Finding the good in every situation...

I didn't intend to go so long before posting again after mentioning a plan to getting our debt paid off. We had some serious home issues this last Friday.

What kind of issues you ask? Sewer issues!

Friday was my birthday and my sweet husband took me out for nachos. A cheap but yummy meal...it was very thoughtful and I enjoyed his company a lot. As we were leaving the sports bar we received a call from our teenage daughter. She called to tell us there was water in our finished basement!! Now we didn't overreact. We thought she was being a bit dramatic. She wasn't. We could tell by the sight of the water and the 'smell' it was bad!

This last week I've been dealing with our insurance, the clean-up and inventorying everything we've lost. It has been a bitter sweet experience. On the one hand, we are getting paid to do much of the work ourselves. But then we've lost some priceless photos of our children that made me weep. It was very hard for me...

So as we continue the clean-up and begin the repairs, we are praising our Father in heaven for His continued presence in our lives. This flood could have been worse. We still have each other and our health. We have to find the good in this.

One good thing...our insurance is covering all that we lost.

When you are feeling down about finances...

It is so easy to get down about your current financial situation...especially if you/your spouse is unemployed. You try to be strong and cling to your faith. You reply to the common question, 'how are you doing'...with 'we are good'. When you really know that you aren't. Sure you have food, shelter and your health (hopefully). Yet you are still feeling down.

Why are you feeling down? What would it take to lift you up?

I am feeling down because I was moving full steam ahead in paying off our debt. With 9 months to go we would have paid off $16,000. Then we would have tackled another $12,000 in the following 5 months. Our home would have been paid off in 4 more short years, our future was looking bright. That makes me frustrated and puts me down in the dumps. I hide in my computer and don't think about 'stuff'.

I am here to confess and be held accountable...it stops here...today! If you are in the same place as me, let it end today. Self pity is far more destructive than not having money. It will eat you alive and devastate you home and family. You aren't alone. I am here to commensurate with you.

I've had my week long 'pity party'.

So what are my plans now? To get back up on that horse of paying off debt. How do I do it without income? I have no idea. I don't need to worry about it because I trust the Lord. He brought us to this place and He has our best interest at heart. I will do His will with a trust and joy...no worries for the Lord is my strength.

Isaiah 26:4
4Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

More to come on my plan...

Applying for jobs to make ends meet.

Of course my husband is applying for jobs. We are grateful that he can collect unemployment benefits. The hard part for him is to find a 'living wage' job. Meaning a job that pays him enough for us to pay our living expenses. And more than he is collecting in unemployment benefits. That is the stinky part of applying for jobs for him. He can't apply for just any job, like an $8.00/hr job. He needs to focus on a 'living wage' job...ugh.

I am also applying for jobs here and there. The problems I have are my availability. I can't work a lot of hours and the times of day I can work are limited. Due to having seven children at home and homeschooling them. Still, I am applying for some part-time jobs to give us a bit of a cushion financial. Hopefully one of the jobs will work out for me. OR my husband will get a job that will allow me to remain a SAHM like I have been these last 12 years...I am praying in earnest for that!!

My biggest reason for applying for jobs is to get our car paid off. We owe about $2000 on it. Had my husband not lost his job it was to be paid off in May. If I get a job and am able to double up the payment I can get it paid off by the end of June! That would be so awesome! Having that extra money would be so good and then we could focus on other bills. I really don't want to lose the momentum I had in January and in the beginning of February.

I just can't stand knowing how close we were to being debt-free. I want to get those last lingering bills paid off and then pay our house off...that is what I want! So let's keep it going...let's not give up...let's look for another way!!!

Wish me luck!

So...how ya been?

Busy, busy around here it's been. You'd think having your husband home would mean a little RNR for me, nope. With an eight month old there just isn't much free time. That's okay with me. The day will come where she doesn't need me anymore and then I will long for the days of snuggling her and loving on her...I will deeply miss those days.

My selling of used curriculum went very well. I sold $320 all together. I am about to list a few more books so lets pray those sell! My writing project is going slow. I don't know how I thought it would be easy...I do have seven children and am homeschooling two of them. Having my husband home in that regard has been great! He is getting to participate in educating our children...that is a very good thing!

We have been working on our storage room lately. We believe in being prepared for the unexpected events in life. Like unemployment. After living in Florida and going through hurricane season, we learned quickly that it is very important to store food and water. We carried that over into our everyday lives. You just never know when you are going to be snowed in because of a blizzard or there is another terrorist attack like 9/11 but much worse. Anyway, preparedness is a good thing. And for us, it is very important. Because of our preparedness we have plenty of food to last us 6 months, at least.

Having so much stored food leads me back to how we did our first 'NSM'. We could not have been so successful in January if we had to buy food. Now with my husband being unemployed we can't pay off more debt. That makes me sad. I was on such a good roll. I suppose God has other plans for us and I am okay with that. I trust Him and know with every part of my being that He loves me and mine...so it is all good.

Blessings,

Cutting Expenses and making money...

It is hard to cut expenses when you live so frugally already. But I've managed to cut a couple of more corners. I talked to my daughter's piano teacher and asked if my daughter could cut her lessons back and only go twice a month. She said that would be just fine...this saves us $28 a month. We are stopping our land line phone service which will save us an additional $30 a month. We are going to be 'only' driving my husband's car, not taking our family out for the month of March. In doing this we will save a lot in gas. My car is an Excursion which burns a lot of gas. So, we will put the big kids on a rotation for running errands with either myself or my husband. This way they can go out every so often.

It is all about making sacrifices. We can do it and we will still have a full, wonderful life. Many of the above is not necessary to make our lives great. We often think they are required but there not. Keeping the right perspective in ones life is very important...

Do you remember me saying my living room was filled with boxes of books? Well, so far I've sold $218.00 worth of books in my first week!! Most of it is used curriculum. Curriculum I used with on child that may not have worked well for us or won't work well for the next child in line. I am just happy to have cleaned out some bookshelf space and made some money at the same time...yay!

I recently was given the suggest to write a book about preparedness by some friends. I am sort of a 'preparedness nut'...it is like a hobby to me. Given all the research I've been doing in preparing my own household, my friends AND husband think I should write a handbook. I am going for it! When my husband came home from his dear Grandfather's funeral he said that God told him I should write a book about preparedness. I about fell over! He was telling me to write a book, just like my friends said just 2 short days before...wow! This is going to be quite interesting and it is already exciting for me. I am listening to the Lord, my husband and friends in writing this book. It just makes sense, preparedness is very important to me and I want everyone to be prepared for whatever may come...UNEMPLOYMENT, pandemic, terrorist attack, natural disaster etc... Being prepared is always a good thing.

I still have some books I am trying to sell, so we'll see if those sell this week! This coming week will be a busy one. Since I homeschool my kids, my free time is limited. Throw in writing a book and I'm really going to be busy! I am definitely up for the challenge!

How are you cutting expenses and making money?

Blessings,