#107 - Financial Adjustments - September 18, 2012

Tuesday. (this post is out of order)

My music arrived today.  I ordered “Some Children See Him” for the ward choir about a week ago, and it arrived.  It’s not the arrangement I wanted, but it will work.  I’ll need to add/rearrange a section at the end to improve it (it goes unison on the melody with simple piano accompaniment, and I’d rather it be a capella and very harmonic).  I have the same kind of thing to do for “A Baby So Small”.  It’s a wonderful song until the last page, which is just musical filler.  So we’ll end it earlier. 

We’re starting to get a handle on our finances here, which are more different than I had expected.  We knew we’d have a food cost increase.  Mostly because Christian won’t stop growing.  But partly because almost all food is significantly more expensive here.   A can of store brand peaches in the Winco equivalent here is $1.39.  Sam’s Club is $1.25.  Wal-Mart is $0.99.  Shredded cheese is best at Sam’s club.  Spaghetti sauce I just found at a local supermarket, usually $2.39 per bottle, was on sale for $1 each this morning.  So our cost for non-sale items takes more care to control, and we have to spend time to research and go to stores that have worthwhile sales.  And we have to roll that stop into a trip we’re already making.  So it’s complicated.  And in the end, it’s still more expensive than Winco as a one-stop shop. 

Another key is gas cost.  I was burning effectively no gas in Oregon, but here I have a car commute that is 2 gallons a day at minimum.  It’s usually more like 3.5 gallons.  So we’re discussing buying a 3^rd car to reduce our total transportation cost.  Without a 3^rd driver, insurance is nearly free for the 3^rd vehicle, and the decrease in gas cost more than covers the additional car payment.  Which is weird but true. 

We have seen an increase in utilities as well.  Electricity is comparable we think (needs more analysis), water and sewer come with electricity, garbage and broadband/phone are the same.  Heat is the one big question mark.  We’ve been through 2 months using less than ¼ of our oil tank, using none for home heating. 

Thankfully, clothing cost is not that different overall.  And most of the other things we buy are either a similar price here, or similarly priced at Amazon + sales tax.  And frankly, if it’s not food, transportation, shelter, or clothing, we don’t need it anyway.

So we’re starting the rebalance – it’ll take a year before we’re fully there, but the process has started.  I’m hopeful that the situation does turn out to be better than we had in Oregon.  Initially on paper, it certainly was much better.  We’ll know for certain early in the new year, once we’ve seen the heating oil usage in December. 

Fall has arrived.  This forested area is between my
office and the customer site.  Trees are losing
leaves, and aggressively turning colors.

The other big thing today was that Aria went to call-backs for the school play, Unplugged.  She said about 50 7-8 graders auditioned, and we’re guessing another 20 or so 6^th graders.  She made the call-back list of about 20 kids.  She’s either very talented or very lucky – she’s gotten nearly everything she’s auditioned for in her young life.  This is her first dramatic audition, which is significantly newer for her than music.  She said it went well. 

And because I’m writing this out of order (on the 21^st), I’ll give you the spoiler: she got a role with a name!  She’s ecstatic.  The cast list was posted Thursday night.  She plays an adult, a Mrs Bartlett.  She has a readthrough on the 24^th, at which point she’ll have a good idea of how large of a role she got.