someone posts about a new yurt company that intrigues me!!
http://tinyhouseblog.com/
This blog, which is one of my favorites, posted about a new yurt company that has a very intriguing product. I will be watching them closely! Here's their tiny website:
http://turtlebacknomadics.wordpress.com/
You can get lost for hours looking at all the small, beautiful, and quirky homes they have featured on the Tinyhouse blog.
Meanwhile, back home, I just sent off my seed order for the early veggies and the ones that need to be started inside. Joy! Over the past several years, we've just had a garden at a community garden that is far from our house. Now, we can see our garden from our windows. During the Spring, I'm either gardening or thinking about gardening--except, perhaps, when I'm onstage. This year, I'm planning six raised beds. There are also several veggies and fruits I'm giving up on--cabbage, watermelon, etc. Maybe later, when I'm a better gardener!
We are also getting some topsoil and sod early next week, and we CANNOT wait! (Not to self: Call Uncle Larry!) We'll be glad to get something over this muddy clay soil, although the water drainage is MUCH better after they sculpted the land with the dozer!
Let's see, what else can I tell you? Oh--Greg and I went to some local theatre auditions last night, and it went very well. I think Greg got offered another show, and we stand a good chance at the summer musical, I'd say. Woo-hoo! What a joy, to do something we love AND to get paid for doing it! AND to put all the money we make in the shows toward a new YURT! As Dame Candyce Hinkle says, "We're very lucky people!"
Lastly, you may notice that I have placed a Paypal button on the blog. After much thought and advice from some wise friends, we decided that we feel ok about placing it there just in case anyone wants to donate. I'm also considering it a call to myself to really make the blog real, useful, and enjoyable. If it can inspire anyone, I'll just be tickled pink!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Money Matters
OK, in the interest of full disclosure, I thought I'd give you all the dirty details about money. How much we need, how much we've already spent, how long we anticipate the saving process taking, etc.
Here's the breakdown:
Land: Down payment--$2000 (although they were only asking for $1000) about $300 a month, but we're paying $400 so we can pay it off quicker. It should take 8 years to pay off.
Camper: $3000 It was $3500, but we managed to talk him down with little more than a pretty please. We had a budget of $4000 for this purchase.
Pipes, Water Lines, Sewer Pumping, Trencher Rental: Total of about $600 (This was smaller than it would have otherwise been thanks to Uncle Larry and Cousin Mike!)
Electric Pole and Equipment: $300
So, our initial outlay of money came to just about $6000, which is exactly what we borrowed from my parents. We start paying them off as soon as the yurt is up and completed. We'll probably pay them $500 a month until it gets paid off, wich will take a year.
We still need to buy some sod and grass seed, and expect to spend about $300 on that.
Now, for the yurt:
Here is the company we've decided to buy from:
http://www.laurelnestyurts.com/
They are well-respected and more affordable than some of the bigger companies. A couple of the smaller, affordable yurt companies weren't respected and had bad rating with the BBB. We are buying the 30' yurt, and we're adding an extra door, several extra windows, complete insulation, and a working glass window to put an air conditioning unit in. We plan to do some sanding and staining ourselves. The total cost, according to their price calculator is $10, 445 minus shipping, which will be around $800.
The deck and flooring for the yurt will be in the $5000 range. We plan to do much of it ourselves with help and knowledge from my cousin, who owns Dunamis Home Restoration.
Initially, we plan to live in the yurt without interior walls. As soon as we can get the shell of the yurt up and heated/cooled, we will move our furniture in and hang curtains for partition. Over the next six months after that, we will build a loft, with a bathroom and rooms underneath, and with a kitchen. We will pay for that gradually, as we can afford it. We hope to have everything completed two years from now.
Here are some examples of interiors anf lofts to give you an idea:
How we're going to save the money:
Theatre, baby! So far, we're in two shows--Greg's in one and I'm in another. That adds up to $3500. Hopefully we'll both be in a show this summer. (I think we have a good shot--cross your fingers!) I have a possibility to be in two. Maddie may also be in a show this summer. Each show pays between $1100-$1700 dollars. This is over and above our usual pay for teaching. We also hope to do some voice-overs over the next year.
Additionally, starting in March, we should be able to save $500 of our "regular" pay since we are saving on rent. All in all, we estimate we should be able to order the yurt by the end of the summer, if all goes
well.
We're also considering what one blog reader suggested regarding adding a Paypal button to this blog. It feels kind of wrong to us, but I understand lots of people do it on their blog, and if we're giving any information that entertains or helps people, I suppose donations for that service make sense. We're still in the "thinking about it" phase!
