The Nice Life Impulse Returns

With the warm weather comes the realization that this life is not all that bad. The warmer weather brings back the thoughts of “I can do this for another few years.”

The really cold weather (January, February, and March) all bring with it the questioning of my life’s choices and the “why am I doing this?” thoughts.

So to come the “maybe I should rent a room for those months?” thoughts. Or even perhaps renting a place to plug my trailer in (so I could run my electric heater).

If I did find a place to plug in that would be difficult as I could not (and would not) leave the trailer and go to work with my electric heater plugged in all day.

If I were to do that, it would be me coming home to a frozen trailer and spending the evening and night trying to heat the trailer up.

But I digress . . . 

At this point of the year when the weather is warm, I get filled with thoughts of “this lifestyle is not so bad.” 

I also think over all of the wonderful goal and dreams that I can and will accomplish as long as I stick it out, stay frugal, and continue to work my plan.

I am well aware that time is against me, and that if I don’t start The Homesteading Phase by the time I turn 55, I should probably rethink the whole plan.

Again, we shall see what happens when I get closer to that date. All I need to know now is that my future will require cash, so I had best gather it up while I can.

I do not want to live in my RV for the rest of my life, it is not something I want to do long-term, but it is a means to an end: namely that land and that Homestead.

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

May Almost Here

It is funny how quickly time flies, as it seems like yesterday when I was standing on the cusp of April, now I stare at its demise.

April came in cold and is going out warm, it has been a month of change and change for the good.

Though change, I will say is simply change, it is how you see it, how you perceive it, and what you do with the new opportunities that change brings about.

Things are warmer, and so I am lounging around in my shorts and a T-shirt, much nicer than hibernating in my sleeping bag just staying warm.

I am enjoying the light later in the evenings and starting to embrace the breeze blowing though the trailer, though it is a bit early in the year for that.

Change is always happening, we must embrace it and make the best of it. We must make any change into a change for the good.

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

In Times Of Uncertainty, Stay The Course

There are many reasons to be afraid or at least unsure of the future these days. Every day there are numerous reports and articles spouting doom and gloom . . . or at least doubt.

The only thing you can do is to keep going, keep moving forward. Make contingency plans in case things do go bad, but do not live in fear.

Now is a great time to build up savings, if you can, and of course PAY OFF DEBT! if you can do that (subtle hint there).

Now is not the time to panic, and even in the midst of troubles that have set themselves upon you, it is not the time to panic (far from it).

Always: 

1. Make a plan.

2. Work that plan.

3. Measure and check your progress on that plan.

4. Ensure that the plan is working.

5. Go back to Step 2 unless the plan is not working, 

6. If the plan is not working, make a new plan.

7. Go to Step 2.

The key thing to remember is to be mindful of the situation around you, prepare for things to go bad, but do not live in that fear. 

Always move forward and strive to better yourself, your life and your situation; regardless of what the state of the world is.

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

Weekend Accomplishment: Peed In My Toilet

Yep, it has come to that were I celebrate being able to (and doing) peeing in my own toilet. 

For those of you who have forgotten I have had a peeberg in my Black Water Tank since early in January. 

It has taken till now to melt enough so that I could drain the tank enough so that I was comfortable using my toilet again. 

I decided to take a chance that the warm weather this week had melted the peeberg enough to make dumping a good idea. 

I was happy to see that rush of “water” rushing out after opening up the valve for the Black Water Tank. 

Yet, as I look at this I know that sure I can use my toilet and for that matter my sinks. I still can’t use my fresh water tank and won’t until I de-winterize.

I can’t de-winterize until I stay at a campground, and with most of them closed it is unlikely I will do so anytime soon.

Also with me on yet another goal-driven savings drive, I don’t feel like spending the cash to stay at a campground for the weekend to de-winterize and sort out my belongings. 

I am beginning to have the same debate that I have every year at this time . . . is it worth it to de-winterize?

I only use my fresh water tanks for washing my hands and flushing my toilet. I can use the tap in the sink but again, I barely use them when they are functioning.

This is because most of the year my lines are winterized, so I can’t use them. This year is special in that nobody is moving about and spending cash unnecessarily is foolish.

