The Pink Chicken Strikes Again!

Sometimes being hyper frugal is a big fat bore.

It's depressing and you feel like the odd man out.

You feel like a pauper when other friends are out eating in restaurants, and you opt to stay home because you can eat for a week for the price of one meal out.

Other times -

you walk around like a rooster, gloating over your cleverness, and doing native Indian war cries at the cash registers.

I've been running a gamut of both emotions lately - but wait until you see this last score....

I'ze just gotta gloat.

I've never liked shopping for clothes, eva.

I'm bootylicious with a tiny waist, and it makes clothes shopping difficult.

Plus, most times I just looked like a watermelon with a dress on - so, there ya go.

Behold what the Pink Chicken brought home for about $4.00 this week!

You probably can't see in the picture, but there is a pair of Tommy Hilfiger jeans (my fav!).

Behind these jeans is a pair of bright orange Columbia hiking shorts.

Score!

I shan't be shot in the woods by a hunter.

It just looks like a wrinkled up mess doesn't it?

It was 'Bag Sale' day at the resale shop.

I even bought a bag of jeans - just to make rugs out of!

Please refer to the clever remark up top.

Does shopping resale stores for clothing freak you out?

It did me at first.

Nothing a good laundering can't fix.

You just have to be picky, and careful, and not think into things too much - like, did someone die in these jeans?

Do not go there, or you'll be paying full price in a heartbeat.

Is the Pink Chicken Dead?

RIP Pink Chicken?

Not so fast....

Just because I haven't talked about it, doesn't mean I haven't been living it.

Let's recap.

If you are a new reader, and you have no idea what I'm talking about click on 'Self Imposed Poverty' under my labels to catch up if ya'd like.

June sucker punched the Pink Chicken right in the beak.

She fell - and she couldn't get up.

It wasn't pretty for a few weeks.

So many unexpected expenses, it just seemed like my pockets had holes in them all the ding dang month.

I looked on Monster.com quite often.

I hemmed.

I hawed.

I worried.

I fussed and fretted.
"I" wanted to fix it.

I felt like a failure when July 4th came and went and I wasn't out of debt.

I comforted myself with the thought that to fail at something meant you were trying.

I still live without.

Without more than I think many people are willing to give up.

I won't pay for texting, fancy TV stations or eating out.

I've eaten out once in five months - (I mean sitting down with a waitress - I have gone through McD's for an occasional chicken salad in a pinch).
You'd be surprised what you think are necessities that aren't.

I wash my Ziplocs.
I make my laundry soap.
I hang it laundry the line to dry - winter and summer.
I've gone to the mall once in the last year.
I don't look at catalogs that come in the mail.
99% of my wardrobe is from the resale shop.

I gave Glenco the bill folder and told him I didn't want to do it anymore - to let me know when I needed to go get a job.
He hasn't mentioned it yet - seems he cottons to having me meet him at the door with a cold glass of iced tea in hand, having time to chat about his day.
Seems he cottons to a house in order, a happy wife and an endless supply of clean underwear.

My heart's desire is to cultivate a quiet life.
A life that is peaceful, rich in contentment.
A life that is worth living -
a life unencumbered by debt and living beyond my means in order to help those living below theirs.
True needs that I haven't been able to meet because I was busy meeting my wants.

It sounds easy in theory.
It's not.
This summer I've been on a journey of living without.
Living without certain foods I'd love to indulge in.
Living without material goods I'd love to indulge in.
Sometimes I'm content.
Sometimes I pout.

As I sit here and type this from my unfinished front porch, feeling leaner than I have in years, feeling more peaceful than I've ever felt I can tell you most assuredly -

Busyness is not a virtue.

Less.
Is.
More.

Take This Broken Wing....

This photo is symbolic of two things.

My arm and the state of the Pink Chicken.

If you are a new reader, and have no idea what I mean by 'The Pink Chicken' - have a gander at

this

My arm has gone from good to bad to worse.

Physical therapy hasn't helped thus far -

I really don't know what I did to it - how it happened...but I was diagnosed with chronic tendonitis in my right forearm muscle.

