Friday 31 May 2019

Another Unwanted and Unasked For Lecture

It never fails to amuse (and annoy) me how people seem to think that the reason why I haven’t bought any house/apartment/etc is because I fail to grasp the financial system.

I had another lecture from Boss yesterday about the: wonders, glories, and fantastic fiscal rewards of home ownership. 

I stayed quiet and let Boss talk, after all Boss is my Boss. This was also to keep my tongue in check, as it would not be wise to convey my . . . frustration . . . on this point.

I also have decided not to respond to these talks, because to do so would turn a lecture that I have heard many times over, into a discussion. 

And I will not have a discussion on my plans for home ownership, nor discuss why I don’t want to and flatly refuse to get a mortgage unless the property is an incredible steal of a deal.

I will not speak back on this issue with Boss, because I don’t want t give Boss any indication that I may change my mind if Boss continues to speak. 

Nor do I wish to hear any attempts to sway me, on the few times that I have said anything. 

I know about how home buying works, I know about house prices, and all that, I simply reject it all . . . for me, at least for now.

I do want a home and I do want land, I just refuse to go into debt to do it.

That and, after all, I am content yet not complacent.

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Thursday 30 May 2019

Okay Life, Boring Blog

As a writer, I know that good storytelling is about drama, tension, and is filled with all sorts of action, adventure and mishaps . . . drama . . . lots of drama.

Lately (thankfully) things in my life have been bumbling along okay. I’m doing fine. 

As always, things could be better, but things could be (and have been) worse . . . much worse. 

So, I am thankful for this hard earned bit of boringness. 

I am enjoying my life, I work, I go home, I listen to some music (satellite radio) and I do a bit of writing, or play a game.

Again, not all that fantastic or exciting, but it is nice . . . for now.

My life is in a holding pattern, due to the fact that I am building up my savings in order to start The Homesteading Process, where the: Action, Adventure, Excitement, and yes . . . Drama will pickup in my life and blog.

So, I’ll enjoy the bit of boringness for the time being thank you very much. 

(Unless you all want to start a crowdfunding campaign for me?  . . . no? . . . okay)

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Wednesday 29 May 2019

Help Premier Kenny, Help The Little Guy!

So, the newly elected government of the province that I live in (Alberta) is introducing legislation to make the business tax rate in our province the lowest in the country.

This, after lowering the minimum wage for young people and people working in the restaurant industry. 

(Cause . . . you know . . . both of those  groups are swimming in cash and don’t need it.) 

There is logic and a legitimate need to helping business; I get it and I understand it. 

Let me put this little point out there, however . . . where would be without the average person? 

Imagine a place where nobody can afford to buy anything they don’t absolutely need?

Imagine if “Disposable Income” was a thing of the past? What good would lowering the corporate income tax rate do for businesses without any customers?

Here’s a radical thought . . . LOWER THE TAXES ON THE AVERAGE PERSON!

But, then again, I must be a communist to be thinking of such things.

I’ll just go make room for all of those people who will be parking their RV’s near me as the numbers of the Urban Nomads continues to swell . . . but what do I know.

As always: Keep  your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Tuesday 28 May 2019

Warm Weather Wonders

Those days are back (at least for now) I mean those wonderful days where I am in my trailer with the: windows, door and vents open as I relax, enjoying the light breeze.

I know that the weather is unpredictable and that is has snowed in every month of the year in the province that I live in. 

So, the cold weather might return again, and it may do so soon (you never know).

What I do know is that, at least for now, the nice warm weather has returned and so I will enjoy it.

It really does play into the best way to get across my current mindset: I am content, yet not complacent. 

So, I will enjoy the warm weather as it lasts, and deal with the cold when it returns.

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Monday 27 May 2019

A Nice Weekend At The Lake

So, it was another weekend spent at my “Lakeside Home.” I enjoyed the peace and quiet as well as the antics and chirps of my fine feathered friends and neighbours.

Such as the growing family of Canada Geese that I have been keeping an eye on.
  

It is not a fancy life or a rushed life, but it is an okay life. 

