Some nice wood from down the street

[Stelcom66]

A couple months ago I asked if the wood from a cut down tree in the neighborhood was spoken for. It was, the guy's landlord had a buyer for it. Thursday, my friend and I used my truck to pick up a nice doghouse left on the side of the road. Being unemployed now, I figured that's the last mission for the truck for now, so I suspended the insurance on it. That evening there was a knock on the door - they guy with the wood said the deal that his landord had to sell the wood wasn't going to happen, and I could have it. I thought damn, not good timing! My insurance agent fortunately cancelled the suspension... and the truck is still insured. If I had to I would have used my old Subaru Forester, I've loaded it with wood before. Not sure what kind of wood it is - but it seems like nice hardwood, make oak? Got 2 truckloads so far, hopefully someone will be around this weekend to help me with the huge remaining pieces. I hope by next fall or winter it'll be seasoned enough to burn

I've managed not to turn the furnace on so far - in normal (employed) circumstances here in Conn. I would have by now. It does run to heat hot water, and occasionally it'll run in heating mode, but the thermostat is all the way down in night mode. Fortunately the woodstove has been sufficient - but it hasn't been too cold yet. Soon I'll probably make stew on top of the stove, a poor man's version of a slow cooker.

 

[fibels]

Nice load and great story.

 

[TheAardvark]

Good score and we hope things turn around for you.

 

[Stelcom66]

Thanks very much - just got back with some bigger pieces that I had help with. Re: unemployment, I worked in the telecom dept. for a large retailer that closed a bunch of stores, then they announced they'll be closing 100 more nationwide.

There's a few local ads for wood already split and seasoned. Maybe I'll keep the truck insurance a bit longer if there's a good very local deal.

 

[Blazing]

Nice score! Good luck with your job search been there isn't fun. I did take something away from the experience though. I live as frugal as possible even in times of plenty because I know in a second it can all be taken away again.

 

[Stelcom66]

Nice score! Good luck with your job search been there isn't fun. I did take something away from the experience though. I live as frugal as possible even in times of plenty because I know in a second it can all be taken away again.

Thank you - and you're absolutely right. I strung a clothesline outside, but now that its getting colder I may put one in the living room where the wood stove is! I've heard others say not running the dryer as much makes a difference. If and hopefully when I'm working again I'll continue to be frugal. I kind of enjoy coming up with methods. This situation is another benefit of the wood stove I never considered.

 

[Blazing]

Try not to ramble but when I was young we grew up in a single wide trailer five of us in 800 square feet. To say we were poor would be a complement lol. My mother was the queen of finding ways for us to learn and have fun while having basically no money to spend to do so. I was talking to her the other day and said "remember when you'd make us macaroni noodles with salt pepper mayo and mustard " She said I can't believe you remember that! Of course I did loved them at that time lol. She proceed to tell me that's the only thing they had in the cabinets to eat. We swam in a neighbors pond every summer and a treat was a 25 cent fudge round from the store on our way home. I'm not rich by any means now but sometimes I think we lose track of what going without is all about. Never knew we were poor and feel like those days were the best and helped shaped me into who I am. I've definitely spent some time at the clothes line and behind a hoe in the garden or picking tobacco in the summer for extra money.

 

[tigeroak]

It looks to be oak and for a good dry time if split small 2 years. I too have been out of work and in a pinch too. Since that time we learned what we can do without. We can live just fine on 600 a month. No house payment, no credit cards, no cell phone , no cable, no car/truck payments and no heat bill. We started out about 15 years ago with over 2500.00 going out before we bought food, gas and so on. So we set down and looked at what we was paying for every month. The first month we cut it in half. Got a wood stove, got rid of cable and built my own antenna[ a bow tie] and get about 30+ channels, paid off the house and the credit cards. We started with the highest bill and see what can be done to either get rid of or cut it down. Heat was the highest so we started there, then food [ now we grow most of what we use] and so on. Like I said above we can live on 600.00 a month and we bought roku and we watch or can watch over 10,000 shows or movies and we have over 300 like that are FREE plus free news. This is just a few things we done , it can be done so hang in there.

 

[firefighterjake]

Try not to ramble but when I was young we grew up in a single wide trailer five of us in 800 square feet. To say we were poor would be a complement lol. My mother was the queen of finding ways for us to learn and have fun while having basically no money to spend to do so. I was talking to her the other day and said "remember when you'd make us macaroni noodles with salt pepper mayo and mustard " She said I can't believe you remember that! Of course I did loved them at that time lol. She proceed to tell me that's the only thing they had in the cabinets to eat. We swam in a neighbors pond every summer and a treat was a 25 cent fudge round from the store on our way home. I'm not rich by any means now but sometimes I think we lose track of what going without is all about. Never knew we were poor and feel like those days were the best and helped shaped me into who I am. I've definitely spent some time at the clothes line and behind a hoe in the garden or picking tobacco in the summer for extra money.

The best parents realize that it is not how wealthy a person is in terms of possessions, but rather if their children are loved and cared for -- even if it means taking a box of macaroni and combining some common ingredients to spice it up.