I will continue doing what I am doing, and try to save as much as I can, as seems to be the wisest course of action while I am still allowed to keep working and earning.

But, it was a good weekend, especially since I am able to pee in my toilet, and not a bottle. 

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

How I Measure My Investments

So, I was asked how it is that I measure how my Investments are doing. So, I thought that I would let you know how I do it today. (As well as remember to blog on a Friday, my day off.)

So, my Payday Budgetary Cycles run from the morning of Payday to the morning of the next payday. (Once again, I am not a financial planner nor a financial expert, just an average guy.)

This dates back to when I had regular payments coming out of my bank account and I had to ensure there was cash in the bank to cover them even if they came out the night before payday.

Well, I have fought to get debt free and further to reduce monthly bills. I am now to the point where my cell phone bill is the only monthly bill I have, that one I manually pay.

So, what does this all mean? Well, at the closing of each Payday Budgetary Cycle I make sure that the Closing Balance of each of my Bank Accounts on my Budget Spreadsheet match exactly the Current Balance of each Bank Account (in real life).

So, the closing of each Payday Budgetary Cycle is a snapshot, an image in time. This is how I make sure that my budgets are accurate. Accuracy is important and sticking to a budget is vital if you want to do any long-term financial planning.

With my actual bank accounts, as in my Main Account and Mid-Term Account, that is easy as there is just money in there, so whatever the balance is that is what it is.

With my Long-Term Account, that is a little harder to calculate. This is because the term Long-Term Account is a catch all for the collection of various Long-Term Investments that I have.

So, since some of them are stocks and others are other types of investments, all of which are traded on a stock market of some sort, their value will vary greatly.

So, what I do is I just look at the closing balance on the business day right before my payday.

Whatever the value of my investments were worth at that point in time, that is the closing balance of my “Long-Term Account.”

Yet, since my investments are stocks and other investments, there are volatile by their very nature.

That is why sometimes I see the balance of my “Long-Term Account shoot up yet other times it will deflate and be worth less than the previous payday.

That is because that is the very nature of Stocks and Investments, but it is okay. Like your house (if you own one) at various times your house will be worth more or less.

If you don’t sell your house, however, that gain or loss is not real, it is not a “Realized Gain” or a “Realized Loss.”

You still have the asset (your house) and you don’t get extra cash simply because its value goes up. Nor do you have to pay anyone simply because the value of your house goes down.

Since I am planning on buying stocks and other investments and holding onto them until I plan to start my Homesteading Process (4 or 5 years from now) I am not all that worried with the fluctuations in the markets now.

The only time you lose money (actual money) in the markets is if you are buying and selling on a regular basis, and make those gains and losses Realized Gains or Losses. (Like a “Day Trader.”)

So, the value of my Savings (Mid-Term and Long-Term) will vary greatly but that is life and what happens when some of your savings are stocks and other assets that vary in value.

We shall see if my plan is one that will work, but as long as I can, I do plan on continuing to make my investments in the markets and other investment vehicles.

While they are worth less, hoping that over time their value will increase considerably.

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

Staying The Course On Savings

In these turbulent times it is easy to panic, as there is so much to panic about. 

Yet, when I look at the options before me if I do panic, they are all just variations on “hiding under a mattress with your cash and hope.”

I don’t have a crystal ball, and so I cannot foretell the future, all I can do is just do the best that I can and continue to move forward.

I know that there will be some sort of economic slowdown and/or economic aftermath after this virus has run its course and gone away.

It will, it is just a matter of time. 

Yet, exactly how long or how bad of an economic slowdown (recession, depression) or how long such an economic slowdown will last remains to be seen.

I still have to have faith that things will somehow, at sometime return to normal. For if we lose faith in that, then there is no point in doing any of this as the road warrior future is almost upon us.

I for one chose to believe in hope, hope that things will get better, hope things that things will carry on and that the fiscal apocalypse is not upon us.

All I can do is continue on with my savings plan and hope for the best.

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

The Homestead Fund Update

Okay, so it is that time again, when I update how my progress is going on my “Grand Savings Plan!” (to build my "Homestead Fund") 

Okay, so let’s see how I did . . . 

   

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

   

That is 34.7% (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 35.4% of my savings target. 

That means I put away 0.7% of my total Savings Target this payday. Now, on the surface that is dismal, but let me explain.

You see, it actually was a good payday for my savings, as not only did I put away my average (on the higher end of average actually) amount into savings, but I had a bonus.

I got my tax refund and this year, for the first time in ten years, I wasn’t hit with a penalty for not “paying back” “My” RRSP the amount that I “borrowed” from it back in film school in 2010.

I actually got a shade over $1K of a Tax Refund and put that into my savings. So, all in all it was good, and I should have moved that percentage much more than I did. 

So, what went wrong?

Well, since my savings, my Long Term Savings is actually two different investment types they go up and down in value at different rates, reacting to different factors.

So, one of my investment vehicles went up in value by over $500.00, not bad. The trouble is that the other investment vehicle lost the equivalent of everything I put into savings (not including the tax refund). 

Such is the nature of investing and using investment vehicles (various types of things that hold and increase in value) as savings.

The big news is that as a result of getting my Mid-Term Savings Account is fully funded and I was even able to squeeze $100.00 into my TFSA (one of my Investment Vehicles).

We shall see what happens going forward, but I will turn my focus back to my Long-Term Savings and build it up, now that my Mid-Term Account is fully funded once more! 

That is a load off of my shoulders, as I hate having either my Main or Mid-Term Account below zero (less than what I expect to be in there).

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

I Didn’t Turn My Furnace On All Yesterday

Yesterday, was another red-letter day, as it was a day where I did not turn my furnace on . . . at all.

It was warm enough in my trailer in the morning, both yesterday and today, as well as in the evening today, to not have to turn my furnace on at all.

In fact, when I got home yesterday, I opened my door, all my windows and both vents and let the breeze flow through as I enjoyed the afternoon and evening.

It was nice.

Both for the warmth and comfort, but also for the savings in propane, as now I am only using propane for cooking and running the fridge.

Again, this is just me trying to take a bit of pleasure in the simple things, such as the warm weather and how that impacts my lifestyle.

My life is heavily influenced by the weather and so when it is warm, I am doing just fine. When it is cold, I am miserable, but I am working on that end of things.

For now, I will enjoy the warmth and sunshine as long as it lasts.

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

The First Weekend of Non-Coldnicity!

Yep, it was the first weekend of the year where it was not cold . . . as in there was no snow on the ground and it was warm! 

I had the door open and all of the windows and vents open yesterday as I enjoyed the sun and the breeze through the trailer.

Sure the other days of the weekend (my weekend) Friday and Saturday were not all that warm, but still not cold and that’s good enough for me.

It was great and a nice break to have the house up to 20C during the middle of the day and not have to worry about overworking the furnace or blowing through propane.

I even put my ladder away in a ceremonial procession (of just me). You, know, move the ladder from just inside the door of my trailer to its proper spot in the back of the truck.

No there is no video as I don’t have my gal to video me. 

I’m sure I looked foolish walking in a solemn, steady pace as I squared my corners with my ladder on my upturned hands as I walked from my trailer door to the back of my truck.

I don’t care as it was an important moment for me as it marks the end of the constant cold season. I know that I may have to break out the ladder again this year, but it is still accessible.

I am just celebrating the return of warmth, and I will enjoy it as best as I can.

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

And It Will Never, Ever Get Cold, Ever Again!

So, today is the day when the weather warms up and stays warm . . . yep . . . uh huh . . . for sure . . . (I hope).

It is a process that I go through each year, this time of year, when the weather turns not cold, and the bitter days of winter are behind me I get happy.

Then comes the nice days of warmth and not being cold, enjoy, relax . . . enjoy.

After which comes the colder days and still comes the return of snow and real cold. At which times comes first the hissy fit, then the stages of grief . . . of the loss of warmth.

The coldest months to endure are: January, February, and March. April should be warm, but a few days of cold at the beginning is okay. Grumbling but okay.

This is the prairies so, anything can happen as it has snowed in every month of the year in the past. 

I am still just taking it day by day and being thankful for the warmth and being able to draw a paycheque. 

I will also revel in my delusion of things getting warm and staying warm . . . forever and ever.

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

One Year Of Solar Power

It was a year ago today that I had a solar charging system installed in Wanda. So, I have been running on solar power and only solar power for one full year.

That is one year of steady power, no brown outs, no blackouts, just steady power. My batteries have not dipped below 60% in all that time.

That also means that for the past year, I have not been running my generator. I gave that away after having the solar power installed.

I thought about buying a small generator, for backup, but I have not done so, and have not needed it.

That means that my fuel bill has dropped considerably, as I was fuelling up my generator’s fuel supply when I fuelled up the truck.

Even in the depths of winter and in cloudy days I have had power.

Sure, I may have had to watch how much power I use, and use less power in winter or on cloudy days, but watching how much power I use, is something I do anyways.

I just like the fact of not having to worry about electricity.

My advice to anyone thinking of going solar is this:

1. Consult or hire a professional (their expertise is worth it).
2. Go with the largest system you can afford and or have the space for (More is always better with regards to solar).

All in all, I don’t regret going solar one bit. I should have done it sooner.

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

Turnaround Day is Nigh

So, I won’t say that today is turnaround day, or that perhaps yesterday was. I will say that it was nice to have the trailer not be cold when I got home.

As in my trailer was not at or below zero when I got home from work. That was nice. It was also nice to sit and not feel cold, even though the heater was on.

I will say that I am looking forward to the ever warmer weather that is coming and enjoying the weather that is, or will be here today.

Tomorrow it should drop down to a high of 1C and snow, but after that it is supposed to warm up.

When you live in a trailer that is a big deal, as it mean my house warms up, as in above 10C (which is the highest I will set the thermostat at during the cold season).

I am also looking to steadily building my savings even though we are all in this lockdown. 

In am still working, but I am also still isolating (as I always was). I am thankful for each day I get to go to work and each paycheque that I bring home.

Who knows when the weather will turn bad or the complete shutdown will arrive either. So, I am thankful for each warm day and each dollar of pay.

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

This Time Of Year Lasts The Longest

It is that time of year when we, or at least I, wait for Mother Nature to “flip that switch” as it were from winter to . . . non-winter.

Yet here we are, and I just had another weekend of cold, okay not as cold as it has been, but still cold.

As I have said before, I don’t do well in the cold, I can endure the cold, I can survive in the cold, but I certainly don’t frolic in it.

This time of year does seem to drag on forever and the longest and hardest three months of the year are: January, February, and March. 

April is supposed to be a nice month, but I’ll take a bit of cold just as long as December is also not so cold.

I will admit that the past couple of years haven’t been all that bad . . . all things considered.

I was able to stay in “Spring/Fall Mode” until late December. The frozen block of ice in my Black Water Tanks is due to me not dumping fast enough. 

I am trying to keep focussed on the positive and the fabled and predicted return to warm weather this week.

I also look forward to putting both my long black coat and my ladder away for yet another cold season.

We shall see, as I am just focussed on today and this week. Whatever will come will come and I still have to work on enjoying today, no matter what today brings.

Cold weather or warm.

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

This Is Not The Fiscal Apocalypse

I have been keeping an eye on the events o the world, both the spread of the virus but also things on the economic front.

I will say that there is real reason to be concerned about the economic fallout of this pandemic and the necessary shutting down of large swaths of our economy.

The interruption of our regular routines is a very necessary thing in order to stop the spread of this virus which seems to prey on the weak and the vulnerable.

Nobody is expendable and there is no such thing as “acceptable losses” in order to get the economy going again.

I am concerned about the massive and mindboggling amount of currency that had been created in the last few weeks in order to stabilize the fragile economy.

There are also a number of businesses that will not survive this shutdown, and that is a sad and tragic thing.

The average person will end up getting through the other side of this pandemic with more debt than they had before, yet another regrettable outcome.

All of this adds up to a real chance of a massive depression coming out the other side of this pandemic.

