So, Ikea had a tent sale. The things I bought:
- A build-in gas stove top, three burners
- A range hood
- A set of three drawers
- A sink cabinet with matching sink
- A medicine cabinet
Total price: $236. They had some awesome stuff, but this stuff was the cheapest with the highest quality for the price, and the rush of people made the guys mark things down really low. The stove top alone was originally $500. Pretty awesome!
We have a really good layout right now of what we need to accomplish to get our land secured and at least my parents' house set up. I saw a refurbished trailer home for $12,000 the other day... I think I might have to delay my house yet another year in order to pave the way for debt-free living for all of us. I'm okay with that for now, unless I can find a way to finance my house for 0% interest for 12 months. So far:
- The money we'll finally get from our settlement with the truck accident will pay off the debts my parents currently cannot get out from under via bankruptcy.
- The money I currently have saved will go towards land improvements and necessities, such as a septic system, electrical runs, some gravel for a drive way, and fencing. This was going to be my house money, but I cannot do anything about needing this stuff. I can always get more money.
- The money we're earning from selling stuff is going towards our petty cash and daily expenses, as well as the pocket cash we'll need to eat off of while moving, and also rent the U-haul for the big stuff.
- The money we'll get from my father's inheritance is going towards the land itself--to get the best plot with the best location we can afford.
- My bonus from the army will buy me a truck we can use to help with moving so that we only need to rent a u-haul for one day, and any excess will go towards setting the house up for success (like, for example, buying a storage shed.)
Petty cash that we have is going to go towards setting up some things to make the place live-able and nice immediately--we have a lot of things that can make some free improvements to what we have currently. We have almost all the materials (less than $100 needed) to build our garden/party area and fire pit, the ability to make the storage unit somewhat climate controlled, and the ability to build a really cheap off-the-grid outhouse that runs off of water-harvesting barrels and solar powered lights. All of that stuff is pretty much free since we have all of the items we need for it already.
My parents will be financing the house (as they'll be allowed to own one house and one car on bankruptcy) but the land and truck will be in my name.. and after that, no more monthly payments of 950$ a month for a house that cannot hold us anymore.
Even though I'm somewhat starting from scratch, it doesn't feel so daunting anymore. The idea that the money I've already been using to pay for something I don't like (our current house) can now be shoved into a savings account for a couple years and I can build a beautiful tiny house that is in the image I intended it to be in all along. If I keep hunting I can find a decent deal for a temporary place of my own.
http://www.phoenixsailingcharters.com/rainwater.htm <--- This will be my off-the-grid outhouse. Except I'll use a pump like this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvIFMGuqBp8