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73349

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Posts posted by 73349

    Things that are nice to have, but you could live without if necessary

    in The Chat Board

    Posted · Edited by 73349

    On 3/1/2024 at 8:47 AM, Indigo Blue said:

    I’m thinking more along the lines of simple items that we “really just don’t need” rather than “let me hunker down and make my own soap” type stuff.

    Making my own soap is probably at least twice as expensive as buying cheap soap; I'd use up the ingredients I have and then switch to anything unscented from the store. I buy unscented liquid Castile soap for body wash, dish soap, and general cleaning--detergents would be cheaper.

    We already don't drink alcohol (ETA: or soda) and rarely use meat. I totally buy $7 loaves of bread, because that's how much good gluten-free bread costs, but we're not eating sandwiches regularly. The good tortillas are over $1 each. I could definitely buy cheaper rice, but a lot of our food costs more because we need it explicitly marked gf unless it's whole, uncut produce or eggs in their shells. I'd sooner have DH stop buying eggs than buy cheaper ones. We don't go to restaurants much, maybe once a month, and we drink water with the meal.

    I take breaks from coffee sometimes because of the cost and also because it's the majority of my sugar intake. (I buy fair trade coffee plus organic sugar plus the plant milk.) I'd stop entirely if needed, but it wouldn't be enough to pay any of our actual bills.

    I know DH has a streaming subscription or two he could dump. I was too cheap to continue SiriusXM in my car, and he didn't even bother using it during the free trial in his. My main hobby is reading library books and loafing about on the internet. 🤷‍♀️ I could make sure not to spend any money on volunteer stuff. I'd probably lose money by not renewing Plan to Eat, since it's the only meal planning/grocery shopping system I've been able to make work. That's the only app I pay for.

    I could stop paying for composting service and throw more in the trash. That would net me probably $35 a month after buying plastic trash bags. It would feel weird for a while, I'm sure.

    I'd do as much as I could of the above before abandoning the family we sponsor or eliminating my already-small church contribution. Then we'd be down to DS's extracurriculars, which I'd invite him to pay for out of his savings sooner than cutting.

    Moving would be a net loss unless we found cheap housing in a remote area.

    How do you make your budget for your homeschool?

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    I keep a budget line each for "curriculum and supplies" (which also includes standardized testing), "outside classes," and my child's two main extracurriculars (one of which is a fixed amount every four weeks). I try to add each month knowing I will want to nail things down in late winter. As I pick a resource, I make a note of how much it will cost and when. I'm generally paying out of it in chunks from March through June.

    • Like 1

    Swedish dishcloths, sponges, Scrub Daddies, old-school dishcloths?

    in The Chat Board

    Posted · Edited by 73349

    I abandoned sponges, which don't seem to stay clean and usable very long (humid environment), in favor of crocheted cotton dishcloths. These do fine in the washer and dryer and hold up for years. They're just a rectangle of single crochet.

     

    I use a nylon-bristled brush for cast iron, and sometimes a stainless steel scrubber (not the kind with soap embedded).

    • Like 2
    • Thanks 1

    S/o sort of, Life with no car

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    2 hours ago, thatfirstsip said:

    A child is only in the car seat stage if you own a car. Lots of people in big cities with babies and toddlers don't have cars. 

    It's needed if you ever want to take a Lyft/Uber or a ride from anyone; and helpful if you want to travel, such as flying somewhere and/or renting a car.  Most states' car seat requirements go up to 8 years/80 pounds, whichever comes first.

    If you have a quick walk or subway ride to the pediatrician/urgent care and no plans to leave town for several years, it could work.

    Less than 10% of the US population lives in the 10 largest cities, though. In my city, as with most that boomed after 1970, you would have to select your neighborhood with extreme care and pay accordingly.

    • Like 1

    Do you have cell service?

    in The Chat Board

    Posted · Edited by 73349

    8 hours ago, Heartstrings said:

    I would expect the different agencies to investigate even after ATT has found the issue.  The doesn’t mean ATT is wrong, it’s just due diligence.  

