Hey everyone! Happy Monday. This past week was okay, and that is because of the wild weather that we have been having in Missouri lately. There was a tornado in my city on Wednesday and it actually landed in our neighborhood. There are also reports that there was a SECOND tornado that landed on the opposite end of my neighborhood at the same time.
Me and W were out eating at a restaurant when the tornado sirens went off. In Missouri, the tornado sirens seem to go off weekly, so it's hard to take them seriously. That was a big mistake! I know, I know, a lot of you will think we are very stupid. We were at a restaurant (and this restaurant was PACKED, so it just shows that no one else takes them seriously) and once the sirens stopped, the rain seems to slow down as well. We thought we would take the chance and drive home. Keep in mind that this restaurant is at the beginning of our subdivision, and only about .25 miles from our house.
We got in the car and everything seemed to go downhill. We made the turn to enter our subdivision and couldn't even see out the car window because it was so windy and the rain was coming down so hard. We stopped the car for a second, but we felt like the car was picking up from the wind and had no where to go. Then a power line started to spark and catch on fire right next to us, so we decided that stopping was not a good idea and that we should just try and make it home. So we are driving and are ALMOST home (we could see our house) and a huge tree falls down right before us and blocks the whole road and we can't even drive into anyone's yards because of the tree blocking everything. Also, trees were falling down everywhere, with at least 20 or 30 gigantic trees down in our neighborhood. So we pulled the Camaro into someone's driveway and noticed that their garage door was open and ran inside their garage. We of course didn't feel comfortable in someone's random garage that could easily blow over, so we started banging on their front door.
However, it was extremely loud because of the tornado, and we couldn't even hear ourselves knocking on their door. No one came. So we cowered on their front porch (it was a pretty deep porch) and hid their for about 5 minutes. The wind then seemed to die down, so we decided it was our chance to gun it home. We couldn't see anywhere in front of us and didn't even know where we were in our own neighborhood because of all of the trees that were laying in the streets. We saw our neighbors' roofs on the street, trampolines and sheds in front yards and on top of houses and so on. We had to jump out of the car very quickly and move trees and branches multiple times so that we could drive.
Definitely the most terrifying thing ever. Everything at our house is fine, and we most likely need a new roof and a couple of other things. We're just happy that we were safe! Oh yeah, and then our power was out until Friday at around 3pm. That was a joy. We have definitely learned our lesson and whenever the sirens come on (which is every single time it rains here), we will be searching for a basement. I've never been or seen a tornado before this past week, so it changed my life.
Anyways, I'm still winning when it comes to my student loans. My student loan plan is still on track and I will be paying them completely within the next couple of weeks. I know I'm going to have a hard time parting with so much money, but in the end it will be best. No longer having student loan payments will feel like heaven, and it'll be so nice to know that I have paid them off so quickly.
Spending
We did some major shopping this weekend, but it was all free because of a large amount of money that W has on a gift card that he received from his work. We have been trying to spend money on ourselves this whole weekend and it was hard! The gift card is also good at Lowes, and we plan on buying a new grill, some nice patio furniture, lights to light a pathway in the front yard, and tons of plants. Can't wait until we go shopping for that, especially since it is all free.
I also contacted a landscaper, as many of you suggested. We just don't have the time, and we have so many things that we need done. We found a flyer at our front door, and it turns out this guy just lives 3 doors down. I called him and he came over on Friday. We need a front and backyard cleanup (there is tons of trash because of the tornado), gutters cleaned, trash hauled (we have tons of branches and leaves in bags, and also carpet that needs to be gone), and vines killed in the backyard. He said he would do all of this for $175, which I think is great. Is this a normal price? We've never had this done before and don't know. We're also going to have him mow the lawn for at least a couple of months as well, which he quoted us a price of $28 per week. I'm guessing that's normal also. I plan on calling him today, so give me your input!
Anyways, I'm fine with paying money in order to get things done. Would you pay to get things like this done if it meant that you have more time for yourself? Or are we crazy?
Extra Income (does not include income from our main jobs)
Extra income was lower in the past week, mainly because the power went out at our house from Wednesday through Friday because of the tornado. Most of my extra income efforts are from things that I do online, so of course it's hard to do any of my side hustles if I have no power! It's hard to make any extra money online when you don't have internet for half of the week! I could have done things this weekend, but I prefer to have weekends to myself. Oh well, I will catch up with everything next week.
