WEBCOMIC: Blue Sky #664
Click Here For Comic #664: "Actually, That IS Pretty Evil"
I promised an explanation of why I missed last week, so here it is.
I've vaguely explained a few times before about real life interferring with the comic. I've tried my best to try and get things back on track, but I've yet to actually find a way to keep a stable schedule. This does not make me happy, but I've kept trying to find a way. I'm come to realize that in the battle against real life vs. tiem spent on the comic, real life has won.
It's been a turbulent few years. About five years back, I had an awesome paying job that let me do all the things I wanted to do, including preparing to buy a house. Unfortunately on December 26th of that year, I found out the business lost it's major supplier. That first year saw work steady decrease, and despite my boss' best efforts to keep providing me a weekly check, that had to come to an end at some point. After that first year, I spent the next one looking for work. This was the year that caused me to run up my then paid off credit card to a very uncomfortable level.
It was the following year that I, about a week away from missing bills because I was out of money and credit, got a part time job with the library. It wasn't enough to make a dent in the debt, but it at least helped pay the bills and prevent me from accumilating any more. Two years after that I was hired on full time, which I've been doing for a year now this month. Despite some other extremely difficult obstacles that have popped up due to other people in my life, I've been slowly but surely getting that debt from four years ago knocked down. Unfortunately, it wasn't knocked down enough.
And now things have changed. High gas prices were making it difficult enough, but I could manage. But when I started paying $60+ a trip at the grocery store when it didn't used to reach even close to that before, I saw my attempts to bring down my debt stop cold. This has had a big factor in other parts of my life.
For instance, my living situation. When money got as tight as it did, I moved in with family. I thought it would be for few months, but we're going on three years now. I'm not happy about this, either. But now that I have an awesome stable job that pays decently again, my plan has been to take advantage of the cheap housing market and finally become a homeowner. Honestly, it would be cheaper to go that route rather than renting.
But with the double whammy of high costs of gas and groceries, that's kept my credit card high and put me out of the running for any kind of loan. So it's time to get serious. As silly as this sounds, I decided to try something I never thought I would do before: extreme couponing.
I desperately need to get my grocery bill cut in half, and with all the stories of what people save with coupons, I figured I would give it a shot. I have nothing to lose, really. So the past two weeks have been spent learning, clipping, and preparing for my first go at extreme couponing. This past week was my first attempt, and I'm proud to say that I successfully bought $195 worth of groceries for $59, saving me $136. A lot will go into storage until it's needed, but taking advantage of sales and coupons combined now will help me in the coming months.
But this takes time, and if it continues to pan out like this past week, it's something I will need to do out of necessity to free up cash for my debt. This means no longer trying to cram the comic into my schedule while trying to accomplish everything else I'm involved in. It means the comic can't be priority.
To be clear, this isn't me saying the comic is done. I would feel bad, plus we're so close to the end anyway. This is me saying I can't promise having one ready on Mondays and Wednesdays, and that when I have only a few spare hours and have to chose what to work on, it is at the bottom of the list. It could mean me posting pencil drawings with no color like I have been, which isn't great but at least something. But it does mean that the comic has to be something I do when I can get to it, rather than a responsibility that HAS to be done.
Fortunately I have several pages already sketched out, so I don't see things coming to a dead stop any time soon. But you might not be getting finished comics for a while.
I would say I hope you understand, but we've been through this before. I know you guys do. You guys are awesome about being so patient with me. I truly hope I can get out of my current situation soon and be in a new home within six months. With a more stable environment again, I'm sure I can get back on track. But as things are now, as chaotic as my life has been for the past several years, it's a losing battle. The comic will still be here, and hopefully will still see updates every week, but if I miss one you now know why.
Thanks everyone! See ya Wednesday (I hope)!
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