I have what I need and I don’t intend on doing this lifestyle (Urban Nomad) forever. I am building my savings for my future as I move forward towards having a home and land.

Yet, I will try to take time to enjoy the process of getting to my goals.

Such as a nice relaxing weekend by a pond.

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Friday 24 May 2019

Keep Your Head

If there is one piece of advice that I would like to give to anyone going through hard times, it is this: Keep your head about you. 

There have been many variations on this theme, the most well known is the “Keep calm and carry on” motto from the British government during the second world war.

Yet it is good advice to take a moment and calm down in order to think things through rationally when your life is in total chaos.

If you allow yourself to panic, then you will make a rash decision, these are usually the ones that we regret the most, as they can make a bad situation worse.

I need to be reminded of this myself now and again, so I thought that I would pass this nugget of wisdom along to all of you.

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Thursday 23 May 2019

Grand Savings Update

Okay, so it is that time again, when I update how my progress is going on my “Grand Savings Plan!” 

Okay, so let’s see how I did . . . 
   

For review, here is how things looked from last payday . . .
   

That is 23.4% (of my Savings Target).

And this is how things look like, after the dust settled on this payday’s budget . . . 
   

That’s right things jumped up to 24.3% of my savings target. 

That means I put away 0.9% of my total Savings Target this payday.

I was close to putting 1% of my target away, but ah well, another of those last minute expenses cropped up. 

The key is to keep putting something into savings each payday while at the same time keeping on top of my bills.

I have targets but it is not the end of the world if I miss them . . . as long as I keep striving for them.

Just like with this missing of my target this payday, my “Estimated Completion Date” was pushed forward to July 22, 2022.

Yet this date is all but irrelevant, as I am not going to start my Homesteading Process in the middle of summer (not enough time before winter to do anything).

This is why I have pretty much decided to keep going until the April 7, 2023 before I will head off and start my Homesteading Process. 

Lottery win, or spontaneous crowdfunding notwithstanding.

So, while this budget didn’t turn out as I had hoped, it turned out okay. I got my bills paid, and I put cash into my savings. So that is a win.

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Wednesday 22 May 2019

Renewed Push On Savings

So, the last few budgets have been frustrating for me, as they have seen me put less than I would like into savings. This has been due to a few bills that have cropped up. 

Some of these have been self- inflicted and some have just arrived. Again, some of these were scheduled and some were unexpected. 

What this means is that more of my paycheque has being going to these expenses. Part of this has been, what I call, funding my wallets (again).

For those of you who don’t know, I fund my operational expenses, in between paydays by spending out of physical wallets. 

This way I can clearly see what I am spending, get the pain of the spend (as in when I hand over cash to pay) and my bank accounts remain untouched. 

This is a key part of my strategy to remain on budget.

What is supposed to happen is that I put the cash I spend out of the wallets back into the wallets. 

For the past . . . say . . . six months this has not been happening as stringently as it should have been.

So for the previous paycheque and this one, I have been pulling extra cash out to put into the wallets. This paycheque will see that project completed. 

So, after this (unless I spend recklessly again) I will see myself putting as much cash as I can into savings again, and hopefully make up ground on that front.

Again all we can do is the best we can do with what we have at the time. With focus and consistent effort, we can and will improve our lives, fiscally and otherwise.

I know this from experience. 

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive and keep moving forward!

Tuesday 21 May 2019

I’ve Got Water, And That’s Okay

So, Friday afternoon I de-winterized Wanda and so now I have fresh water running through her pipes. 

So this means that when I turn a tap fresh water comes out . . . as long as the water pump I turned on.

All I use the fresh water in Wanda’s fresh water tank for is to wash my hands, flush the toilet and have the occasional shower . . . 

. . . as in a real shower with hot running water and everything. 

But I digress. As it stands now, this is a nicety, but even if I didn’t de-winterize this year, would be okay. 

Why? 

Because I spend most of the year without running water. 

I have just gotten used to packing my fresh water in (which I still do) and getting water out of my 5 gallon jug. I still do and yes I still pack the water in the 2 litre bottles.

