Friday, May 15, 2009

Shopping Won't Make Me Happy

Here's what is left of the pie that my renters dropped off at work yesterday, after my co-workers got a hold of it. I'm surprised there is any left at all. I think one fellow ate half of it by himself! It was good though.

Besides the pie eating, work went very very slow. I think the clock started to move backwards right around 3:30. I don't know why but I started to day dream about buying a manufactured home.

That's crazy. Why would I want to go $30-60k in debt when I am so close to paying off my mortgage and being completely debt free? I am perfectly comfortable in my RV. What I want is a little excitement but while making a large purchase is exciting initially, making those payments every month is not. I want a horse too. THAT would be exciting. But I'm not ready to get up early and take care of the horse and then come home after work and take care of the horse. I don't have enough time to enjoy a horse yet.

I need to think of something else to do like go visit my family. Unfortunately, Memorial Day weekend isn't going to work out and I don't think the 4th of July will either. That leaves Labor Day weekend. That's so far away! Having only 2 weeks vacation for the entire year really stinks. :( I am 2 1/2 years away from getting 3 weeks vacation (assuming I am still at this job). By then my mortgage will be gone and if I'm still working I'll have money to spend. Unless I spend it all on manufactured homes and horses!

14 comments:

Over the Cubicle Wall said...

You could go horseback riding, or just go to the local humane society and look at the animals. Or the zoo. I like the mindlessness of Summer movies for a little escapism too.

Daizy said...

Thanks for the ideas, of course I have excuses for all of them. :) Horseback riding costs $25/hr just down the road. I can't bring myself to pay it for a slow trail ride on an onery horse. If I go to the humane society I will bring home a pet. That would be bad. Kitty would not like it. It's 100 outside so the zoo is out. I'm not a movie theater person. Maybe I should get Netflixs for the summer :)

moocifer said...

Last week a friend told me that there are pickup Ultimate Frisbee games near where I live on Friday nights. I went tonight and it was really fun, reminded me what it is like to *play* with other people like I used to when I was a kid and which I haven't done in 20 years or so. Of course, we also stopped in a local tavern afterwards and talked for 2 hours, and I ended up spending $15 on beer and some food, but it was worth it--and you could do something like that and skip the bar part.

Maybe there's something like that where you live--frisbee is good because of all the running, but soccer or softball might work too.

moocifer said...

Okay, maybe Ultimate Frisbee in 100 F weather is not a good idea.

Daizy said...

Haha Bugbear, the first thing that popped in to my head was playing frisbee in 100 degrees and dodging cactus. Now THAT would be exciting!

Alex K said...

I know the solution to your problem of wanting something new and exciting. Just buy something new and exciting (new to you anyway). If you buy it used and get a great deal on it, you can play with it till your heart's content. Then sell it, possibly at a profit. Use the money to buy the next object of your desire (used of course). If you are patient and wait for a great deal, you can have whatever you want until you get it out of your system. I've been doing this for years and the result is I want almost nothing now, I am content with what I have! I've owned countless motorcycles, boats, various useless gadgets (like a segway scooter) and got it out of my system for the most part.
It helps to be mechanically inclined and you are.

Lizzie @ her homeworld said...

Two weeks holiday each year is criminal. Is it normal? I know we have had this conversation before but I am still astounded.

Get a part time job at the zoo & you get to play with the animals without paying/bringing any home. I would work at the zoo in an ideal world. So cool (and also hot in 100 degrees)!

Petunia 100 said...

I haven't been reading your blog long, so if you have discussed this before and don't want to repeat, please just point me in the right direction.

Do you plan to live in your RV long-term? Do you plan to travel in it? Do you plan to keep your house long-term to provide you with rental income? Do you plan to put a manufactured home on your land eventually?

(I am just fascinated by the unorthodox way you are living, and I admit your lifestyle pops into my head regularly, and I mull it over. Thinking about possibilities for myself.)

Thanks.

Daizy said...

Alex K, that is an excellent suggestion. I believe you have suggested that before. Every time I read it I think it is great and then I forget about it. I hope to use that strategy as soon as I think of a toy to buy...like a camper maybe.

Daizy said...

Yes, Lizzie, it is sad but true. 2 weeks to start is the normal vacation time. My last job gave us a day or 2 more each year. I was up to 3 weeks when I left. My new job started with 2 weeks and 2 personal days. But then they started having mandatory vacation days so I had to use my precious days when I didn't want to. They used to only give 3 weeks vacation after 8 years but they changed their policy last year to be 3 week after 5 years. Still a long time to wait though.

Daizy said...

Hi Petunia, I am happy to answer any question that you have. I forget that I don't have everything spelled out on my blog for new people. Part of my problem is that I haven't made up my mind yet. I have plan A, B, C...etc..
To answer your questions, no I don't plan to live in this RV long-term. I would really like to get on solid ground instead of tires. This thing really gets rocking in the wind. I want to buy a small camper that I can pull with my little truck. I can't pull this big thing. Funny, I was just going to write about little campers again for my post today. The little camper will be for travelling.
Yes, I plan to keep the house as rental income. Unless the housing market goes wild again and I can get a lot of money for selling it, but I doubt that will happen any time soon. I can get $600 from rent to pay my basic living expenses which are $600. That will give me a lot of freedom when the mortgage is gone.
The manufacture home question is still up in the air. The old mobile home that is on the property needs a lot of work, or I could just replace it with a newer manufactured home. It depends on how much work I want to do and how much money I want to spend.
Then there is also my idea of renting out the mobile or manuf. home for more income and turning my shed in to a mini-house for myself! So many choices!

Big Sis said...

Daizy, how about putting your plan into the "about me" section so newbie readers can catch up more easily?

Daizy said...

Well, Big Sis, the reason is that I don't know what my plans are. I just have lots of options. The only concrete plan is to pay off the mortgage. After that I don't know what I will do. Every time I start to think about it I get overwhelmed.

Phoemela said...

That's right, better spend your money in manufactured homes, because it is a good investment that you and your family will benefit.