What I thought was going to leave me sobbing helplessly in the corner has actually left me feeling empowered and victorious. I find myself vowing not to blog on anything related to our country's (or my own personal) current economic status, but it has been on my heart for some time now to document how God is moving in both the big and small things in our lives right now.
After hubs lost his job (11 months ago and counting), we quickly found ourselves re-evaluating our finances, our priorities and our list of daily "necessities". My initial thought was "holy goodness, how will we EVER make it?!". With a little elbow grease, a lot of commitment, and a little wiggle room for cheating (I still have to have my daily dose of Chick-fil-a sweet tea and Chris still has to have his Netflicks) we have learned that we can actually live off of a lot less than we ever imagined.
I now know that, contrary to my previous beliefs, I do not have to have an iced vanilla frappuccino every morning on my way to work. I also don't have to spend $40 at Target each week on things I never needed or wanted. I also (gasp) don't have to buy a new pair of shoes, regardless of how stinkin' cute they may be, every week. Who'da thunk it?
Insight #1 in this process: so much of our spending is simply out of habit or laziness. We go out to dinner 4 times a week because it's a lot easier to choose between Mellow Mushroom and Chili's than to plan ahead and prepare something at home. I am queen of: "I work so hard all day, the least I deserve is dinner out. Every night. And dessert out 5 times a week too." Changing this habit, and not to mention my attitude, has been one of the hardest things I have had to do. We have learned to set a game plan on Sunday and stick with it through the week. We plan our dinners ahead of time so we are less likely to cheat. We also splurge and eat out once a week too :) My personal favorite right now is Coupon Hibachi night at Shogun. Mmm.
One of the biggest lessons learned in this process is that of priorities. With less material clutter in our lives, we have more time and energy to focus on the pure, simple, and good things in life. We have simplified everything. From grocery shopping to basic monthly bills--we've cut the fat and are proof that with God's help, you can do exponentially more than you ever thought you could. At the end of the day, we are happier, healthier, and stronger. Instead of pouring ourselves into "keeping up with the Jones'", we have found ourselves reveling in our own sweet, little life.
We have found far more contentment in the bottom of our piggy bank than we ever found on the way to the top of the corporate ladder.
I remember... this summer... about 9 years ago.... wow its been that long.... where we ran out of money way too soon from eating Applebees french fries and honey mustard at closing time.... and driving thru McDonalds just toask for a plstic spoon... Wow that was an awesome summer! : )
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