Author Archives: Britton

Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do or Do Without

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The title has been our mantra for years and years.  We have lived by it in order to save money but also to reduce waste.  We generally reuse anything we can and avoid buying new things for as long as possible.   This applies to everything from bedroom slippers to cars and even roofs on houses.

I have repaired our roof many times while I see a lot of neighbors just paying to have new roofs put on.  I spend ~$30 on shingles and a few hours of time.  I just have trouble letting go of the $4k-$5k on a whole new roof.   Plus, my repairs work fine….I do realize at some point however, it will need to be replaced.  I just want to hold out, “If I can replace the roof once, when everyone else did it twice in the same time frame……”.

worn slippers
It’s time for new slippers?

The avoidance of buying new stuff has left us with some pretty ragged wares.  I’ve had old sweatshirts and faded hoodies that have lived long past their time.  I have shoes held together with screws and cars held together with glues.

It has however allowed us to take the money that would have been spent on new items and put it into savings or investments.  We have found that it is much easier to do this when you have a purpose, ours being to move to Puerto Rico, rather than to just do it because.  This purpose also complicates things.  Get a new car before moving?  No way!  Get new slippers?  Will we even need them in PR?

We do eventually replace things, it’s just that we use it up and wear it out.  We try to make it do and we try to do without.   If all else fails, we bite the bullet and get a replacement.  On sale.  With a coupon.

We are planning to get new carpet for our house (it’s 11yr old carpet) but this isn’t for us per se, we are going to turn our house into a rental when we move.  As an investment we can justify the cost.  Weird huh?   We often times will spend money on something we aren’t even going to directly use ourselves!

high mileage Honda
Time for a new car?

 

Even with my car I am thinking about just getting a new motor (make it do).  It leaks oil, the valves make awful sounds and the transmission has a bad 3rd gear (I have to shift into 4th before going into 3rd).  I just don’t want to spend anything on it.  I also want to see it hit 300k.  My mtn bike had 24 gears when I bought it 14 years ago but now only has 2 usable gears…lol.

In my mind I attribute this method of thought to the depression era, or what I think the depression era would have evoked in people’s spending habits.  Hence the saying. I also don’t think we would be this way (or to such a degree) if we didn’t have our Puerto Rico dream. Puerto Rico gives us a purpose and so even when it is a sacrifice, it doesn’t feel like it because it is a goal with a purpose.  I once heard it said and believe it: “Goals without purpose are empty of meaning, while having a purpose can give meaning to any goal.”

I came to the conclusion the other day that I haven’t just been doing this with our stuff.  I have been doing it with my own body and mind.  I have used it and used it and put it to work for hours and hours without sleep and expected it to just do everything I throw at it. I have used it up, worn it out, made do and then lost my memory and so had to do without (for a while, now it’s back thankfully)!

So even with this mantra, we may have worn it out too. Sometimes we have to be willing to try new things as well. It’s all about balance. For me, I needed this time to rest and rejuvenate.  I wish roofs on houses could get fixed with just a little relaxation and rest!

A 16 Degree Bike Ride : Updated

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Well today I was given a challenge (not unlike most days).

Objective: Go to the bank.
Challenge:  It is 16F degrees.
Challenge: No driving.

I knew it was cold, but just wasn’t sure how cold it was until I started riding.  I put on all my snowboarding gear (gloves and helmet) and when I did this in the house, I thought…”Oh this is silly”.  When I got out on the bike, I thought “I am SO glad I put this stuff on”.


Spaceman?

I figured it was only about 3 miles there.  I do that easily in the summer all the time, no problem.

Holy cow!  My lungs hurt so bad by the first 1/2 mile or so I thought I was going to die.  I figured this may have been because I was out of shape, but…no…It has to be the cold air.  I ride miles upon miles in the summer and don’t ever have that much trouble…ever.   I made it to my destination and back, but it was pretty intense.  At one point I had the thought that my lungs were totally screwed and “if I died at least I have my wallet so they would know who I am”.

Maybe I over-reacted a bit, but it hurt…lol.  I am back home now and feel pretty good to have gotten some exercise.   I also have a new respect for the ability to drive a car and how easy it makes everything.   Without a the use of a car in society you are truly hindered.  I can still get stuff done, it just takes about 100 times more effort!

Also I had the thought.  It will NEVER EVER EVER be this cold in Rincon.

Update:  I had some other errands to do this afternoon.  It was 40 degrees out and I figured I’d give it another shot.  I went 9.5 miles, no problems.  I’d say conclusively that my lungs did not like the cold..lol.