It works, and it is a means to an end, as in saving money and building my savings, for my future.

But, I have running water and that is another nicety, I will enjoy it, but again, I can take it or leave it.

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive and keep moving forward!

Friday 17 May 2019

The Return of Running Water

So, this weekend, or rather just tonight, I will be de-winterizing Wanda. I will be going to a campground (with the help of a friend) just for tonight.

I will finally be getting my fresh water system up and running. Now, in order to do that, I need access to a full hook up campsite. 

In times gone by I have gone to the campground for the weekend, but this is not necessary now. 

Since I have electricity, via the solar charging system, the treat of having electricity is gone.

Once I have my fresh water system up and running and water in my fresh water tank, I’m good for a while. 

So, I will just go there tonight and this afternoon I will do the actual de-winterizing process, and tomorrow I will return to my Lakeside Home, for the remainder of the long weekend. 

While it may get cold, I am fairly certain it will not get colder than -10C for the next few months, so freezing pipes are a minimal risk. 

If worst comes to worst, then I will just move to a campground for the duration of the cold snap. 

I will choose to focus on the positive and the fact that I will have the luxury of running water . . . in my house. 

As always: Keep your head up,  your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Thursday 16 May 2019

Victoria Day Staycation

I will be taking it easy around my Lakeside Home this Victoria Day Long Weekend. 

I will enjoy the view, the peace, quiet and the sound of the birds playing and frollicing.

All in all, I will not go any further than I have been in the past few weeks. I have recently understood that I don’t need to go to a campground.

With the advent of my solar panel charging system (and my satellite radio) I can truly enjoy any space, as no matter where I am, I am home and I have electricity.

So, I can enjoy my Lakeside Home and still have a nice and relaxing weekend. 

All while saving money and helping the planet. 

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Wednesday 15 May 2019

It is Wanda’s Fifth Birthday!

That’s right, it was five years ago today that I bought Wanda. While the exact date is a bit fuzzy, but this is the day that is officially recognized as Wanda’s Birthday.

I think it has something to do with this being the date that the first payment on Wanda came out of my account. 

At any rate, this is the day that we, that I, celebrate the fact that I bought Wanda and all that she has helped me accomplish. 

There is still some debate as to if I would be better off and further ahead remaining living in that room that I was renting, but that is an academic debate.

As it is now, I can go where I like and I am mobile. If I need to move somewhere, it is as easy as going for a drive.

I am further ahead in that I have skills that I would not have otherwise (not living in Wanda) and I now can live very cheaply. 

As in all I need to pay for is propane and paying to dump my tanks, but those are only every few months. Food goes without saying but my electricity is free.

I am also further ahead in my homesteading plans, as all I need to do is buy the land, park Wanda in a nice spot and put her up on blocks, and I have my first house.

Again, not fancy, but effective . . . a reoccurring theme in my life.

I still get people trying to convince me to buy something, as in buy a house or condo. 

They keep having the same conversations with me, as if I am intellectually diminished and just don’t understand such a basic concept of the wonders of owning a home.

I do understand that concept and I do want to own, but I simply refuse to get into debt again. I hate it, debt is a necessary evil, and it is not necessary.

Surely not to buy a home, not when all I have to do is stick it out for four more years and I can buy a place for cash . . . cash . . . and no debt.

But I digress, and this day is about celebrating Wanda’s Birthday!

Happy birthday, Wanda!
   

(That is the oldest picture I could find of Wanda)

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Tuesday 14 May 2019

Don’t Make War on the Economic Refugee

Okay, so today there was another story of another town or city that has a “problem” with people living in RV’s.

People are funny, they look at people living in RV’s and get angry and have a number of assumptions, here are a few of them: 

They’re a bum
They’re drug addicts
They’re lazy (as in get a job, you bum!)

Also there is a twinge of jealousy mixed in there, I mean the feeling that is along the lines of “Why should they get away without paying rent when I have: 

Rent/Mortgage
Property Taxes
Condo Fees
Power/Utility Bills 
And other “Costs of ownership”

I guess some of those feelings are valid as people, like myself, are living cheaper by not living in a “sticks and bricks” house. As in, living in some sort of fixed address house/apartment/etc.

