Less house - more fun!

A friend pointed out that realtors and mortgage brokers always ask you how much house you can afford and then go on to show you houses at the top end of that budget.  Often we end up being house poor as there is no money left for travel or for maybe working less for awhile.  Being over extended right from the beginning starts to build stress that often accumulates especially if something unexpected happens. 

I think a serious talk about lifestyle and quality of life is how the house purchasing venture should start.  Buy less house than you can afford and look at how you can improve it with a little work.  Be prepared to paint, change light fixtures and other smaller items to update an older home.  Replacing worn carpets with hardwood makes a huge difference and new appliances go a long way in updating a kitchen.

Anyone can become a real estate investor – the biggest difference is that you have to learn how to buy below market value and thereby instantly gaining equity.  Since the money made on real estate is tax free (if it is your primary residence) this can be a significant investment for the future.

I would rather live in a cheaper house and be able to travel so this is my new goal – the best of both worlds.

You can contact me at ullameredith@gmail.com if you have any comments.

A Drive in the Country

Halfway between Claresholm and Granum is the turnoff to Meadow Creek Road which leads you West towards the Porcupine Hills.  It was pouring rain when I went there yesterday and after turning South and West several times I arrived at Meadow Creek Meats which is in a stunningly beautiful place.  Everything is green after all the rain we have been getting and you can just imagine how happy a cow would be, munching away in the endless fields of grass with pools of water conveniently located nearby.   I could swear that a cow smiled when I glanced at her while driving slowly by.

Any meat that Meadow Creek Meat processes does indeed come from just across the road, nothing further away than a few miles and it is all hormone free.  There was a large selection of sausages in the display case which is located in the sparkling clean kitchen run by the Blokpoel family which consist of mom, dad and daughter Chantal.

You can chose from an extensive list of sausages like: whiskey and garlic, British bangers, German bratwurst, chorizo, sun dried tomato, traditional Dutch and many more.  I bought three different kinds which I promptly cooked when I got home and served with mashed potatoes.  Dinner was on the table in half an hour. 

I also bought a rouladen roast which I will try next week and 5 kg of ground beef at $2.50 per pound which is a great deal and I know where the meat came from. 

Their slogan is Simply Meat which is a good way to describe your meat purchase, no fillers or nitrates, just meat and spices.

Meadow Creek Meat is open Monday to Saturday from 9-5 but call first at 403-625-1063 to make sure they have product available as they often sell out.­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

I am very excited about having found this meat supplier as I am trying to select products grown closer to home.  I get tomatoes delivered from Nanton and the Egg Lady comes very early Wednesday morning and leaves two dozen farm fresh, free range eggs on my front door step.  I also feel good about supporting these three family businesses who work hard supplying food free of chemicals. 

If you have any comments you can contact me at ullameredith@gmail.com

I'm back!

Just got back from our two week European vacation with my parents and what an amazing trip that was.  We spent time together and separately and I am now convinced that my husband is a saint!  He patiently hung out with family and friends who did not speak English and he was subjected to multiple visits to churches and castles.  He was a wonderful bartender and assured us that he had a great time.

I spent lots of time with my mother as we started each day with a walk on the beach before breakfast and we drove around looking at both my parents’ home towns and listened to stories from their childhood.  The more time you spend together the more tolerance and patience you get for other people, especially someone older and a bit slower.

I did feel a bit guilty about leaving the kids behind but they survived and it is now a major goal to be able to take another trip next year together with them. 

It was also nice to get back to and see family and friends again and I am so happy that we spent the time and money doing this – lots of great memories were made during these two weeks.

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