About Me

Denise T.

Denise is a freelance journalist and crafter who dreams of starting her own business-- a hometown Tiki bar. She is a former New Orleans Bourbon Street bartender.

The challenge: I can't use my primary income to fund the tiki bar. I can only use money I earn in other ways. Part of the challenge will be to develop new, creative revenue sources. It's like a pumped-up,long-term $20 challenge.

***2008 Tiki Fund goal: $1,500***
$990.56 in fund, $509.44 to go

***Monthly Tiki Fund Total***

June: $2.21
$2.21 interest on tiki saving act.
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May 2008: $98.70
$9.00 Web sales
$87.61 Google Adsense
$2.09 Tiki savings interest

For a full breakdown of Tiki fund money, visit my $20 challenge page.

***Personal Savings Goals for 2008***
$5,000 into my IRA
$2,000 into hubby's Roth IRA
$2,000 into 529 plan
$6,000 into savings account
$3,600 into brokerage account
$650 into new car fund
Total: $19,250

***Progress Report***
$4,199 in my IRA, $801 to go
$1459 to Roth, $541 to go
$1100 to 529 plan, $900 to go
$5200 to savings, $800 to go
$1995 to brokerage, $1605 to go
$357.25 in car fund, $292.75 to go
Total: $14,310

***
Debt to pay off:
Student Loan: $14,841.42
(Down from $40,000 in 2001)

***
No Drive Days (where me AND the hubby don't drive! Since May 15):2

New car fund balance: $285
For a Hybrid Honda Fit!!

***
All of these goals will be a little harder to reach this year because I am now a self-employed journalist and the hubby and I had our first baby in April. Last year, I was a staff reporter at a major metro newspaper so saving was easy.

We have always lived on one salary only. But we aren't quite sure how a new baby is going to affect our finances.

***The Big Picture***
Me 33, Hubby 35
-No credit card debt
-No car loan
-House paid off because we moved to a cheaper city

My Pages

$20 Tiki challenge

Backyard orchards? one way to get cheap fresh fruit!

March 26th, 2008 at 12:41 pm

I saw is article in the NY Times. I'm glad I'm not the only one getting ready to rip out a bunch of evergreens and plant fruit trees in their stead.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/13/garden/13orchyarding.html?...

My hubby and I have been systematically turning all of the existing flower beds around our home into mini farms. Last year, we had literally 50 pounds or more of fresh veggies, just from our own little beds. We didn't buy one veggie all summer, and we just finished the last of the pasta sauce we made from the roma toamtoes. It's one answer to higher grocery costs...

Anyway, here is the article.

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments »

5 Responses to “Backyard orchards? one way to get cheap fresh fruit!”

ceejay74 Says:
March 26th, 2008 at 02:03 pm

Wow, you're lucky. I did a community garden plot last year but got sick of having to walk over there to water it every other day. I live on the 18th floor and my only crop will be whatever I can get to grow on my balcony or windowsills! LOL. I'm hoping for bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, herbs and maybe a tomato or two!
thriftorama Says:
March 26th, 2008 at 03:02 pm

That's still a pretty good haul for one balcony. I wish I had an acre more land. We all have to make the most of what we have! Now if only I could talk my neighbors into letting me tear out the front lawn....
homebody Says:
March 26th, 2008 at 06:27 pm

We just used the last of our tomato sauce last weekend! I used regular tomatoes from my FIL's huge garden.
baselle Says:
March 26th, 2008 at 08:25 pm

One of my hobbies is to find all the existing fruit trees owned by other people. Found fruit, as it were. We have a male cherry tree, so its fun to find any female ones in the neighborhood to collect the fruit.
campfrugal Says:
March 27th, 2008 at 07:51 am

Can I have the recipe for your pasta sauce? Please.

Thrift-o-rama and the quest for a Tiki Bar

One girl's quest to shore up her personal finances and save for her own business

Backyard orchards? one way to get cheap fresh fruit!

5 Responses to “Backyard orchards? one way to get cheap fresh fruit!”

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