The other fear is that as a result of all of that currency that was created, that hyperinflation will take hold and thus crash not just the economy but our currency and with it our banking system altogether: The Fiscal Apocalypse.

The one thing that I hold on to is the fact that as everyone is hold up in their homes, the one thing they all want to do is get back at it.

They all want to get back to work and yes, get back to spending. Since they will want to spend, there will be someone, some business, to step up to take their money.

That will spark the economic recovery. It may take time, but things will recover.

The other thing to consider is that while a great deal of cash was created, they did not hand it out to everyone, and those that they did give cash to, it was limited and spent immediately.

The average person does not have a massive store of cash to spend all at once. Also, for the most part, while people are worried, they are not fearful of imminent collapse of the fiscal system.

That means that people will work and spend, and yes save. I also hope that people will start to do something about their debt, as in work to eliminate it.

All in all, while there are a lot of things to be concerned about with regards to the future, after this pandemic passes (and it will), things will be fine. 

The economy will recover; so no, this is not The Fiscal Apocalypse.

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

Holy Crap, They Actually Lowered My Phone Bill

So, a week or so ago I finally called my Wireless Provider in order to talk about redoing my Cell Phone bill so I could get that rumoured “Unlimited Data.”

I had resisted because I have three devices that I share data across:

1. My Phone

2. My Tablet

3. My Wireless Computer Modem 

I had feared that they would end up increasing my bill and telling me that it was fair, despite all of the hoopla about giving more for less.

Well, to make a long story short my Data went from 10 Gigs shared across three lines to 20 Gigs shared across three lines before dropping down to 3G speeds.

I’m so old school I remember dialup internet, I can handle 3G, if I have to.

The thing is that my bill went from $137.66 to $78.83! That is a 42.74% savings! . . . and I got twice as much Data before dropping down to slow speeds!

So . . . holy crap, a company ACTUALLY did give me more for less.

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

On The Cusp Of Spring

So, here we are in early April and it snowed last night and while it will get warm (relative term) today and tomorrow, it will be -4C and snowing this weekend.

Yet next week seems to be turning around . . . or so is the hope that I cling to. I am so done with winter and as you all know . . . I despise the cold.

I hate it with a passion, yet I endure it so that I can move myself forward. I do this so that I can have a home . . . without wheels under it.

I am looking forward to the warmer weather and the ability to have a simple BBQ in front of my trailer. Simple things like that.

I am still isolating, (I was before) and I will still do my part to stop the spread of this virus, but I am getting of staying bundled up.

Finally melting the ice block in my Black Water Tank would also be nice.

All of these minor irritations will pass and life will roll onwards, and me with it.

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

The Homestead Fund Update

Okay, so it is that time again, when I update how my progress is going on my “Grand Savings Plan!” (to build my "Homestead Fund") 

Okay, so let’s see how I did . . . 

   

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

   

That is 30.8% (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 34.7% of my savings target. 

That means I put away 3.9% of my total Savings Target this payday.

Okay, so as I said previously, my savings are now investments and not a straight forward bank account. 

That means, as I said in my previous “Grand Savings Plan” update that they are unpredictable and will fluctuate wildly.

So, while I gained almost 4% of my savings target, I could also loose that much or more next payday. 

Sure, I am still putting away what I can, each and every payday, but since I am investing in investments, the value of those investments will fluctuate. 

That is the nature of investing, it is gambling, but educated gambling, but gambling nonetheless. 

So, the best thing that I can do is to spread my money around into a variety of investments at the same time.

Once again, I am not a financial planner or financial adviser, just a regular guy taking my best shot at this. (Oh, look, I’m up this time).

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

Dream In Stages

So, as you may or may not know, I plan on starting a town that is founded and focussed on the advancement of science while at the same time helping people. 

This is the founding Vision Statement for that town is this:

A city which is dedicated to the exploration and advancement of: Science, Technology, Knowledge and Understanding while at the same time fostering and encouraging: Art, Culture, Humanitarian Endeavours, and Commerce in a manner which: builds up, enhances, and restores each and every member of our community, both new and old, so as to help each and every individual to become: Whole, Healthy, Happy, Productive and Successful.

