It's a Whole New Balgame

I'm back.  Truth be told I never really left, but I did remain silent for a couple of years.  For those who know me outside the blogosphere, that is hard to picture!  So, what happened?  Well, I suppose life happened.

My smoking hot wife and I continued to raise our two little boys and deal with all the shenanigans associated.  They are 5 and 8 now.  Never a dull moment.  Of course, that gobbled up most all of our free time....as it should.  I planted the garden, as usual.  2012's plot struggled, but I actually had a really good garden last summer thanks to cooler temperatures and more rainfall that normal.  I got into the chicken hobby and I absolutely LOVE it.  I bought and sold an International Scout, flipped a couple of old tractors and enjoyed another successful year at work.  I got to witness God work in the lives of several friends and I was able to enjoy Georgia Southern's stunning victory over the University of Florida.  It was a good couple of years.  2014 is going to be good too, but it will be strikingly different.

In mid-January I resigned from my position of Director of Annual Giving at Georgia Southern University.  It was a tough decision to leave a job, a University and a group of co-workers which were all important parts of my life to this point.  Of course I still bleed blue.  I carried the flag before I went to work for Georgia Southern and I will surely continue after I leave.  Two things made the decision the right one.  First I believe that God's will  is for me to move along, meet new people, form new relationships and afford others an opportunity to lead our efforts at Georgia Southern.  Second, since the day I abandoned my previous entrepreneurial endeavor, the thoughts of getting back to it never left my brain.  My wife is supportive too.  That's a big deal.  Even though it will be a certain pay cut in the short term, she is on board.  (Sometimes she reads.... Hey MB...I love you!)  The right situation hasn't been available since I walked away last time.  Now it is.  Maybe God is leading me down a road in which I can learn a lesson. Maybe I'll make it big.  Maybe I'll flop and go cook tater logs at the local gas station.  Either way....it's time to give it a shot.  Back in September I purchased a concrete overlay and restoration operation.  I will be easing into the business with an eager spirit, but a patient mindset as I hone my skills and develop what I hope will become a successful business.  I plan to do some additional tractor restorations too.  There isn't a ton of money to be made in that field, but if properly managed, I can turn a small profit on something that I enjoy doing.  From there it really starts to get weird.  Stay with me....

Since I was a teenager I have always had a fascination with auctioneers and the auction business.  The idea of becoming an auctioneer was never really a serious consideration though.  Kids like me didn't do that.  We went to college, majored in finance and got a job at a bank.  That's what everybody did.  I didn't major in finance and go into banking, but I did fall right into the "bachelors degree to white-collar professional career" pipeline.  Don't get me wrong......  I certainly don't regret that.  I am very glad that I took that route and I am very thankful for the opportunities that it has afforded me along the way.  In fact, it has afforded me the chance to do something totally off the wall.  I'm going to auctioneer school.  The application has been submitted and the fees paid.  I'm really doing this.  Sounds nuts every time I type it.  But....it gets even more hair-brained.  Stick with me......

Auctioneer school will be in beautiful Rome, GA.  The classes last all day long for ten consecutive days.  the curriculum should be pretty intense, but I'm looking forward to it.  Actually, I'm down right excited about it!  That wouldn't be enough adventure for me though, so instead of staying in a nice plush hotel, I'm going to tent camp for 11 nights on the Coosa River.  I just hope Snowpocalypse III doesn't set it.  That would be a whole other level of high adventure.

One of the ancillary benefits of this adventure is that it will get me blogging again.  I plan to offer an entry each of the 11 nights that I will be spending in Rome.  Blogging from the tent.  How about that?  Technology is something special isn't it?  Stay tuned for that dumpster fire starting at the end of the month.  This could get interesting.  2014 is indeed going to be a whole new ballgame.  I'm motivated to pitch complete game shutouts, avoid arbitration and get a long term contract.

Y'all take it easy,

Alex

Use It Up, Wear It Out

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."  It's a mantra from the Depression era that I have come to embrace over the last couple of years.  No so much because I'm a tree hugger, but because I'm a tightwad and even us evil right-wingers don't like to see trash and waste.  Shout to reader, Lindsey, who a while back suggested that I give some tips and tricks about self sufficiency and how I manage money...with a Back 'er Down twist.  Lindsey has a great blog too by the way, you should check it out.  The following is a quick tour of a few of the items that I've reused in interesting ways.

This is my potato drying rack and storage facility.  It's suspended from the rafters in my shop using chain that I found at the dump.  The framework for this beauty is the base of a crib.  Our youngest son transitioned to a bed last spring and the crib wasn't really fit for use by another family, so I butchered it and made this.  I do have a few bucks in the screen that lines the bottom.

Coke crates are great for carrying things.  I particularly love using them in the garden because dirt can fall out of the holes in the bottom.  I also like to wash veggies in these as the water and dirt sifts right out of the bottom.  I guess that technically this crate is property of Coca Cola.  Shhhhhh.  I honestly don't remember how I got it.

I love a bucket!  I have a lot of pickle buckets and a few like the one pictured which had hydraulic fluid in it. I use buckets as containers, seats, planters, scoops and a bunch of other things that I'm not remembering right now.  They're really great to put under the tongue of light trailers to keep them out of the dirt.

This is one of my more interesting reuses.  The crates are store bought, but the framework is the body of an old creeper that I had lying around.  Two of the wheels had messed up, so it wasn't really useful to me anymore.  Compound that with the fact that new casters cost about as much as a new creeper and it was destined for a better use.  I trimmed it up, drilled a few holes and used angle iron down the front for stability.  Fortunately I was able to tie into existing holes and mounting brackets on the golf cart.  This front rack has been a really useful addition.

I probably have a container fetish.  Coffee cans are a weakness.  I use them all the time for organizing nuts, bolts, washers, small parts, etc.  I have also used them as planters and we event use one as a dog food scoop right now.  However, you see the picture above of seven cans that are currently not in use.  That number has recently grown to 15.  Might be time to stop with the coffee cans ;)

This is an old cast iron washpot that belonged to my grandparents.  I really couldn't think of a practical use for it, but I couldn't bring myself to toss it.  So as it sits with much historical value, it also doubles as a container for fat-lighter splinters.  Note the bricks too...... left over from the construction of our home.  I'll use them one day, LOL

So that's a quick tour of some of my reuses.  I also reuse burnt motor oil, dryer lint, coat hangers, bent-re-straightened nails and wire.  I'm a tightwad.  I consider it a virtue.  How about you?  What do you reuse?  I'd love to hear new ideas.

