Mid-Month Status Update

We're not on budget. We're not doing too badly, but still...not on budget. In fact, we're around $700 over budget in food, entertainment, medical expenses, and my personal spending (but I think that's unfair...$150 from our travel spending ended up on this month's spreadsheet, and we weren't budgeting then....) Groceries for 2 people, so far, have totaled $375. Actually, for 2 people, eating 3 meals a day, plus snacks on that amount, I don't think that's too bad. If we didn't buy any more groceries our total would add up to something like $2.5/meal.

Fortunately, we also have a few less expenses than expected, so we'll still save some money this month. The fireplace has to wait. The whole fireplace idea has just become drama, drama, drama. Without going into how much drama one shop can keep you in, I'll abbreviate by explaining that a) we are NOT going to tear down our already existing chimney to build another one, and b) we received differing prices, from different people within the same company, but nobody will guarantee one final price. We'll get our fireplace someday, but maybe not this year, and most likely not for the place we thought we would.

The laundry room is drywalled and taped, and the tile, paint, and light fixtures have been selected. Gerd has been eying wet saws for a few weeks, and it looks like he'll start tiling either this weekend or the next. I'm hoping for sooner, but he works on his own time (plus we need to do something with the mini over the weekend)

Life outside of house repair has been just as busy. I started teaching my ESOL class, and while I love my students, I'm struggling to figure out what to do. Everyone has offered advice or materials, which is great, but it's the tying together of all things English that I'm having a hard time with...how do I make it STICK? After the first week the only thing keeping me there was a commitment to the summer, and that I've got great health care benefits through the organization. It's getting a little better, but I still wonder sometimes if my time wouldn't be better served being a housewife.

Not in the budget, but something I'm going to do anyway, is a Permaculture class in western Massachusetts over the next four months. The last weekend in July, Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Veteran's Day weekends will all be taken up with camping and farming. I'm so excited! It's something I've wanted to do for years, but the classes are usually a two week long block during a time that I'm teaching...