Being poor isn't much fun. When Grig and I moved recently, we were doing pretty well financially. However, previous to this move, we had been blessed with an apartment that was owned by loving family, and they didn't require us to pay rent.
Thanks to their generosity, we had been able to save up a bit of money, and had reduced our college debt by quite a bit. Before we moved we weren't rich, but we weren't really poor either. We'd been able to pay all of our baby bills (which were pretty substantial considering that I had a c-section).
Since we've moved, however, we've joined the world of the grown ups. Our money that we saved was mostly spent in those first few weeks when Grig wasn't working as many hours and he was signed up through a temp agency. For a while, we didn't even know for sure that he was going to get the job full-time. However, we had faith. We knew this is where we were supposed to be.
We had decided to get a three bedroom apartment so that Grig's brother Havelock could come and stay with us. It was decided that once he arrived and found a job, he would be able to help with the rent a bit. The rent is a decent price for a three bedroom apartment, but it is still quite a bit of our income. However, he couldn't find a job for a few weeks, so we've had to pay the rent on our own. (As a side note, he found a job, and he starts today!)
We've had to become very careful on how we deal with our money. I created a budgeting system on Excel that works great for us, but with all of the finances we've had and a few surprise bills, our money nearly disappeared. We couldn't buy groceries because we didn't have money for it. We didn't have any furniture when we moved, and though we were able to buy a bed, we couldn't buy anything else. We have been dirt poor, and it hasn't hurt us at all.
We've learned so many wonderful things because of it. We budgeted our money before this, but never with the same caution that we do now. We only buy what we absolutely NEED, and we're still working on discerning what groceries can wait until we have money. We have given up a lot of things that we wanted for a later time when we can afford them. Neither Grig nor I have credit cards, and aside from a (comparatively) small college debt that we are working on, we don't plan on ever going into debt. We only want to buy things that we have saved up for and can afford.
We've also been so blessed! Every piece of furniture that we've really needed, someone has given us. When we started, we had a tiny end table, a rocking chair, a lawn chair, a desk, and entertainment center (with no t.v.), a book shelf, a bed, and a tote that we use for a desk. We didn't have a couch, a bed for Havelock, a table, or a microwave. As the weeks have gone by and we've been trying to stay within our means, others have stepped in and given us furniture. We've been so grateful as we've learned to rely on the Lord and on friends and family.
We've had enough, but no more. As Havelock starts his new job and Grig continues to work, we should be able to begin saving again, and move past the poverty line. It's been tough, but really, it's been okay.
A little poverty never hurt anyone. It's only made us stronger as we've come closer to each other and to the Lord.
