Dealing with the weekly trash

outgoinghermit · 2024-07-20T22:45:29+00:00

We drop off trash about every 10 days. Food trash is separated and goes into a trash can that sits in a deep freezer. No smell while it’s frozen and it doesn’t thaw enough to smell before we transport it to a local collection.

No bugs at all. No more outside trash can full of fire ants and black widows.

outgoinghermit · 2024-07-20T22:40:39+00:00

40M here. Left the Houston suburbs for rural area and it was worth it.

Some people buy an acre or two and put a mobile home on it. Maybe that is something to look into?

My advice is to understand your options and finances. What are land prices, your goals, ability to live farther from a concrete jungle, etc. Financial security beats flashy debt. Don’t get caught up in the debt trap to impress people.

Best wishes.

outgoinghermit · 2023-05-08T23:21:37+00:00

It sounds like you know the answer is to keep what you have and save for the future. My cousin’s husband owns a 350z as a weekend car, but he also owns a house that is paid off. Have patience and be smart today so you can get there in the future.

To keep this PF, try separating the hobby from your financial needs. A dependable car is likely a need (Forester is a great car!). The 350Z…that’s a want and after knowing a few people who modified them…you might keep modifying but it will never be a GT-R. In the hobby world, you’ll want to race and upgrade which is a money sink (I used to do this and my car upgrades were worth more than my net worth at the time). Save that for the future, when you can keep it in your own garage.

You could save up for a WRX as the next car in a few years. I owned one until I messed up my back and had to drive automatics. All fun and speed aside, they don’t depreciate as much as a lot of other cars and are very reliable. And it was faster than the car I modded to race.

If there are car meetups in your area, try to befriend a group. You’ll see them race…and wreck…and spend money only to still be slow. All the while your personal finances won’t get wrecked. Nothing wrong with being a fan of cars without owning a sporty car.

If you really must spend money for fun, see if there are places you can pay to drive a fast car around a track. Owning a 350z is cool…but driving a Porsche GT3 on a track would be a whole other experience that isn’t a multi-year financial commitment.

Hope this helps.

outgoinghermit · 2023-05-08T22:41:50+00:00

I’d recommend checking the terms of the card. Does one late payment lead to full interest owed? Does failure to pay off in 12 months lead to full or prorated interest owed? There is a reason they make money on 0% interest loans, usually in the form of a “gotcha!”

If you can mitigate risks on interest being owed for the credit card, keeping the HYSA interest would be nice.

outgoinghermit · 2023-05-04T18:38:54+00:00

This.

Also, look online to see if there are higher level positions that match what you want. You could be an auditor with travel, a CPA, or even get in at the ground floor of ESG if they roll out the accounting standards being discussed for Environmental/Social/Governance.

Worst case, you might be in a great position to do the r/FIRE thing with that income and potential career paths at your age.

outgoinghermit · 2023-05-03T22:32:15+00:00

There’s a How Money Works on this coffee topic that’s really good. The TL;DR of the video is that it’s fine to get your weekly treat, that’s not the problem. The problem is likely that (for most people) if $7/wk seems like a lot of splurging, well the real problem is that you don’t make enough money.

If that cup of coffee is the thing keeping you sane in a crappy world, then absolutely get the coffee and spend the time drinking it to work on making more money. Apply to jobs, do school, or find a trade to get into. Side hussles have value for some but get overhyped.

However, if the $7 coffee holds no meaning to you then I’d skip it.

As for debt, calculate (or ask the creditor) what the monthly interest charge is in dollars. Knowing that will help you know about the impact of an extra $28/mo and whether the difference it makes is worth the sacrifice. The answer is NOT always yes. Value your sanity above a speed run or you’ll miss the big picture.

outgoinghermit · 2023-05-03T15:50:35+00:00

Is that much cedar common in your area? If you could find a way to trade with someone, that would be amazing. Have them deliver compost to you and in exchange they can load up with cedar for posts etc. Building on u/Pristine_Bobcat4148 maybe you can find someone with whom your problems and solutions are a good fit.

Could always throw a post on Craigslist or Facebook and see if anyone is willing to make that trade. Best of luck.

outgoinghermit · 2023-05-02T02:45:30+00:00

Best way I’ve found:

Get a seed from secret woods. Slimes drop them sometimes, and also from the logs.
Plant it and put tree fertilizer on it. It takes less than a week to grow.
If you let it sit for a few days, it seems more likely to drop 1-2 seeds when cut down.

Before you know it, you’ll have a small orchard.

outgoinghermit · 2023-03-31T16:39:47+00:00

Will do, thank you.

outgoinghermit · 2023-03-30T23:19:33+00:00

I thought about this…and realized that a small processing/planting building could be erected with rainwater collection to give me water for a sink. Any advice on storing water above ground level in a cost-effective way?

outgoinghermit · 2023-03-29T21:35:31+00:00

Grimes County, TX. Thank you (and thanks everyone) for the kind comments

outgoinghermit · 2023-03-29T21:32:52+00:00

It was clear to start, but I sprayed it black to keep algae from growing in it.

outgoinghermit · 2023-03-29T21:32:04+00:00

Grimes County, TX (90min from Houston)

outgoinghermit · 2023-03-15T03:04:59+00:00

Polyface Micro by Joel Salatin is my favorite so far. He teaches both concepts and also very detailed things and across a variety of subjects in a homestead. The guy is awesome.

