Recently we signed up to have solar panels installed on our roof. It's has been part of our plan since buying this house. Not only will we be producing our own energy, we will also be feeding electricity back to the grid, resulting in payment. Firstly however, we have to pay off the panels.
This new weekly expense necessitated a rethinking of our budget. It had been a little too long since Dave and I had sat down together with pens, paper, calculator and bill file, and tallied our annual expenses. But it was with great satisfaction that we added up the figures, divided that value into weekly expenses, re-named our accounts online accordingly, allocated money to savings and allowed ourselves a little pocket money too. It felt good to have worked it out together, to have a plan, to have short and long term goals. It also confirmed how the small changes I have made, like using cloth nappies and making our laundry detergent, are having a positive impact on our savings.
While we have been implementing our new budget we have been spending a few quiet weekends at home working on projects. And there have been many to keep us occupied. From building a new garden bed in the front yard, edged in bush rocks from a friends property, to planting out onion seedlings in the veggie patch. At Cohen's request, he and Dave also built a home for our old friend the possum. I found this guide to making a possum house (I hold no grudges Mr Possum, just a scar from your scratch) and the boys set to work, adding their own flourishes to the design.
Emerson and I checked in on their progress as I washed my way through the pile of laundry that had accumulated after days of rain. The veggie patch was weeded, a jacket cast off and my first pair of socks cast on while listening to an audio book. And by Sunday afternoon our tree was wearing it's new possum house, Cohen was impressed with Dada's tree climbing skills and both boys were eager to keep watch last night by torch light.
Sadly, I think it may take more than one evening for a possum to make that little house his home.
Emerson and I checked in on their progress as I washed my way through the pile of laundry that had accumulated after days of rain. The veggie patch was weeded, a jacket cast off and my first pair of socks cast on while listening to an audio book. And by Sunday afternoon our tree was wearing it's new possum house, Cohen was impressed with Dada's tree climbing skills and both boys were eager to keep watch last night by torch light.
Sadly, I think it may take more than one evening for a possum to make that little house his home.
