Podcast 33
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Warning - this podcast contains extreme background purring which some listeners may find disturbing.
AJ gets down to the theme tune.
Busy week. Passed my driving test x 2. Practical part rather thrust on me – but good to get it out of the way.
Quote for work in our basement. Bit of a patchwork of beams down there. No wonder the floor bounces. Does AJ look like Karen Carpenter? Beams and steel props on concrete pads should sort it out.
Plumber. Fitting a filter. Water softener - I am not sure if we need one. Suds are not an issue.
Preparing for winter – cleared brush with rented brush cutter where veg beds are going to go. Quicker than scythe but hard work. Next stage will be to dig over some beds. AJ is in extreme pain.
Matt and AJ reduce, reuse and recycle clothes.
Voluntary work – sampling river water – inducted – start tomorrow. Have a home lab for titration and measuring the oxygen content of the water. Another sample is sent off to the lab to be analysed for ecoli – just like our well sample was (same lab) and then I change the sign telling people if the water is safe to swim in, water cattle, irrigate crops or none of the above.
Carolyn visit – Nice to see her and for her to see our house. Swapped books and DVDs and herbs.
Oak Island – Darcy O’Connor – The Big Dig – found in the library
Also in the library – book on Canadian Green Consuming – from 1998 – bit out of date (talks about lead in petrol) – It’s not easy being Green - new series in the UK – borrowed the book about the first series. It's different though as it is Dick and James helping people do green things.
Recycling – gets sent to Malaysia – like from the UK – buying bags to then recycle into.. does this make sense?
Budgeting – how much (or how little) can we live on? A couple can live on $18k (about £9k)?
Leos in Annapolis was on CBC Radio 1 NS programme - Maritime Noon?
Bad things
AJ – suffering - back, arms and biceps hurt
Matt – stress of having to do a driving test
Good things
AJ – getting things done
Matt – amount we have got done
Lots of people on Frappr - AJ does a roll call - and you and you and you. Hello to Thalia, Eva and Marc and Gemma and Jerry and everyone else too.
Over 100 subscribers now. Matt goes into freeform witter being sincere about how much we appreciate the listeners.
posted by Matthew Guy @ 4:29 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Goodness- AJ like Karen Carpenter? Whats he been doing or singing??
Looking forward to downloading podcast tonight
C x
Another lovely episode. You guys ( canadian speak) are sounding so much more upbeat now that you are getting on with it over there. Voluntary simplicity is hard work. Well done on the driving test! Look forward to hearing more. Am thinking of doing a podcast too... Any info you can give me? Anne
shims
I agree with Anne- it was lovely to hear how excited you both were...
Interesting about the financial stuff...I did a quick tot up for the 5 of us and this is what I came up with
Weekly
Car insurance, House insurance, vehicle permit, council tax, telephone, power $100
Gas $100
Groceries and extra household expenditure such as alcohol $200
Clothing and extras that crop up such as extra gas and repairs, birthdays etc $50
Total for 5 = $450
Oil costs Nov- April inc $1800
Or wood heating costs $800
So about $500 per week per 5 if using mostly wood heating
Ways we can save
Making own alcohol and drinking less of it saves $25 per week
Using solar oven from June through to end September daily saves $4 per week
Growing own veg and raising weaners saves $25 per week
Clothing we already buy nearly everything second hand so no saving there
Bare minimum is $450 per week after savings which equates to $23,400
The above doesn't take into account stuff like when your car has to be replaced etc or any unforseen probs
I love al the financial stuff...I am sure if it was just me I could live more frugally than the above but I have to take the familyinto consideration
Great podcast xx
Hi guys,
Totally agree on the recycling comment. In France the council provides all the recycle bags and indeed also the black bags. Not sure where they end up, but from what you say, probably Malaysia as well. Guess it's a case of out of sight, out of mind.
As regards Driving licence, just been up to register the truck, and I enquired about taking tests etc.. Was informed that I could just exchange my UK licence for an NS one, so I did. Was informed that this would be the process for Gemma as well. Obviously not typical, but maybe it's a Cape Breton thing.
Jerry
Congrats on the license. I went through the same thing when I moved to the states, it's dumb.
Blue boxes were pretty normal until about 10 years ago when they went to transparent bags. I don't know if it was the cost of replacing boxes or what.
Hi guys, I don't know how big a garden you plan to put in, but do consider finding someone to plough it. That will be a much easier way to break the sod for the first year.
Also, a few weeks ago you mentioned using dryer towels to deter deers. The ones we buy don't biodegrade very easily, so I don't think this a very good idea. Try rubbing scented soap onto fence posts or trees instead.
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