Y'all take it easy,

Alex

Economy: What in the wide world of sports is going on?

What the heck is going on?  For years we were told that Americans didn't save enough.  We spent too much money on liabilities.  Too bad that our entire economic empire was built on that kind of frivolous spending.  Now we hear the talking heads say that the way to jump start the economy is to get people spending again!  Seems a little paradoxical to this guy.

I'm a little worried about recent events.  Sure we've seen people flee investments for cash before.  I'm not sure it'sever been like this though.  The best I can do is read up on history and talk with those who have lived through it.  Seems the wise move is to sit tight and hold onto your money right now.  No problem.  The wife and I paid off all of our debt (except the mortgage) earlier this year.  We're alright.  What concerns me is my job.

You see.....I'm a fundraiser.  I ask people to share their hard-earned money with not much in return other than a sense of civic pride.  I believe in my organization.  100%   Our constituents believe in us too.  However, when things are tough, charitable giving is usually the first thing that a family or business cuts.  Understandable.  Been there, done that.

A person's self-perceived wealth is most times based on the performance of their investments, their job and the news headlines.  Even if a person is safely employed, the other two factors are ruining it for me right now!  It's going to be a hard sell to convince folks to consider charitable donations in an environment like this.....much less trying to get them to increase over last year's giving.

I don't say any of this thinking that I would lose my job.  We're going to have a good campaign, the volunteers are going to be great, as always and we're going to raise a lot of money for a great organization.  I say it on more of a personal level.  I have set some pretty lofty goals for myself.  Maybe it's natural, but I'm starting to doubt just how attainable those goals might be.

Back 'er Down real world comparison:  It's kind of like when you have the big daddy deer in your cross-hairs and just before you pull the trigger, buck fever strikes and you start shaking.  You want to shoot it.  It's right there.  You're just too amped up to keep still and make the shot. (you knew I wouldn't do a serious blog without hicking it up just a little)


But there is good news!  We have an awesome team!  There are dedicated folks, both employees and volunteers, who are going to come together and get us to the goal.  We also have generous supporters.  I know they will step up to the plate when the time comes.  In a time where I have a little bit of personal uncertainty  knowing that those folks are there helps me sleep at night.

How cool would it be if I somehow incorporated 500 square inches of hunter's orange into my suit?  Ehhh.  Maybe not ;)

Y'all take it easy,

Alex

Back To School!

At the local Wal-Mart an 8 pack of Crayola crayons cost me 96 cents.  A 24 pack of Crayola crayons was 40 cents.  Only in America.  It's time to go back to school and the cash registers are ringing.  After buying the assorted supplies for my Kindergartner I was surprised that things haven't really changed all that much.

We're at the end of the first week of Kindergarten and I proud to report that it was a great week!!

Edit and Update:  This was a draft blog that I had planned to expand on.  However, I hit the publish button instead of the save button.  didn't even realize it!  LOL!  Well, since Trey commented, I figure that I'll just leave it.  If you like the outdoors, Browning firearms, antique furniture, the Atlanta Braves, or the Georgia Southern Eagles, check out Trey's blog.  It's a good one!   http://treyluckie.blogspot.com/

Feeling Better About the World

After 10 days of not wearing shoes, napping and generally going at whatever pace I wanted................. it's back to work today.  Our family enjoyed a week at the beach and with the way the 4th of July fell this year, we had a good three days to get home, unpack and get some stuff done at the Ponderosa too.  that was a welcomed treat.  Coming home from vacation, unpacking that night and going to work the next morning is a huge drag.

We vacationed with the wife's family to a small and relatively underdeveloped South Carolina barrier island called Edisto Island.  Neat place with a lot of history, one grocery store, one gas station a hand-full of restaurants and shops and 4 million rental houses.  Very family oriented.  I'm not a big fan of the beach really.  I prefer fresh water adventures.  The wife and kids enjoy it though, so it's worth every penny.  We did rent a house with a pool this year.  Also......worth every penny!

As I typically do each year, I took a 2 day vacation from the vacation and came home to take care of some chores.  This time it was cutting grass.  If you've read any of my garden updates this year you would know that we were very dry this spring.  I pretty much called it quits on the garden just before we left for vacation.  Well, we have received as much rain in the last week as we did in the previous five months.  In fact Wednesday afternoon we got right at 4 inches.  Insane.  Garden is over but the grass is looking great!  Maybe this will give the pine seedlings the chance to get down a good root entering their 3rd year.

So the title of the blog......  I did come across a few things during my vacation that has me feeling better about the world.  Sometimes I watch the news, read certain publications and I just get down in the dumps.  There is hope though.  Here are a three reasons why:

1.  My kids set up a watermelon stand this weekend.  Through no prodding by me, my oldest said that he wanted to set up a watermelon stand and sell them for $1 each.  Great teaching opportunity I thought.  We have already established that "you get money by working."  This was a chance to teach that you can also get money by selling something that you "created."  Under the direction of the oldest, the boys did everything themselves.  The planned how they would set up, made a sign and even decorated.  After some help from Daddy in getting loaded and some stern words about staying out of the road, they were off.  Not a lot of traffic in our area, LOL.  They were troopers though.  Stayed with it for a good while.  We finally had a generous visitor who bought the only 4 watermelons we had left.  The kiddos were fired up to have money in their pockets.  A trip to the store will soon follow.  Why it makes me feel better about the world - I seem to be making some headway in showing the boys that you have to work to get paid.