We were not poor growing up, but we certainly were at the bottom of the middle class . . . but I never knew this until much later in life. I look back on my experiences as a youth now where I had to work for my new school clothes and things I wanted to buy . . . and I realize this has made me appreciate working for what I want in life and appreciating what I have instead of what I don't have.

 

[Stelcom66]

Great posts/stories - if I was a millionaire or won the lottery I'd still use the wood stove and split wood. I've always enjoyed living simply, I don't go on extravagant vacations, my vehicles are 14 & 15 years old, of course with over 100k miles. Yes, you don't need big bucks to have fun. That is so cool getting by on $600/month. Trouble with me is because of the divorce I paid the ex half the house value, therefore a big mortgage. Still paying alimony, but she's been good about that, willing to take half weekly until I'm employed. I also stopped cable, fortunately in a good spot to receive several TV channels with an external antenna - and I have Roku! Went to a pre-paid cellphone, only turn it on when I need to use it which is rare. Do have VoIP home phone service, much less expensive (but not as reliable of course) than the local telco.

I also was thinking 2 years would be more like it for seasoning that wood, probably oak. Its seems wet now. heavy as heck. My neighbor gave me a good idea for the huge pieces. One of my sons and I went to the house last night, I brought 1 of the truck ramps. We rolled (not that all pieces were all that round!) them up the ramp. As they got toward the top, I raised the ramp that was on the road to assist rolling the wood in. Gotta give credit for that idea to another neighbor, a retired engineer.

I also worked for everything I have, and glad I did. I do believe that results in a better appreciation for what you've accomplished and acquired. Thanks for sharing similar experiences and tips. Gotta get the pieces out of the truck from last night...

 

[heavy hammer]

Times will turn around. I was a bricklayer for over 12 years when the housing market crashed I was just about out of work. I ended up going back to school for two years at age 30 with very little money left in the bank. I could barely work because of the school schedule, my last semester had us taking classes till 1045 at night then back at the lineman training yard by 600. Over these two years I saw how difficult life can get, but you make it work. Life has gotten much better a great steady job, beautiful wife one little girl and the second due any day now. We bought our dream house this summer, so I'm very happy. I never forget how I got here though, I still have old pay stubs to remind me where I came from. I still drive my 96 old Dodge Ram pickup with 375k miles on her. What I'm getting at is things get better, as long as your determined. You will find work, stay humble and live within your means it all works out. Most of us here seem very resilient, no matter what just keep a positive attitude!

 

[Stelcom66]

I respect you for having such a tight schedule! Damn that wasn't much sleep. Don't think I could pull that off now at age 59. Congrats on your family - and in advance for the addition coming soon! Glad it sounds like you've got a nice place there, I assume with a good wood stove! Jeez - 375K on your Dodge! I wonder is it the 5.2, 5.9 V8, or more likely the 5.9 L6 diesel?

Thanks for the encouragement. When you start discussing the situation its surprising how many others...including many you'd never think, were in the
unemployment situation. You can never be too complacent. The company I was with came to me and offered me the job 9 years ago. I thought I'd retire there. As you and others have said, keep a positive attitude and proceed accordingly.

 

[firefighterjake]

. . . I also stopped cable, fortunately in a good spot to receive several TV channels with an external antenna - and I have Roku! Went to a pre-paid cellphone, only turn it on when I need to use it which is rare. Do have VoIP home phone service, much less expensive (but not as reliable of course) than the local telco.
...

We dropped the cable TV (and satellite TV before that) . . . my wife primarily watches TV with the OTA antenna since there are now so many more channels and the quality tends to be very good. I tend to watch most of my TV with the Roku and Netflix.

Cell phone is a pre-paid Tracfone which we rarely use except on trips or for emergencies.

Home phone service is VOIP through Ooma and honestly it's been much better in terms of quality and reliability than the local small telephone company who pretty much said the wiring on the street was quite old and prone to failing with big changes in temp.

 

[Stelcom66]

Ooma here too. So far so good with them. Interesting the traditional telco line wasn't all that reliable. Makes sense considering the wiring could be quite old compared to coax and fiber. You can save significantly with groceries too. I watch for Buy 1 Get 1 (sometimes get 2) Free sales, especially good for non-perishables like pasta. Fortunately there's a grocery store chain in my area with good discounts, you bring your own bags and bag yourself.

I'd usually have some fire starters on hand - would just use them occasionally. They're out of the budget for now. Fortunately the local newspaper gave me a discounted rate after I explained my situation. They offer a digital subscription, but of course I use the paper first thing in the morning to start the fire. Last year I put up curtains around the stairs to prevent the warm air fro going to that unused floor. It's surprising how warm it was up there before I did that.

 

[heavy hammer]

It is the 5.9 diesel a great truck, not the prettiest looking anymore but always starts. She is still a beast of a machine. I have two stoves at our new place the kuma in the basement came from selling my 385 gallon aquarium this summer. The summit insert was from all the overtime they had us work during the RNC, this summer. I thought I would be a bricklayer for forever, but things change. When things like this happen in life you start to realize what is truly important and find a way to make it work. I know it will turn around just keep at it, determination is everything!

