Big Changes

When Tom and I first got married we thought we had it all figured out. We knew just what we wanted, and we thought it would all just fall into place that way. Our plan was to get married, and both of us work until I got pregnant, then I would stay home, raise the babies, home school them, and life would be grand.  That's what we wanted, but that's not what happened. What happened is we both lost our jobs right after getting married. What happened is infertility. What happened is life.

We adjusted, that's what we do. We have dealt with. Done what needed to be done. I worked at a gas station for nearly two years, Tom worked two jobs for the last year and a half, we have scrimped and saved, and prayed and we have gotten by. Recently we've had some huge changes take place in our lives. I had to close my daycare. This is very complicated, and I don't feel like going into it. But, I am still upset over it, and all of my families were devastated, but sometimes in life we have to do difficult things, and this was one of those things.

Tom got a better paying job, that's half the distance he was traveling! So, not only will he make more money, but our gas bill will go down significantly. So, that has been a wonderful change. However, because of the change in his hours he had to quit his part time job. So, that means we have gone from barely staying afloat with three incomes to only having one. Yeah, I'm no mathematician, but that just doesn't add up. So, obviously, I have been looking for another job, though staying home in the meantime.

Both of us have really enjoyed me being home, it's been good for our house, and for our marriage. We have been talking a lot lately about how we would love for me to be able to just be at home, but how that's impossible. Recently I was talking to a priest friend of mine and we were discussing this situation, and he looked very sad as he said; "You know, not too long ago a family could make it on one income." he had a great point, I responded; "I know, and it's not like we live above our means or anything, our vehicles are paid off, and we don't have tons of debt.That's just utilities and groceries."


A few days ago I was going over our budget figuring out what could be cut, and how the heck we were going to make it until I found another job, when that conversation came back to me, and four things on my bill list stood out to me: cell phones, internet, cable, and home phone. All staples in almost every home in America, but not necessities.

I did some checking and realized that if we cut out our internet, went down to just the local TV channels, kept our home phone, and went down to just one non-internet, no-frills cell phone that we would be able to survive on one income. I realized that we had a choice to make: sacrifice the worldly things that we feel attached to for the betterment of our family, or sacrifice what we feel to be the ideal situation for our family for the things we enjoy in the world.

We talked and crunched the numbers, and chose what we believe is best for us and for our family. We're going to be kicking it 90's style around here starting the first of September. That's right. I'm giving up my cell phone and internet, and Tom is giving up his fancy phone and favorite TV shows, we're making a small sacrifice for the bigger picture. We may be able to afford these things again one day, but for right now we're going to be the weirdos without internet or cable.

So, I guess this is goodbye, for now! I'm sure I'll log on at the library, or my grandma's occasionally, but I probably won't be blogging anymore...at least for the moment.

I think we're finally getting our priorities in line! Now...what will I do will all of this extra time that I won't be on the internet?