2.  Cars 2 is in theaters now.  Cars is one of my all-time favorite movies.......animated or not.  Pixar does a good job of making kids movies that the parents can actually enjoy as well.  For those of you who do not have kids.............. that's a big deal!  Naturally I was excited to see the sequel.  This would be the oldest son's first trip to a movie theater too.  The theater we chose was really nice.  Very clean, modern amenities and free popcorn!  Maybe that's customary now.  I have no idea since I've not been to a movie is 5 years or more.  It was a small popcorn, but still roughly the size of a gallon tea pitcher.  Of course the one pack of  M&Ms and two bottled waters were $10.50.  Glad to see some things haven't changed.  Davis really enjoyed it and even kept quiet.  That was a shocker.  Despite being a social commentary on alternative energy, the movie was great.  I enjoyed it for what it was.  It was a movie about talking cars that had races all over the world and a redneck tow truck has some interesting adventures along the way.  What's not to love about that plot?!?!  Why it makes me feel better about the world - Even with the social commentary about "big oil" and alternative energy, the movie still had room to provide a plot about friendship, cooperation and respecting others.  Good reminders for children and adults alike.

3.  My garden wasn't the only one that sucked this year.  They say misery loves company.  I guess that's the case here.  In talking with others from my area, Wilt Virus was very bad on tomatoes all over the region.  The lack of rain was universally troublesome.  Some folks burnt up, others drowned.  It was neat to read and converse with other gardeners across the country this year.  Maybe a few of our ideas can translate the some of our starkly different climates.  We got food in the freezer and on the shelf.  I should absolutely not complain.  Why it makes me feel better about the world - I'm not the only one........ and there are countless resources from which I can learn.

Writers block is starting to set in once again.  I do have a few drafts in the hopper, so I'll be good for a while.  However, the garden updates have really kept me writing regularly.  Honestly though, writing solely on that was starting to get a little boring to me.  Glad to have a little break from it.  Suggestions for topics?  I'd appreciate them.

Y'all take it easy,

Alex

Regal Fever and the Best Known Cure

Image: http://www.americarclassics.com/ 

Oh boy did I have Regal Fever!  For the past two weeks.  It was bad.  Not a "Back 'er Down" type of move AT ALL!  Thankfully I'm over it now thanks to a good conversation with my Dad.  We never even focused on the car, but the message was still there.  Funny how it all works out sometimes

It all started when I was a teenager.  My first car was a 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass.  It was a great car that served me well all the way through college.  (There was a six month span where I blew the transmission out of the olds and drove a 1973 Dodge pickup....The Orange Monster....That's a whole other blog)  While working in downtown Savannah the car was stolen.  Broad daylight.  Hot-wired.  Recovered three weeks later.  Completely stripped.  I never got closure for that whole situation.  So here I sit 10 years later.  I've paid the bills and I have some money.  I got a little giddy at the prospect of getting another Cutlass.  Then I just started getting greedy.  I figured that if I was going Cutlass shopping I should just go ahead and look for it's smoking hot older sister, a T-Type Buick Regal.  I found several, but I found one in my hometown, with 27,000 original miles.  GASP!  I came very close to pulling the trigger.  Despite everything I've done saving money over the last couple of years.  Despite the fact that I know I need it like I need a hole in my head.  Despite the fact that it would get 12 miles to the gallon.  Despite the fact that it was a dumb idea.  I was ALMOST ready to pull the trigger!

Luckily my old man came over for a visit.  He's always good for a reality check ;)  He never said "Don't buy that thing."  We did get into a conversation about life, our economy and our country.  We talked about the early 80's and how he lost his farm and how things were when he was a little boy.  We talked about the fact that smart people hold their money in situations like these.  I don't know if he talked about all that on purpose or not.  We talk like that all the time, but it struck a different chord this time.

I had rationalized in my mind that if I bought this car that I could eventually resell it and at least get my money back.  (I rarely buy anything that isn't for sale two days later.)  That might have been the case, but it was pushing it just a little bit.  This particular car would be targeted for resale to a collector....... that guy with money......who would probably be holding onto his money if things don't get better soon.

The stock market has me a little concerned right now.  I have some in it, but I want to keep some of it at hand.  I feel a need to put my cash in some tangibles right now.  So the question really became where can I put it to be safe and get a possible return.  Been doing it with tractors for years, but tractor buying time is in the late fall and early winter.  Gold is past my comfort zone.  If silver comes back down, maybe I'll get back into that.  I see third-world militias on TV all the time riding around in early 80's Toyota pickups.  Those are some tough little suckers.  Maybe that's where I need to be.  I finally decided that a pristine 87 Regal probably isn't the best place right now.  A good solid $1,000 Regal maybe.  I could turn that for a Donk conversion in a heartbeat.  The collector market is just a little too shaky right now.

I still want T-Type.  One day I'll get one.  Just isn't the right time.  Glad I have that visit last night.  Dads continue being Dads no matter how old you are :)

Y'all take it easy,

Alex

Deciding on an Automobile

We just paid off my wife's car!  This is the first time since we've been married that we have not had at least one car payment.  The feeling is liberating.  This seems like an appropriate time to bang out a blog regarding how I decide on an automobile.  My friend Sally (not That Girl) offered this suggestion a month or so ago in terms of "How to decide when you're ready to go from a normal car to a Mom/Dad-mobile and how to accept it."  Thanks for the suggestion Sally!

I should offer my disclaimer again today....... this is what works best for me and my family.  You might think I'm crazy and something else might work best for you.  Nothing personal, just my .02.  At the end of the day it's your money!  Spend it like you want!  Several questions come to mind when I think of this great American pastime of purchasing an automobile:

1. What do I need? - My needs for a car now are much different now than they were 8 years ago.  My perspective on life is of course a lot different too!  Now I have a family and two car seats take up a considerable amount of space.  I want decent fuel mileage, but I still want to pull a trailer occasionally.  Mamma Bear has no need to do anything, but get good gas mileage and transport the kiddos part of the time.  It's easy to get caught up in trends and what's considered cool.  Been there, done that.  That costs too much money.  Can't let myself fall into that trap again.  Brand loyalty used to be important to me.  Not so much any more.  I'm a Chevrolet man.  I drive a Jeep Cherokee.  Wife drives a Toyota Camry.  Favorite NASCAR driver started in a Ford and now drives a Dodge.  I'm diverse if nothing else.