That is a tall order but it gets better, here is the recently completed “Zoning Plan” as it were for the place. As in what areas go where.

   

Yes, I know that the measurements don’t quite add up, but this is a concept which will have to be adjusted to match the measurements and shape of the land that I/we get.

Now, I could talk your ear off about this place, but I won’t. As that is not this document and not this blog. If you look at it, you should get an idea of the various moving parts, as it were.

I will be happy to answer any questions anyone may have (or Heaven forbid talk to anyone who wants to . . . help make it a reality).

The point is that to found that place, if I won the $70 Million dollar Lotto Max prize, that would be a good start. 

So, a Gofundme campaign is . . . while not out of the question . . . an extreeeeme long shot to start that place.

So, what I need to do is to scale back that plan and start what I call . . . “The Incubator” a smaller simpler version of that place, founded on the same ideals and grow from there.

While I can’t afford a full Section of land (640 acres) I could afford to buy a Quarter Section (160 Acres).

I can’t afford to start the Town itself, but I could start my homestead and grow from there. Who knows, in a generation or two, that town may get founded *groan*

My point is that while it is easy to look at the large goal and give up, the point is to look at what you can do and do that.

I may never found that town as I envision it, but I can at least get the ball rolling. I can do something, even if I can’t do everything.

Don’t give up on your dreams, just do what you can do and grow from there.

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

Preparatory Savings

So, with all of this uncertainty going on in the world and the markets, one wonders what do to with my current savings plan.

I have had some expenses and yes threw a bit extra into my TFSA in order to put it into the markets (stock market) when it dropped to 2016 levels.

This means that my Mid-Term Savings took a beating and needs to be topped back up. It is a bit of a scary time for me at this exact moment for I have limited cash in the bank.

For clarity and being honest, I am not a financial expert in anyway shape or form. This is just what I know and what makes sense to me.

You see, while stocks are an asset they are not liquid in the sense that I can go to the store and buy food with stocks.

Yet stocks go up and down in value and the company whose stock you hold will pay you money (dividends) just for owning that stock (usually once a quarter).

Not a whole lot but a bit, as that is what they do with a portion of the profits they make. As in: maximize returns for shareholders (aka: anyone who owns their stock).

So, sure I could sell some stocks in order to pay a bill or buy food, but since those stocks are a good portion of my long term savings plan, I want to leave them there and add to them regularly.

Which brings me to my current dilemma. My Mid-Term Savings will be back to being fully funded by May 7 (three paydays away, including Tuesday’s).

So, at that time I could resume buying stocks which would be smart to do during this time while the market is still in turmoil and relatively low.

Or I could overfund my Mid-Term Savings in anticipation of having to draw down on it in the near future. You know, keep extra cash on hand as it were. 

When this is all over and thing return to normal, then transfer that stored up cash into the Stock Market.

Again, this all seems like “rich guy problems,” but I only got this way (with a tiny fistful of cash in my hand) by freezing my ass off in my RV since July of 2014.

Don’t forget I am working to having that land and that house (homestead) all debt free.

I will overfund my Mid-Term Savings and see how things go, so as to at least not have to touch the stocks or other investments just yet.

More Meals Made.

So, last evening I cooked up a storm and did a smaller batch of my frozen meals. Again, not great, but at least it keeps me alive.

  

So, there are eleven meals all portioned out. Again I measure out my meals at 10 ounces per meal (just because that is about enough for me).

What is in there is:

• 1 can of chilli

• 1 can of corn

• 1 can of peas

• 1 can of beans in maple syrup

• 2 boxes of mac n cheese

• A healthy amount of hash browns fried and seasoned.

The only thing I may add next time is a can of Spam diced up and fried up just to add a bit more meat. 

A pound of ground beef would also be good, but I am trying to do this with only things that I can dry store and not have to refrigerate.

This concoction when done I let sit in the fridge for a day to let the flavours mix. After portioned up it goes in the freezer.

So, we shall see how this goes but this way I can still last longer with less need to refrigerate or freeze my food. 

Sure I have to freeze my meals but since it is a smaller batch, I still only need my small freezer and it the batch doesn’t take the whole thing up.

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