Laundry Day!!!

Today is laundry day...

In the past I have always dreaded laundry day. Driving to the laundry mat, paying to wash clothes, waiting for them to wash, paying to dry, waiting for them to dry, then lugging them home to fold was just too much of a task! I hated it!!!

Now that we are living in Truckhouse and living on a limited budget, I wanted to find a way to do laundry that was not only cheaper, but more environmentally friendly as well. After a lot of search on the internet I found our new washer. It super simple and doesn't require anything except at least a 5 gallon bucket and a very tiny amount of laundry soap!

Today was our first day getting to use our new washer and it worked out perfectly! Here is how it works:

1) Get your bucket and Mobile Washer ready!

CHECK!

2) Fill the bucket with clothes, water and your detergent! (If you use the recommended 5 gallon bucket, it only takes 2 gallons of water and about 1teaspoon of laundry detergent)

CHECK!!!

3) Grab your washing machine and move it just like you would a plunger. It works by pushing and pulling water through the clothes, which according to the website, is a powerful cleaning action that will actually pull out residual detergent that is left by electric washers!

                              

CHECK!

4) Once you feel like you have "agitated" the clothes enough, you dump out all of the dirty water and refill the bucket with clean water. You then have to do the process over so you can make sure all of the detergent is out of the clothes!

CHECK!

5) Dump all of that water out and ring out the clothes and hang them to dry!!!

FINISHED! well, minus the whole folding and putting away stuff.

I have to say, this method of doing laundry is way more appealing to me than how we used to have to do it! This way clothes are getting very clean, we are saving water, using less detergent, I'm getting an arm workout and we dont use any electricity in the drying process!

This is also very wallet-friendly. I believe we paid about $27 for the washer, shipped. This thing will pay for itself after about 2 weeks of us using it. The laundry mats were expensive back home... now we don't have to worry about wasting gas getting there and I also dont have to worry about finding quarters!

You guys should all look into getting one! Eco-friendly, wallet-friendly and it gives you a workout! Also, who doesn't like the smell of your laundry after its been out drying in the sun all day? The list of pros can go on and on!!!

Have a great day everyone!

Love,

Megan, Heath and Taz!

Hubcab, Bacon and Kenny Powers

Where to start!!!

Well, we finally got the Truckhouse registered (a whole blog post in itself, I will spare you the details) and we are officially out of Nashville! We spent a couple days at my mom's house getting stuff together for a yard sale and had that last weekend. Monday is when we really started living out of Truckhouse! 

We are currently staying at Dogwood Lakes in Dunmor, KY. This is where my family has been camping for years and years! My parents keep their camper here year-round. Its a pretty classy place.  Haha. During the week it was pretty relaxing and calm. We were almost the only people here so we had the whole lake and beach to ourselves most of the time. The real fun started Thursday night and into Friday. 

Just a few highlights from this week/weekend.

1) Fish literally tried to eat the mole on Heath's back. It was pretty funny, the first time anyway. The 2nd time resulted in this....

Gross, I know. But, after the 2nd vicious fish attack, we now keep a band-aid on it so we don't attract the little fishies with Heath's mole bate.











2) You always meet a few characters while at Dogwood. The first, we didn't actually meet, but heard his name over and over again. His name is "Hubcap"   If we matched the right person with the name being yelled over and over again, this Hubcap character had what we thought was a pretty awesome rat tail. Turns out, it was just a really long pony tail with the whole underneath shaved.



I kind of wish we could have seen this rat tail in person..... haha. Awesome.









3) Heath swears that if Kenny Powers was modeled after any human being, we witnessed that human today. I was completely disgusted with this individual. He told his son, maybe 3 yrs old, that he was a "punk-ass" and needed to go see on the bench. Later, the Kenny Powers of Dogwood argued with his woman over how the young boy should learn how to swim.... I don't think there has ever been a time in my life where I wanted to punch someone so bad....




Kenny Powers, in case you needed a reference...





4) On a lighter note, we met a pet pig whose name is Bacon. The guy who was carrying him around told me he wanted to get a boy pet pig and name him Porkchop. Yep. Bacon and Porkchop. He also told us his story of how he went "up to Tennessee" one time to get a pitbull.  Keep in mind we are in KY, TN is not "up"

5) In case you didn't know its been super hot. We have luckily been able to lounge in a lake or under the shade all day. We have no AC in our camper and we are making it just fine! Thanks to my awesome parents, this is what our camp looks like:

That badass PBR hammock was our Christmas present and the canopy was our "going away" present! My parents are the greatest!












Here are a few shots of how we have been spending our life recently!!!! Enjoy!

Happiness and Money

So, the one question that I get over and over again about our adventure, which is quickly approaching, is "What are you going to do about money?"