2. Can I afford it?  Ouch.  Sometimes this means financing, sometimes not.  I've financed 4 automobiles.  Hope to never do it again, but sometimes that is the only option for folks.  It certainly was for us when we were younger.  I think that I've purchased my last new car.  Never say never, but my plan is to buy used from here on out.  If we can be disciplined enough to save what we have been paying then that should not be an issue.  So what about leasing?  If someone drives few miles and will only keep a car two years it might be a good proposition.  For us....not so much.  We put a ton of miles on cars and I do pretty much all of the service and maintenance.  Bottom line....don't bury yourself financially for a mode of transportation.  The long term determent just isn't worth the short term gratification.

3. Will the cost of maintenance and care be reasonable?  One of the main reasons we bought the Camry is because the oil filter, drain plug and air filter were easily accessible.  I recently found that doing a brake job was pretty easy too.  I do pretty much all of the maintenance on the car and so far it's been manageable.  There are no obscure parts that aren't available.  Same thing on my Jeep.  If you need brakes, a pcv valve or an O2 sensor, you can get it this afternoon.  No waiting on some parts for that better-German-engineering to be shipped.  The life of a car is maintenance.  Gotta do it if you want it to last.  It's an expense, but it shouldn't be a money pit.

4. Can I accomplish the above with a car that I actually like?  In late 2004 We bought a Jeep Grand Cherokee.  When our first son came along it seemed like we had made the perfect decision!  You have to have an SUV if you have kids right?  STOP IT!  I remember well riding in such classics as a Ford Grenada, Dodge Omni and even a Chevrolet Celebrity as a family when I was a kid.  We even took a vacation with me and my sister under a camper top in the back of an S10 truck (that was fun by the way)  Why didn't all families have K-5 Blazers and Ford Broncos back then?  Because we didn't need them, that's why.  Sure, there was the station wagon, but were there as many of those on the road as there are SUV's now?  At about 6 months old my wife decided that my son was too heavy to lift into the back of that Cherokee.  We went shopping and bought a Toyota Camry.  So far in our young lives, it has been the best car we've ever purchased as far as the balance of utility, price and practicality.  Mamma, Daddy, two kids and luggage fit tight, but they fit.

So I put the ball back in Sally's court (tennis reference for you there darling)...... what is a Mom/Dad-mobile?  Is it a minivan?  Is is a Ford Excursion or Chevrolet Suburban?  I don't think it has to be either.  A sporty 4-door sedan with a spacious trunk can serve you well.  (A two-door served 4 of us when I was a kid!)  The smart money is on taking what you have and making it work.  My advice....don't spend a lot because the leather is just going to end up with juice, Cheezit crumbs and vomit all over it anyway.  Save your money and buy something cool when the little one leaves the house.  Think of it as a reward ;)

Y'all take it easy,

Alex

Being a Tightwad

The is the second in what I call my "Being Series."  The first was Being a Father.  The third will be Being a Renaissance Man.  Should have that one buttoned up in the next week or so.

I'm all about saving a dollar.  Some call me cheap and tight.  I call myself frugal.  I honestly have no interest in racking up a bunch of debt that I will have to face midlife.  That's the point at which I should be getting in a Corvette and heading west to Route 66.

I do a variety of things to save money.  Some things are small like using coupons and watching sales.  Other things are more involved like switching to CFLs and unplugging certain electronic devices when they aren't in use.  Our family lives comfortably, but by no means do we live extravagantly.

I'm a big fan of reusing stuff.  That's not because I'm some rabid environmentalist, rather because it saves loads of cash.  I pretty much built an entire electric fence for my garden with free items.  I compost for fertilizer in the garden.  The garden is probably a slight net loss when compared to buying food.  I enjoy that though... and it really does taste better.  I reuse paper towels if they aren't too dirty.  I wear pants twice without washing them if they aren't dirty.  Burnt motor oil is used for other lubrication.  We eat a lot of deer meat.  I hardly ever use paper anymore.  I take advantage of as much free entertainment as possible.

The biggest area in which I save is by doing without.  My clothes are not fancy and I always buy on sale.....preferably clearance ;)  (NOTE:  I do not skimp on shoes.  My feet have to last me for the rest of my life so I always by top quality shoes.  I still shop the prices, but I will not buy cheap shoes.)  I drive a 7 year old car.  My tractor is as old as my Dad.  We don't travel a lot.  We don't eat out a lot.  I do admit that we  probably over did it on our home.  We're not suffering because of the mortgage or anything, but it's more house than we really need.  I often think that we should have built half as much house on twice as much land.  That said, we do love it and have no plans to sell any time soon :)

So why do I do all of this?

I do it so that I can spend the money on things I really want.  Electricity, food, clothes, interest payments.....those aren't really things that I want.  To be honest I'm not really sure what it is that I want.  I want my wife to be comfortable and I want my kids to become good men.  I do want to have that Vette wide open on The Mother Road one day, but beyond that I'm not really sure.  I guess that's what the idea of "Back 'er Down" is really about for me.  I'm not chasing money any more, and I'm comfortable with that.  As a result I somehow feel like I need to save it to compensate.

I'm a work in progress.  That's the one thing that I know for sure ;)

Y'all take it easy,

Alex

Coupons

Frequently, massive couponers boast about the difference between the pre-coupon price and the final total. They circle the "you saved" number on their receipts. "You're circling the wrong number," Amy said. What you need to compare is the difference between all possible alternatives and your final total. Other alternatives include store brands on sale, buying in bulk, picking fruit off friend's trees or just going without.  --Not my words, but I can't remember where I got it from either.  Sorry original author.

Ouch.  That's me!  I love to save a dollar and I love to talk about it.  The original author is right though.

The super-couponing craze is spreading like wildfire.  There are Web sites and seminars popping up all over the place  dedicated to the trend.  There is even going to be a reality show about it. (gag)  Hey, who can blame folks?  With the rising prices of food and the shrinking sizes of the products, we all have the need to stretch our dollars as far as we can. (Of course the pundits say we are NOT in an inflationary period....I say BS...go to the grocery store)  I approach this tactic a little differently.  A large part of my attempt to "Back 'er Down" is how I spend my time.  The old saying, "Time is Money" is true.  Everyone's time has a value associated with it....whether you are working or not.

