My Tireless Retirement - Week 53

 

Hello, hello everyone!  During the past few weeks our weather has been ridiculous for this time of year.  March came in like a lion and left like one too.  Mother Nature has thrown everything our way and with loads of little things on my "to do" list I was starting to go a bit stir crazy.  While I do love to be at home, especially when the weather is cold and nasty outside, I also tend to become easily bored and I get a bit antsy.  I've been itching to be outside to finish cleaning up the winter yard debris and tidy things up outside.  You know how yucky everything looks after a hard winter?  And I've had this stinking "to do" list, a punch list of lots of little things needing to be taken care of around here that has been nagging at me.

 

Done! 😁

Fortunately, I've been able to tunnel that nervous energy onto some indoor projects and tick several items off of my punch list.  I've been making small repairs that have needed to be completed for a while, finished some trim in various areas of the house, touched up paint here and there and replaced the last door knob on the hall closet.  All my door knobs are now updated. I finally finished the trim at the foot of the stairs using up some items I had on hand out in the garage so now purchases were necessary, save for a new tube of painters caulk I had purchased last fall.  I am so happy with the final results.

 

With all of my home improvement & RV projects pretty much completed
it is time to let the rest of this stuff go

More decluttering and reorganizing was on the "to do" list.  I managed to get out in the garage and finish up the decluttering I had started this winter and I was pretty ruthless about it.  I hauled a full recycle bin to the curb, a full bin of glass to the collection center, given away gobs of stuff on the Facebook buy nothing page and hauled another load to the thrift store.  I even got rid of my scrap wood and trim pile!  No joke, I really did!

 

I offered up the ginormous charcoal grill in my backyard to someone that could use it on Facebook Markeplace.  I haven't used it in ages.  I dismantled an old gas camp grill I had saving only the metal grilling rack to use for camping and let the rest go.  I just got rid of a bunch of stuff in my backyard that I no longer need, want or use.  Plant pots, bricks, a window I had thought I might use in the chicken coop at one time, a pile of scrap wood from my home renovations, a pet carrier and some firewood.

 

Bye bye piles o' crap

There was even enough of a break in the weather for me to do a bit of yard work.  I filled up three big trash cans full of wet soggy leaves.  The chickens are having a great time going through them after I dumped two trash cans full of the leaves in their pen area.  The last trash can I filled with leaves was also full of sticks, twigs and some trash that had blown into the yard so I set that one on the curb for collection.  It sure looks nicer now when I look out the windows.

 

Every day!

It was a really good week for me, very productive.  How are things going in your neck of the woods?  Do you still have cold stormy weather?  Are you able to get outside much at all?

 

Laverne - Getting Back Into It

 

I was itching to get started where I left off but the weather had been cold, windy, snowy, dreary and wet making it kind of miserable to be outside for any length of time.  I needed to be patient, but sometimes that can be so hard.  Nonetheless, I found some ways to get the ball rolling regardless of the weather so I got started and made some amazing progress.

 

She was a little dusty

Phase I - Get Her Clean 

During the past two years Laverne got a little grimy and more than a little dusty.  In mid February I went out and did some decluttering and I found a few items I'd stuck out there that I really didn't need to keep so I added them to the donation pile.  Then over the course of a few days I emptied all of the cupboards and brought everything inside.  I even decluttered a few more things while I washing it all up.  A week later it warmed up enough (40°) that I filled a bucket with hot soapy water and got in there and gave her a good wipe down.  I removed all of the curtains and ran them through the washer and dryer.  I ironed them too.  She also got thoroughly vacuumed and I was able to wash all the windows on the inside.  I found a couple more things to get rid of while I was at it.

 

Phase II - DMV & Insurance 

I made an appointment with the local DMV and headed down there to get new tags and the required recreation sticker and she was legal once again.  I also got the state parks passport sticker for an additional $10 which allows me free entrance into all of the Idaho state parks for a year.  Most of our state parks have camping as well as available showers and dump stations so it is definitely money well spent.  Next, I called my insurance agent to change her storage insurance status to full time driving coverage.