I feel like people automatically assume we won't be able to do this without a ton of money saved up. Most people say "I wish I had enough money to do that.." Since when does money rule our lives? And more importantly, why would you let it?

I'm not sure if you guys know this or not, but I'm not a millionaire. I don't have money growing on trees. And to top it all off, I'm quitting my job. I know, I know... what am I going to do? The answer is simple... I'm going to live my life the way I want to, not the way society says I should. I'm plenty capable of living a happy fulfilling life without a steady income or a huge pile of money lying around, and so are you. All you have to do is live within your means and not buy stupid unnecessary things for no reason.

We are going to be living out of an ugly unique RV that we only paid $2000 for. Yes, our house for the next chapter in our lives only cost us $2000. We are going to be saving a ton of money by living in our RV. This means no mortgage payments, no electricity bills, no internet bills, no water bills or any other bills that come with living in the standard house. We will have gas and food to pay for. Other than RV insurance (which we will pay upfront), those will be our only constant bills. Its small, but its perfect. Its all that we need. 16ft home with a bathroom and a bedroom. We don't a 6 bedroom house with 4 bathrooms and a bonus room to be happy. We are minimizing our possessions to the very minimum. We don't need 3 closets and 2 dressers full of clothes. Its just not necessary. And those things don't bring us happiness.

I like to think that the people who really know me, know that money is not at the top of my priority list. I very rarely pay full price for anything. I hate paying over $10 for any item. Goodwill is my main source of clothing, shoes and furniture. I wear things until they fall completely apart. I take advantage of the free things in life. We like to go on hikes and ride our bikes everywhere! We take advantage of the free parks/wild life areas. We don't find much joy in things that usually cost a lot of money. I can't tell you the last time we actually went to a movie theater and payed to watch a movie. We would much rather wait until it comes out at Redbox and pay $1. I'm much happier watching a movie at home on my couch for $1 then paying over $20 to watch it in a theater with a bunch of annoying people who chew too loud and make too much noise opening up their candy and drinking extra large cokes. (people wonder why so Americans are obese)

Sorry, got off subject there.... my point is Heath and I don't need money to be happy and to live a fulfilling life. Without all of the material things in life, we are going to be able to enjoy the things the world has to offer. I can't wait to not have an iphone so I can have a conversation with someone and really listen to them without checking my phone. I've honestly become disgusted with how attached I've become to certain things in my life. When we leave on this trip we are going to have each other, our dog and America. That's it. I'm absolutely positive that will be enough to keep me happy. I'm not going to miss the constant negativity on the news or on Facebook. I'm not going to miss getting lost on the internet for hours on end. I can't wait until I actually have to call my friends/family to check and see how they are doing instead of sending a comment on facebook. I can't wait to send snail mail to anyone who wants it! I can't wait to enjoy life the way people did before money became so important.

Money doesn't buy happiness. Read this article about a study just released proving it doesn't always make you happier.

With all of this said, if you are still overly concerned with how Heath and I are going to survive in this world without a steady income/huge savings account, please feel free to ask me for my paypal account and I will be more than happy to take some of your "happiness" from you.

-Megan

Progress! Progress! Progress!

Well, we are finally making progress on the TruckHouse. Which is good  necessary since we plan on leaving sometime next month. Time is just flying by!

Oh, so something really awesome happened and we got  a codes violation sticker on the camper a few weeks ago. They claimed it was an abandoned vehicle and if we didn't move it in 10days they were gonna confiscate it and destroy it. Jerks. So, thankfully, my parents are letting it live in their driveway. Unfortunately, Heath has to drive to White House every day to work on it now, instead of just walking to the street and working on it. Oh the joy.

Anyway, remember all of that god awful interior? Well, its all gone. Every last bit of it. Heath successfully gutted the entire camper. Things that are gone and never coming back: stove, big refrigerator, water heater, tv, microwave and shag carpet. Unfortunately we also had to take out big chunks of the floor due to water damage. It was a little more than we had originally thought, but we Heath is dealing with it.

 Hey there ground.                                                                          

 Oh, see that thing on the right? Thats our bathroom/shower. All one piece. Gonna be fun taking showers while straddling a toilet.

Positive note: We have a new floor! And our sink is connected and thats our new mini fridge (Thanks mom and dad)!

Also, we did score a free new bench (a seat out of an old van that had literally never been used). Thank you craigslist. It should work just fine. The previous bench was just completely ruined from a leak. 

I think the next step is to put some carpet on the walls/floors and go from there. Heath is being such a trooper and I am so thankful for him!!

So far we have only spent about $200 on materials and the camper itself was only $2000. So, we are hoping to have our new home up and ready for around $2500. Not bad if you think about. I'm dreaming of the days where I don't have to pay rent or electric/cable/internet bills. That freedom will be oh so lovely.