I use coupons a lot.  I save a lot of money using them.  You have to be careful though.  After all, coupons are just another marketing strategy used to move product.  It's a good one too!  The trap that many fall into is that you have to buy something because it's such a good deal!  Do you really like oatmeal though?  Even at .25 a box are you or your family going to eat it?  This is the same strategy that has been used in other forms of retail for years.  You say to yourself, it's so cheap... I HAVE to buy it.  This mindset is now fully entrenched into our grocery buying habits.  Hooray PR and Market Research!  Don't take me the wrong  way.  I'm not saying I'm some high and mighty all-seeing market guru.  I have a flat of Vienna Sausages and 7 boxes of LED Christmas lights that prove I'm just as prone as the next guy.

Get back on track Alex....so what about time?  If done correctly super-coupoining takes up a lot of time.  In essence it is playing the sales cycles of the major grocers.  Of course you start by clipping, printing and sorting.  That's the easy part.  The time consuming part is researching various stores weekly sales and pairing those with your stash of coupons.  Don't forget to add the time involved in shopping at several different stores to maximize the savings.  All of a sudden you're invested in this deal!  If your time is worth money you just spent a lot of it.  But Alex, I saved like 50 bucks!  That's right.  You saved $50 and your time spent was $50 so you broke even.  Is a break even proposition worth it?  For some folks it may well be.  For me it isn't.  (Ironic that I could have done some couponing instead of spending time writing about coupons.  Ha!)

I applaud anyone trying to save money.  I applaud the folks taking part in this craze.  It just isn't right for me to go all in.  It took me a while to realize that.  For someone that is retired or does not work it might be.  One of my favorite quotes puts it best, "when your money is in short supply and your time is long, use your time and don’t spend the money." 

Never bring a problem without offering a solution.  10-4  This might not be the best for everyone reading, but it works best for me and my family.  It all goes back to the quote above.

1. Store Brands:  Many times they are cheaper even after using a coupon on the brand stuff.  They aren't all created equal though.  Some things I refuse to skimp on.  Others, store brands serve us well.

2.  Buying in Bulk:  This is a super-couponing tactic that I use often.  When something on sale at a good price I stock up.  HOWEVER.... this should only apply to stuff I know I'm going to use.  Don't buy junk that's going to waste away.  Toilet paper is my most common bulk purchase.  I also buy chicken in bulk.

3.  Gardening and Hunting:  I haven't bought greenbeans in a long time.  I also have a pretty decent supply of tomatoes, corn and squash.  All from my garden.  If you can stand to eat game meat it is a great source.  I have a freezer full of deer meat.  It typically costs about $40-$50 to process one and 2 will serve us for a year or more.  Helpful hint.......mix deer hamburger 70-30 with ground beef and you can barely taste the difference.

4. Doing Without:  Yeah boy.  I could learn a lot from that.  BlueBell Cookies and Cream stares me in the face on this point..... We do go without a lot of stuff though.  This is the number one area in which almost everyone in America could save more on their grocery bills.  Did I really need those talapia fillets that have been in the bottom of the freezer for a year?

Please don't construe any of this as me demonizing super-couponing.  I blog about my personal path of "Backing 'er Down.  For me......it's just not worth it to go all in on the process.  My family is better served by using portions of it.  There are many stories like this one in which charities are blessed by people who play the game.  That's a win for all involved!  Just gotta have the time to do it......and time is money.

Ya'll take it easy,

Alex

2011: Let's Own It!

2011.  Yep.  It's here.  There seems to be a lot of doom and gloom out there lately, but my forte is keeping it positive.  So food prices are going up?  Great excuse to expand the garden.  Gas is on the rise?  Stay home a little more and hang with the family.  It's cold?  Well....it is winter.  Don't moan about it....suit up and GATA!

I'm coming off of a hiatus from work.  I was able to spend almost two weeks working on projects around the house and enjoying the holidays.  Nothing really exciting or encouraging, but it was good to get it done.  I was able to give the house a good scrubbing.  I hit things often overlooked like the inside of cabinet doors, etc.  Took me back to my cleaning service days for a while.  I kind of miss the freedom of that gig sometimes.  I do enjoy the stability of an "institutional" job though ;)  I serviced my Jeep, put away the Christmas decorations and even went to visit a buddy who gave me a ride in his freshly restored, and highly modified, 68 Camaro (a little speed is always a welcomed treat!)  The thing that I enjoyed most was the task that gave me blisters.  I went through and cleaned up around some pine tree seedlings with a hoe.  It sucked pretty bad at the time, but at the end I was able to look across the field and appreciate how it all looked.  That's what Backing 'er Down is all about to me.

My beloved Eagles met their match in the Blue Hens of the University of Delaware.  That put them out of the playoffs.  Making it to the final 4 teams in the nation after being picked to finish 5th in your own conference?..........nothing to hang heads about.  I hope the staff and players are as proud of themselves as we fans are of them.  The Texas Christian University Horned Frogs had a pretty good start to 2011.  They enjoyed a win for the ages in the Rose Bowl Game.  I was proud for them.  They don't get any respect in their state.  They're overshadowed by the "big boys" Texas and Texas A&M, even Texas Tech.  I can sympathize with TCU fans in that regard.  Congrats to the Horned Frogs for crashing the party!

I'm fired up about 2011.  Mamma Bear and I owe just a little bit on her car and once that is paid off we will be debt free with the exception of our mortgage.  This is something that we have been working towards for a long time.  Late last year we finally knocked out the last of my student loans.  Now it's time to nail the car payments.  When I write that final check you may be able to hear me cheering from wherever you might be reading.

I only made two resolutions this year: 1. Stop biting my fingernails and 2. Blog once a week.  Looking for some help from my friends in accomplishing both.

Best wishes to everyone for a healthy and prosperous 2011!!

Take it easy,

Alex

Green living and a slightly different motivation

Living "green" is all the rage.  Eat organic, recycle, reduce your carbon footprint save the whales, blah, blah, blah.  We hear it all the time and it's even to the point of becoming a bit annoying at times.  Here's a newsflash though.  For those who know me you may be shocked to know that I have embraced much of this lifestyle.  It may not be to the extent that some would like and it's hardly in the name of anything noble or as an activist activity.