Posts from my blog:
- We set a wedding date and $2,336 in extra income
- How To Make Money Blogging
- How To Spend Your Extra Income
- Girl Meets Debt Repayment
Link Love
- What are you sacrificing for Money? Monster Piggy Bank
- Is living in a small town better? Eyes on the Dollar
- Will I ever need to work again? One Frugal Girl
- I freak out when my inbox is empty – Freelancing The Happy Homeowner
- Is your blog really a business? Nuts and Bolts Media
- I'm buying a condo in Portland Frugal Portland
Food
We're doing good with our food spending, but not the greatest. We had to throw away almost all of our food in our fridge since the power was out and most of the food spoiled. The food in the freezer was fine though and still COMPLETELY frozen (which we were very surprised by), and we kept all of that.
Being healthy
I'm still doing good with this. Since a lot of our food spoiled, I replaced everything with more healtheir options and was able to get rid of a ton of junk food. Because of this, I consider this the only good thing that happened when the power was out haha. Also, I have been addicted to eating kiwis, and got a great deal at Aldi the other day. 24 kiwis for only $4! Yes, I said $4! The grocery store that I normally shops at would price that at $12, and the quality of fruit at Aldi always seems to be better.
Have you been doing well with your extra income, spending and being healthy?
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Oh wow, that's scary! I can sympathise with not taking the warnings seriously- we are the same here with tsunami warnings. I guess we are lucky here in that it's relatively safe crime wise and natural disaster wise. I hope your repairs will be covered by insurance?
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Yes it was definitely scary! And yes I talked to my insurance company and they said that it would be covered thankfully.
My recent post A Tornado and $888 in Extra Income
Wow, that sounds so scary!!! I’m so glad you guys are ok. And $888 in extra income on a bad week still sounds pretty darn good to me. 😉
I’ve been getting some extra library shifts lately, which is both nice and a little tough. The extra money sure is nice, but some weeks they’ve nearly cancelled out the fact that I’m on a reduced schedule for my maternity leave. But Amelia gets so quality time with her daddy when I’m at the library, so it’s not all bad. 😉
Thanks Stephanie. I'm glad that nothing happened to us also.
And I agree, the extra time sounds nice and tough, but quality time with dad sounds wonderful 🙂
My recent post A Tornado and $888 in Extra Income
I'm glad to hear that you're safe and you'll need are some home repairs. I feel bad for the people whose house is in the picture. I hope your repairs aren't too costly.
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I know! I feel so bad for all of the people who no longer have a house. They said that 24 houses lost their roofs and 6 houses were completely demolished in our neighborhood.
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Yikes! That sounds like a scary experience! Glad to hear you'll soon be done with your student loans completely!
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Thanks!
My recent post A Tornado and $888 in Extra Income
Yikes, glad you and W are okay! As for the landscaping cost I think that's a great deal. I spend $75.00 just to get my gutters cleaned.
Ok awesome! Good to know. We didn't think $175 sounded bad, but wanted to check with others also.
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Wow, that's really an incredible story and I'm glad you guys are safe. The closest I've come was driving down the interstate one night where there was almost no cars and everything was pitch black with extremely high winds…I shouldn't have been driving.
Being healthy has been a focus of mine and I have been doing pretty good at working out 4-5x week at work plus 1-2 times a week at the gym. Definitely making it a priority this Spring/Summer.
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Thanks DC, it was truly traumatizing haha. Never will I ever think of a thunderstorm the same.
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“Anyways, I’m still winning when it comes to my student loans”. I love your transition from mega scary tornado to paying off student loans. :-). I’m happy to hear you are okay and a roof is all that’s needed. I’ve never been close to a tornado nor do I want to be. I can’t imagine how frightening that was. I just picture Helen hunt in the movie Twister.
Haha I wasn't sure how to switch the topic but I thought it was funny as well.
My recent post A Tornado and $888 in Extra Income
Sorry to hear about the tornado! Sounds scary!
We are having someone mow our yard this year too (and fertilize). We are always running out time to mow and I don't think my neighbors appreciate it!
Yes I think our neighbors will appreciate it as well! Our house probably has the worst looking yard of them all.
My recent post A Tornado and $888 in Extra Income
So glad that you guys are okay! I hid from a water spout once (like a baby tornado, but mostly made of water since they come off of the ocean), and it was scary enough. I can't imagine a full-blown tornado that can knock down trees and damage homes!
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Thanks. And that sounds scary also!
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So, glad you're ok Michelle! We get the sirens all the time here in Omaha as well and thankfully there's not been anything major the last couple of years. This time of year they seem to go off several times a week, so I can relate to how it can be difficult to take them seriously. Awesome that you're nearly paid off with the student loans!
Glad I'm not the only one who doesn't take them seriously every single time since they go off so much. And thanks John!
My recent post A Tornado and $888 in Extra Income
That sounds super scary, I am really glad that you made it home safely! I think there have only ever been a handful of tornadoes ever in Australia so I am hopeful that I never have to experience one as closely as you did.
