Battening down the hatches

I've been down with a bad flu for over a week. Before that, I took a random road trip to Montreal for a week to visit some long-missed family members. But before that, I tackled the job of getting my tiny home ready for the winter. And now that I'm sick at home, what better time to catch up with a blog post about it?

There were a number of tasks that needed to be accomplished. My two major tasks had to do with the shed – I needed to paint the trim and I needed to close in the "eaves" of the shed. 

This required a lot of work on a ladder. My shed is high – due to some geological limitations on how deep the footings could be installed – and so I had no choice but to make use of the ladder my stepdad kindly gave me (along with all of the materials and tools I needed to close in the eaves – :). 

The last time I used a ladder higher than a step-ladder was in 2007. It was the first time in my life that I had a phobic reaction to something. About two-thirds of the way up the ladder to the roof of the house I owned with my then-partner, I froze, irrationally terrified and quite certain that I was about to die. I forced myself up to the top. Once up on the flat roof, I felt fine. But getting down the ladder again was not fun. 

So, I approached this ladder work with trepidation. Fortunately, I did not have a repeat of my past phobia. Over time, I even got comfortable with being on a ladder again. Still, I hope that my house can be built a little lower than the shed so that future ladder work can be kept to a minimum.

The shed with trim painted.

Hardware cloth cut to cover the gap at the top of the shed

Hardware cloth getting bent into shape

The eaves closed in using hardware cloth – with very inexpertly applied staples...

The next major job was to empty my tiny home of food (and anything else that might freeze). My house feels bereft with all of the things I need for daily life – clothes, food, computer, etc – removed from it.

Toward the end of the summer, I was starting to experience some pretty major issues with condensation inside my house. But since I am no longer there as a source of water vapour, the house has dried out nicely. It smells of pinewood when I visit – such an alluring scent.

My much-tidier-than-usual tiny home

I find my land breathtaking in its beauty at this time of year. When I go to visit, I find myself lingering in the peace and freshness I find there. I can hardly tear myself away.

One golden tamarack

Some mushrooms are autumn's tulips

But central heating is a thing – and I know that I am not up for trying to fight moisture and cold in my tiny house over the winter.

And so, I continue trying to figure out whether I can build a small winterized cabin there next year. More on that to come.

Debt: Getting in and getting out

A bunch of years ago, I worked for an IT department at one of the big five Canadian banks. It was probably the worst job I have ever had and I lasted about eight months.

As soon as I got there, they explained to me about the awesome perks of staff banking – no fees and the offer of a huge, unsecured line of credit at the bank's prime interest rate. I was making more money than I had ever made before (or have ever made since) and like a fool, I accepted their offer of the giant line of credit. 

Falling in, Crawling out

I racked that line of credit up about halfway - paid it off - and then racked it right up to the hilt. The money went to tuition when I was in school in Toronto, it went to rent, taxes, emergencies, meals out, trips and all kinds of "wotthehell" moments. 

I can be quite undisciplined about money. I'm in good health, I see many working years ahead of me and I have no dependents or other pressing responsibilities. This encourages me to throw my money around - I love feeling open-handed and relaxed about money. I come by this honestly, since my family is full of people who fit the description: "last of the big-time spenders". We are generous to a fault. This is something I rather like about us. It's really fun to live that way. But when the money behind that lifestyle is borrowed money, there's a dark side.

After I quit that job at the bank, the interest started to climb. They put it up and up, and with the balance climbing as well, it all got more and more painful. Eventually, it has come to feel like the proverbial albatross. 

In over my head

I'm not going to reveal the shocking amount that I owe, but suffice it to say that I've spoken to many telephone bankers over the years who are simply amazed (and probably appalled) when they realize that my line of credit is not secured against a house or other asset.

The bank bet only on my honesty and sense of responsibility when they loaned me that money. And it was a good bet. I borrowed that money in full, adult knowledge of what I was doing and I'm committed to paying it back. I got myself in and I'm going to get myself out again.

This time for keeps. 