As a part of "Backing 'er Down" and attempting to live a more simple life I have found that living "green," as some call it, can aide in my journey.  Some of the activities are beneficial to my gardening, healthy for my family and good for my neighbors.  Some of my environmentally friendly activities have even been interesting forms of entertainment as I learn new skills and easier ways of doing things.  The most important benefit though is that the lifestyle has the possibility of saving me money.  So there you have it.  It ain't about Mother Earth.  It's about me, lol.

Let's look at a few of my activities shall we?

1.  Recycling
A couple of years ago I was all about recycling cans.  I even went to the practice of taking my oldest son with me on golf cart excursions along the ditches where we live.  That's when aluminum was bringing good money.  The bottom fell out and I got out.  So I was helping save the "Earf" for a good three or four months.  Yay me!

Recycling isn't all about dropping off your trash at some municipal refuse center though.  In it's simplest form it's about taking something that is otherwise useless and finding another use for it.  Duh.  So I started a few projects.  Milk jugs were cleaned and saved so that we can use them at the fair for cane juice.  All veggie scraps, eggshells, coffee grounds, etc go into a pot or big bowl in the kitchen to eventually be composted.  (My wife just loves the slop bucket btw, lol)  Boxes and newspapers are saved to ship various eBay sales.  Egg cartons become seed starters.  I'm not quite a hoarder yet.  I will still toss stuff.  As far as metals go, I am still hanging on to copper.  I think there may be some potential cash there.

2. Light bulbs
I'll admit I was skeptical about CFL bulbs.  however, after having them in out most used light sockets for the last year I am sold.  More expensive, yes, but I think they'll pay off in the long run.  In tracking our electricity bill we have seen noticeable savings.  Not only do they use less energy, but they also give off a heap less heat which keeps the house cooler.  CFLs are a win.

3.  Solar Energy
I admit that I am a geek for solar energy and I am just getting into it.  I love the prospect of going off of the electrical grid.  The investment is staggering though.  It would be a $20,000+ investment to equip my home with complete solar.  Also to my knowledge there aren't enough batteries in the world to kick off my air conditioner compressor.  (For those not in my area, it was 102 here in South GA yesterday)  At this point I have a small kit and plan to experiment.  I only have about $150 in it and maybe I'll learn something.  I figure I can run the pool pump or maybe the lights in my shop or even and electric fence around the garden.  Each of those would be nice tests.  I would like to run my well off of solar, but I'm still learning about what that might take.  If I dive in that will be priority #1.

4.  Organic Gardening
Lets be clear.  I would be run out with torches and pitchforks if I claimed to be an organic gardener.  I use Sevin for the bugs, fungicide for the tomatoes and I put nitrogen to my corn.  I have found several organic practices that are beneficial though.  They're also cheaper and sometimes yield better results.

My first foray is in deer repellent.  I use a mixture of tobacco juice, hot sauce, ammonia and urine sprayed around my garden.  It works great.  The deer eventually get used to it so I have to rotate but it is a great repellent.  I rotate with sulfur and mix in motion sensor lights.  So far...pretty good

The other practice has been using manure under my potatoes and watermellons.  Made a huge difference and it was free.  Withe the compost pile this year we may go further with that practice next spring.

Did I mention that I tend the garden with a tractor from the late 1950's?  It blows smoke and leaks fluid.  Only thing green about it is the paint.  I'm of the impression that a little oil on the ground isn't a big deal really.

I'm trying to think of other things I can do.  Scouring the internet is getting a little redundant.  Everyone seems to be doing the same stuff.  If you are reading and have some suggestions, I'd love to hear them.  A couple of things that I would love to find uses for are burnt motor oil, dog fennel and loud children.  If you have any ideas, holler.

So there you have it.  I'm not really Green as much as I am a cheap-ass and a junk man :)   The practices have saved me a little money and helped me to "back 'er down."  Maybe I offset a teeny portion of my carbon footprint at the same time.  If so... that's great, but it was hardly my intention.

Ya'll take it easy,

Alex

Summer Summer Time

Well the summer is here.  It's pretty much the best time to "Back 'er Down."  The main reason being it gets so freaking hot here in my neck of the woods and you don't want to do much of anything else!

The garden continues to do well, and some of the earlier crops are starting to phase out.  We got enough potatoes to have a nice stockpile and to be able to share some with neighbors and co-workers.  So far we have been able to put up 47 quarts of snapbeans as well.  Since that is about the only veggie that my kids will eat those will go rather quickly.  Those two particular crops made up 1/3 of my entire garden and now its time to start planting something else in that dirt.  I'm thinking butterpeas, pumpkins and sweet potatoes are in order.  We will start breaking and processing corn this weekend.  The deer nipped a few ears but I still think we'll have a nice harvest.  Looks like we might just have some watermellons ready for the 4th of July as well.  I'm stoked about that!

I recently got my hands on a couple of new toys.  I know....I'm supposed to be saving money and living like a hermit right?  LOL!  I never said that ;)  Saving money is useless and counterproductive if you don't enjoy at least some of it.

The first toy is a boat.  B.O.A.T=Break Out Another Thousand.  Well... not really in this case ;)  My mega purchase was just a little 12 ft jon boat for the river.  I got the boat, motor and trailer for $600 and so far I'm very pleased with the purchase.  It's not really pretty and the motor is 40 years old (really...40) but it runs and it floats which is what I need.  I was able to take my 4 year old on a trip up river for the first time a couple of weeks ago and MAN, what a great time he had!  I'll make a river rat out of him yet!  It wasn't until a fishing trip this past weekend that I realized just how slow a 40 year old motor is.  My friends with a much more modern Yamaha were literally 3 times faster, lol.  I just kept telling myself...."Alex, it's a $600 boat."  I'm fired up about it and I think it will end up being of the cheapest forms of entertainment for me and my boys as the years go on.  Camping trips on the sandbar are definitely in our future!

