Living Within Our Means

When people hear that we are moving, that we have purchased a house, we hear some common questions.

Is the house bigger? Are there more bedrooms? Big yard?

The answer to each of those questions is, NO. To some it may seem odd, but it's living within our means.

Granted, the main reason we have bought a house and are moving is to provide my parents with a place to live. The reason we were even able to buy it is because my parents provided the down payment. For reasons it would take too long to explain, they can't own a house on their own, nor should they. It's better for all of us to be together.

Of course Bean and I had to make this decision not only because it was good for my parents, but also because it was good for us. We are losing square footage in comparison to our current home and as would be expected, the bedrooms are smaller. Because the garage will be expanded and converted to a granny flat for my parents, there really isn't much backyard.

BUT...it's a fantastic neighborhood with good schools. It's central to most everything in our city. Hopefully Bean's commute will be a bit shorter. And we will be paying ourselves by paying the mortgage, investing in our future.

Most importantly, it's within our means. Sure, we qualified for a home with a higher purchase price, but the mortgage would have been a big stretch. Someday it would be nice if Bean can quit his 12-hr a week part-time custodial gig at the church.

We want our children to have a bit more than we had growing up, if possible. But we aren't willing to give them so much that we live in debt forever or are house-poor. Our kids are young and small. Having a small house works now much better than when they are growing teenagers. Hopefully by then, maybe we'll be able to afford a larger home.

Along those same lines, we'll be squeezing our three children onto one bench in our Honda CRV for a while. We've talked a lot about getting a minivan and eventually I assume we will. But it makes more sense, it is living within our means, to not make a purchase that increases our monthly payment. Once we're settled and used to the mortgage and the expense of a baby and having 2 in diapers for the first time, we'll see if a minivan is in our future. I actually LOVE our CRV, so I don't mind continuing to drive it. I just have to find the right carseat combination to fit in the back. The expense of 1 or 2 new seats is equal to one or two months of higher car payments, so very little in comparison.

I feel good about this. About living within our means. There will be challenges. We have to downsize a bit and be creative with storage and belongings, but it will be good for us. Especially me. I have a bit of pack-rat tendency that I am trying to conquer!

So yes, our house is smaller, and so is our yard. But our hearts are full and hopefully there is a tiny bit of padding left in our bank account at the end of the month. And by padding, I mean, we'll be happy with $20!

Why do we need $$$$?

I suppose that every culture has some form of currency--be it animals, goods, food, paper, gold/silver etc. But it really is a pain. I'd like to go back to the garden of Eden days when no currency was needed. All the food you needed grew from the ground and you didn't have to buy clothes.

Can you tell I'm a bit stressed about money right now? Really there is nothing new, but every once in a while the expense of life can be overwhelming. Especially when you add in a new baby coming. We have a lot that we will need, but the carseat expense is such a killer. With fall coming, Miss Rose needs a new wardrobe--and although she has friends older than her--she's bigger than them, so no hand-me-downs. Gracie won't need much, but a bit to add to what I have. And then there's my ever-expanding body, which in about a month or so will require all maternity--and I have, um 3 pieces of maternity-wear currently.

I have no idea what to do about carseats fitting in our current vehicle. Because I'm a big carseat fanatic, I want my kids as safe as possible. I really want Miss Rose to be in a harness until she's 6--and our current seat would accomodate that. However, she has one of the larger seats available (due to her amazonian size). Our infant seat is also the largest, as most children can rear-face in it until age 2.

So adding another seat to our one available bench (I drive a Honda CRV) is quite a challenge. There are a variety of options...but I have no idea what three seats will even fit, and many of the options require the purchase of two more seats--since the current ones may not work with a third. A minivan will definately be in our future, but maybe not the near one.

I know it will all work out, but sometimes my brain works overtime. I want to figure it out NOW, but there isn't really the time or money at this moment. God always provides, but I really it would be more convient to strap my kids into a box on the back of a wagon. You may think I'm kidding--but some days the Amish life really calls to me.

We have been blessed that our income has increased some over the almost 7 years of our marriage--but as life would have it, so have the expenses! I wonder, will there ever be a point that the expenses level out and the income goes up a bit giving more of a cushion, allowing us to save for larger expenses? Hopefully...but it seems SO far away.

As I go to bed tonight, I'm going to dream of growing all my own vegetables, making all my own baked goods and driving a wagon. Part of me would welcome the hard work of farm life! I do know that grass is not always greener on the other side. I am happy with the life God has given us and we have never truly been in want and as we remain faithful to Him, I trust that we won't be.

Will it ever end?

I paid $4.11/gal for gas today. It was $4.07 on Friday. Ouch. We typically get gas at Costco, which can be .10-.20 cents cheaper than local gas stations. I think it was $4.25 down the street. I was near Costco today and since I was at half a tank, I figured I would just fill up for the week.

It's scary to say, but I wouldn't be surprised to see $5.00/gal before summer is over. I remember around my Junior year in college when gas was $.99/gal. My VW beetle had a 10 gallon tank and so I filled up for under $10.

