Getting Ready

We should have been gone already but, here we sit. Waiting, waiting, and more waiting. I finished up my final for my second to last class and now it's just waiting on the mail to bring things that we need on the road; eyeglasses, textbooks, stuff that needs to be shipped to other locations and if we are lucky, a big fat check! Not likely.
Don is out mowing the yard for the last time until we get home in the fall and I am supposed to be working on the house (I hate coming home to a messy house).

This trip I want to try to plan meals and utilize the coupons I have been hoarding for months. My favorite magazine AllYou always has really good coupons. I have become an APP hoarder on my phone as well, so I can keep up with all the latest deals in the stores that are along our path and coupon matching sites that help me find really good deals and sometimes, free deals.

Anyway, back to the food thing. Other than fuel, food is our biggest travel expense. We tend to eat out a lot, even when we are home. SO this trip, since we have an added payment for the new toad, I wanted to try to cut costs so we can still have fun. I plan to clean out our home freezer and fridge and plan around those items for the first leg and then when we get to where we are going, working on a new menu plan.

Don is a big fan of fountain soda so there will always be the cost of that vs. drinking soda out of a can (there IS a difference); however, I am going to try to go off of soda and start back on my Digest Diet. This means that I will have to take special ingredients and my ninja blender but the good thing, besides losing weight, is that I don't have to buy a bunch of food!

Wish me luck as I get started on these projects.

From one toad to another...

Okay, okay... I am over my pity-party on the toad purchase.
Here, as promised, is the picture of the new toad...

While she may not be much to look at, at least she will do all the things we wanted in the new toad.
1. Get us from point A to point B.
2. Haul passengers who need a ride.
3. Give us a bit of room to stretch out and enjoy a longer ride
4. Decent gas mileage
5. Haul more JUNK that we THINK we need on our travels.

Okay, beware, back to whining!
Why can't we leave already? I shouldn't complain since this time in Oklahoma at any given year is usually unbearably hot already but this year is different. This year is rainy and cool - which I LOVE and ADORE.
We will be leaving soon, though. This trip back to the PNWest is a big trip since its our family reunion on my mom's side and my youngest niece's wedding. AND she has asked her favorite auntie to take her wedding photo's! I feel so honored to be such a big part of her day.
So, I am gearing up in my "what to do before we leave" chores and adding a few this year. For instance, clean out the fridge and freezers completely. Pare down our food stored to what I can fit in the RV - just in case the power should fail for weeks on end and we aren't home for months on end.

perhaps I will start with this... until then, have a great Sunday and hope you are having fun on your latest adventure! 

RIbbit! Toad shopping!

It recently came to our attention on our last trip that our little toad was not cutting it for others. Normally I wouldn't care what others thought or wanted in terms of my own stuff, but well, when your momma say's "you need a toad that will be big enough for ME to come along!" you listen and act. So, off we went to find the perfect toad for our coach - per momma's statement.

Our current toad is a 1997 Mazda Miata convertible and I love her. She is a blast to drive, a conversation piece, and so light you never know she's back there until you glance at the backup camera screen or walk to the rear of the coach. She is red. I love her. She has white racing stripes and a chrome roll bar, and I love her. Did I mention I love her?

So, there you have it. I am going from this beauty (on long trips) to a 4 door car. We really wanted a smaller 4 door truck and were going to trade in the big truck but the hubs decided that he loves his truck just as much as I love my Miata. <sigh> Here we go! 

We ended up with a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt that matches the coach perfectly but needs to be readied for a tow bar. Mind you, this is an expensive venture to the tune of around 2 grand. So, Don has decided to go with a dolly. Normally, I wouldn't care but the whole point of RVing is to minimize the clutter and a dolly just adds to the stuff one has to store, maintain, and worry about. 

When we get it all worked out and cleaned up (the new/used car), I will post pics. Until then, have a "toadally" great day! 

Your ever worrying about what others think, bloggerette