The second toy is a new cell phone.  It's a Droid Eris in fact.  I got a little ribbing from my friend over at Kurt Busch Nation about that.  Not exactly a "Back 'er Down" kind of device for sure!  The wife and I have been thinking about new phones for a while.  We were Alltel customers for years and are now Verizon customers after the recent merger, so they have been throwing the kitchen sink at us with offers for almost a year now.  After some patience we found that we could get a pair of new Droids for $79...both phones...not $79 each.  Not bad for two phones of that caliber huh?  They really wanted us.  Why not?  We had been loyal Alltel customers for 10 years and always paid on time, lol.  That was fine because we have been pleased and figured not to go anywhere anyway.  The kicker came with the service plan.  Over 10 years we had peace mealed plans, lines, additions, promos, free stuff and discounts into a crazy looking plan.  It looked strange, but it worked for us and it was cheap.  I asked if we could leave our plan the same.  After laughing at what we had on file, and getting the approval of a manager, they agreed to leave us as we were.  So there you go.  $79 an the wife and I are pimping with a pair of Droids.  That explanation was just for you Cinde T :)

Thanks for the kind emails and Facebook messages that many of you have sent.  It's comforting to know that I'm not alone in this pursuit.  These are uncertain times.  Many people think our country is a sinking ship.  Some people are talking about how to right the ship.  I prefer to think about how I can get my family and friends safely on the lifeboat.  That sounds like a good blog in itself.....;)

Ya'll take it easy.

Later,

Alex

Making Up for Lost Time

After being rather laid back last weekend, this entire week and weekend were pretty much the polar opposite. That brought to mind again that living a more simple life is not always a more comfortable life. By all means it doesn't involve anything close to laziness!

I had a pretty busy week preparing for a surprise birthday party for my Dad. What a great time it was. We spent 60 years trying to surprise him with very little success over the years. This year we decided to get sneaky for his 60th. You see, his birthday isn't until July 15. My Mom and Sister are May 18 and 19 birthdays. You see where I'm going. We told Dad we were having a surprise party for them. It was a great day and I think he really was surprised. I think even if he did know it he would have played surprised. That's the good kind of fella he is. I got a little emotional as I said the blessing before we ate. He's a special man and pretty much the primary driving force in my desire to "Back 'er Down" He's also a walking, talking encyclopedia for the journey.

So I spent the week busting my hump to get the yard looking nice and taking care of other projects since we would be having guests. (Dad helped with all these too BTW. He helped cut grass for his own party, LOL) The pace and amount of work were neither what one would think of when perusing a more simple life.

Yard beautification is something that I've always enjoyed and taken great pride in. It's a heap of work though. Over the past two weeks I have discovered something that is both the greatest thing ever invented and the spawn of freaking Satan at the same time. This contradiction of horticulture ease is rubber mulch.

I justified it because I loathe pine straw. My house, and flower beds, are in full sun. This only aides the breakdown of straw. Since we're also in a very wide open area, what doesn't breakdown blows away. I've been studying it for a long time and I finally made the decision after getting some assurances on a 15 year guarantee and the fact that I could get the mulch in brown (for a long time you could only get red, blue, green, etc. Wwho wants that?) I crunched the numbers and the financial break even point versus pine straw was three years.

A couple of things I learned that may aide anyone else who is considering this:

1. Double your budget. I estimated based on what the "professionals" told me using a equation translating what would be equal to 75 bales of straw. They were waaaaaaaaaaaay off. My break even point is more like 4 years.

2. Use landscaping fabric. I used it on half of mine. Wish i had used it on all. Not only because it will help with weeds, but you can also spread the mulch thinner without the appearance of whatever dirt is below. I'm all about saving a dollar....especially after this project.

3. Might be a good idea to add some kind of bordering. I didn't and it made for a little mess when I edged for the first time. I think I can get used to it and If I keep a good trench I shoudl be okay. still might go back and add some eventually though.

So there you go. If you decide to dance with Beelzebub and install rubber mulch be prepared. It's expensive and if you do it yourself you're gonna sweat. All that said I am pleased with it. I'm very excited at the prospect of not having to ever touch straw again.

The garden is really booming! That was the other part of my weekend. Dad came over Saturday morning (before his party) and dug about 1/4 of our stand of potatoes. We gave most of those away at the party. I dug another 1/4 today. We had a pretty bad potato bug infestation a few weeks ago that I was fearful would damage the whole crop pretty seriously. They hit a few pretty hard but some liquid Sevin nipped that in the bud. We made a really really good crop. The new addition this year was cow manure nuder the hills. Made quite a difference! Already put away 6 quarts of snap beans and of course the squash and tomatoes are rocking a rolling too. Corn is tossling and the watermellons are going gangbusters as well (manure in the watermellon hills too) Our sugar cane.....eh, well....that's a whole other blog in itself ;) The only thing that is slow at this point is the cucumbers. This is two years in a row that they've been a little puny. The previous year they were great but this time only so-so. Gonna be busy for sure over the next few weeks and when the corn comes in that might take an entire weekend. We were dummies for not staggering that.

As I type this a nice summer thunderstorm is rolling in. (EDIT we just lost power too. New 6 hour laptop battery is the bees knees!) The rain is much needed. Just means that I'll be picking snapbeans tomorrow afternoon instead of Tuesday afternoon :) I'll take it.

And on a little side note......How about that Blue Deuce and Kurt Busch?!  Million Dollar Man!

Ya'll take it easy.

Later,

Alex

Living for Today and Saving for Tomorrow

The current state of the United States' (and the world's) economy is all the talk right now. The forces acting right now are a bit troublesome to say the least. Moreover, they're down right confusing. It's interesting to see what is happening right now and compare it to what we learned in school or even what some of us have witnessed over history. I'm hardly an accomplished economist. As a regular guy looking and learning, two trends are confusing me right now. How are interest rates still low? How long will it be before mass inflation hits?

The only thing I can come up with is that the market forces are being artificially suppressed right now to keep those two killers from wreaking havoc. Just my thoughts, but what the hell do I know? I'm just a PR man.