And that's pretty much all I know about money right now. By my count, at the end of two years, we will have a camper and a 30' yurt for about $25,000. You can't even buy a run-down crack house for that! In eight years, we will have paid for the land. I'll be sure and post money updates as they come!
Here's the breakdown:
Land: Down payment--$2000 (although they were only asking for $1000) about $300 a month, but we're paying $400 so we can pay it off quicker. It should take 8 years to pay off.
Camper: $3000 It was $3500, but we managed to talk him down with little more than a pretty please. We had a budget of $4000 for this purchase.
Pipes, Water Lines, Sewer Pumping, Trencher Rental: Total of about $600 (This was smaller than it would have otherwise been thanks to Uncle Larry and Cousin Mike!)
Electric Pole and Equipment: $300
So, our initial outlay of money came to just about $6000, which is exactly what we borrowed from my parents. We start paying them off as soon as the yurt is up and completed. We'll probably pay them $500 a month until it gets paid off, wich will take a year.
We still need to buy some sod and grass seed, and expect to spend about $300 on that.
Now, for the yurt:
Here is the company we've decided to buy from:
http://www.laurelnestyurts.com/
They are well-respected and more affordable than some of the bigger companies. A couple of the smaller, affordable yurt companies weren't respected and had bad rating with the BBB. We are buying the 30' yurt, and we're adding an extra door, several extra windows, complete insulation, and a working glass window to put an air conditioning unit in. We plan to do some sanding and staining ourselves. The total cost, according to their price calculator is $10, 445 minus shipping, which will be around $800.
The deck and flooring for the yurt will be in the $5000 range. We plan to do much of it ourselves with help and knowledge from my cousin, who owns Dunamis Home Restoration.
Initially, we plan to live in the yurt without interior walls. As soon as we can get the shell of the yurt up and heated/cooled, we will move our furniture in and hang curtains for partition. Over the next six months after that, we will build a loft, with a bathroom and rooms underneath, and with a kitchen. We will pay for that gradually, as we can afford it. We hope to have everything completed two years from now.
Here are some examples of interiors anf lofts to give you an idea:
How we're going to save the money:
Theatre, baby! So far, we're in two shows--Greg's in one and I'm in another. That adds up to $3500. Hopefully we'll both be in a show this summer. (I think we have a good shot--cross your fingers!) I have a possibility to be in two. Maddie may also be in a show this summer. Each show pays between $1100-$1700 dollars. This is over and above our usual pay for teaching. We also hope to do some voice-overs over the next year.
Additionally, starting in March, we should be able to save $500 of our "regular" pay since we are saving on rent. All in all, we estimate we should be able to order the yurt by the end of the summer, if all goes
well.
We're also considering what one blog reader suggested regarding adding a Paypal button to this blog. It feels kind of wrong to us, but I understand lots of people do it on their blog, and if we're giving any information that entertains or helps people, I suppose donations for that service make sense. We're still in the "thinking about it" phase!
And that's pretty much all I know about money right now. By my count, at the end of two years, we will have a camper and a 30' yurt for about $25,000. You can't even buy a run-down crack house for that! In eight years, we will have paid for the land. I'll be sure and post money updates as they come!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Downsides and Upsides
Everyone has been asking the same questions about what we're doing, so I decided to write a blog post addressing most of them. Without a doubt, the first question is always "Are you managing to stay warm?" The answer is a complicated "yes." We are staying very warm, sometimes too warm. The main difference between our cozy camper and a home with a traditional heating system is that we have a difficult time maintaining a level temperature. It fluctuates between 66-76, and we're often turning it down or off or cranking our space heaters up. It's a tiny little annoyance, but we're blessed to be warm and our bills are going to be tiny!
Another big question that has been asked: "Aren't you all tripping over each other and getting angry with each other and just wanting your own space?" For the most part, no. We generally like each other and are a pretty close family already. Greg and I don't often fight or even nag at each other, so that helps. Maddie and Beatrice do fight, but they do that no matter how big or small the size of the home! When someone needs space, they can go back to the back bedroom and close the door. I (Monica) am the one that the closeness bothers a teeny bit sometimes--especially when my little one is climbing on me. As soon as I can get out in the garden, though, even that will have a solution! (And truthfully, I got those feelings when we lived in a "regular" house!)
"What are the downsides?" There are a few. #1--Getting ready in the morning is much more difficult. We're going to have to give ourselves two solid hours, I'm afraid. Tomorrow is the first day of classes at the college we teach at, so stay tuned to hear how it goes! #2--It's REALLY hard to be patient! We want the grass NOW, the garden NOW, the driveway paved NOW, and we wouldn't mind having the yurt NOW! Unfortunately, these things take money and timing also depends on pesky things like weather. Currently, we are swimming in mud and would love to lay some sod, but we have to wait for it to dry up a bit. One of the saddest questions we get is when people get confused and ask us how we're enjoying our yurt. We have to break the news to them that we're only saving for the yurt right now and meanwhile, we're living in a CAMPER! That always produces a look of mixed horror and disbelief.