Hurry up next month!!!!

Our plan as of now is once we are out of our apartment and the camper is ready to go, we are going to spend some time at my parents campground in good ol' Dunmor, KY. We have a site that is already paid for . This way we can test out living in it and making sure we know how to work everything properly. Then, my dad will be coming home for Afghanistan for about a month. Really looking forward to seeing him. We plan on starting the real adventure towards the end of July. 

We are getting more and more excited/anxious every day. Thank you all for all of your support and love!

DIY- Hula Hoop

I think hula-hooping is one of my all-time favorite past times. I used to win contests when I was just a little Megan. Even to this day, I still pick up a hula-hoop anytime I come across one, which happens a lot in the summer with my nieces and nephews, and now every Sunday when I teach a pre-k class. I pretty much hula-hoop every week.

I finally decided I needed one of my own. They can be a little pricey so I just googled "make your own hula hoop" and found everything I needed! With the help of my fabulous babe, Heath, I know have my very own hula hoop!

Here is how we did it!

1) Supplies: polypipe, electric tape and some kind of fitting depending on the size pipe you use. We had a hard time finding polypipe, so we ended up with this pipe from Home Depot. Its called Sharkbite and its found in the same aisle as dryer hoses and things like that. The fitting (ours is sharkbite as well) can be found in the same aisle. Electrical tape can be pretty pricey for the really pretty stuff, so I settled with the cheap standard colors! :)

 2) Cut the pipe the size you want your hula-hoop. You will want the pipe (when round) to reach between your belly button and shoulders. The smaller it is, the harder it is to keep it up and therefore a better workout!

PS. My babe is so so cute.

3) Take self-portraits with your adorable pup Taz.

**This is will be the pup we take with us on our adventure!!!

             

4) Warm up the pipe so it can bend and fit around the fitting.
  Im not really sure what I'm talking about here, that's why I keep Heath around. :)

5) Make it into a circle! 

Obviously!

6) Test it to make sure its gonna work!

-See, I'm a hula-hoop pro!!

7) Decorate. 

Of course this was my favorite part.

FINISHED PROJECT!!!!!

Seriously, hula-hoops make me so incredibly happy. It's the small things in life. 

I couldn't resist posting this picture of our favorite little animal! Isn't he just the cutest. He is also the weirdest animal we have ever met!

So, there you have it! A very cheap (i think everything cost maybe $10) and unique hula hoop! 

Have a great Thursday everyone!!!

Favorite Travel Destinations?

Happy Tuesday All!!!

Since we leave in such a short amount of time (only 4 1/2 months!!) I have decided that I want to start compiling  a list of "Must Sees"

Of course, I could always just go to that handy little search engine, Google, and find anything I want, but what's the fun in that!? Plus, we won't always have access to the internet on the road, so we will have to resort to good ol' pen and paper! (oh no!!)

We plan on sticking to the highways and not the interstates, which is good because I don't think our TruckHouse is going to like going more than 55mph, and really, who would? Think about how much beauty you miss out on while you are just zooming past everything this world has to offer!

So, do you guys have any "must see" spots in the US? What are your favorite travel destinations?

Share away, everyone! We need as long of a list as possible because we plan on being gone for... forever :) 

Love! 

Megan

Debt Free

Finally. I'm debt free. Well, almost... the check has been mailed so I think it close enough for me to celebrate! Such a great feeling! 

This isn't quite how I feel about being debt free, but you get the picture.

Now, its time for the major saving to start. We plan on leaving in a very short 5 months. Hopefully I will have enough money saved so I can take pictures like this: 

We haven't really set a goal for how much we would like to have saved before we leave, just enough to leave. HAHA! Luckily, we have found options for once we are out on the road that we can do when we run low on money. Of course, we can always just park and get regular jobs, like serving, for a few months or we can become part of a program called workamping. Workamping has the potential to be my favorite thing! All you do is sign up to be apart of the website and then they show you all of the available job sites that are willing to give you a free campsite in exchange for work in their office (KOAs and other campgrounds). You can work extra hours to earn an additional pay check as well. We will probably go ahead and set up camp somewhere warm in the winter time so we can get some extra money! 

I keep looking for some kind of work that I could do from the RV and get a steady income. Every time I look, I just feel like they are all scams. Anyone have any ideas or success stories with things like this?

Also, considering getting a part time job for nights and weekends to earn a little extra cash. So, if you hear of anywhere hiring or if you have any side jobs you need done, you just let me know :) 

Love!

-Megan

You don't use shampoo!?

So, as we are preparing for our new adventure we are trying to simplify our lives as much as possible. We are doing the normal things such as: getting rid of clothes we don't wear, things we don't use or just don't need. My ideal goal would be getting down to 100 possessions or less! I read about the concept in a blog recently, and I have been thinking about ways to do it ever since.