 

A face only a mother can love - And I do!!

Phase III - Get Her Started 

Sadly, it had been a little while since I've had her started and been able to drive her so it was a process to go through before I could actually turn the key.  The engine battery wouldn't hold a charge so I pulled it out and took it in to Wal-Mart for a replacement.  I chose Wal-Mart because they are everywhere so if I have a problem with it while traveling I can pop into one and have it taken care of rather than needing to get back home to have it handled.  Once the battery was installed I had to deal with another issue.  She had nearly half a tank of very stale gasoline.  I bought a siphon kit and drained the tank over a period of a few days as I also needed to dispose of this fuel.  I am only allowed to take in five gallons of fuel at a time to the hazardous waste disposal drop, otherwise I had to drive it out to the dump and pay to dispose of it.  I decided to go with a little patience and save the cost of disposal opting instead to use my money to fill her with fresh fuel.  With a little finagling and some sweet talk she started right up and I did an awesome happy dance in the driveway sure to send my friends and any neighbors who may have seen it fleeing in the opposite direction.  I have no shame.

 

Best group of guys to work on Laverne so far!

Phase IV - New Shoes & A Check Up

My girl needed some tires which has been a planned expense that I intentionally put off until I was retired.  I wanted to make sure I had the freshest rubber on her and in the meantime I had saved and set aside funds to cover this expense.  I also wanted to get all new wheels as her current ones were old and ugly.  She deserved better.  Seven wheels six tires and a new spare tire later we were rockin' and a rollin'.  Baby got a new pair of shoes!

She has been gone over from the front bumper to the back bumper and for the most part I got a really good report.  Her brakes, wheel bearings, shocks and struts are all good.  Belts were replaced, as well as the power steering pump, all the other pumps are good.  Fresh oil and a filter was also on the list and she got that as well.

 

A mountain of crap I needed to put away inside Laverne

Phase V - Outfitting & Loading Her Up 

This is the part I've really been waiting for.  As I've been decluttering my home I also collected items from the house that I could use in Laverne.  I had some duplicates so I was able to replace quite a few things she already had with better quality items and pass along the other stuff.  Since I don't heat the girl when I'm not using her I won't be putting any temperature sensitive items in quite yet until I'm ready to go somewhere, but I've been able to fill the cabinets with clean dishes, pots and pans, silverware, cooking utensils, towels and wash cloths as well as books, some CDs & DVDs, craft and sewing supplies and other items to keep me entertained.

 

I took her to Home Depot & Fred Meyer one day to run some errands
Check out those new tires! 😁

What's Next? 

The restoration of Laverne isn't quite complete, however the items I have left to do are things I can actually finish while on the road so I've decided not to wait any longer.  I'd much rather work on those things in camp than my driveway anyway.  I'm currently working on some off grid power options (I will share more about this later) and we are getting pretty close.  A new heater core is needed so the cockpit heat works again and a few other minor little things are still on the docket, but and then we are all set to go on some adventures.  In all actuality, nothing needs to be done that would prevent me from taking her out right now.  Per the mechanic "She is road worthy".  I can hardly wait.  Want to come along?  I know you do!

 

A Bath & Body Works Moratorium

 

Oh my goodness folks!  I think I have a problem!  Apparently I've become quite the collector of Bath & Body Works products and I really don't think they are considered collectibles, like beanie babies or comic books, but holy cow!  I've amassed quite a collection of foaming hand soaps, shower gels, lotions, body creams and even those little hand sanitizers.  So I've had to put the kibosh on any further items coming into the house until I get this under control.

 

I have it pared down to what will fit in this zippered vinyl bag my old flannel sheets came in

I separated the soaps and lotions into one gallon bags
Still seems like a lot of stuff!