Yet, you have to ask yourself why are people doing this? Why would someone with options chose to live in an RV?

The answer is varied, as in each person has a different reason for why they are living in their RV, but I will boil it down to a few main categories:

Financial: They just can’t afford a place to live. 
Freedom: They like the freedom to go where they choose, to travel yet always be at home. 
To Get Ahead: With the lower cost of living by living in an RV, the cash that you were spending on having a fixed address, you can now use to get yourself ahead financially (debt free or build savings).

To me, all of those are beside the point but the fact that the numbers of people living in RV’s is growing, points to a larger problem in our society. 

Simply put, the cost of living is creeping to the point of unaffordability. We are already past the point of the cost of living being stupidly high.

Why is this? Well, in my opinion the fault lies at the feet of Government and Business . . . but mainly with Government.

Why? Well, Government likes to pile on the taxes and tries to find new ways to generate new ones or just raise the old ones (all while telling us that it’s fair and to suck it up).

This happens at all three levels of government: Federal, Provincial/State, and County/Town/City.

All three levels of government likes to spend, spend, spend and tax, tax, tax (yes even the conservative ones).

Business is squeezed by their increasing costs of operation as well as the ever increasing taxes that they pay (criminally more than the average person, so it’s no wonder, but not excusable, why some turn to tax evasion schemes.) 

Yet wages have remained stagnant during all this time. In fact Business views wages as a charitable contribution (to the poor) that they can’t write off.

They view wages as something that they set and will increase when they feel generous.

The thought of tying wages to inflation is met with a scream and hue and cry the likes of which is only heard when someone is having a limb amputated without anaesthesia.

So the split between wages and the cost of living grows, with the cost of living rising at a rate that steadily outpaces wages. 

The difference is made up in the lowering of the standard of living of the average person. 

This erosion of your purchasing power continues until you, yes you dear reader, are forced out of the “normal” way of living due to economic forces.

Either that or you just see no other way to get debt free or otherwise get ahead.

Either way, living in an RV, even for a short period of time, can look good.

When you do, when you move into an RV or otherwise out of a fixed address, you then become an Economic Refugee.

I say this to Business and Government, (mainly to Government) “Stop crushing the little guy with taxes and cost increases. That and stop making war with the people you have shoved out of the normal economic model by your actions.”

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Monday 13 May 2019

Satellite Radio Installation Complete!

Okay, so this weekend the guy who installed my solar panel charging system came out and completed the installation of my satellite radio!

Sure, all he had to do was install the antenna on the roof and run the wire down to the satellite radio itself. 

The trick is that he knows how to put holes in my roof (properly) so as to ensure that the cable and only the cable goes down through that hole. 

Again, putting holes in things is the easy part, sealing them up is the tricky bit. That ability is worth something to me, so that is why I paid him to do it.

This is how it is done properly.
  

As you see the cable is secured and the hole is sealed with sealant. That is to ensure that the cable does not flop around as well as to ensure that the hole remains sealed.

Also the antenna itself (that black box) is held down by some epoxy, so as to ensure that it won’t flop around. 

As a result, I have the satellite radio installed and all cables are hidden in the walls. I still have to find a way to seal up those holes in the wall, but I can do that in a bit.

It is just nice to be able to relax with the choice of music that satellite radio offers. All while not using up the data on my cell plan or having to find decent Wi-Fi.

I can now listen to radio and get power no matter how far out or remote I am. As long as I can get sun, I can get both my batteries charged and listen to the radio.

This is one of those niceties that I am treating myself with . . . sparingly.

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Friday 10 May 2019

8400

Yep, that’s the number, I ran the calculations yesterday . . . 

Okay, so with all this doom and gloom talk, or fears rather, around the office, I decided to see how cheaply that I could live for a calendar year.

As you no doubt guessed by now, that number, as in what I could live for an entire year on, is $8400.00. Now, that number is not exact, but it is close enough. 