One other way I have been working on simplifying my life is by not using shampoo or conditioner. As you all know, shampoo has so many chemicals in it that, lets just face it, aren't necessary. Not to mention, its expensive and most of time doesn't do what I want it to. I came across a great blog that outlines all of the harsh things that go into shampoo and some great advice for going 'poo free. Basically, you use baking soda mixed with water as your new shampoo! Baking soda is all natural and oh so cheap! I've been 'poo free for a little over a month now and I absolutely love it. Of course, it took a while for my hair to go through the "transition phase"  and was a little greasy for a bit. Fortunately, I now have even shorter hair and the baking soda shampoo is working great! I also use a little bit of apple cider vinegar (mixed with water) as a conditioner. I can't use too much of it because my hair is already a little on the greasy side. (Honey works as a great conditioner as well)

The next thing we are getting rid of is deodorant. I know what you must be thinking, "who in their right mind would get rid of deodorant". Well, if you have done any research on deodorant, you know that it's main ingredient is Aluminum zirconium trichlorohydrex. Yea, its a mouthful. Anyway, it has been linked to Alzheimers and other neurological diseases. There are plenty of deodorants out there that don't contain aluminum, but they are pretty pricey, and as you know, we are trying to start living as cheap as possible. So, we did some research and came across an article that baking soda and cornstarch can be used as a deodorant. We already have baking soda at the house, thanks to my no 'poo, so we were excited to find out that cornstarch is just as cheap! Heath is going to be the first one to test it out and I can't wait to see how well it works!

Do you have any cheap eco-friendly tips for us!? Send them our way!

Our adventure will start in approximately 5 months. I'm so excited, but getting nervous that there is so much to do! I know we will make it all work and it will be the best times of our lives. I can't wait to be on the open road with my love. 

On the Look Out!

Hello All!

Well, we have pretty much decided to gut the truck house. We just figure its going to be easier to start from scratch than trying to salvage what is left inside.  So, we are on the look out for a few things that we know we are going to need for sure:

1) Im super excited that Heath agreed to let me use milk crates for storage on the walls. Yes, thats right, good ol' fashioned milk crates. Just like these: 

-Surely someone out there has milk crates just lying around collecting dust! 

2) We are going to need some carpet. Sadly, the green shag carpet isn't going to be able to stay. I was a little bit upset about it at first, but I think it is for the best that it leaves the Truckhouse.  Bye-bye shag carpet, you will be missed! However, looking forward to new (hopefully free, or super cheap carpet)

 

-So, if you have any spare carpet just lying around, feel free to send it our way, we will make sure to give it a good home!

3) We are also probably going to need a bit of plywood. Most of the plywood that was in Truckhouse has been damaged, so we have to replace most of it. I'm sure its not very expensive in the first place, but again, if you have any extra just lying around, we will be happy to take it off your hands! (sorry i dont have any great pictures for plywood)

4) Fabric. We have to reupholster pretty much everything that had fabric on it to start with. So that means, the bench and the sleeping area. We will also need fabric for curtains. My lovely mom already gave us a ton of fabric and I plan on using some of it... but I can always use more!!

-I would love to stay in this color scheme, but obviously Im not going to be picky :)

5) Vinyl for the countertop. We are aware that this pretty cheap, but more than happy to get it for free! We don't have a preference in color or anything like that. Anything will do!

I think that is pretty much all we know of for now. Of course, as we get further along we will have more things that are needed. We are still trying to make sure we do this as cheap as possible, so if you want to help out by donating things you just have lying around or can give us some useful tips on finding things we would really appreciate it! 

Love, 

Megan

so much to do!

Well, as most of you know, we are working on our new "truckhouse".
As Heath began to tear into it and see how much work really needed to be done, we discovered that there is WAY  more work to be done than we had originally anticipated. So, we have kind of just left it for a couple of weeks. 
**Our thought process kind of matched that of the picture above.**
We are going to have to replace all of the carpet, a ton of the plywood under the sleeping area, in the bathroom and in some of the closets. I have to reupholster pretty much everything that had fabric on it. We just became a little overwhelmed with it all. But I think we are ready to jump into it now.
My mom was nice enough to give me a TON of material (because she is the best) to try and use to re-cover the bench and sleeping area. Hopefully I can make it work.
Naturally, we are trying to do as much as we can for as cheap as we can. So if any of you lovely people have any ideas of where to get materials such as: carpet, plywood, etc. for cheap, we would love it if you would pass those along to us. Of course we are checking on craigslist, but we aren't having much luck there so far.


I just keep telling myself that is has to be "livable" and not necessarily "pretty"


Wish us luck, looks like it is going to be a long road!!


-Megan