We have one car. One family car. It’s five years old,
purchased before I “gave up” (hahahahaha) working. We have no plans to upgrade.
We take one (modest) family holiday most years, funds permitting. One week’s
duration. Usually camping or to a little old unit or cabin somewhere near a
beach.
I don’t colour my hair. I get it cut twice a year. I cut my
children’s hair myself. I don’t have manicures or facials. I rarely wear
makeup.
I buy clothes (and furniture and other household items) at
garage sales. Occasionally we splurge on new clothes- for example, last week my
local Kmart had children’s pyjamas marked down to $3. All four kids got new
pyjamas.
We only make big purchases on sale- it usually involves
having saved for a period, or buying on interest free and paying it off.
We have a simple, healthy diet. We have special meals for
birthdays, and don’t buy expensive processed convenience food. We don’t go out
to dinner unless it’s at someone’s house or someone else is paying!
We don’t live in a palace... In fact, we believe it is OK
for kids to share a room.
I feel no compulsion to keep up with the Jones’. My children
have everything they need and so do we. Everything else is just “stuff”.
We LOVE hand-me-downs. We LOVE op shops.
On the weekend, we go for a picnic, to visit friends, or for
a bushwalk. We don’t go to the coast, to a cafe or to a theme park.
We are generous. What we don’t need, we give away... to
friends, or to charity. I used to sell things on ebay, but I get much more
pleasure from gifting something on to someone who could use it. Paying it
forward because what you put out there, you get back.
We re-use and recycle.
We don’t go crazy on Christmas presents.
We have a budget. Most of the time we stick to it.
I don’t understand why people feel the need to judge us for
choosing for me to stay at home with our children (for the record, I was back at
work when our first child was 6 weeks old, when our second was four months, and
after the third we decided I would stay home and enjoy these precious few years instead of working to pay childcare fees).
Comments like, “Oh I wish I could stay home like you”, “It’d be great if we
could AFFORD for me to stay at home”, “you’re lucky; I HAVE to work”, “well,
it’s OK for you, you have the TIME to cook/ clean/ visit friends/ {insert
speaker’s current first world complaint here}”.
I find it really offensive when others negate all the
planning we do and sacrifices we make to have the life we want to have, just
because they can’t imagine themselves doing the same.
Enough is enough. On two counts.... I have had enough, and I
will no longer be bothered by the words or thoughts of other people. I will not
let their dissatisfaction with their lives reduce the joy I have in my own. To
be honest, I don’t care enough and I don’t want people like that in my life any
more.
Secondly, enough is enough. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. People spend
their lives chasing MORE, wanting MORE. They’ll be happy when.......
If you are reading this, you have access to the internet,
which makes you luckier than many. If you are at home or at work, and you have
enough food, enough money in the bank to pay your bills, and enough clothes to
wear to get by, you are better off than most of the world’s population. Stop
chasing perfection. Enjoy what you have. You have enough.
If you REALLY want to know my secret, I will tell you......
I know that money doesn’t buy happiness. I know I will blink and my children
will be grown. I know that memories are made, not bought. I know that our house
is full of love. I know I have more than enough. I know I am blessed.
Ahhhhhh. Rant done. My next post will be super positive and happy and smiley.