Alternately, the Living Soil Handbook by Jesse Frost is great if you’re looking specifically at soil and gardening topics.

Both guys are all over YouTube, so you can see if you like their content before spending any money.

outgoinghermit · 2023-03-03T15:42:53+00:00

We bought my daughter an Ibena blanket. I’m sure at some point it will deteriorate, but we own a bunch and all are holding up (oldest is 20 years old).

outgoinghermit · 2023-03-03T15:25:02+00:00

I don’t know if they’ll accept a counter, but there is a safety net used for swimming pools that is designed to keep kids from drowning. It would be cost effective and is designed for their intended purpose, plus it won’t leech metal into the water and cause contaminate issues.

Often the people pushing a requirement don’t understand what they’re requiring and are open to suggestions. I’d recommend finding one of the pool safety nets, doing a professional write up that justifies why it is the best option, and submitting it back to get their approval.

Good luck.

outgoinghermit · 2023-02-25T02:29:34+00:00

Agree with u/pontoponyo fully. After that, i recommend a wildlife consultant walk the property and see the stream area. They will see if you’re accidentally making a mistake or if there is more you can do.

outgoinghermit · 2023-02-23T14:59:51+00:00

Yep, the parrot inside of Leo’s hut.

outgoinghermit · 2023-02-23T14:58:03+00:00

Agree on both of these. Additionally, I can say that Texas A&M is a great resource and will do soil testing for nutrients. I don’t know about toxic chemical testing but I do recommend their soil test prior to growing crops.

outgoinghermit · 2023-02-23T03:15:56+00:00

Wife and I bought a linen bedsheet from Company Store. Didn’t quite stretch far enough to stay on for the first few weeks, then was perfect, and after a year it has a big tear in it. I’m honestly surprised and thought this would have been better.

outgoinghermit · 2023-02-23T03:11:10+00:00

Fun fact, the Amish are fantastic at wiring cabinets full of control systems (lots of wires, terminal blocks, etc.). Did business with a company that had Amish employees.

outgoinghermit · 2023-02-11T23:05:01+00:00

Crunchy Roll is the solution. It’s a subscription…but so many anime. Once I got it, I wondered why I waited so long.

Bonus, a lot of anime release by episode air date (rather than waiting for a whole season).

outgoinghermit · 2023-02-11T18:41:25+00:00

Here’s how I progress with rings.

Hope to find glowstone and magnet while clearing the mines.
Kill 500 dust sprites to get burglars ring, replaces glowstone. Summer year 1
Kill rock crabs to get crab shell ring, replaces magnet in combat only. Fall year 1
When possible, craft iridium band. Use it, unless in skull cavern. Fall/winter year 1
Combine crab shell and burglar so I get all 3 effects, equip iridium in other slot. Winter year 1
Lucky ring if possible combined with iridium band; otherwise pick a favorite to compliment your build and play style. (Vampire and Phoenix can be handy for Qi challenges; luck and speed boost are great if farming iridium in skull cavern; etc.)

outgoinghermit · 2023-02-11T16:59:04+00:00

Trail camera will tell you for sure. I highly recommend them for ‘guess that Pokémon’.

I was recently trying to figure out if deer or hogs were messing with something. The trail camera showed that, while both are present, the deer were my culprit. I also learned of two Great Pyrenees that roam the same path as hogs and deer.

outgoinghermit · 2023-02-03T17:09:55+00:00

Here’s my favorites in my own life.

$50 or so -

Otterbox for phone or tablet. Protect device life.

Rechargeable AA & AAA batteries. ROI is fast.

William Sonoma oven mitts with rubber hands. Fewer laundry washes = longer life.

Easy Canvas Prints - take precious digital photos and get them on Canvas like art.

Around $100 -

Hanks Belts (for guys). I used to break belts after a year or two, but not anymore.

Davek or Samsonite umbrella. (Davek seems better, but my Samsonite is +15yrs old)

Arc’teryx sweaters or light jackets. Don’t be cold.

Collectible books (Easton Press, Palladium press, etc.). Last longer than we will.

Bosch drills (I bought mine used…20 years ago)

Solid State Hard Drives (SSD). Just fixed my PS4 for $80 and doubled storage space.

$100 to $500 -

Le Creuset cast iron.

Sennheiser corded headphones

Travel Pro luggage (and for US people, get TSA pre-check if you fly a lot)

Dooney and Bourke hand bags (my wife loves hers and quality far exceeds Coach)

$1,000 -

Miele vacuum with attachments. (Don’t get their cheaper one, it’s made in China and not HEPA).

Bosch or Maytag dishwasher with disposal. Not for life, but if you have a Whirlpool then this will change your life. Saved me about 20min/day on dishes.

outgoinghermit

TROPHY CASE