Another vote for gathering and organizing items "like with like" so you really know what you truly have.  Once I had gathered everything from the two bathrooms and the linen closet as well as my motorhome I was shocked at how much stuff I had.  I'm almost embarrassed.  A moratorium, it has to be until I get the majority of these products used up.  Even if it's FREE!  Because honestly, too much is just too much.

 

Sounds like a good idea~😁

I've donated some and put together what I feel is a more reasonable amount to work with which is probably still more than I should be keeping, but I'll use it up over time.  Plus I have gifts on hand, that's for sure.  No need to step inside that store again this year, more than likely.  I'm curious, what is something in your home you have a little too much of and need to put a moratorium on?

 

My Tireless Retirement - Week 52 = One Year Completed!

 

Hello, hello!  It has already been a full year!  Yes it really has!  I retired April 1st of 2022 last year and for the most part I feel it has been a good decision.  As you know, I was willing to swap out two years of super thrifty living to start my early retirement even earlier, by one year and to me it is definitely worth it.  I don't miss my job at all or the daily rat race I'd been a part of for so long.  I also love that when it is raining, snowing and cold I don't have to get up while it is still dark outside to shovel snow or scrape my windshield because I need to be at work.  Nor do I have to head out in traffic on icy roads and hope I make it there safe and sound.  I'm on my own schedule and other than the occasional doctor appointment I pretty much go and do what I want, when I want.  It has been really nice.

 

That being said, it has also taken me a fair bit of adjusting to get used to my new life.  I can see now why it is suggested that you don't make any big life altering decisions that first year.  Although it is something you plan for and look forward to, it does take some getting used to.  My life is completely different now.  The biggest struggle has been learning to wind down and get out of that Go-Go-Go Mode I've been operating on practically my entire life.  Not every waking moment needs to be filled with activity and tasks needing to be done and that feels pretty surreal, to say the least.  Oddly, I also struggle with guilt over not doing something.  Another thing I seriously need to get over feeling.  It's really rather ridiculous when you think about it.

 

Last summer I was given the all clear health wise and told I could get back to life with no restrictions.  I was elated and thought that meant I'd be like I was prior to all this horse$h!t happening to me, but it turns out, not entirely so.  I learned that I'm as good now as I'm ever going to get.  There is a limit to how much I can do and how far I can go now and it isn’t likely to get better.  I no longer have the strength, energy or stamina I once had.  Disappointing?  You better believe it and I admit to having some pretty frustrated and teary moments as I've been figuring it all out.  But, then I looked around at all I've accomplished thus far and decided rather than wallowing in self pity I'd embrace this and figure out new ways to get on with my life.  More adjustments required, but I can do this.  Now I consider it a challenge and you all know how I like a good challenge.  Besides, it is entirely possible I could do better, nothing is truly ever set in stone.

 

I've spent a lot of time alone with myself, done a lot of thinking (maybe a little too much of that at times) and soul searching.  Thankfully I'm a pretty enjoyable person to be around so I didn't mind it too much, ha, ha, ha.  I've reached out to people I haven't spoken to in ages, deepened my relationships with my current friends and I've even made some new friends along the way too.  I've done a lot of the things I've wanted to do on my home and I've easily done more craft projects this past year than I've done in the past ten.  I've cooked meals and side dishes I enjoy without having to think about the preferences of others.  I get to buy groceries for me and no one else (usually).  My house stays clean with far less effort and I have a ton less work to do around here as well.  My life no longer revolves around the public school schedule which I am so happy about and I don't answer to a boss anymore - Yes!  That is the best part!  The only person I answer to is that good looking gal in the mirror.  I like her way better.

 

So what is next for me?  Some pretty exciting things are coming up, at least I happen to think so, so stay tuned.  After all, I didn't name this blog "tireless" for no reason.  And yes, as you have probably already guessed Laverne is going to be a BIG part of it.  HUGE!

