Chapter 25: Trials & Tribulations - Year 1

I think we all know that life is hard. In starting this blog to document our journey, I tend to gloss over some of the things that we find frustrating, or irritating because complaining about our difficulties doesn't make them go away.

We are generally hopeful and feel optimistic for our future as the work we are doing, though it is hard and sometimes all-consuming, brings us closer to our goals of being financially secure and living as close to nature as possible.
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So, I have decided I am going to write a post once a year to highlight all the frustrations and irritations that happen each year and post the problem with the solution we ended up using. As I write these down throughout the year I can appreciate our own resourcefulness and see that most problems have solutions. If it doesn't, attitudes can always be changed.

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Problem

We weren’t approved for our financing on our camper  (even though we could buy it outright :/)

​Solution

Tyler’s parents co-signed for us
​Cost of solution: Our pride (just a little bit)

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Nova Scotia border closed one week before we moved

Tikvah submitted all the required documentation on time and focused on staying on top of response times so we wouldn’t get stuck at the border.
Cost of Solution: N/A
Lesson learned: Don’t move during a pandemic XD

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Tyler’s initial job here was a cash job when we were expecting full time, over the table employment  

Tyler found a different job closer to where we bought the land which was helpful anyways.
Cost of Solution: N/A
Lesson learned: Don’t accept a job without fielding the company out a little more.

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Had unexpected costs to safety our vehicles for Nova Scotia – a whopping $3000 more than we budgeted for

Paid for it and accepted we would need time to pay off the accumulated debt it incurred.
Cost of Solution: $3000 for safety
Lesson learned: We need to start planning to change out our vehicles for a newer vehicle because the cost of maintenance is starting to cost more than a new vehicle.

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Delays in receiving our ordered materials including having to reorder a couple of time because our order was lost. 

Waited as patiently as possible for our supplies.
Cost of Solution: About a month of delays.
Lesson Learned: Be diligent in placing orders and receiving receipts of orders. Lengthen timeline when suppliers are backlogged. Adjust ourselves to a Nova Scotian timeline.​

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We did not complete the tarp roof right away and it blew off the roof, broke the fasteners, and ripped in 3 places 

Reapplied the tarp (additional day of work for 2 people) Fixed holes with tarp tape Boarded over the tarp to ensure it stayed secured in the future. Cost of solution: $10 for tarp tape + 8 hours of work
Lesson learned: Don't start tarp jobs when you can't finish it the same day.

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Contractor dumped fill in the wrong place. 

Tried contacting the business multiple times to fix the issue Moved the fill manually by shovel
Cost of solution: ~20 hours of our time. 
Lesson learned: ALWAYS be present when deliveries are imminent.

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Waterlines froze while we were in Ontario for Christmas. We forgot to empty the lines amongst the flurry to get home in time to say goodbye to Tyler's grandpa.

Don't turn on the water system until spring to assess extent of damages. Use plastic tubs in the sink to do dishes and manually dump the grey water into the compost bin. Wait for a warm day (>+1) and properly drain the hot water tank and blow out the lines to close the system down. 
Cost of solution: <$30 (antifreeze and air compressor attachments) + 2 hours of work
Lesson learned: It's easier to just winterize the water lines than worry about them.

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No running water in trailer for the winter.

Use hand pump with 18L Culligan jugs.  Heat hot water on the stove for dishes Purchase monthly membership at the rec center to have unlimited access to the pool, hot tub, and showers.
Cost of solution: $70 + HST per month (for 2). No real additional cost because we already went to the rec center every week for our date night out.
Lesson learned: It's really quite simple to live without running water. Be grateful for running water as it is a nice luxury, but definitely more of a want than a need.

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The truck got stuck in the snow/mud/ice at the farm and could not leave the property

Tikvah resigned from a part-time job at a local restaurant. Loss of income ~$1600 per month. Waited for a warm spell and drove the truck out.  Cost of solution: there was no cost for the truck, but the lost opportunity cost was approximately $1600 per month.
​Lesson learned: Accommodations are sometimes necessary off-grid. The free time Tikvah has is redirected to winter maintenance of the camp and working on her bookkeeping business.

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The truck could not drive in and out of the property with winter snow/ice

Used a $35 sled to transport fuel and groceries until an ATV could be sourced. Purchased ATV from one of Tyler's colleagues for $1600. Our kind neighbors offered us their vacant lot across our road to park our vehicles for free.
Cost of solution: $1635
Lesson learned: We are badasses in training. Also, we have really kind and generous neighbors.

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Received a letter from our local municipality saying we were not permitted to live in the barn in our camper.

Lived in a neighbor’s cottage for a few months until it was warm enough to pull the camper out of the barn since it was right snowed in for 3+ months.
Cost of solution: ~$100-$150 per month in hydro to cover our usage, though no real additional expense because we didn’t have to buy generator fuel.
Lesson learned: We probably wouldn't have invested so much energy into building our barn last year if we knew we weren't allowed to put the trailer inside of it, but ultimately it is nice to have a structure on the property for storage. Also, we have really kind and generous neighbors.

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Abby got ill and died from a suspected case of bloat.

Stayed up with her and tried to make her comfortable in her last hours.
Cost of Solution: Lost our long time companion and friend. 
Lesson learned: Be extra careful with feeding your dog if they are susceptible to bloat. For all future pets, we will budget for pet insurance and ensure we have a vet. Get our hunting license with a farm firearm so that if we need to act in an emergency we are prepared and trained to be merciful if required.

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Truck computer system was on the fritz. We could not diagnose the problem even with two mechanic visits

Sold the truck for what we paid for it rather than get a mechanic to do investigative work.
Cost of Solution: N/A. In fact, this solution reimbursed us for the initial cost of our truck so other than inconvenience we broke even on this problem.
Lesson learned: We need to work on our mechanical knowledge or bite the bullet in buying new vehicles that require little maintenance.

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​ATV broke down twice. Each time it was part of the universal joint (it is a used/old machine).

We had to resort to walking in and out more, though it is definitely more pleasant now that the weather is warmer. 
Cost of Solution: The only real cost is our time as it takes more time and energy to walk in and out. The missing part is only about a $20 replacement on backorder.
Lesson learned: Same as above...however we have learned how to fix the U-Joints ourselves so an ATV is an approachable start to learning more about mechanics. 

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So I'd say in retrospect we had a pretty feasible year this year with only minor inconveniences. I have noticed that last year I was feeling pretty motivated by the fear of winter, but now that we have gone through a winter it seems very manageable. We also have a new-found sense of confidence in our plan to make it even more comfortable this year. Not bad for a bunch of newbies!