Also – thanks for the link love 🙂
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That sounds like a movie. I am glad you are okay! I am sure you can't wait until that student loan is paid.
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Yes it was like a scary movie!
My recent post A Tornado and $888 in Extra Income
Thanks Glen. And you're welcome for the link love 🙂
My recent post A Tornado and $888 in Extra Income
I'm glad you guys are OK and I do understand that it is hard to make money online if you can't get online. Glad the power is back 🙂
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Thanks Lance 🙂
My recent post A Tornado and $888 in Extra Income
how terrifying! glad you`re all okey! Tornados sure are scary things!! I would probably freak out if I ever found myself in a situation like that!
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Yeah I was definitely freaking out!
I know the feeling of being that close to a tornado and it is truely terrifying (we live in Indiana). I'm glad you all are ok.
We have a generator (which we are going to replace) for when the power goes out. I basically only use it to run the sump pump and the fridge for a few minutes since it is so loud. I'm pretty sure it was built circa 1983 so it is almost as old as I am!
W wants a generator, but I just can't bring myself to spend like $1,000 on one!
Pawn shop… waiting a few weeks after the spring storm season ends and people sell them to pawn shops when they realize they are expensive and they will probably only use them two times a year.
That's how my dad got his last one and how I will probably replace mine.
True! That's a good idea.
Wow! That's a little too exciting. I listen to tornado warnings. Watches? Erm…not so much.
Glad to see that you are safe and sound!
Thanks Jenny 🙂
So glad you are well! I have witnessed too many tornados in Central Texas. Always try to get somewhere safe. Usually a supermarket has an area where they let customers hide.
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Wow. So glad you guys are safe! I actually lived through a tornado about 6 years ago- we were at our family's cottage (in Canada, close to Maine),We were sitting outside on a beautiful summer day when the weather changed DRASTICALLY in about 3 mins. It was the strangest thing I've ever seen. Beautifully hot summer day turn almost pitch black and rain/wind. We had NO idea what was going on so we just ran inside for cover. We were joking that it was almost like a tornado. The wind let up and we went outside to see what was going on. Holy Crap. Our camp was fine but there was a TON of damage done. It was random given our geographic location but it was a perfect weather system I guess.
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Yeah it wasn't even supposed to rain and it came out of no where! Glad you were fine.
Yikes!!! That sounds terrifying. I'm happy that you guys are OK (and that we could make you laugh with the tomato tweets…haha!).
Thanks for including my post!
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Haha I loved the tomato tweets!
That is really scary! You were so lucky that a tree did no fall on the car. Glad to hear you went with a landscaper. Unless you are into that kind of work, bit can be a real drag. Doing great with working out and eating right (although I got movie popcorn last night which I haven't gotten in so long), and today (in an hour actually) I find out the results of my MRI. I'm nervous as hell!
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I know we were extremely lucky. We thought the Camaro would have had a lot of damages too since we had to drive over tons of trees and branches, but nothing was wrong!
Hope your results come back good 🙂
Holy crap Michelle! How scary! You were very lucky the tree did not fall on your car. I'm so glad you are safe, and the only damage was to your house, not you!!
Sometimes it's not about the money, it's about time. You can always earn more money, but you can never get your time back.
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I agree! It is about time.
OMG, that sounds like such a scary experience!! Glad to hear that you're okay, Michelle 🙂
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Wow, that is crazy. Glad to hear that you are OK. Tomorrow is the 4 year anniversary of when many tornadoes came through our city and tore everything apart. It was crazy scary and there are still places that have not fixed the damage. Tornadoes are creepy.
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Luckily a lot of the homes are already being repaired, and many things are already back to normal.
Holy crap, Michelle. That is terrifying. I am so so glad you are okay! One of my most powerful memories is watching Hurricane Katrina and it's not something I ever want to see again. Hope you get the aftermath sorted out quickly. xo, Cat
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Thanks! It was very scary!
Oh my gosh, sorry to hear about the tornado, but I'm glad things are okay with you! That picture is so sad, I can't even imagine what they're going through right now. :/
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I know, it makes me so sad.
Vanessa and I are both in Missouri (for another month) too! The weather is crazy! Tornado, storm, snow, then 70 degree sunny day! What the heck is up with that?
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I had no idea you two were in Missouri! Where at?
Yep, we are! Around the Springfield area! Where are you guys?
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We live in the St. Louis area. WOOHOOO so exciting! Are you guys moving or something?
Dang that's pretty close! I used to play soccer up there all the time! We move to Texas in a month because I start my PhD in finance…
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ooh exciting! Good luck with your PhD 🙂
Thanks! Looking forward to becoming better blogging friends! Hold down the fort up here in Missouri for us!