This year, I made a plan to reduce my debt by 5,000 bucks every year until it is gone. And to protect myself against my own profligacy, I am going to have the bank reduce the limit on my line of credit by that amount each year. Hilariously, I have to fill in paperwork to ASK the bank (perhaps BEG would be a more appropriate word) to reduce the limit. Please don't let me borrow any more money from you. PLEASE!

I wasn't sure I was going to be able to fulfill my goal this year. As usual, I've made some less-than-responsible decisions with my money lately. But, work and decreased living expenses, in combination with a surprise gift from one of my generous family members, has put me in a position to meet my goal. Tomorrow morning I have an appointment at the bank to fill in the paperwork that will relinquish five grand of borrowing power. I'm painfully aware that that could be a massive trip or a down payment on a small Nova Scotian house. However, I'm also aware that I'm paying about half that amount in interest each year for the privilege of being so far in the hole.

Here's to debt freedom, folks! Five grand at a time!

How's your household debt situation? Any plans or resolutions to get out of the hole? Feel welcome to share your thoughts in the comments.

The 24-Hour Non-Sectarian Church of Banjoy Manifesto

1. Banjo music makes everything better. Need to wash the dishes, scrub the tub, feed the cat, dance, make love? Say. No. More. You need BanJOY.

2. Kindness is a way of life. One of my Mom's friends has a saying: "Be kinder than necessary." That means to everyone. As much and as often as you possibly can.

3. Like Michael Franti says, Nobody Right, Nobody Wrong. "One man got a jet fighter, the other got a song. Nobody right, nobody wrong." (I think this is the hardest one for me, as I am prone to be a leeeeetle bit judgy. I struggle with it - and it's worth struggling with).

4. Love with all your heart. When you give your heart to someone, do your best to do so fully. Love them with all their flaws and imperfections, and do yourself the same favour. 

5. Tread lightly on this earth. Limit your environmental impact. Try to avoid airplanes and cars, maintain a compost pile (or worm composter), sh*t in a bucket, shop local, avoid single-use containers, reduce, reuse and recycle.

6. The love of money is the root of all evil. Exercise caution and restraint when longing for the next toy or gadget. Is it really going to make you happy? Aren't there independent artists or rainforests somewhere who need that money more? Be generous. Let money flow. Think about the things you can live without and live without them.

7. The impossibility of purity is not a reason not to try. Yes, I still drive my car to see my boyfriend who lives a couple of hours away. Whaddayagunnado, I'm in love with him (see #4) and we don't have public transit out here. It doesn't mean I'm not still trying to be an eco-warrior. Remember Harold and Maude: "Consistency is not really a human trait." Just do your best.

8. Embrace Life. Put your TV out for Heavy Pick-up and spend your time creating. Sing. Dance. Write. Talk. Paint. Draw. Sculpt. Cook. Invent. Build. Love.

9. Make a lot of noise. Let everyone know what you care about, and that you aren't cynical or defeated, because the world needs people who hope and care. To quote Shane Koyczan "You've got to care about the world, because it doesn't care about you." And, as Billy Bragg said on Q a couple of weeks ago, "The antidote of cynicism is activism." 

10. Take personal responsibility. Not for all the problems of the world, or anything, but wherever you can. There's a lot of talk about what is wrong with the world today. And a lot of theories about how to change it. There are also a lot of actions that people skip. Think the banking world is corrupt and awful? Switch to a credit union, or invest your money directly in a local business. Think the government is corrupt and awful? Run for office, if that's in your skillset. Or support someone good to run. Or, at least write a letter to them, telling them what you would prefer to see them to do. And don't forget to vote next time.

11. The world is full. If you don't have a desperate longing to have kids, don't have them. If you feel an intense calling to have kids, I'm not going to argue with that, but if you're just having kids because that's what people do, or because everybody's doing it, or because "Whoops!", please don't. Having children is optional. Support charities that distribute birth control and birth control education throughout the world. Believe me, all of our scary problems would be way less scary if there were only 4 billion of us on the planet, not 7 billion going on 12 billion.

12. We're all going to die. Yes, all of us. Even you. And even me. Try not to be in denial about death: other people's or your own. Live your life as a celebration and make a point of coming to terms with death before you have to.