It's swollen, and it's painful just hanging there.

Since starting therapy, the pain has progressed into my shoulder, down to my fingertips.

Blogging is painful.

I can't lift, push, or pull anything without shooting pains.

My arm never got the memo that it's gardening season.

Or outside house repair season.

Or - that I'm in a body transformation Bootcamp that requires weight lifting.

So I sit here now, wincing as I type - realizing that I might not make my goal of being debt free in July.

Physical therapy isn't free - neither are MRI's.

My doctor seems to enjoy being paid.

Imagine that.

I'm still as frugal as I can be - and honestly the only thing that has been purchased that wasn't essential were a couple of flats of annuals...and I will argue with you til the cows come home that they are indeed essential!

Without a miracle, or a lot of chicken sponsors

(so glad you liked that post!  I had a ball writing it) -

I see no way to reach that goal, and it bugs me big time.

Glenco even has the big boat up for sale.

It's time to pull out all the stops.

My other big goal for this summer was to lose an additional 20lbs by the 4th of July.

(I wanted to wait until I lost a good 50lbs to talk about my weight loss journey again - I wanted you to see how truly serious I am!)

Today whilst on the treadmill I got a fire in my belly that it was all still possible. 

There's something about being in a state of sweat, pushing myself physically - that makes me feel that anything is possible.

I believe that despite having a broken wing at the moment - I should finish strong - and do my best - and not throw in the towel.

So my friends - that's what I've decided to do.

Tighten things further that can be tightened, without being a tightwad.

Giving more where it needs to be given - believing I'll reap what I sow.

It's time to dig deeper inside myself and see what I'm capable of.

I need to get good at doing things with my left arm.

I need to see this present injury as an opportunity - not an obstacle.

I shall do my best to make my goals.

If I fall short - it won't be for lack of trying.

I feel a wave of gratitude washing over me now, for all of you out there reading this drivel.

Thank you.

I feel your support and friendship - I surely do.

You dear readers, mean the world to me - and despite my sporadic blogging of late -

I think of you all so very often.

Peter McWilliams - one of my all time favorite authors wrote this, and it's going to be my warcry for the next two months.

You are powerful. Sorry. Hate to be the bearer of bad news. You are. You can continue arm wrestling with yourself, or you can use both arms, your whole heart, and all your strength to wrestle with greatness. The choice is yours."

--Peter McWilliams

Thursdays with Jayme

Hey friends! 

I'm here, I'm here!

I'm at the library, in the coziest chair you can imagine, surrounded by books.

I adore it. 

The smell, the ambience, the potential of learning and getting lost in good stories.

I've managed to live without the Internet at the house for four days now, and I've lived to tell the tale.

I can't begin to tell you how much I've accomplished, and how peaceful I feel.

As I sit here now - at the library, blogging, returning emails - I'm focused and don't feel that I should be 'doing something else', almost guilty feeling, like I did at home.

This is the time I've set aside for this.

Interesting.

This was written Tuesday, Jan. 11th

I've just finished lunch.

No - I'm joking, this is really what I ate....

I'm sitting here in my second favorite chair - hoodie-fied and covered in my cranberry and white afghan that I made for my mom, circa 1983. It’s snowing, and I’m looking out the window at the old scraggly tree near the road. It looks like it’ll topple if one more snowflake were to land on it just right.

Oh, that tree. It worries me.

Branches have fallen a few times, blocking the road. Once, right as I was leaving the driveway, a big branch -  big enough to kill me - fell. Why, it’s enough to make ya mess your drawers. I’ve measured the distance to that tree several times, with my survey in hand. It’s not mine. It’s my neighbors. I think he thinks it’s mine. It’s not. It’s his. I hope it doesn’t come to blows when it finally gives way.

Cream of broccoli soup is in the makings, and the house has that awesome cabbagy smell. Chicken is poaching, baguettes are rising, and when I finish this blog post, I’ll get up and start the key lime pie.

 Except, I have no limes, so it’s going to be Key Lemon Pie, or perhaps if we are going to be sticklers about it, I’m actually making– The Lemons Are Shriveling Up / Use Them Before They Mold Key Lemon Pie’.

 Girls, I’m up in here SCRAPING the cupboards. Not a grain of rice shall escape my scourings. I made my menu plan for the week, based on what I have here already. I shant need much at the store this week.

Not having the Internet at home is also forcing me to use my cookbooks.

I love it.

Yesterday morning when I called AT & T and asked that my DSL line be turned off – I was offered $10 a month off for a year. Temptation. Serious temptation. I hard cored it and thanked her for the offer, but refused it. She asked in an astonished voice ‘ What will you do for Internet service?’ – almost like a panic in her voice asking ‘What will you do for food and shelter??’. “Um, I just won’t have it, and I’ll go to the library once a week.’ Oh I’m a rebel folks, a real pioneer around these parts.

Think Pink.

A couple of times yesterday, I came to the computer to Google something. I almost called my cousin to ask him to check my emails.

I said almost.

I missed Facebooking about ‘The Bachelor’ drama.

*rolling eyes*

I knew Melissa should have been eliminated in the first round, and I knew that Emily would be an early favorite. 

 I've got a good knower about these things.

My heart was warmed to see that Ali and Roberto were still a couple. 

 This gives me great hope in mankind.

And ABC.

This morning – I woke up feeling awfully peaceful. I’m getting so much done. It’s nice not having the distraction in the house at the moment. I miss y’alls terribly.

 Guess what?

 I’ve gotten two, real life paper letters up in the mail this week from a couple of you!

I also had the joy of actually talking to a few of you.

 Brightened my day right up.

 It made me think of my mom – how excited she would be to get a letter from one of her sisters, or a phone call. Law – do you remember the day when long distance was so much per minute? I remember the ‘calls’ she would get from her sisters. You knew to keep yer yap shut and stay out of her way. They were so precious to her, and now that I think about it – sad really – to think now in this day in age of constant communication – how much our parents, and grandparents suffered in a way, just missing each other.

Let me just tell you this – this Pink Chicken Revolution, or whatever it is that you want to call it – my ‘Self Imposed Poverty’ – has become just as much as a spiritual, for lack of a better word, yay, even an emotional journey, every bit as much, and perhaps more than a ‘physical/financial’ one. It’s just as much as about wanting less as it is about having less. Want to save money on groceries – do I really need to say it? Eat less. For reals.

And now for some random drivel....(I apologize for the length of today's post - but bear with me - it's been four days since I've driveled!)

I had my first hot flash in my flannel gown last night. It was at 2am. I was still kinda up due to my Stash Tea Experiment and a toothache (more about that later) I wanted to find out exactly how many cups of satisfying tea one could really get out of A teabag.

 Folks – it’s five.

 For me anyhow – each time it needed to steep more – but it was five.

And to think I’ve been disposin’ of the bag after one. A pox upon me.

Five cups of caffeinated tea at 4pm is not a good idea for the Coop Keeper. Nay, ‘tis not. I couldn’t sleep. When I did, I dreamt of a projectile vomiting rabbit. I was scolding Glen for feeding it too much cardboard. I’d love to get that one interpreted.

I sleep over there on the left hand side - this photo is from Christmas - cause that would just be weird to have lights on the bed all year - seriously.

When one is in a full sized antique bed, up against the wall, in a flannel gown that is now twisted about your body every which way to Sunday, and there are enough blankets on the bed to pin you down like a high school wrestler – it’s REALLY not a good time to have a hot flash – or to be the spouse of said hot flasher. I think that’s all I’ll say about that.

On to the tooth. Or teeth. Remember my Italian mood over the weekend? Law. I made Anise Almond Biscotti. They were fabulous – until Glen cracked a molar whilst eating one. Now – it’s NOT my cooking – I’m sure that the tooth was ready to go. Homeboy wants a dental appointment. I told him to walk it off. He told me it hurt to drink his hot coffee. I told him to drink it lukewarm, or on the other side. I told him I’ve had a toothache for a month – suck it up baby!