    Right. Did AT&T exercise due care? Did they break any FCC rules? Should there be further consequences for them? This is what the FCC will be looking at.

    • Like 2

    Do you have cell service?

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    4 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

    I really urge people to look for reputable sources before declaring things. I’m definitely one to say “I’ve heard” or “I’ve seen”, but I don’t state those things as verified facts. 
    Reuters says multiple agencies are investigating the cause as of 5 minutes ago. https://www.reuters.com/technology/cellular-outage-us-hits-att-t-mobile-verizon-users-downdetector-shows-2024-02-22/

    AT&T's own official Twitter account was the source of this information.

    • Like 1

    Just thinking out loud (2024-2025 and beyond)

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    On 2/9/2024 at 7:49 PM, Black-eyed Suzan said:

    Don’t be afraid to “re-class” your son if you think he needs more time. I know several homeschoolers who have done super senior years quite happily. Look into dual enrollment rules; if he plans to DE you may want to change his grade earlier in high school. That will also give more time to keep his extracurriculars and explore potential careers while he works on the challenge areas.

    He's theoretically in 10th now, so I would be placing him in 10th again next year to maintain DE eligibility.

    • Like 1

    Just thinking out loud (2024-2025 and beyond)

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    No word on the STEM program so far.

    Three years, technical pathway, a sketch:

    2024-2025

    • math: pre-calc (likely Amelia Chan's self-paced)
    • science: environmental science (with Lauvin online?)
    • English: IEW (or tutoring if approved for a scholarship) & British lit
    • social studies: psychology (Nevid text & study guide and selected films), possibly with Thaiss and Sanford's Writing for Psychology
    • other: Spanish 3B; STEM program if admitted. Scouts. Continue tennis or try martial arts? Drop drum lessons to summer only?

    2025-2026

    • math: calculus
    • science: physics
    • English: American lit plus IEW or other writing
    • social studies: US history
    • other: DE technical courses; fall semester is last chance to make Eagle rank

    2026-2027

    • math: statistics
    • science: technical courses only
    • English: ??? depends on progress
    • social studies: economics
    • conversational Spanish (HSA?)

    Student driver signs? Partly JAWM

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    Here's the thing. For most people, their attitude when driving (as at other times) is based on the story in their minds. "I'm late for work" = faster driving and less patience, for example.

    Now, what story will they tell themselves when my 16yo is driving 42 in a 45 zone and taking turns slowly? Without the magnets, they may assume that he's texting or otherwise inattentive. With the magnets, they're informed that he's just a beginner, as they once were. This is an opportunity to revise their inner story that relies less on their personal maturity. If they want to go around, it's fine, and some do, but they're not mad about it, so they don't aggressively pull close in front of him or lose their attentiveness to the rest of what's going on down the road.

    We live in a metro area of over a million people. I'm not putting Mr. 16 on the interstate during evening rush hour, but roads are the only place to practice driving, and getting to the next level of license requires logged hours. I might as well help other people cope with a tiny inconvenience.

    • Like 14

    S/O: prepping for disasters

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    On 2/9/2024 at 4:37 PM, Melissa in Australia said:

    We all have torches by our bed. Not for emergencies but to go to the toilet at night. Why turn on all the lights in the house ? I thought this was something everyone did.

    We have motion-detector night lights in the bathroom. I can only imagine how often I would knock over a flashlight beside my bed if I kept it there all the time.

    I was raised to keep a flashlight under each sink, right in front, so it's easy to find in the dark.

     

    Carrie or anybody who knows, about how much would it cost to buy a small wood stove and get it installed? My house was built with a wood-burning fireplace and it was converted to gas. I'd like to have the gas insert removed and a wood stove put in front with the pipe going up the chimney. I don't know what professional that calls for, even--it's easy to find people who will convert wood to gas, but not the other way around.

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