Barons April 4th Update

We’re at the point now where I can’t keep ignoring that our finances really aren’t good. If we didn’t have what seems like constant unexpected expenses we would be ok, but things always come up. Ever since my food blog went down by half four years ago my business just hasn’t made enough money. And I’m getting tired of going to all the effort to try new things and have them cost me more money than I make.

My plants business is doing pretty well but it’s only bringing in about the same amount of revenue as the food blog has gone down and that business can only do so much because I have limited space and time. Plus, the market has really gone down in the last year or so.

I want to keep selling plants. I’m too passionate about it to stop – but I’m really feeling like I need some income coming in that’s guaranteed. That I can just go to a job and know I’ll earn money for sure.

I’m not super excited about the idea of getting a “real” job but I think it could work out. In order to make time for it I would need to cut the time I spend on my business down to just selling plants. Then the idea is to work from 1-5 pm or so on weekdays so I can do my plant business in the morning and Norm gets off work at 3 pm, which is when our children start getting home from school so he can keep things under control from 3-5 pm.

One of the tricky parts is a vehicle. Right now Megan works from about 12 pm to 5 pm but in the summer she wants to work from 7 am to 3 pm. Norm runs errands or takes children to tutoring, etc. most afternoons so there isn’t a vehicle available in the afternoons. So I’m trying to find a job close enough to home that I can walk there, ride a bike, scooter, or take the bus/UVX. That really limits my options so it could take me a while to find something that pays enough, isn’t open on Sunday, is something I enjoy and am qualified for, etc.

Too bad I don’t want a job in food or retail because that’s what we mostly live by. I have applied for a few jobs so far but I’m not super excited about any of them. Let me know if you know of any great jobs nearby!

I’ve been practicing my flute more lately just because I enjoy it and several opportunities to play it have come up in church so that’s been fun.

Kayla really enjoys singing and wants to pursue it more so she started with a voice teacher two weeks ago and she really likes her.

Here is a photo of Megan at her latest concert –

Ruby volunteers at Scera and really enjoys it. Kayla just started training last night so she’s going to start subbing at the indoor Scera so she can be ready to go at the outdoor Scera Shell and hopefully work concessions since she will be mostly trained by then.

Kayla wants you to know she made the High Honor Roll again. All my other children are doing well in school too but their schools don’t have honor rolls.

It’s spring break for us this week. Yesterday and until tomorrow morning it’s supposed to be snowy – but then it’s going to finally start warming up and be in the high 60’s by next week. We don’t have much planned this week, which I enjoy, but my children don’t. So we’re going to have to do something fun. Does anyone want to do something with us or have fun ideas?