*Ahem*

Photo from last year's root canal -post Xanax - pre gas



We both have dentist appointments on Thursday at 2:30 in the pm. His is first, so that my Xanax can take full effect before I see Dr. Dimples. I’m so not happy about this – I mean – I’m happy about the gas and all, cause it’s FABULOUS – but I’m so not happy about the financial repercussions. We’ve no dental insurance. This was absolutely not in the budget – and even though I have emergency money set back – this doesn’t seem like an emergency. I’m a mess. I actually cried for about 40 seconds after I made the appointment. It’s a setback. I thought for a minute – ‘screw it’, I’ll just do what everyone else does and get used to living with debt.

And then I thought pink.

And then I picked myself up by the bootstraps and found some shrively lemons in the fridge, and decided that if life wanted to give this Pink Chicken lemons, I was gonna make a pie.

Amen.

More Excitement

More excitement.

See - here you thought you wouldn't hear from me, and I'm up on the InterWeb being a bloggin' fool.

Perhaps it's cause I know me days are numbered.

Don't you love it when you wake up excited about life?

I woke up wishing I were Italian today - I know that sounds crazy.

I'm Irish/German.

Do you Italian friends ever wake up feeling Irish?  Do you ever wake up hankering to make Colcannan and watch Riverdance?

I want to listen to Andrea Bocelli, simmer sauce, and make biscotti.

I have to tell you - I'm feeling really excited about this 'Pink Chicken Revolution' that we are starting.

Whether you go hardcore, like I am for now - or whether you just pause for a moment before you purchase something that's truly not necessary - please join the revolution.

Please know that my 'self imposed poverty' isn't about living without - or suffering - it's just about getting priorities straight - not spending yourself on yourself - and make wise choices.

I just thought of this song.  It's how I feel right now - I know there are a lot of people reading this that probably think I'm insane, or lazy.  Do any of you think I should just go get a job?  Are you one that thinks 'Hey Nerd, put the knitting needles down and join the ranks of the employed!"?

It only makes sense, right?  You want to get out of debt - make more money!  Well - since my debt at the moment is pretty minimal, I'm more excited to cut more spending than to make more money.  I don't know if you are like me - but when I'm working - I have such a great tendency to spend so much more - I justify it by saying I deserve it, or I need it - or I'm just tired and not really spending consciously.  Plus, being home for me is so important right now - I want to be available for Aaron - should he need anything at all - I want to available to my friends, if they need anything. 

I want to be:

Available.

Peaceful.

Conscious.

Generous.

And today -

Italian.

But, that's neither here nor there -

My beloved John Lennon says it best.

The Richest Chicken in Town

It's come to my attention that some hormonal, radical Dave Ramsey fanatic has hacked into my blog, and talked about things like 'no eating out' and 'no internet'.

My apologies.

The same hacker showed up around here last winter talking about not buying Ziploc bags and paper towels.

Sheesh!

Ahhhh - I'm sorry folks - I'm that hacker, and 'tis true, 'tis true.

Last night, after reading all of your comments for the umpteenth time, and the sweet emails that you sent to me - I went to bed with the image of George Bailey being toasted by his brother Harry as 'the richest man in town'.

Truly - that is how I felt.

Well, that and a bit twitchy thinking of not having the Internet.

One of my readers - Mary - thinks I'm being impulsive - and yes Mary - you are SO right, I'm being ridiculously impulsive.  I fight my 'impulsitivity' alllllll the time.

But, I can't help to think that I need to be right now.

Glenco and I are in complete agreement (even though I keep finding him turning up the furnace to 67)

We feel so excited that barring any emergencies, we could be completely debt free in a few months.

I feel that going to the library, one of my favorite places in the world - will help me to focus on the task at hand - answering emails, which I'm HORRIBLE at doing now - blogging - and then the rest of my time at home, will be spent on things here.  I still find myself horribly distracted by the computer during every waking moment.

