On Friday my oldest daughter was awarded an $1,100 scholarship for a JC about 35 miles away. She’s changed her mind about moving to Chico and attending a local JC there. I’m not sure if she was looking for a way to opt out of moving to Chico or not. Maybe she actually put a budget together and figured out that she can’t afford both rent and eating. Now that she’s received this scholarship she’s decided that she needs to live at home. I’m not really sure what to make of her change of plans. I’m relieved and at the same time I’m hoping her staying doesn’t have anything to do with leaving her boyfriend.
The scholarship should pay for her unit fees and all her books for a whole year. She’s pretty excited about receiving it.
Now for the bad stuff. The JC that the scholarship is good at is about 35 miles away over twisty mountain roads. It actually takes an hour to drive so she’s looking at a two hour round trip commute on school days. In the winter there are days when chains are required, there are also days when there is extremely heavy fog on the mountain. There’s also the added mileage/wear & tear to her car and of course the ever increasing cost of fuel. I’ve decided to just stay out of it and only offer my motherly advice if I’m asked. You know what they say - pick and choose your battles.
I have to admit it, I’m thrilled she’s not leaving home. The thought of her moving out, being broke all the time and taking on unnecessary debt didn’t sit well with me at all. I also feel as though she’ll have a better chance of actually getting her RN if she can go to school full time and work part time.
The new Guinea Fowl are here! We had a great hatch! Our hatch rate was 83%, this early in the egg laying season, I was thinking I’d be lucky if we got 50%. We ended up hatching 13 keets. Aren’t they cute? If all survive, I’ll end up having 18 guinea’s. They are the best guard dogs ever and they eat gophers and snakes too. 
Last night my husband BBQ’d some steaks. I had bought a whole chicken on sale for $0.88/# and I had him BBQ it. I then skinned it and shredded up the meat, added some BBQ sauce and now my kids are going to have BBQ’d chicken sandwiches for the next few days. I got the buns on sale for $1 a pack. So for about $7, plus stuff I already have on hand (tortilla chips, carrots, etc.) I’ll feed all four kids for three days - that’s about $0.58 each lunch. I’m so excited and they are all thrilled to have such a great lunch!
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
DebtDieter 05.27.08 at 1:42 pm
We had guinea fowl at home when I was a kid, I haven’t seen a baby one in years, thanks for the photo!
Rhiana at A Frugal Life 05.27.08 at 1:57 pm
The chicks are adorable, the lunches sound great but the best part is that scholarship! My husband and I are both in our 30’s and still trying to pay off his student loans. The debt is an enormous weight on our minds and even more so because now I’m trying to complete my degree and we don’t want to take on another loan. If your daughter can get her degree without taking out too much in a student loan, it will be an amazing amount of peace of mind for her later when she is out on her own. Congratulations!
Sharon 05.27.08 at 3:35 pm
Oh my gosh, the chicks are so cute! What does an adult guinea fowl look like?
Glad to hear that your daughter changed her mind. I know how much you would worry about her if she were away…(being a Mom just seems to get tougher and tougher…)
Chicky Finance 05.27.08 at 3:43 pm
soooo cuteeeeeeeeee! I want one of them
Foxie 05.28.08 at 5:25 am
Oh my, how do those tiny cute chicks turn into the weird looking guineas? There was a group of them that always wandered by my parent’s house every once in a while, they were always so funny to watch. Now if only they stayed that small, I’d totally want one or five.
Sallie's Niece 05.28.08 at 6:25 am
Wow that’s great about the scholarship. It didn’t seem like you thought she was ready to move out just yet anyway so now she can start closer to home until she’s ready to be out on her own. Good luck!