For one thing there is a bit of wiggle room in my budgets, as in I over estimate slightly some expenses, so I can claw them back if need be.

I also don’t include some expenses as they are not every month, like Propane, coins for laundry or dumping fees. 

Even still, that number is the number needed for me to live my life as it is now, as in without cutting back.

So, all in all, I will be okay, I don’t hope to have to enact that budget until I am ready to head out on the road, to begin my Grand Adventure (as in to search for the land and build my town).

For now, I will just keep doing what I am doing and hope that my world keeps rolling along for the next four years at least. 

Even if it doesn’t, if a bump in the road comes along, I will deal with it and . . . 

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Thursday 9 May 2019

More Tariff Troubles

So, it looks like that the current administration of the American Government is going to put into effect the 25% tariffs as of midnight tonight.

So, that means that there is great worry and fret on the part of Boss. This is understandable due to the fact that historically most of our sales came from the US.

All I could think of during this was to remind myself that there really isn’t anything that I can do to help this situation. 

All I can do is do my job as best as I can and offer suggestions now and again. I have no impact or influence over what any government will or won’t do.

If I were buried in debt (as I was 6 years ago) I would be freaking out. 

Then again, one of the previous frets by Boss was what sparked me to go on this journey towards Total Debt Freedom.

After which, I decided to continue on that journey towards Total Economic Freedom and establish a town to help provide that for others who come there (but I digress).

We don’t know what will happen, but one look at our sales over the current fiscal year revealed that about 70% of our sales now come from Canada. 

This is the exact opposite from where things were 6 – 10 years ago. Things change and your customer base can shift.

I will continue to do what I have been doing and will continue to work my plan. I will live frugally and simply, with a few niceties as I build my savings in a balanced manner.

In about 4 years (April 7, 2023) I will head out on that journey to start and found that town. 

If I have to find another job, I’ll do that. If I hit a roadblock, I’ll find a detour. 

I will simply deal with what actually comes to pass and try to prepare for any and all possible eventualities (without becoming paranoid).

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Wednesday 8 May 2019

And The Weather Turns . . . Again

So, here we are on the cusp of really nice weather, and I, as always, welcome it. Then again, I welcome and celebrate just about any temperatures above freezing. 

This is because my lifestyle is one that is centred around “What can I get away with?” along with “Can I keep water in its liquid state, in my house?” 

So, when the weather gets warm for the spring-summer and fall, I rejoice and look for the reasons to be happy (and BBQ).

So, with temps in the 20’s (Celsius) I will be enjoying the sunshine and the warmth. 

It may seem silly, but I am looking for things to be happy about and take joy in . . . even (and especially) the simple and little things . . . like nice weather.

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Tuesday 7 May 2019

Grand Savings Update

Okay, so it is that time again, when I update how my progress is going on my “Grand Savings Plan!” 

Okay, so let’s see how I did . . . 
   

For review, here is how things looked from last payday . . .
   

That is 22.6% (of my Savings Target).

And this is how things look like, after the dust settled on this payday’s budget . . . 
  
 

That’s right things jumped up to 23.4% of my savings target. 

That means I put away 0.8% of my total Savings Target this payday.

Okay, so that is a bit behind target (my target being 1%) but again, with the added expenses taking a bite, that is to be expected.

Again, I installed satellite radio in Wanda and so that had to be paid for and all that. This is part of that balance between having a few niceties and building savings.

I will find ways to move forward and walk that balance between the two as I continue to move forward as best as I can. 

There are a lot of uncertainties in the world recently, uncertainties that are affecting and, at the very least casting a long shadow over my work, but at least if I stick to my fiscal directives, I can and will get through this okay. . . . I hope.

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Monday 6 May 2019

Satellite Radio Installed!


Okay, so I did get my Satellite Radio Installed (mostly) and that was a nice thing to accomplish.
   


So here is in essence what I did, I mounted the satellite radio to the wall above the TV yet below the cabinet. It is in an area that I can see it, yet I can also access it.

I ran the wires down through the wall to the back of the stereo that came with Wanda and plugged it into the back of it there.