I have a pile of unfinished projects, two dresser drawers of yarn, loom materials galore, a basement that I've been threatening to clean out for years, and a few friends that could really use an extra pair of hands for a while.

  The quilt I started 23 years ago will be finished!

 I'm quite loving the idea of Thursday morning, after dropping Aaron off at school (he spends Wednesday nights with me) I can hop over to the library, with my Curious George lunchbox packed - and get all my blogging (I'm planning on doing a few, and scheduling the posts so that they'll post throughout the week - see!  I haven't forsaken you!) 

TV - I shall not miss you.

We are keeping our Netflix account.

Is that cheating?

I have my queue loaded to the gills baby.

It's $9 a month, compared to the $40 I was paying Directv for a horrible selection of channels.

Even when we were debt free, I had a difficult time paying for television.

Am I the only one that can't find something to watch when I have 300 channels?

I truly think that we have 'too much' to choose from in life these days.

Home phone - I'm going to miss your unlimited local and long distance minutes.

I'll be limited to 1000 minutes a month, and for my blabbermouth - that's not much.

Law - I may feel like a monk that's taken an oath of silence.

T Mobile cell phone - I can't wait to be rid of you on June 10th.

I hate your contracts and the $50 a month you've cost me for nearly four years.

1000 minutes a month and I've only used about 100 a month.

I'll finally get my money out of you for the next five months!

After the debt is gone - I'll have a home phone, and a cell that is only used for emergencies.

For me to be spending $100 a month for phones - like I have the last several years - is maddening.

I'm adjusting well to the heat change in house - and have even begun to sleep with fewer covers.  We just pop the electric blanket on for an hour before bed, and then turn it off. I actually have been sleeping better now that the heat is turned down.

Allied Waste Service - I miss you not.  I like being responsible for my garbage.  It's too easy to be a consumer, and fill the trash cans unconsciously when you come and pick up my waste.  3/4 of our trash was paper and/or recyclables.  Glen burns the paper and cardboard.  The remaining one small bag a week that we generate is thrown in the dumpster where Glenco works, with permission from his employer.

I'm beginning to live with eyes wide open.

Slowing down and being conscious.

The 'oh, it's only $30 a month for this - and for that - and this - etc.....adds up my friends.

I'm not willing to get up and leave my home everyday, to work a job, to pay for fluff.

I'm not willing to give up my nights and weekends with my husband and friends, just to work a job to pay for fluff!  I can save as much as I make, by staying home and being frugal.

And who knows - maybe one day I WILL sell my chicken drawings! Ha!

Oh, I'm not suffering folks - not by any stretch of the imagination.  I sit here now with a Life is Good hoodie on - sweet, fuzzy fleece stockings, covered in a hand crocheted afghan on a soft cozy chair, in my cozy paid for house - eating a slice of homemade cherry pie, cherries from my very own tree, and a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream.

That we all would suffer so!

I'm very excited to share this journey with you.

I'll have the Internet through the weekend, to my knowledge it'll be turned off on Monday.

I'm going to make a gallant effort at cleaning out emails by then.

I can do this.

I'll be sharing fun tales of frugality.

I'll video tape the fit that Aaron will have when he comes here Wednesday and finds no wi-fi.

I'll share menu plans and recipes with you that help me stay in the $50/$60 a week range.

I'll show you the house projects I'm getting done with things I have about the house already.

(the upstairs bedroom is almost done!)

I'll keep you abreast of my debt reduction.

And I'll draw a heck of a lot of chicken pictures.

Amen.

The Pink Chicken

I'm prefacing this post by stating the fact.

I am 'unwell'.

That's what my female relatives called it when they were 'menstrual'.

So I've been thinkin' and thinkin'.

And then.

Thinkin'.

Last night I penned

 'Twas the night before me menses and all through me brain - the thoughts they be racin' like a crazy steam train."

I want to talk to you today about something I've begun.

It started with a trickle, and now it's become a mighty force to be reckoned with.

I call it -

Self Imposed Poverty.

Now, before y'all start sending donations to my cause - please rest assured that I have plenty to eat, my bills are paid and I'm warm at times here in this drafty old barn of a house.

