for a week. It made me terribly sick. Joint pain, shivering, sweating, metallic taste, constant headaches and nausea. I haven't been able to eat much and have lost 4 pounds in 3 days. Not sleeping. I'm also vomiting, which I haven't done in over 10 years. I've been hurting so much that I've spent the last several days crying, sitting by the toilet, and trying to make it through work.

The taste of the pills themselves are so horrible that I had to wrap them in bread or candy to swallow them without them coming back up.

Yesterday was the last straw and I decided I couldn't do it anymore. I stopped taking it at the halfway point. I called the doctor this morning and they said they don't think they have a substitute, and that I need to tough it out. But they are going to call me back. I'm sorry, but it is literally poison to my body. I don't think I've ever felt so sick, and as a person with heart and lung problems that is saying something. I'm not a weakling, but this is ridiculous. Sorry, not taking it. (I've taken a lot of medications in my life time, and NEVER get side effects)

After 24 hours I feel a lot better, and was able to hold down some breakfast this morning. My taste is still messed up, but apparently the side effects can last a couple months. Hopefully not.

I feel wiped out. It's been hard adjusting to working so much. I'm going to have to be careful managing my time so I can stay up on my web design work.

Was able to pay towards the computer, my credit card, and purchase some hay. Feeling pretty good.

Today is payday at the vet, but I will only being getting one day of wages on this check. I will be putting it towards the fence. I've got the money to pay the installer, and I have already purchased the actual fencing. Just need to buy the posts, concrete, and little things like staples.

I am so tired of waiting on people.

Still waiting on the fencing guy.
Still waiting on the windows/doors.
Still waiting on the bank to mail the papers for the LOC.
Still waiting on the carpenter to cut our closet trim.
Still waiting on the repairman to fix our broken furnace.

I am paying all these people, I don't now why they keep dragging their feet. I have all this stuff needing done, but no one to do it. I've called and called and they keep promising it will be done next week. And then the week comes and goes. Gr.

So frustrated.

The goats are going to their new home tomorrow. It's sad, but good at the same time. They are costing me several dollars in food a day. And I'll be glad to have one less pen to take care of.

They will certainly be missed.

Well I am really enjoying the vet job. Except for yesterday was pretty scary.

First the other new girl, (who was extremely lazy and drove me crazy) had a flat tire and was less than 15 minutes late. She did call and say she was running late. When the boss got in she was instantly fired. That is kind of concerning... What if I have a flat tire, or I get stuck behind a train, etc... Yikes.

Also, I'm not sure what happened with the other workers, but the boss was in a rage from something they did and basically laid down a bunch of new rules, and took privileges away. Such as everyone was getting paid breaks, but now no one is getting breaks at all. She is cleaning out the break room and turning it into an office. She just bought them a picnic table a couple days ago and she hauled it off. If anyone is caught on their phone it's instant termination. If you forget to clock in, too bad you work without pay. Plus a bunch of other rules which I'm not really sure affect me. But she sure gave several people a chewing out, in a nice "polite" voice that was just rich with attitude. She was very nice to me. I guess because I wasn't involved with all of it. Basically she said it's her business and she can do whatever she wants, so she took away all the fun and rights, except what she is required by law.

Anyway, it was a bit frightening, and no one argued, but I'm sure this isn't the end of it... Kind of hoping she was just having a bad day, and that it will die down soon.

I'm pretty tired from all the early mornings. Starting next week I will have a set schedule of Monday afternoon and Tuesday and Thursday morning. Everyone is also required to come in on Wednesday for an hour and a half for a staff meeting. Which kind of sucks since I live 30 minutes away... Driving up there 4 days in a row may be too much for me, so I may have to cut down one of my working days. I tried to get a shift on Wednesday but they didn't have one open right now.

Overall the work isn't bad, the workers are fun. Just do not tick off the owner. She is not a nice person.

My goats I sold a while back have been paid for, and they should be leaving next week. I also sold my horse trailer, although I won't get the money until January. I paid down the credit card, and I will put back $250 for the animals. I did purchase some of the fencing materials, and I can't wait until they get started on that.

Well the good news is that the vet called me this morning and said they loved working with me, and that I'm hired!!!

I start tomorrow.

The tough news is that while I was on the phone with the vet my old job called... Apparently their secretary quit this morning, and the pastor was calling to beg me back again. I feel just horrible. For those who don't know, I worked for my church for 3.5 years, and quit in January to pursue Web Design. It did have it's perks. I worked mostly alone, and I could take off whenever, or leave early, surf facebook, etc. But it was a very stressful job, 5 days a week, with only 30 hours, 2 days were split shifts. They would call me at night, I would have to come in on weekends, lots of responsibility, and last minute emergencies, etc. They have been struggling to find a replacement ever since then, and I've been asked dozens of times to come back.

I had to tell him that I just accepted a new job offer, and I'm sure he is hurt since I don't want their job but I took another... It was just too much for me to handle all the stress and days and do the web design. The vet job is only 2 or 3 days a week, and it's over after my 5 hour shift. No stress no mess.

Now he is trying to offer me just working a day or two, and a significant pay raise. Ugh.

I feel guilty. I see these people several times a week, and they are really struggling. He says no pressure, but he was practically crying and asking what he could do to change my mind. And it's apparent they are falling apart and need my help. So while there is no "pressure" there is a LOT of implied pressure.

I will talk to my husband, but he is going to say no way. I have to agree, I don't think I want to take on 3 jobs, even if it is only 1 day a week.

But we will see. I think I need to try out the vet job and see how I handle that before I tack on any additional work. But it's hard to turn down a friend that really needs my help. It's so hard to stand strong, especially when I get asked by numerous well meaning people every week. When it's all going down the crapper everyone looks at me to fix it. I guess I should feel honored since I excelled at my job, but it puts a lot of burden on me.

No word yet on if I got the job, but I'm nearly positive I will get it.

The owner wasn't there yesterday, but I think the other staff enjoyed me being there. They said I fit right in, and that I offered to help and worked more than any other person that had shadowed.

It was fun, but it was exhausting! Yikes. I didn't realize how long it had been since I actually had to stand on my feet for 6 hours. (I'll need to dig out my comfort shoes I work when I worked fast food)

They are so busy there. Goodness, both of the girls skipped their breaks because they felt guilty leaving the other alone to deal with all the business. I can see why they need more workers. I was mentally and physically tired afterwards, and I mostly just watched. I will definitely have to build up some stamina, and bring something to drink next time.

Overall I think it will be a good fit, although it is a LOT of hard work. Exercise is good for me.

The clinic is actually open until 6pm, 3 days a week. And I didn't get home until nearly 7 last night. So I'm thinking I will try to work the morning shift as much as I can. I hate getting up early, and I really enjoyed the evening staff (the morning ladies are a little more cranky) but I would really like to be home to cook dinner, and also feed my animals before dark. Ideal would be morning shift 2 days a week, and evening 1 day a week. We'll see what happens.

FINALLY got a hold of the fencing guy. He says he will put it up in November. Right now is harvesting time (farmer) so he is swamped. I also called the window guys, and my order should be there in 10 days. So hopefully the windows and doors will go in soon.

Husband and I made a push and got the archway trim all done and up. It looks great! That means we are done with trim until the windows and doors come in. It's weird not having a project to work on! Our house is still in chaos, but basically everything is waiting on something else which requires money.

After we pay for the windows, we will begin saving to refinish the floors. After they are done we can put in all the baseboards, and we really will be done with trim!