 

This Month's Grocery Spending 2023 - March

 

The pantry and freezer challenge continues and I'm making some amazing progress using up items that have been hanging around my home for a while.  I want all the dates on my frozen foods to be within the past year and I'm almost there.  In the past four months I've been able to eat primarily all of my meals using items I already had on hand supplementing with some small purchases of dairy and fresh or frozen produce.  I've also pulled quite a bit out of the freezer and canned it so it I now have more shelf stable options available to me for a longer period of time.  Additionally, I've filled up some bags of extra items I had to donate to a food pantry.

 

I focused mostly on fresh produce

In February I didn't need to shop for anything as what I had purchased in January turned out to be more than enough to last me through until the first of March.  I was ready for some fresh produce, in particular a salad.  I really wanted some salads to eat so I went to the grocery store and picked up fresh veggies as well as cream, milk and sour cream to supplement what I still had at home.  Mid month I went ahead and shopped again for more fresh produce and another half gallon of milk.  And that was all I really needed.  My total spent in March was $34.51.

 

I picked up a couple cans of Sprayway window cleaner at Wal-Mart as well as another bottle of Fabuloso which was a mistake on my part because I already had a spare one in the linen closet.  Oops!  It will get used, but I should've have checked first.  Those were my only two nonfood purchases I made spending less than $8.

 

There weren't many great sales last month, but I did find a few items at a great price like asparagus for 98¢ a pound and a sale on mandarin oranges which made for a very nice change of pace.  For St. Patrick's Day cabbage was on sale for 69¢ a pound so I picked up a nice sized head.  I prepared many, many delicious and healthy meals with lots of meal prepping.  Plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables as snacks and side dishes too.  And of course!  Cream for my coffee.  How did you do last month?  What were your best buys?  Are you still doing a pantry challenge?

 

Laverne

 

Laverne was born in 1987 and I acquired her on her 30th birthday.  Since that day I had been working on her for quite a while sprucing her up, making some repairs and improvements to get her ready for my retirement.  In the past two years she has sat patiently waiting for me to get back to it after working my way back from my heart attacks and hospitalization in April of 2021.  It took much longer than I was expecting and at one point I was seriously considering having to sell her when my recovery stalled.  I was left tired and much weaker than I've ever been in my life and had concerns that I couldn't handle a motorhome anymore.  I feared I didn't have the strength and fortitude to finish what I had started or even to drive her.  Fortunately, my girl knew better than I (me?) as she sat proudly in my driveway waiting my return.

 

In January of this year I did return.  In the frigid cold I unlocked her door and stepped inside just to say hello and she was very happy to see me.  All of my hopes and dreams from the beginning of owning Laverne and why I purchased her in the first place flooded back to me.  She told me, "Don't give up, you can do this.  You don't need to be scared."  In my defective heart I knew she was right.  I had been allowing fears and doubts to creep in and as a result my confidence in myself and my own abilities had plummeted.

 

I was so close to having her done.  Tires.  That was the last big thing I needed to do and then in the spring, summer and fall of 2021 I was planning to take her on some adventures to sort out anything else that I might need or want to do.  And finish her stripes.  I was two thirds of the way through that project with only the driver's side left to complete.  Sadly, that didn't happen, I couldn't do it.  My cardiologist at the time told me it wasn't possible and instead I did a road trip (should've flown) to Rochester, Minnesota and spent two week sat the Mayo Clinic in October of 2021.  It was a grueling trip and I knew on my way back home that I needed to make some major changes in my life.  I began to get myself ready and on April 1, 2022 (April Fool's Day - seemed appropriate) I retired.

 

Initially, I spent the first six weeks of retirement just trying to settle down and get rested.  It proved to be rather difficult as I just could not seem to settle in.  In fact, I still struggle with it.  Then my youngest child graduated high school and within a couple of months she moved out on her own, however she didn't exactly do it in the nicest possible way, while my oldest left to New York for graduate school, also not in the nicest possible way.  Let's just say sometimes our children don't always assert their adultness with kindness.  At the same time I lost my best friend to ovarian cancer.  It was a hell of a couple of weeks, let me tell you.  I was pretty much shattered.