Food costs have risen too. None of this is news to any of you, I'm sure! It is frusterating because Bean and I are really working at being good stewards of our money and focus on our goals (like paying off debt). Yet, cost of living continues to increase. How do we beat it??? I aim to feed my family healthily--and that food gets pricey!

There's a few things I've been doing to try and save money. Maybe you can share some ideas too. (also check out Jaimie's Penny In My Pocket)

Shopping at Dollar Tree and discount stores (like GTM if you are in San Diego).

• Today at Dollar Tree (all at $1) I found Puffs Kleenex, bleach, mozarella cheese, popsicles, pretzels, Rubbermaid reusable tupperware and a Fitness magazine.
• GTM has Fruit Leather for $.25 each. A 50-75% savings from Henry's. Flavors are limited, but Miss Rose really likes them and there is no added sugar. Just fruit!! Also discounted graham crackers, hydrocortisone cream for $.99, lotions, beauty products and more.

Skip the paper products. We used to go through a ton of paper plates in a month. It was just easier. But I realized--although I would buy them inexpensively, it adds up and isn't too green either. It's been 2 or 3 months since I last bought paper plates. We just use the dishawasher more! And rags work just as well as paper towels.

Buying in bulk at places like Henry's. If you like to bake and cook, items such as rice, flour, sugar, beans are all usually cheaper in bulk. And you can buy exactly the amount you need. Bean is threatening to get me containers for my birthday for all the small plastic bags of stuff in the cupboard.

Shopping at children's resale stores and craigslist. If you are looking for baby/kid related gear---you can get them at great prices if you are patient!

• craigslist: When I am looking for something in particular, I hound craigslist several times a day until I find it. My crib was just $60 (great condition, just a few knicks in the paint) and a coordinating changing table for $30. I saved about $200 on my double jogger. A $100 swing for $60 that was almost brand new.
• Resale stores: these can be really hit and miss, so just make stopping by a part of your routine a few times a month. Usually great supplies of blankets, onsies and basics. If you are looking for a toy or particular item, they'll usually write your name down and call you if it comes in.

If you are on baby #1 and plan to have more, you will probably get your money's worth from new stuff. I remember the fun of all the new baby gear with my first. However--you can save SO MUCH buying gently used stuff.

Splitting food items at Costco. Unless you are large family, it can take a long time to use up food purchased at Costco and it's hard to pay out the intial cost. If you have a friend or family member who likes the same stuff, share the cost and the food.

Little Markets. We have a little mexican food shop/market less than a mile down the street. They sell a decent variety of fruits and veggies WAY cheaper than the grocery store. For instance today (can you tell it was errand day) I purchased apples for $.69/lb, oranges 3lbs/$1, cucumbers 2/$1 and they also had watermelon for $.29/lb. If you've bought produce at the grocery store recently--you know the prices are WAY higher. The only item we still get regularly at a grocery store is bananas. Even fruit at Henry's and Costco is usually cheaper than the supermarket chains.

So, how are you saving money and cutting costs these days?

I can't remember...oh wait, MARGINS

Why is it that throughout the day I think of a variety of things to post about...and when I sit down at the computer, my mind is empty? That's exactly what's happening right now. I even had a title in mind...but now...nothing! AH--I think I've got it. Margins.

We're doing a small group study right now on creating margins in your life. The main principle being that we (humanity) like to push everything to the limit and we don't leave any space for the unexpected--or we just get burnt out.

Wednesday it was on financial margins. Perfect since that morning Bean and I got word that our car repairs were going to run us $3000! We were stressing. We had decided to use our "economic stimulus" to stimulate Saturn, but that bill was almost 2x what we got. We are really working towards some financial goals--the the first being getting of credit card debt, and buying a home in the long run. We just finished paying off new tires for my vehicle and now this. It seems like just when you catch up---you fall behind again.

So, financial margins... the idea that there is space between your expenses and your income. Most of us pretty much spend whatever we make--even if it's going to the "right things," we spend it. Bean and I make a good deal more now then we did when we were first married. But now we have 2 children, need a larger home, pay for childcare etc. Like us, you probably say "if only we made more." I find myself thinking that a lot.

However...our discussion on Wednesday made this statement "it's not about income, it's about lifestyle." Andy Stanley says if don't have margin, it's not because you don't have enough income, it's because of the lifestyle you choose. So I started thinking about it.

We have a cable/phone/internet package. It's a "good deal" for the services we recieve, but it's a lifestyle choice to have digital cable, high defintion service, DVR (like Tivo) and high speed internet. (I know, I know. Please don't judge!) It's a lifestyle choice to eat out a few times a week. It's a lifestyle choice to buy a few cartons of ice cream a week or soda or favorite snack items. It's a lifestyle choice to have unlimited Blockbuster rentals.

We don't have a lot of margin in our finances. Perhaps a little bit, but not enough. When I get frusterated from now on, I'm going to remind myself--it's about lifestyle, not about income. We CAN make choices to increase our margin. Honestly, it's going to be a bit of a process I think. Bean and I need to talk about it. See what lifestsyle changes we can make to maximize the income God has blessed us with.