Posted on 05/28/2004 7:00:28 AM PDT by grellis
"I'm in the high-fidelity first class travelling sect
And I think I need a Lear jet."
Pink Floyd, Money
Raise your hand if you would settle for a used Suburu van, as long as it comes with built-in car seats!
As I wrote last week, today we will be discussing financial matters and how we mothers cope with them. Who handles the finances in your household? What do you do to make ends meet? Do you have college funds started for your kids? What are some of the things you have given up in order to stay afloat? What are some luxuries you simply cannot give up, regardless of their expense? Please take this opportunity to share anecdotes and, more importantly, advice. Dads, we welcome your input as well!
You never told me what size you wanted (single or double) and what yarn! If you let me know, I can e-mail the yarn shop next week and get your price!
I eat onions on everything. Maybe it's a mineral deficiency or something :-).
Our kids are teenagers now, so I am getting ready to go back to work part-time (very part-time) and gradually work more hours as they all go through high school. But for 18 years I have been home full time.
We started planning for me to be home full-time while we were engaged. I was working as an engineer, and when we got married we saved my salary and spent his. We also bought a very cheap house (for the time) and slowly added on to it, rather than moving into a bigger house.
We did this because a wise older woman at our church had told me before my marriage to *live on one income* even if we had two. So for some years we lived on that one income, and between that and buying a cheaper house, it was worth it.
We always made it a point to pay cash for cars. If we couldn't afford to pay cash for a new one, we bought a used one.
We haven't saved very much money for our kids' college - but to be fair, we haven't been prepared for the *huge* increases in tuition, either. In the past six or so years our instate college tuitions have *doubled.* They are still going up at 8% or so per year. I have no idea where it's going to end.
If so I've got the same problem!!!! Onions don't go bad or start sprouting in this house - we go through them like water.
jax claims she doesn't like them, but I remember her gobbling up raw onions when she was only a year old!!!!!
Oh, but it was warm in the sunshine once we got it! Good May weather, actually. Sunny, slightly brisk. Wore the boys out. Good sleeping tonight!
I wish we had had the sense to live on one income back when we were childless and both working. Unfortunately, we lived beyond both of our incomes. Its taken a lot of scrimping, saving, and refinancing to get us back on track.
Earlier in the thread someone--muir redwoods, I think--posted a link for a federal financial aid website. Definitely worth looking into!
I'll be back in a few hours, everyone!
One person earning and one at home with the kids is the best way to do it if you can and most people can. As far as feeling funny because you aren't bringing in money recognize the value of each role. It's like pitcher's and catchers, you need both and there's no game without one of each. As the earner while our kids were pre-school I felt my share of guilt about not being at every school play or concert. The deficit cuts both ways.
Hi everyone. I am just now getting a chance to pop in....it's been so busy around here lately with the end-of-school activities and things (like our oldest breaking her foot yesterday!).
We have 5 children, ages 16, 9, 6, 4, and 2. Finances: we are a one income family, I've been home with the kids for over 10 years. Dh and I share the finances...ie, I do the checkbook/bill-paying, but he handles the taxes and investments. He finds financial stuff interesting.....I should try harder to. :)
I said we are a one income family, that's not entirely accurate....we have two incomes but dh earns both of them! LOL. Well I would like to write more but my teen (with the fracture in her foot) is not a happy camper.....so I better get back to Nurse Mommy mode....the pain pills they gave her aren't quite cutting it--Beware of platform shoes!!!! ;)
Absolutely true and thanks for reminding me of it. I know my husband often feels badly when he misses out on a lot of the family stuff and I'm not always as sensitive to that as I should be.
Funny you should mention pitchers and catchers...Pudge Rodriguez just got tossed from the Tigers/Orioles game. Sheesh!
A broken foot at the beginning of summer...that's going to hurt in sooo many ways, and not just for your daughter, I'm afraid! Best wishes for the speediest recovery in the history of feet!!!
Thank you, I'll let her know of your good wishes. She likes F.R., she's a good conservative already.
They said it's fairly minor as these things go, no cast just a boot, for three weeks. Awfully black and blue though!
Have a great weekend, everyone. See ya' next week!
What are some of the things you have given up in order to stay afloat?
I gave up everything to stay home and raise the kids. No frills. No unnecessary clothing, no dinner/theater, no McD's, no beauty parlor, no remodeling money, etc. Movies were a rarity. I'd take them fossil hunting instead. I'd play games with them. We'd make craft projects. We'd study flowers and trees. Butterflies. I'd read to them. We'd pick berries. We baked homemade snacks rather than pay the price for bakery products. Each child helped. We went for long walks I called "Adventures." LOL Oddly, they always were. There was always something interesting to explore.
It cost me when I went back to work after the kids were in college. My resume was non-existant at that point.
I'd do it again in a heartbeat. All three are very decent human beings. All three say they'll raise their children the same way. And believe it or not, we were the envy of the neighborhood kids, even tho we lacked the latest tech gadget or bike or toy. They had everything but attention because their folks were just too busy.
It's amazing what you can cut out when you try. I'd go to the mall twice a year at most. I simply couldn't spend beyond necessities so stayed away from places that tempted me. We had money for the important things and that's it.
Let me know if you want to be added to the ping. This is a Fridays-only thread, definitely low-volume.
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