To run the wires I first drilled the holes up near the satellite radio itself is mounted. I then tied a screw around a bit of string and shoved it in the hole.

This way the screw would fit through the hole, yet is heavy enough to drop down the wall. I reached into the cabinet that is behind Wanda’s Stereo and grabbed the string.

After removing the screw, I could tie that string to the cable to be dragged, up, making sure to tie it in such a way that would make the ‘pointy end’ of said cable point towards the string, and therefore hole.

I did this for the power cable and the audio cable.

The rest was wiring up the necessary bits and hiding it behind Wanda’s Stereo.
   


I installed a small strip of LED Flex Strip (some extras from work) onto the side of the cabinet and placed it next to the switch that I put there to turn on and off the satellite radio.

Here is the quick and simple wiring diagram of how I did it.
  


I bought and installed a 12V to 12V DC to DC converter in there, so as to ensure that no matter what the voltage level that Wanda’s batteries are at, that the satellite radio will always get a steady and stable 12V DC

The antenna still needs to be run up the wall and mounted on the roof. That will be done by the RV tech that installed the solar panels on Wanda’s roof for me.

So for now I have the antenna strung across the place and sitting next to the window, but all in all, I am pleased with how it all went in and works.

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Friday 3 May 2019

Ah, The Weekend, But When Will It Start?

It is Friday and so this means that the weekend is almost here. For me it will start this afternoon, yet exactly when, I don’t know.

You see, in times gone by, as in when I was hired, I was told that we finished work at 1:30. 

Fine, yet at that time it was just me and Boss here. Boss went out for coffee and to run errands on Fridays. 

Again, fine, no problem, yet Boss would usually come back after 1:30. 

What’s more is that Boss had instructed me to stay and not just close up if Boss was not there by my scheduled end of shift came (1:30).

So, I started to simply plunk in my end of shift time for 2:00. I figured that since I was not allowed to leave when my end of shift came, I would bill Boss for the extra time.

This continued until recently, (as in, within the last year) Boss has started to try to get us out ever earlier. 

At first it was the hard 1:30 leaving time (making sure that we marked it in our time sheets). Again, this is fine and something that Boss, as my employer, has a right to do.

Yet, in ever more recent months, Boss has “let us go” at 1:00, whenever it is slow enough. 

Sure Boss says the phrase “You can pack up and leave now” but I have learned that the response “No, I’m good; I can stay till the end of my shift,” is neither appreciated, nor respected.

So that is a dismissal, as in, you ARE leaving in a few minutes.

Which means, a cut in pay without telling us or talking to us about it. It is a little game that we play as in “Will we get a pay cut today or not?” 

Ah well, I just look at the brighter side of things and look at the good things that are in my life, as in, how good things are going for me.

Yet, there are always little annoyances, like random (yet premeditated) pay cuts.

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Thursday 2 May 2019

Satellite Radio Installation Attempt

Okay, so as I have told you I have bought a Satellite Radio that I plan to install in Wanda. 

I have been using it by stringing it across the floor with wires everywhere and the radio precariously perched on a counter or some other item.

I have been thinking on how I could do at least part of the installation myself, as in installing the Satellite Radio itself.

Running the antenna up to the roof I will leave to the professional, but if I can install the Satellite Radio itself then at least I know that it will be where I want it to be.

We shall see how things go this weekend, but that is my project for the weekend.

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Wednesday 1 May 2019

New Month, New Weather?

So, here we are at the beginning of May and it finally seems that the weather has turned to spring(ish).

At least that is what the weather forecast is calling for . . . as of this afternoon at least.

We shall see what happens and what actually comes. 

The one thing I do know is that I was forced to get my ladder out, climb up and brush the snow off of my panels. There was just enough snow to cover them up so as to prevent them from working. 

Ah well, such is life and this is not the last time that I will do this, but it is hopefully the last time that I have do to this, this winter season. 

Or so I can hope.

I am focussing on how things are turning for the better and how things are steadily getting better both weather wise and generally in my life. 

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!