Our family, like many, has felt the recession. We're relying on one income and have cut spending in many areas. The hardest for me is not being able to save like we were. We are savers and not big spenders. So, it just feels wrong in a way to not be saving as much as before.
The strange reality is that I really don't miss the spending. It is hard, don't get me wrong. We've cut back on eating out. We never splurged, but we didn't really think twice when we were too tired to cook or wanted to be lazy on a Sunday evening. But it saves a lot to scale that back. Now, shopping...Sure, I like to go shopping, but it's now sort of a game. How can I get the most for my money without overspending? How many coupons can I find online or in the paper. One of my favorite sites is http://www.couponmom.com/. This allows me to view weekly sales for Target, Wal-Mart, and Jewel (and a few others). It also matches up any recent coupons issued and shows you the percent of savings. It's interesting and gives us max. savings when we find really good deals.
It's also funny how we find ourselves not as busy as before. This is mainly due to the fact that one of us can be home to take care of many household chores during the day (laundry, dishes, cleaning, yard work, etc.) But it's also partly because we're not running errands all the time. We don't really go to the store "for fun" and go only when it's really necessary. This has freed up our time to tend to household projects that have long been put off.
The most amazing thing is, as scary as it all looks on paper, God provides. We have committed ourselves to still give 10% of our current income and have continued to support our World Vision child. Would I love the extra $30 a month to do something fun instead of sponsoring our child? At times...but it keeps me humble. It helps me remember that God will provide and it will be okay. There are families who are stretched much farther than we are, and we are still very blessed. I'm also amazed at the weird refunds we seem to get lately in the mail (God takes care of us!). Examples: Several checks back from our refi in January, a refund from an overpayment to the doctor (what?), a refund on car insurance (really?); Every little bit helps and I'll take it.
It makes me wonder how our country got to this place. I don't just mean the overspending and living beyond our means. I was reading a book recently that talked about how a generation ago families lived on one income. We've become a society that needs more than one income to just get by. I thinks it's unfortunate and puts moms in a hard place. I enjoy working, but would like the option to only work part time. Many moms would rather stay home full time. But that's another story for another day.
If you find yourself with one less income, a pay cut, or just being a cautious consumer, you're not alone. We're all feeling the pinch in some way. God will see you through. Just have faith.
2 comments:
I am so proud of you Trina! Well both you and Brian actually! I too completely understand how much God has provided in times when I had no idea where money would come from, but we faithfully gave our 10%. I think its the hardest times that definitely help build your faith to be rock hard. I've got some more coupon websites and blogs if you are interested (couponmom is a great one!). I try to plan my meals around whats on sale and whats in season, and look for the meats that are marked down because they expire tomorrow...then just freeze them. I typically wrap ours individually in saran wrap (not the cheap stuff though) and then put in a ziplock freezer bag. This gives double protection from freezer burn (plus the chef told me to do it), and allows for ease when thawing. I get meat much cheaper now because I typically always buy it on sale..except fish. It's hard to find good fish on sale.
Anyways, I will stop rambling, Love you!!!
new post please.
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