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Looking forward to becoming better blogging friends as well. And haha will do 🙂
O.M.G. That's is like something out of a crazy movie! So glad you are OK. What a Godsend that the tree didn't allow you to drive any further, could have had a tree drop right on your car!
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It was definitely like a movie! So scary 🙁
Im in MO as well, but was not affected by the tornado. I was at a restaurant also when the storm started. There was a live band playing they stopped when one of the patio chairs was picked up by the wind and thrown into the window of the restaurant. They turned the news on for about an hour. Thankfully it was just strong winds and rain where we were.
Glad you guys are ok!! I can't imagine seeing a tornado happen let alone not be inside somewhere. Very lucky!!.
Thanks! And yes it was terrifying!
Wow, that's so terrifying! Thank goodness you guys made it home okay!
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Thanks Shannon 🙂
That is soo scary. I am in Ohio and we get a lot of tornados as well but I have never had a firsthand experience with one. I would have freaked out, glad that you two are okay!
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Thanks Alexa!
Wow! That's crazy, but I'm glad you guys are okay! And your new car too!! 🙂 Writing big checks can be hard, but writing them to pay off your student loans will feel amazing! Congratulations on doing this – I know you busted your butt to do so.
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Making the final payments is just so hard. I'm parting with so much money!
My recent post A Tornado and $888 in Extra Income
Glad to hear you and W are safe and sound! That’s exciting to be student loan debt-free soon!!! I loooove kiwis as well 😉
Thanks! And yummm kiwis! 🙂
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Wow what a scary story! I'm glad you guys made it home okay. I drove through a tornado storm once and it was the scariest thing I have ever done!
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Yes it's very scary!
My recent post A Tornado and $888 in Extra Income
Oh my goodness, Michelle – SO happy that you are ok!!!! That must've been terrifying. We had a situation with straight-line winds at our old house that was pretty scary too. Glad you made it home safe and sound.
Thanks Laurie. 🙂
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I'm glad that you're okay. Congratulations on paying off your loans so soon!
Thanks!
My recent post A Tornado and $888 in Extra Income
Glad that everything is ok. We are down in South City and we were so shocked to see all the damage on the Hill which is like 5 seconds from my house. We didn't even have ny debris at our house. Again, glad nothing was seriously damaged or destroyed.
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Yeah, the Hill was badly damaged also. So crazy!
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I am so glad you guys are ok!!!
Thanks Niki!
My recent post A Tornado and $888 in Extra Income
so glad you are ok chica!
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Thanks Ashley 🙂
My recent post A Tornado and $888 in Extra Income
I am happy to hear that you're ok! So scary.
Thanks Michelle
Wow that's quite a tale. I'm glad that you were able to make it out safely. It can be pretty terrifying when you're stuck in a storm like that in a car, unable to see and no where to go.
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Yeah it was pretty scary.
That is so crazy! Well, now you have an awesome story to tell people! it is good that you are safe and your house isn't in horrible condition.
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Haha yes I do have an awesome story!
Sounds terrifying. So glad you guys (and your house) are OK. Bf and I didn't really take hurricane Sandy that seriously (they had told us the year before that we'd have a huge hurricane and it was just rain and wind). Needless to say, we all know how Sandy turned out in NYC, disaster. I'll never forget how scary that night (and then next week were).
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I agree, it's hard to take things like that seriously, because people never think it'll actually happen.
After reading this post and Laurie's about possums today, I'm really glad to be in Colorado with neither of those things. I remember the tornado sirens from growing up in KY. My mom is super over protective and always made us go to the basement, even it if was every night during tornado season. I always thought it a bit extreme, but I'm glad she's so careful. I'm glad you guys are OK.
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We will definitely always be going to the basement from now on. No more misjudging the sirens!
Incredible story – glad you guys are alright. Never been near a tornado myself. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks!
Glad to hear you are ok. All the stuff that was damaged can be replaced and keeping yourselves safe was priority. We've had a few warnings since I moved to Canada and the wife goes nuts. I've never been involved with one nor do I ever want to. No more student debts.. that's awesome. All your hard work is paying off, well done.
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I agree, things can be replaced, so I am glad that we were all right.
That's absolutely terrifying, I'm so glad to hear that you two are okay and your home came out of the situation intact.
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Thanks. I'm glad nothing bad happened to us.
Wow, what a scary ordeal. We had one come close to us a few years ago and that was scary enough. So glad to hear you're okay and that you had another nice week of extra income!
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Glad you're ok, when I was in elementary school we had a Tornado come down our street and take off our neighbors roof.
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I really like your writing style, superb information, regards for putting up :D. "All words are pegs to hang ideas on." by Henry Ward Beecher.
That's scary I can't imagine going through that especially where you think it's business as usual when the siren goes off
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