... Isn't that a perfume?
Moving on! The people that know me well are quite familiar with my brain-type habits. I can become a bit, well... focused when it comes to new ideas. I will stay up nights planning a sewing project, or researching a new character for the Renaissance Festival (especially if it's not MY character!). Lately, it's been tiny houses. Yes, I realize that I've already done a post about them, and mine specifically (in fact I've done two), but it really is all I can think about. I am already looking at building materials on craigslist!
Now, I have come to some decisions regarding the timing of my house. First, I need to finish my master's degree. I'm only 4 credits away, but I NEEDED the break. Secondly, I need to earn some money. My student loans are coming due in February, and I'd like to be in a situation where I can pay them off without too much worry, AND put aside money to build my house. Third, I need to start transitioning to a smaller situation.
This last week or so, I've been looking at all of my stuff, and deciding how much I really need. Right now, I couldn't fit all of my stuff into a studio without building a loft bed out of storage boxes and plastic tubs. Even with my "bare essentials" I've got way too much stuff.
I watched a documentary this morning called "We the Tiny House People" by Kirsten Dirksen. Check it out here. In it, one of the subjects, a man who lived in a 300 square foot apartment in Barcelona, Spain, said (and I'm paraphrasing) , "A house only really needs a kitchen, running water, and a good bed to be a home." How much more than that do I have? Hmmm...
So, in order to start the transition to less, I'm going to start a list of the "absolute necessities."
Kitchen:
One skillet, one saucepan, a toaster oven, a small refrigerator (maybe 2'x2'x3'), a mixing bowl, a coffee maker, two knives, a cup, bowl, plate, spoon/fork/knife, towel, dish soap, rag
(this makes the multiple boxes of kitchen stuff that got packed when I moved out of my apartment seem quite ridiculous)
Bathroom:
Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, face wash, soap, bottle for lemon juice (though I could also just use leftover coffee), hair brush, one towel, mascara, razor, nail clippers
Bedroom:
Mattress-type thing, one set of plain sheets, one set of flannel sheets, one pillow, comforter/blanket, lamp
Clothing:
one pair of jeans, one pair of nice pants, one skirt, two nice shirts, three t-shirts, one pair of pajama pants, one pair of nice shoes, one pair of "bumming" shoes, one pair of running shoes, running clothes (not that I've been doing all that much of that), a sweater, and a jacket/coat
Miscellaneous:
Cleaning supplies (vinegar, baking soda, essential oil), broom, toilet paper
Really, that's not that much stuff. I'm not counting books, music stuff, or sewing supplies, but this could easily fit into a studio, or a tiny house.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
A Possible 42
I posted several weeks ago about a tiny house. I keep thinking about it more and more. I can't get it off my mind really. John sent me a link to this blog about a girl building her own tiny house, and I've been looking at tiny houses for sale, and tiny house plans to buy. I really think I want to do this.
The pros:
- I have a wanderlust that kicks in every few years or so. It would be nice to be able to just hitch my home up to a truck and go wherever I want.
- I believe that having this place would give me greater confidence to go and try new places (hopefully outside the midwest!)
- Living in such a small space forces you to be frugal and helps you to keep your priorities in order.
- Facilitates a much greener lifestyle.
- Costs much less than a traditional house.
The cons:
- I have NO money. I kind of have negative money with student loans coming due here in the next few months. The "build it yourself" cost of the home I want is $20,000, which is a little less than 4 years in the studio I used to rent in Merriam, KS.
- It is a pain to transfer teaching licenses. I am in the process of that right now, and it takes a long time. So, subbing, or teaching in a different state every year will be problematic. Not to mention, school districts will not hire you if you're not going to be around forever.
- Insurance for these kinds of homes is scarce/doesn't exist.
I'm sure there are many more cons and pros out there, but I think this is enough for now. As it is, I don't think I can do this any time soon. I am not ready for home ownership. The thought of this project has been so exciting to me, and the thought that I have to put it off, while being much more fiscally responsible, is depressing. I don't want this to become another of my "almosts."
In the mean time, I supposed I can start preparing for it. I can downsize my possessions. I can save up money. I can price what I want, and figure out how much I need. It's still doesn't feel the same.
Has anyone else run into this kind of feeling?
The pros:
- I have a wanderlust that kicks in every few years or so. It would be nice to be able to just hitch my home up to a truck and go wherever I want.
- I believe that having this place would give me greater confidence to go and try new places (hopefully outside the midwest!)
- Living in such a small space forces you to be frugal and helps you to keep your priorities in order.
- Facilitates a much greener lifestyle.
- Costs much less than a traditional house.
The cons:
- I have NO money. I kind of have negative money with student loans coming due here in the next few months. The "build it yourself" cost of the home I want is $20,000, which is a little less than 4 years in the studio I used to rent in Merriam, KS.
- It is a pain to transfer teaching licenses. I am in the process of that right now, and it takes a long time. So, subbing, or teaching in a different state every year will be problematic. Not to mention, school districts will not hire you if you're not going to be around forever.
- Insurance for these kinds of homes is scarce/doesn't exist.
I'm sure there are many more cons and pros out there, but I think this is enough for now. As it is, I don't think I can do this any time soon. I am not ready for home ownership. The thought of this project has been so exciting to me, and the thought that I have to put it off, while being much more fiscally responsible, is depressing. I don't want this to become another of my "almosts."
In the mean time, I supposed I can start preparing for it. I can downsize my possessions. I can save up money. I can price what I want, and figure out how much I need. It's still doesn't feel the same.
