Am I Out of Touch?

I am watching HGTV (I think?), where they are showing first time homeowners what they can afford to buy. What I want to know is, are these people normal? Does everyone go into buying an "used" home with the expectation that they must upgrade immediately? What would happen if they lived with plastic counters for a few years before putting in the apparently necessary granite?
What would happen, if they left the original bathroom tiles intact.
I guess as long as they have the money, it doesn't matter, but...I don't get it. Why does everything have to be brand spankin' new? Or is it just because they know they are on TV and have to impress their friends?

Dunno. I'd love a formica topped, big wood cabinet kitchen from the 20's.

Things to do this weekend

I was trying to find something "meaningful" to do this weekend (because everything I do must be meaningful or lead me towards my "life's purpose" or some other high-falutin (?) nonsense, and came upon this site:

100 Things to do on a Money Free Weekend

Maybe I will find something new and interesting.

Baffled on Health Care Reform

Call me crazy, but wasn't the whole idea of health care reform to make it cheaper and easier to get health insurance?
I wanted to look for lower premiums for Liam. He doesn't qualify for shortterm care until he is two, and that can only be renewed for up to 36 months (I am unsure if you can get another plan from a different company after that), and without a parent he cannot go onto another plan. Luckily I got him on last year before all the changes took effect. But now, I am stuck with Aetna, and the 159 dollar premiums for a healthy kid are driving me crazy.
Taryn is in temporary for six month, because you have to be insured to be in cheerleading, and hopefully I will be able to renew it for awhile.
Work insurance is something like 300 for one kid or 650 for my whole family (but I don't think I can add them now that I have working there for so long). I only take home 1800 a month.

I am just so pissed off. How is it better if healthy kids can't get covered at an affordable rate?

Boo...Money woes.

A house I love love is on the market, and interest rates are really low. The problem? My credit score is low as well. In fact, just having my student loans hurts me, even though right now I qualify for income-based payment, where I wouldn't need to pay any back at my income.

So...no house for me for awhile.
Also, I was playing with the tax books, and when we get married, Karl and I will lose thousands of dollars. Right now I "pay" about 1400 in federal taxes, but I get several thousand in credits back. So I make out with about 5000. Karl gets about 3000 back. But when we get married, we lose all credits, and have to pay about 4000 a year in federal taxes. No wonder people become republicans. It is going to hurt. Personally, I would rather not get married, it just doesn't seem logical, but I doubt Karl will agree to that. He would rather lose the money and be married. Sigh.

I guess someone has to pay for all these things...and I do believe in programs such as food stamps and medicaid, because gosh, we would have had to line up at the soup kitchen while I finished college otherwise. I just wish...I don't know. I just want more money, lol.

The Garden

I had a vision. Rows of green goodness, that I would can into a colorful variety of nutrition to nourish my family throughout the winter. In reality-my dad only wants to give up a 20 by 10 portion of  his yard to the garden. And even more disheartening? I do not have a green thumb. I started my seeds. They sprouted green shoots, happily growing towards the window from the shelves and counter in my house. I dug and fertilized my garden. I attempted to harden the plants. It was a warm and WINDY day and I think it may have harmed then.
I waited a few days, and finally carefully placed the tiny budding plants in the soil of my backyard. And they died.
At the same time, Karl dug and prepared soil in a shady spot along our fence. He literally poured the seeds out in small areas. His garden is doing wonderfully.

Fair?

Interesting article

http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/08/14/raising-a-family-on-one-income-part-one/

What to do with sour milk

I had about a 1/4 gallon of milk that was getting old, which led me to look up ways to use sour milk.
Although my milk wasn't quite sour, it was old enough that I didn't want to drink it straight.

Just use a search engine, and you will find several different ways to use sour milk (not super-spoiled milk).

I chose to make some cheese. First heat the milk to boiling, then start slowly adding vinegar. As soon as it starts to "curd up" turn the stove off and keep stirring. I then poured off the liquid and let the cheese drain in some cheesecloth (hung  on a large spoon over a pitcher). The recipe said to then flatten all the juices off with a heavy pan or book, but I choose to just salt it and eat it. The texture and flavor was something like tofu. It would be good herbed up in a salad I think, or used as meat in a stirfry. Liam and I ate it up.