Most of my adult life my friend’s budget’s have seemed larger and more forgiving than the one I have chosen to live by. It seemed they were able to take vacations, have newer, nicer cars, and in general have the life I seemed not to be able to have. Truth is, most of the time, I think I have a better life…for my home is happy and without alot of strife, but the green monster of “If only I could” would strike semi regularly as though some “thing” would make my world better
As I learned to budget and to be more aware of how my funds were used, I began to appreciate the way we lived. We spend money where we want it spent, not wasting on things that are not of value to us…..we began to see how the Lord was prospering us beyond what we could do as we tithed and relied on Him to guide us. We paid and are still paying off debts from years we were ignorant of how divorce would ravage us for our future…. There seemed only one area, vacations, that we simply did not do. I didn’t want Niagara Falls, cruises, or the Bahamas as my oldest girl friend gets to do….but a weekend or day trip every now and then seemed doable. Three years passed and we simply don’t get it done. Oh money was there, but it was always used differently….and I would inevitably talk Dh out of it even when we might have gone.
Yesterday was my Dear Daughter’s Twelvth birthday. We choose to take the day off from Dear Husband’s job and my writing and take her to a theme park 95 miles from our home. We spent the morning shopping a large outlet near it then lunch at McD’s…still her favorite….then on to the park. It was an expensive day, $250!! Which in our budget is quite the day…but we chose carefully the $80 clothes for Dh’s career clothes and shirts for Dear daughter when Van Huesen was having great sales, we paid $100 for tickets to get in the park, and then of course, gas for $44 and a few odds and ends for $40 more from various stores and the exorbitant $4.50 Dippin Dots. All in all we had a wonderful time. The three of us (the boys were elsewhere) laughed, and shared and played and celebrated her life in ways I could only have imagined….in this case our pictures were worth more than I could pay for the quality time we gave her as we celebrated together her birthday!
Yes, we’ll have to be very careful this next two pay periods to make up for the day, our whole grocery budget may be wiped out at $45 per week for two weeks, as well as the clothing budget for 4 months, but we had wonderful buys for Dh and the boys as well as Dd and more expensive wardrobe for Dh than we could have normally accomplished. Isn’t this why we’re frugal, keep a pantry and work hard to make the dollar hollar….to allow the days we need it for feeding another family, for nurturing our own work? That’s the whole point, not to simply fore go opportunities to use it for fun. It was so worth it. DD shopped Kaybee toys for 75% off savings PLUS we had a coupon for another 25% off! God is good!
It turns out I prefer being frugal. I feel truly annointed to help others and ourselves with the skills God has gifted me with through the lessons learned the hard way in my own life. Being careful with money is now second nature, but more importantly one I prefer. Yes, $100 theme park days are not our normal, but once a year it was very worth it, especially on a birthday. Yes, we could have eaten in a restaurant, but truly McDs’ was what she wanted. We had a wonderful wonderful blessed day…and got home by 9 pm after leaving at 9 am. A memorable birthday, full of awe and fun! God is good isn’t He?
We have different goals than most of our friends financially, and usually we are the ones doing it on one main salary with my additional writing and Mary Kay income. I am the only one of my closest friends who homeschools, and perhaps the only entrepeneural one of the local crew….but God allowed me to come home, urged me to come home, and blessed me with businesses and ministry that are flexible to our children’s needs…..and that is yet another way I am thankful that we are all wonderfully and fearfully made.
This morning I am thankful for a day well spent, for a God who allows me to grow and realize that money isn’t the issue for us, that learning to allow ourselves the use of it and how to enjoy its abundance is the next grow step. For so long I limited how much I could have in my life for concerns of learning to love it too much……this past month God has shown me time and time again that He trusts us to now use it as He shows us to help others….and sometimes to enjoy ourselves as well.
God is good all the time….and this next new step is exciting. God wants us to have the life of our heart dreams….and He’s able to show us each step of how to get there!
Be blessed!
Sweetie!