 

In my usual fashion I harbored all of the blame for this new situation with my children.  I always harbor the blame whenever things go wrong.  With any situation I always assume I did something to cause it and then I try to fix it, not understanding why I can't seem to make it better.  I've always been this way.  But, at the same time all of this was happening I was actually a month in with a new therapist (thank you Mayo Clinic for this recommendation) to sort out a lot of what I'd already been through.  Well, let me tell you, in the past eight months I've learned a lot.  About myself and about my children, my family and even my friends and past coworkers.  I've finally learned to accept that other people's actions and decisions are theirs and not my responsibility and I've finally learned to stop taking the blame for everything that goes wrong in life.

 

Life has taken some interesting twists and turns of late.  Some I was expecting, but some have taken me by complete surprise.  I do know, beyond all doubt, I am a good person, a hard worker, kind and generous, a great mom and an awesome friend.  I possess a great deal of integrity and high ethical standards.  I know I have worked really hard and done everything I could throughout my life to create the best possible outcome, whatever the situation might be, and I did a solid job raising my children with love and all they ever needed, plus many, many options to fulfill their greatest desires.  I feel really good about that and I hold my head up high.

 

So what does all of this have to do with Laverne?  Everything.  You see, I was seriously contemplating that I might need to sell her and let someone else enjoy her.  I had been considering it for quite awhile by that time.  Over Christmas my BFF said he didn't think I should sell her, but I had some doubts that I could do it, the traveling that is.  But then something changed inside of me.  Because on a cold day in January I realized something.  The time has come to get back to why I bought her in the first place.  I have always had a dream to load up and do some long term travel in an RV and Lord willing, that is what I intend to do.  I am going to finish what I started and I'm going to get on with my life.  

Laverne and I have things to do, places to go and people to see.  It is time for me to have the life in retirement I had always planned for myself.  It is time that I not be controlled by fear or by other people's actions.  It is time to regain that confidence I used to have, once upon a time, and get on with it.  It is my turn now, it is my life and I'm moving forward.  I'm ready to make it happen.  I'm ready to hit the road!

 

How Much Do I Stockpile?

 

I am, and always have been, a firm believer in being as prepared as reasonably possible.  Having started out my adult life with minimal personal belongings and low wages while I raised my son and put myself through school I knew what it was like to have to go without something or to worry about having enough.  As soon as I was able I began to put away a little bit of this and that and create my first stockpile, which looking back was simply filling the cupboards with a decent amount of groceries and household items for everyday living.  So how much do I stockpile now?

 

My easy rule of thumb, depending on the item, is typically "one for now and two for later".  If it is something I use frequently I may stock more and if it is something I use very little I will stockpile less.

 

If I know I will eat four cans of green beans in one month I will stock four cans in my pantry and put eight in my long term food storage (LTFS).  I eat one can of pineapple a month so I stock one in the pantry and two in my LTFS.  Same with peaches, pears, fruit cocktail and mandarin oranges.  So I essentially have five cans of fruit in the pantry and ten stored away in my LTFS.  I eat more vegetables than I do fruit so I tend to stock a lot more vegetables.

 

I want to keep a one year supply of food on hand at all times in case of an emergency.  That is what I am personally the most comfortable with.  So many different things will constitute an emergency - weather, natural disaster, illness, a pandemic where people are losing their minds at the grocery store, job loss, lack of funds, break down in the food chain, unexpected expense, etc.  Whatever an emergency means to you and whatever makes you the most comfortable is what you should strive for.

 

For me it is and has been "one for now and two for later" per person residing in my home for quite awhile and it is a formula that has worked very well.  If I find I need more than that on some things and less of others I simply make those adjustments.  I'd love to hear what your thoughts are and what makes you feel comfortable.