And the final downside is simply adjusting to the lack of close restaurants and good grocery stores. That would be difficult, though, even if we had moved to a mansion in the country. It's an adjustment. We'll adjust.
OK, upsides!! #1--Feeling ownership and independence. This cannot be overstated. If you have rented or even if you are swimming under a big mortgage, you know what I mean! Also, we are giddy with joy over what we can do with the land--so many choices! #2--Movie time! We have been watching lots of movies we've always meant to watch. It gives us something to do after Beatrice goes to bed and makes us forget that we don't have much room. #3--Simplicity, baby! Things don't get lost very easily, we can have a conversation at normal voice levels no matter how far apart we are in the camper, and our bills are SO much lower! Between rent and bills, we're saving over $1000 a month! #4--We've discovered that we are really changing minds and informing others of options. We didn't expect this. It's kinda cool. We've even decided to start a "Yurt Club of Arkansas!"
Most of all, we really want Spring to hurry. We did this move at the absolute worst time of the year. Our first two weeks are Arkansas' two coldest weeks! It would have been SO much easier in a milder time of year. Bring on those mild Arkansas Spring days--their beauty will be greatly appreciated by these "Two Tramps in Mud-time" and their two baby tramps!
Another big question that has been asked: "Aren't you all tripping over each other and getting angry with each other and just wanting your own space?" For the most part, no. We generally like each other and are a pretty close family already. Greg and I don't often fight or even nag at each other, so that helps. Maddie and Beatrice do fight, but they do that no matter how big or small the size of the home! When someone needs space, they can go back to the back bedroom and close the door. I (Monica) am the one that the closeness bothers a teeny bit sometimes--especially when my little one is climbing on me. As soon as I can get out in the garden, though, even that will have a solution! (And truthfully, I got those feelings when we lived in a "regular" house!)
"What are the downsides?" There are a few. #1--Getting ready in the morning is much more difficult. We're going to have to give ourselves two solid hours, I'm afraid. Tomorrow is the first day of classes at the college we teach at, so stay tuned to hear how it goes! #2--It's REALLY hard to be patient! We want the grass NOW, the garden NOW, the driveway paved NOW, and we wouldn't mind having the yurt NOW! Unfortunately, these things take money and timing also depends on pesky things like weather. Currently, we are swimming in mud and would love to lay some sod, but we have to wait for it to dry up a bit. One of the saddest questions we get is when people get confused and ask us how we're enjoying our yurt. We have to break the news to them that we're only saving for the yurt right now and meanwhile, we're living in a CAMPER! That always produces a look of mixed horror and disbelief.
And the final downside is simply adjusting to the lack of close restaurants and good grocery stores. That would be difficult, though, even if we had moved to a mansion in the country. It's an adjustment. We'll adjust.
OK, upsides!! #1--Feeling ownership and independence. This cannot be overstated. If you have rented or even if you are swimming under a big mortgage, you know what I mean! Also, we are giddy with joy over what we can do with the land--so many choices! #2--Movie time! We have been watching lots of movies we've always meant to watch. It gives us something to do after Beatrice goes to bed and makes us forget that we don't have much room. #3--Simplicity, baby! Things don't get lost very easily, we can have a conversation at normal voice levels no matter how far apart we are in the camper, and our bills are SO much lower! Between rent and bills, we're saving over $1000 a month! #4--We've discovered that we are really changing minds and informing others of options. We didn't expect this. It's kinda cool. We've even decided to start a "Yurt Club of Arkansas!"
