Work and school and life in general have fallen into a routine of sorts. Emily doesn't miss band and choir. The intensity of daily lessons has ratcheted up because the STAR testing takes place the end of March. Emily will be tested on Geometry, English, and World History. She's done practice tests for English and World History, and we're hitting history really hard right now. I've found a wonderful online resource called "Cosmeo" which is produced by the Discovery Channel. It has videos, articles, games, and more, for all curriculum subjects. We have a 30 day free trial right now, but I think a subscription is about $10 per month.
I've been meaning to write about how the recession has hit us personally. We are blessed to have a steady source of income (so far!), but we've noticed the usual weekly grocery bill has increased appreciably! For about 15 years I have made a weekly menu (for dinners), and I continue to do so. This has always kept the grocery bill manageable and predictable. All of our bills have gone up, and prices at stores are what I've noticed the most.
Last winter was the first cold season in our "new" home. It is a rambling ranch-style home, with a long hall and many doors! We don't have natural gas here in the foothills, so everyone rents a propane tank, and we rely on propane for heating. Last winter our propane bill was positively staggering. I don't remember the cost per gallon, or even the cost of refilling our tank, but the overall bill for the winter was nearly $2000. And. . . .we weren't even warm! In the early summer we invested in a pellet stove. It was not cheap, but we think it will "pay for itself" in a couple years. The pellets cost just under $7 for a bag which lasts three days. The charm of the pellet fire isn't quite equal to a wood fire, but it's close! The charm of the warm room has been a source of daily pleasure for us all winter long!
Last fall we traded in our little pick-up truck for a used Chevy Aveo. This little red "gutless wonder" gets as much as 35 miles per gallon. This is the car I use for work when I see patients, and it's the car we use to transport Emily to her various lessons.
We've heard much about "economic stimulus" and Americans' spending habits. We Americans have certainly learned to "require" excess! We eat too much, buy too much, store too much stuff, and cram our schedules full of too many activities. Sometimes I think we even try to have too many friends, and try to be "all things" to those friends, filling our schedules even more. We knock ourselves out trying to fill every nook and cranny of our homes, and every nook and cranny of our schedules, not to mention what we do to our bodies with food. I think it's a type of escapism, so we don't have to think about our mortality, and eternal issues.
We are personally trying to find ways to spend less money, find more joy in simple things, eat frugally but healthfully, and enjoy home life. I've always been a bookworm, and for years I purchased books, thinking that I wanted them in my home to read again in a few years. Now I purchase books, but only occasionally. First I go to the library! The public library is a wonderful place! What a gift, to be able to go "shopping" and come home with reading material, without ever spending a penny!
In a previous entry I mentioned that we didn't know where Emily would go to school next year. The recession has hit here, as well. If she was to return to the little junior academy here in town, we estimate it would cost $700 more each month than we are spending now. Tuition is the main expense, but in addition, she would need to take two correspondence courses for classes not offered at the school (French 2 and Algebra 2). I love the charter school she's in now--and I wish we had a homeschool support group to provide her with more frequent interaction with kids her age! Homeschool has all the choices we could wish for, and the school environment can't be beat!
Obviously, we need to make the choice that will be in Emily's best interest.
. . . .Still looking. . . . . .