Has anyone else run into this kind of feeling?
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Banjos and Pyro-kids
Alright, here we go, back on the band wagon. It's been a busy busy week and a half or so.
Last weekend was Winfield. If you are not a folk music fan, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about. Winfield is the common name for the Walnut Valley Folk Music Festival, which takes place in Winfield, KS. It's 3-5 days (depending on how early you get there) of banjos, guitars, fiddles, camping, faire food, and port-a-potties. This year was the 41st annual, and my family has been there every year since probably the 5th (not really sure). When I was in elementary school, we always got out early Thursday to go, stayed all weekend in tents and hung out with Grandpa and the Aunts and Uncles that could make it. It was awesome! There was fun music, and campfires, and staying up late, and sitting with Grandpa, and eating awesome food that had no nutritional value!
As an adult, it's a bit of a different story. Setting up my own tent in the rain. Having much less flexibility and cartilage so that you feel every rock you sleep on. That awesome food with no nutritional value now gives you heart burn, and probably mud-butt (which goes really well with port-a-potties, let me tell you)! However, being an adult, I think the best thing about Winfield is watching Grandpa and the kids enjoy it. Every year, my grandfather celebrates his birthday by going to Winfield. He turned 87 this year, and he's still camping! He loves sitting, listening to music with his grandkids all around him.
My favorite memory is Grandpa asking each of the little cousins one at a time if they would like to go get a funnel cake with him. When the oldest said no, Grandpa was a little disappointed. Next one said no, more disappointed. Next one, even more! Finally, the youngest one woke up from his nap, and said "YEAH!" I don't remember a bigger smile on Grandpa's face. I'm pretty sure that the cousins are just an excuse for grandpa to get funnel cake!
This year was the cousin's first exposure to a campfire. There's such a community atmosphere in the campgrounds, and when one of our neighbors had a campfire, it became the Randolph family hang out. The kids absolutely loved putting things in the fire. Sticks, leaves, hay, tomatoes, cookies, didn't matter. Saturday night, I came back to the campsite to see one of the little cousins (the 5 year old) sitting outside his tent looking so dejected. I asked him what was wrong, and he said that he didn't want to go to bed, he just wanted to sit by the fire (for "sit by the fire" read "poke things into the fire"). A big ol' tear rolled down his cheek, and I told him that he got to dream about all the things that he would poke into the fire the next morning. The next morning, the youngest (3) was all about the fire. He would pick up a cookie, break it, and say, "It's broken, can I put it in the fire?" When I told him that he could still eat broken cookies, he decided to drop the cookie bits on the ground. "It's dirty, can I put it in the fire?"
I have to admit that I was not looking forward to this year, because I was basically guilted into it. Grandpa would tell me that he was so glad I was coming, and dad bought two tickets without asking me if I actually wanted to go, but I'm really glad I did.
Last weekend was Winfield. If you are not a folk music fan, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about. Winfield is the common name for the Walnut Valley Folk Music Festival, which takes place in Winfield, KS. It's 3-5 days (depending on how early you get there) of banjos, guitars, fiddles, camping, faire food, and port-a-potties. This year was the 41st annual, and my family has been there every year since probably the 5th (not really sure). When I was in elementary school, we always got out early Thursday to go, stayed all weekend in tents and hung out with Grandpa and the Aunts and Uncles that could make it. It was awesome! There was fun music, and campfires, and staying up late, and sitting with Grandpa, and eating awesome food that had no nutritional value!
As an adult, it's a bit of a different story. Setting up my own tent in the rain. Having much less flexibility and cartilage so that you feel every rock you sleep on. That awesome food with no nutritional value now gives you heart burn, and probably mud-butt (which goes really well with port-a-potties, let me tell you)! However, being an adult, I think the best thing about Winfield is watching Grandpa and the kids enjoy it. Every year, my grandfather celebrates his birthday by going to Winfield. He turned 87 this year, and he's still camping! He loves sitting, listening to music with his grandkids all around him.
My favorite memory is Grandpa asking each of the little cousins one at a time if they would like to go get a funnel cake with him. When the oldest said no, Grandpa was a little disappointed. Next one said no, more disappointed. Next one, even more! Finally, the youngest one woke up from his nap, and said "YEAH!" I don't remember a bigger smile on Grandpa's face. I'm pretty sure that the cousins are just an excuse for grandpa to get funnel cake!
This year was the cousin's first exposure to a campfire. There's such a community atmosphere in the campgrounds, and when one of our neighbors had a campfire, it became the Randolph family hang out. The kids absolutely loved putting things in the fire. Sticks, leaves, hay, tomatoes, cookies, didn't matter. Saturday night, I came back to the campsite to see one of the little cousins (the 5 year old) sitting outside his tent looking so dejected. I asked him what was wrong, and he said that he didn't want to go to bed, he just wanted to sit by the fire (for "sit by the fire" read "poke things into the fire"). A big ol' tear rolled down his cheek, and I told him that he got to dream about all the things that he would poke into the fire the next morning. The next morning, the youngest (3) was all about the fire. He would pick up a cookie, break it, and say, "It's broken, can I put it in the fire?" When I told him that he could still eat broken cookies, he decided to drop the cookie bits on the ground. "It's dirty, can I put it in the fire?"
I have to admit that I was not looking forward to this year, because I was basically guilted into it. Grandpa would tell me that he was so glad I was coming, and dad bought two tickets without asking me if I actually wanted to go, but I'm really glad I did.
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