Let me explain.

For those new readers that may not know - I lost my job in Sept. of 2009.

Then - Glen's hours were cut almost in half.

It was ok.  We had the house and all other bills paid off.

It was discussed among Glenco and I that I wouldn't go back to work unless it was an absolute neccesity.  We were really enjoying the quality of life we had with me here at home. (translation - nice meals, clean house, clean underwear and a happy wife)

Then - due to some seen and unforeseen circumstances - we had to take out a small home equity loan.

I 'thought' I'd done everything to cut the budget.

I thought I was being all pious and frugal.

I thought.

And then the other night I had this dream, this dream so vivid and real that it's stuck with me still.  I was swimmng in an ocean, and the current was so strong, that I could barely make headway.  I kept ending up at the wrong destination.  I felt exhausted.

Last night, as I was lying awake in bed - thinking about that stinkin' dream - I realize what the current was.

It was the way of life that most of us lead.

Things that have become normal.

The way we spend our money.

The debt we incur.

The comfort level we've been accustomed to.

The things we think we need, or deserve.

Our addictions.

I feel quite compelled to fight the current.

I feel quite compelled to be a 'pink chicken' in a world of yellow ones.



Why do I feel this way, you ask?

Cause as of Feb 9th my Directv is no more (date my contract is up)

I'm cancelling my home phone tomorrow - only because I can't cancel my cellphone until June.

I turn down the thermostat to 60 at night and 65 during the day.

(in this old brick house - you have no idea how cold that feels - although cause I'm active during the day, I'm fine - and I realize I sleep better at 60!)

I have no credit cards.
I budget $50 a week for groceries.

I leave the house twice a week for errands to save on gas.

I cancelled the trash pick up (three months without it - don't miss it - email for more info if you are wondering how I do it)

I renewed no magazine subscriptions this year.

I make my own laundry soap.

I don't eat out.

As of Monday this week - I've decided to stop thrifting until my debt is paid.

I've decided no more yarn until my debt is paid.

If it's not ESSENTIAL to life itself, it shant be purchased.

Until the debt is paid.

Now, last week, I truly believed that thrifting and yarn purchases were indeed essential!

But this is the big one.

Drum roll please.

I'm cancelling my internet service this weekend.

Can we have a moment of silence please?

Thank you.

I'll go to the library once a week for the afternoon and blog - and answer emails.

$40 a month savings.

I know.  It seems so piddly, doesn't it?

It's just $40.

But $40 x 6 months is $240, and that's 4.6% of my debt.

This isn't forever.  It's just for about six months.

That's my best calculations of how long it will take to get completely debt free again.

Then I shall enter the land of milk and honey, and have the internet again, and I'll go on a fabulous tropical vacation.

My friends - if you've experienced the feeling of owing no one anything - you will understand it when I say - there is no other way to live.

I'm sick of spending money needlessly and letting that debt just drag on.

I want it ended, and I want it ended now.

Oh, I could say - Jayme, Jayme - don't be so hardcore!  Keep your internet and your phones and your tv, just pay off your debt in a year or so.

But I want to be a pink chicken.

I have romantic visions of me driving to the library with my laptop in a cute quilted cover, with my lunch packed.

Those romantic visions are often tempered with visions of  me in the corner, sucking my thumb rocking back and forth with my eyes and fingers twitching, trying to form aluminum foil into a wi fi receptor.

Call me crazy - but it's so Dave Ramsey hardcore crazy that I love it!

As I close this blog today, I realize how important you've all become to me - and how much I value your opinion, and even thought I don't want to admit it - I worry some about what you think.

I hope you'll support me in my journey to financial freedom, and perhaps some of you will join me.

I'll be posting regularly about my progress.

It ain't easy being pink.

6:00pm CST update - y'all are the best!  Never fear - my plan was to prepare blogs at home - and then at the library, schedule them to post - a few a week - you ain't gettin' rid of me that easy!!
THANK YOU!  I feel empowered and encouraged.