Friday, August 5, 2011

budget face:

Today was the day we went seriously and meticulously over our budget.
It makes me look like this looking at all the excel spread sheets and all those pesky numbers:
Today Lily got into the dream preschool we were hoping for...but for the three-day-a-week program...which was over budget. I kind of cried a little, because I knew we just could. not. do. it. 
But it feels good, doing the right thing, living with in our (little) means, doesn't mean it's not hard though. Know what I mean?
I have been thinking a lot today about the stuff I want to get/ get done, like actually make the girls room look like a non-disaster room, and having chairs at our kitchen table (yup, we sit on a cooler, storage bins, and a few folding chairs), how I want to decorate our home a little bit. But ya know what? All those things can actually wait. It can be frustrating, especially when you get all stupid and compare your self to others, its not bad to want stuff, but it is bad when it takes up the majority of your thoughts. Like today, for me.
Some day, in the relatively near future, I'll show you pictures of our sweet garage sale chairs I plan on re-doing, and the bedding I plan on sewing for my girls, the dressers I want find and repaint for the girls clothes, the toy boxes I want to make, and the paintings I want to paint and frame on my walls, and maybe even get a tv one day (??!!). But, not today, and that's ok. It is a way better feeling, living they way you should be, rather than looking the way you "should" be.

9 comments:

Frankie said...

Hang in there. It's all good... my Hubby and I took many years before we were happy with the "things" that we had, and we still have tons less than what all our friends have. My kids suffered or many years with beds salvaged and home made quilts, and Thrift Store collectables. It really doesn't hurt them. Actually I think it makes them appreciate what they have a whole lot more.

Love your blog... reminds me of me when my two girls were little.

Andrea said...

true dat!

Kate said...

Girl, serious props to you for keeping things in perspective. You are so right to recognize how silly it is to compare what we have and don't have to others. There will ALWAYS be someone with "more" than you, and chances are there are more people in this world who actually have "less" than you. There are a few things in this life that REALLY matter, and it sounds to me like you're pretty rich in those particular things.

Also, if one is not careful, one will continue to want more and more regardless of how much one already has. It's a tough natural tendency to overcome, if you ask me. Haven't figured it out yet.

Sidenote: while you are surely very familiar, since you are an internet savvy indivdual, while I was posting our TV on Craigslist the other day, I perused the site a bit and was totally shocked at all the amazing stuff people offer in the FREE section. Holy Moly!! (maybe the NYC Craigslist is extra chockfull of jems since people don't have cars to move stuff) But perhaps you can find a few choice items there for the time being?

What a great head you have on your shoulders to be willing to sacrifice in order to live within your means. I'm truly inspired by you and this post. YOU GO.

Rachelle said...

word!

don't stress the preschool thing. she'll learn so much at home with you. my daughter is only going one year because i could NOT afford it for two years. plus, i didn't want her going off to preschool when she was 3.

and it's so easy to compare in the blog world. it's lame, but we all do it.

Laura said...

Exactly! It IS so much better to live within your means. I think we're pretty much alike in this category. "Live like no one else now, so you can LIVE like no one else later."-Dave Ramsey

debsfreckles said...

I was just talking to my husband about how we need to look over our budget again (I feel like we have to do this ALL the time) and I have been feeling like we "need" new things to fill our home. Thanks for reminding me that we don't. We have all we need.

Holly said...

Your last sentence...hit the nail on the head...

living the way you should be, rather than looking the way you "should" be
WOW what an amazing perspective!!! I am writing it down & keeping it in my pocket..seriously!

I have been where you are wait.. am where you are at!...because we are young, we had our families young..ya know! we didn't have that nest egg or anything but no matter what its our way..its building our homes & hearts with character & strength...and through it we will learn very valuable lessons of what really matters in life. I learned like 5 years ago living in a hotel with 2 kiddos and my husband that it really didn't matter where we were it just matter that we were together and that we made each other happy :0) God is faithful and in him there hope that everything will work that needs too and some surprises too!!!! Thank you for sharing and know you are not alone ;0)

Megan Marie said...

i feel you!!!! sometimes i get caught up looking at furniture or clothes or kid-stuff online and i get a itchy. then i remember that we just bought a stupid car (because we had to) and that we will expend our budget to the very last penny paying it back for another year. then i think about the dental work and eye-glasses and the many many other things that come out of NOWHERE to disrupt the peace. And i'm pretty sure that i make the "budget face" you've got going here.

thank heavens for a marriage team (that includes a loving Heavenly Father) because i could NOT do this alone.

sheesh, i miss you.

kaitlyn said...

i just want to say... i have been totally having the preschool dilemma. preschool of our dreams runs anywhere from 180/mo to 300/mo. for three days a week. CANNOT AFFORD. no matter how bad i want to. we have been doing the budget face too.

but, being out of debt and happy and secure are more important than anything. PERIOD.