 

[Destructor]

Growing up we were fortunate enough that my father always had a good job which allowed us to live right smack in the middle class but my grandparents lived through the depression and that rubbed off on both my parents which also at least partially rubbed off on us. That’s one reason we had a wood stove, why pay for oil when there are woods right across the street and my brother had access to the old cedar fencing from when he worked for a fence guy. I spent many weekends dragging logs out of the woods and breaking up old fencing. My friend I grew up with in the neighborhood did the same thing. His father had him also dragging logs out of the woods. I’m still very thrifty and still drag logs out of the woods, AKA cheap. Good luck in your job search.

 

[kennyp2339]

Thank you - and you're absolutely right. I strung a clothesline outside, but now that its getting colder I may put one in the living room

I do that in my basement, the down stairs smells so good afterwards, just use a little extra fabric softener and ur good to go.

 

[kennyp2339]

The summit insert was from all the overtime they had us work during the RNC

Ahh, you work for FE..

 

[Dobish]

growing up, I was fortunate enough to always have food on the table, milk in the fridge, and a nice comfy bed to sleep in. With my parents being divorced and my dad living half way across the country, i never realized just how little he lived off of. We would go out and visit him for the holidays, or the summers, and while there was always a project of some sort to do, he also made sure that every time we went out there we did something special. it may have been a fishing trip, or visit some friend's cabin, etc. I can count on 1 hand the number of times we went to an amusement park, a movie, or a toy store. When i was younger, I never noticed, but now that I have my own children to provide for, I appreciate everything he did for me and it means so much to me. A few years ago, he came out and helped me with my house. He spent 5 weeks with us, did a ton of work on the house. About a year later, he called me up and asked if I wanted his truck. When I said yes, he drove his truck out, full of tools, old toys, a canoe, and other stuff that he thought I would like. I bought him the plane ticket back, and he's so grateful that I am using his 94 chevy as my daily driver.

My mom and stepfather always made sure that I had new shoes for school, new clothes, and enough to eat. They were by no means rich, but easily middle class. Just because they could afford it and I wanted it, did not mean that I got it. Since I was 13 years old, I have been working, doing odd jobs, washing cars, etc. My parents gave me a car when i turned 16, but I was responsible for the insurance, the gas, and the repairs. It also helped them out, because I was able to drive myself to all of the things that I needed to do. When I was in college, I worked 2 jobs (1 from 4:30am-9am 4 days a week, the other was 7am-6pm on saturdays and sundays), while going to class full time. I was able to pay for school without loans, and I was exhausted but I did not have any other choice. When I was looking at buying a house, My parents were able to loan me the money at a better interest rate than the bank for the down payment, but I was expected to pay every penny back on schedule. I remember when I was late on a payment since I was living paycheck to paycheck and my car had to be repaired, they didn't let me skip it, they made sure that I recalculated the remaining interest on my payments and adjust so I did not extend the terms of the loan. I know that they are more than willing to do whatever I need, and if I were in trouble, they would be there, but they have also taught me the importance of being fiscally responsible.

My wife and I bought a house that needed a ton of work, and everybody thought we were crazy (we are.... but that's a different story). We went way over budget, even though we did most things ourselves. We were trying to put 2 kids through daycare, both working full time, and working on the house. There were quite a few months when if it weren't for the garden, we would have not had fresh vegetables. We were feeding a family of 4 on a little over $200/month. We came really close to getting ourselves in trouble with credit cards, but we were able to keep each other in check and stuck to our budget. We took advantage of free days at museums, the outside parks, and projects around the house to entertain ourselves and the kids. We are teaching our kids about being responsible with money and the environment. We save money by burning wood (our average bill is $100/month less than before we put in the stove) and growing our own veggies. Our kids have toys, but most are hand me downs or thrift store finds, and they enjoy them all the same. We made a menu for our meals, made a budget for our groceries and our bills, and did what we could to eliminate debt. We sold a car that we had a car payment on and bought an older used one for cash. We came up with a list of projects and organized them by priority and costs, so that we could focus on the free projects while we had little additional funds.

We love each other, we find plenty to do that keeps us happy, and we realize that we are more fortunate than others. We have a roof over our heads, we have jobs, and we have food on the table. And of course, we have a nice toasty house (now that we have a wood stove!)

 

[Dobish]

and on a totally different note about wood from down the street, the other day, I literally rolled a piece that was too big for me to lift into my truck down the street to the splitter

 

[kennyp2339]

I literally rolled a piece that was too big for me to lift into my truck down the street to the splitter

Now that's dedication to the cause

 

[Dobish]

it was the back right.... thing was HEAVY!

 

[heavy hammer]

Yes I've been a lineman for them for over five years now.

 

[kennyp2339]

Yes I've been a lineman for them for over five years now.

I'm 11 yrs at JC

 

[heavy hammer]

Nice so you know how easy it is to get firewood from rightaways. I was up there for hurricane sandy