Most of all, we really want Spring to hurry. We did this move at the absolute worst time of the year. Our first two weeks are Arkansas' two coldest weeks! It would have been SO much easier in a milder time of year. Bring on those mild Arkansas Spring days--their beauty will be greatly appreciated by these "Two Tramps in Mud-time" and their two baby tramps!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Dozer Day, Snow Day
Fun weekend here on the land. (Note to self: must come up with a name for new digs--calling it "the land" is getting a little old.) Saturday was exciting--the little dozer came at about 11am and worked for about 4 hours to sculpt the land, working to fix some water drainage issues. It was a freebie job we had negotiated when we bought the land. It was fascinating to watch. What was an unsightly short cliff became a lovely gentle slope. Our driveway was smoothed and a nice drainage swale(sp?) was created. After it was all over, it was like the place had gotten a drastic new haircut. It was beautiful, but very different--it made us rethink the siting of the garden, the coop, and the outdoor theatre. (Yes, you read that right--we plan to have a small outdoor theatre eventually!) Walking around after the dozer had gone, I think I truly felt myself falling in love. It's finally beginning to look like a place I can really sink my heart into. Here's the new gentle slope, although it desperately needs grass:
So, that was dozer day. The next day was snow day. We estimate we got six inches, which happens about once every five or so years in Arkansas. It was lovely and quiet and magical, but I'm not gonna lie--it was a little scarier in a camper than in a house! We weren't sure if the roof would hold! We were quite cozy warm, though, and the deer tracks going all around the camper the next morning were delightful! Here's the view of the trail that runs the perimeter of the land:
Greg has proved himself quite useful over the past several days. He fixed a small leak, finished the insulation, and is currently working on a tiny septic problem. I've mostly been focusing on learning to cook in the small space and taking care of aging kitties and mischievous daughters. We're going sledding on our new slope tomorrow! Here's to snow days!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Big Picture, Pesky Details
We’ve been settled now in the camper on the land for four days and it’s been really fun and feels right. We absolutely depended on the kindness of family and friends for most of December. We stayed for about 10 days with Greg’s parents and for about 10 days in the house of some dear friends while they were on vacation. We were so grateful to have their generosity and love to rely on while we were laying water lines, sewer lines, graywater lines, and getting the camper level and insulated.
And speaking of generosity and love, my uncle and my cousin, Larry and Mike Brown, have both in spades. They gave their time and expertise to us in order to get us up and running in the camper by the New Year. I’ll always be grateful to them both. It took quite a bit of work to get everything set up.
Digging trenches 150 feet long using something called a “Ditch Witch.” Gluing pipes one-by-one to lay water and sewer lines. Cutting large boards to fit around the camper. Insulating pipes. Slashing out paths through the forest using a machete. Raking dirt to fills holes in preparation for sod. Etc., etc. More work than we’d really realized to live in a camper. In our minds, we just moved the camper, pressed the “on” button, and we were good to go! Well, we weren’t quite that ignorant, but we definitely didn’t think of all the details.
Greg and I are big picture, vision-oriented people. We see what can be, bright and shiny on the horizon. Getting from A to B, though, isn’t always an easy, direct line. Details sometimes overwhelm us and weigh us down. Sometimes this is a good thing. I’m not sure many people would have been able to overlook all the details and just DO what we’ve done. But our big-picture minds get us into trouble sometimes. We did have to take out a small loan on our 401K to pay for all the details we didn’t think about to get the camper set up—pipes, septic pumping, sod, etc. It was a small amount, and will only deduct about $40 a month from Greg’s check, so it’s OK.
We’re feeling good right now. We’ve completed step 1. We’re here, we aren’t paying rent anymore, and we have a savings plan for how to get to step 2--the YURT! Meanwhile, there’s all sorts of entertaining things to amuse us here, and the adventure has now officially begun!
Wanna see the camper and the land?? Pictures below! We didn't get any pics yet of the back bedroom/bathroom area or the front of the land, but there's more to come!
And speaking of generosity and love, my uncle and my cousin, Larry and Mike Brown, have both in spades. They gave their time and expertise to us in order to get us up and running in the camper by the New Year. I’ll always be grateful to them both. It took quite a bit of work to get everything set up.
Digging trenches 150 feet long using something called a “Ditch Witch.” Gluing pipes one-by-one to lay water and sewer lines. Cutting large boards to fit around the camper. Insulating pipes. Slashing out paths through the forest using a machete. Raking dirt to fills holes in preparation for sod. Etc., etc. More work than we’d really realized to live in a camper. In our minds, we just moved the camper, pressed the “on” button, and we were good to go! Well, we weren’t quite that ignorant, but we definitely didn’t think of all the details.
Greg and I are big picture, vision-oriented people. We see what can be, bright and shiny on the horizon. Getting from A to B, though, isn’t always an easy, direct line. Details sometimes overwhelm us and weigh us down. Sometimes this is a good thing. I’m not sure many people would have been able to overlook all the details and just DO what we’ve done. But our big-picture minds get us into trouble sometimes. We did have to take out a small loan on our 401K to pay for all the details we didn’t think about to get the camper set up—pipes, septic pumping, sod, etc. It was a small amount, and will only deduct about $40 a month from Greg’s check, so it’s OK.
We’re feeling good right now. We’ve completed step 1. We’re here, we aren’t paying rent anymore, and we have a savings plan for how to get to step 2--the YURT! Meanwhile, there’s all sorts of entertaining things to amuse us here, and the adventure has now officially begun!
Wanna see the camper and the land?? Pictures below! We didn't get any pics yet of the back bedroom/bathroom area or the front of the land, but there's more to come!
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