So if inflation and rate spikes are inevitability headed our way, what can we do to guard against it? Furthermore, how can I do it with a "back 'er down" twist? Is it possible that it may actually aide my pursuit of living a more simple life? I think it can. Here's how:

Living a more simple life and guarding against interest rate hikes:

Don't borrow any money. Thanks for coming. Ya'll have a good night. :)

Ahh. That always sounds good, but it's not always practical for a lot of people. I try to write for myself and others, so let me expand a little. The biggest risks are variable rate notes and credit cards. We should get rid of those boogers as fast as we can! We should focus all of our efforts on freeing ourselves of these chains. Once those are gone we can look at paying off automobiles, and the like. My wife and I are so close to paying off everything (except the mortgage) that we can smell it! It's really exciting and empowering. As Dave Ramsey once put it: "The paid off car is the new American status symbol." It's really about keeping our wants and desires in check. Think about how our grandparents lived. If they really, really wanted something they saved for it. I bet it had a lot more meaning to them too. In my journey of "Backing 'er Down" I've realized that having wants and desires fulfilled immediately can spoil me......heck, they HAVE spoiled me!

Living a more simple life and guarding against inflation:

I'm not ready to stockpile three years worth of rice or anything, but I have been looking seriously at acquiring long term durable goods now instead of when I may need them years down the road. For example, most people will probably only need one really good shovel for their entire lives. Why not make it a point to go ahead and get it now for $25 instead of paying $75 for it 6 or 8 years down the road? I'm applying this methodology to a variety of items that will last for a long period of time. Tools, outdoor equipment, nuts, bolts, fasteners, rope, chain, batteries, oil filters, shoes and even certain types of clothing like socks and winter jackets. Things I am 100% sure that I will use and for which I have or will have a need.

There is an opportunity to do this over a shorter time frame as well. I'm still studying the potential pitfalls of storing tires, oil and over the counter medicines. If anyone has info on these I would appreciate you sharing.

When practicing this one must be careful though not to go overboard. I don't want to end up on one of those hoarding shows on TLC. Additionally, I am very mindful to not spend money that I don't have on these items. Gotta make sure the bills are paid and the kids and mama bear are taken care of first!

The manner by which I've approached it is really pretty simple. If I'm at a retailer and something on my "stockpile" list is on sale or clearance, I'll buy a few up. Oil filters for example: I'm going to use them anyway. Might as well get them now while they're cheap/on sale. That's pretty much a microcosm of the whole idea. What is an oil filter going to cost in 5 years?

Over the last few weeks I've seen that this will indeed help me in "Backing 'er Down" Instead of buying the latest Dukes of Hazzard dvd box set I decided to go with a new grubbing hoe. Trust me......it would be way more fun to sit down and watch Bo and Luke foil Boss Hogg's latest plan than to work sugar cane stubble. But hey.....that's why I'm doing this right?

Ya'll have a good day.

Later,

Alex

A simpler life isn't always a cheaper life......

.....at least on the front end. I've been known to pinch a penny pretty tight, but it honestly depends on what exactly it's for. Some things I refuse to skimp on. I always buy quality q-tips, soap and shampoo for instance. Pants many times come from Wal-Mart, but I will always spend top dollar on shoes. Quality shoes last longer so in the long run they're cheaper. I've not noticed a marked difference in the durability of pants so I opt for the cheaper ones. Of course comfort plays a role too. What's the point in saving money if you're going to be miserable doing it?

When we talk about "Backing er Down" and pursuing the simple life, the first thing that comes to mind is living frugally. That's most certainly a part of it for me. What it really comes down to though is a decision to "do without."

• A riding lawnmower makes cutting grass more simple than a push mower.
• Various kitchen gadgets make cooking easier.
• Spraying herbicide is easier than using a hoe.
• Electronics have worlds of application that simplify the way we do things.

Riding lawnmowers, bagel toasters, Roundup and DVR's are all easier options, but way way more expensive than their counterparts....or GASP..."doing without"

New cars and solar panels immediately come to mind under this topic as well. They are often sold as money savers, which may be true in the long run, but they have major cash flow issues on the front end. Solar energy I can see. In fact, I am still debating an application myself on a small scale. However, I have yet to see how the cost of a newer fuel efficient automobile will pay dividends as compared to a paid off automobile that gets even 1/2 the mileage. Here comes that phrase again though......driving the old car is "doing without" (of course if you're buying the car outright there may be a snag in that logic...I understand that)

So....I'm pretty bad at "doing without" a lot of times. I have a riding lawnmower and a tractor. I use Roundup, I obviously love a computer and I eat at least one bowl of Blue Bell Cookies and Cream ice cream every night. Hardly doing without right? LOL A recent AC outage at my house showed me just how much of a useless sack of waste I really was. I could barely stand it, lol. Sweating like a hog.

I said from the beginning that this blog was going to be useful to me even if another sole read it. It's documentation of my pursuit of a more simple life and a way to share it with others. Maybe you can learn from my mistakes. I realized this week that the journey will be long and interesting. Won't ever end probably. This week I've decided on three specific tactics that I will employ on my journey to living a simpler life:

1. I will start running again tomorrow morning.

I have to get back in shape. I was doing great two years ago. When my second son came along I got out of the routine and became stagnant. I can feel it too. Tired in the evenings, monkeying out when I'm working outside and general sorriness. That's gotta change.

2. My getting-up-time will now be 5 and my bed time will be no earlier than 10

I was a morning runner and I plan to get back on that schedule. It makes for a great start to the day and gives me a chance to get outside and turn the sprinkler on the garden if needed. There are too many productive things that can be accomplished after work in the evenings. If I can get those done during the week, I can have the weekends to spend with my sons and wife. On top of that, my oldest son can come with me when working outside with me in the evenings and maybe pick up a little knowledge as well.

3. I will drive my 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee for AT LEAST another 4 years

....and I'll use the tried and true method of squirreling the money away so that when the time comes to get another, I'll pay cash. Don't get any simpler than cash money friends.

So there it is. It's a start. Not sure I'm ready to push mow 5 acres or give up on using Roundup. Like I said earlier, it's all about choice and what's important to you. However, I am going be conscious of the fact that the hard work and manual labor associated with doing things in a more complicated way might well prove to be a simpler way to live.

I think that may have been more of a ramble than an actual structured, well-thought-out blog. Oh well. I enjoyed writing it :)

Ya'll take it easy.

Alex