The House Husband

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Due to my recent medical emergency, I have been directed by my doctor to take off two months (FMLA) from work in order to rest, recover and do tests and treatments.  I am also supposed to avoid driving, if possible.  I have just started my second week and while I have gotten a lot better with more sleep and less stress, I still feel compelled to do something, anything! with my day besides watch daytime TV. So I have become a house-husband.

I have always been the tidier of the two of us and I don’t mind doing the dishes, mopping the floors, and cleaning the counters as well as taking on the “traditional” male activities of mowing the lawn and fixing stuff around the house. Yes, I know, Cassie is very lucky to have such a helpful husband! 🙂

So even though so far it’s only been a short time off, I have been able to get into some “deep cleaning” projects that we were planning on hiring a cleaning company to do when it came time to move to Puerto Rico. Things like cleaning behind the stove and the fridge. Washing the curtains. Cleaning out the cabinets. Washing the outside and inside of the windows. Some of these were LONG past due. I have also started to sort through  more of our stuff and look at what should be sold, given away or trashed.


Nastiness Hidden Behind the Wall

Nastiness Gone

Even got new drip pans

I have begun to have a routine where I read a Spanish-language instruction booklet in the morning, take a walk and start on a cleaning project or two. Cassie meets me for lunch at home when she can. If I need something Cassie can drive me there or I can walk or ride my bike to the store that is about 2 miles away.   It has been refreshingly simpler with more time to think and rest and no rush except for tasks that I choose for myself.


My new friend Perico

We are normally DINKs (Dual Income No Kids) and so our first priority is on work and second on our after work goals like our rentals and third on everything else, including housework and health. So this has been a nice shift to reshuffle priorities a little and get healthy, ready for Puerto Rico and back up to speed.


Moving out furniture.  The living room was packed!

It has also been a good experiment for what it will be like when we live in Puerto Rico. We will be in charge of the activities of our day, which is both exciting and intimidating.  Overall, I think it has taught us that we are just naturally “productive” and will feel compelled to do something with some sort of tangible result/improvement for our having been there. While lying on the beach is great, we crave that feeling of accomplishment and achievement. So, no matter what our “titles” or spheres of influence, this break has shown me that we are sure to stay busy.

Herein Lies Schnoodle

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We have had Schnoodle for a long time, since we bought our house ~10years ago.  Schnoodle moved with Cassie from Nunn at my request.  She was such a cool dog and we had a good link from the first time we met.  In fact she wouldn’t ever let me stop petting her and always wanted more attention.  I knew she would be a good dog, and she always was.

She made friends wherever she went, and with whomever had food..lol.


Schnoodle and her friend Nikki at Christmas time

She always just fit in with us.  She could camouflage herself  like a pile of black clothes when needed and didn’t hardly ever complain about anything.  She was happy to be with us and was easily trainable by those with hot dogs.


Schnoodle in the Snow

We always tried to treat her like one of the family.  When she was younger we would take her with us everywhere.   To the store, to friends houses and she would even dress up for Halloween! We thought (and still think) she was the coolest dog ever.

Schnoodle and Cassie as Rabbits

She was already pretty old when she moved in with us and she lived a long life.  We think she was born sometime around 1997.  Cassie’s family got her as a pound puppy so some of her history is unknown.   It’s possible that she was saved from certain doom by Charlotte and the Davis family.   Justin wanted a chiwawa but got a Schnoodle instead, which I am extremely grateful about!

Over the years she started to slip further and further from us.  She used to sleep with us on the bed at our feet.  Then she started to not be able to jump up on the bed.  So she started to sleep on a pillow on the floor.  She liked that quite a bit as she was always looking for the softest places to sleep.  Eventually she moved out to the living room and slept on an old leather couch we had.  Then when she lost her eyesight and hearing she was sleeping in the kitchen right next to her food and water.   It was in these later years that she passed away after wanting to be let outside just as she had normally done.  I didn’t think there was anything unusual but went out to check on her and found that she had passed away peacefully.


Schnoodle’s Grave Marker

I learned a lot from Schnoodle about living and old age.  Even in her old age without being able to see or hear, she seemed pretty content to still be hanging out enjoying her routine of food, sleep and going outside.  I also am reminded that life, no matter how long, is too short.

She will be missed and unfortunately for other dogs will be always used as a comparison to all dogs.  I am sure we will always say things like, “Well Schnoodle wouldn’t have ever done that, she was patient”.  You will be missed Schnood and I hope you are just continuing on your journey.

Update On Me: I have my memory back and am just in a stage where I am going to try to figure out what is wrong and how to best treat it.  I have some time off work so that we can focus on it which is nice.  This is a big event for Cassie and I and I appreciate hearing from my friends and family.  It is a reminder that I’ve had a really good life and I don’t see that changing.  Just another step, another lesson and another thing to experience on my own journey.