Our Regrets

I have been cleaning my house, but while I have been doing that, I have been doing SO much thinking about how I have been cleaning up my life, and although my blog is leaning towards having a more simpler life, I feel like I have not been living up to it. 

I feel bad and I"m sorry for that!

I have been debating on whether or not to write about this, but this is my life, my journal, me. 

Here is our story, our regrets, our mistakes.

When Ben and I first got married we lived BIG, with very little money. Not the best thing to do. Our first large credit card purchase together was a laptop. Not a crappy one though, if and when we buy technology equipment we don't go for the off-brand as you may call it.

Go big or go home, Ben always says said.

Well that $2,000 credit card purchase over time turned into more and more. I did put a little on there for the wedding, but it was only about $400 the rest came out of my own money that I have been saving.

Ben and I always talk about how we wish that we could go back and do things differently. We say that a lot! This is why I am making this post. I'm tired of the regret.

We are already kinda living cheap. We live in a townhome/apartment paying only $600 a month, all we pay for is electric. We don't have cable, we only have internet with Netflix. Sometimes I can get a good signal on my box and I can watch A t.v show without static interruption, we only get about 3 maybe 4 channels on a good day. We take advantage of the state benefits, SNAP, WIC, OHP, and food boxes. We don't feel bad doing this because 1.) We fall under the state guidelines for help(I am always honest about how much we make) 2.) We have always(and always will) paid our taxes! Last year was our biggest tax break because of Josiah. The years before, we would get hardly anything back, sometimes we would owe! The money that we do get usually goes straight towards first--things we need around the house. Then--to debt even that doesn't go very far.

Our largest debt that we have(but doesn't have interest tacked to it) is Ben's restitution.

(more on this in another post)

(He is OK with me posting this and is thinking about writing a little something from his childhood experience)

When I first married him he had just a little under $30,000 (it was over this amount when I met him) owed to the state. We have it on a set system to pay only $150 a month. It's not much, but when you can put that $150 toward savings, it adds up!

The last bill that I got is now down to about $16,000. We have worked our butts off to get to this point.

However, we still have a long ways to go!

We honestly don't pay much for living, we just pay a lot into debt. We saw things that we wanted and we bought them without thought. 

The advice that we give to newly weds is to live simply, work to put money aside into saving, when you have a stable, good-paying job, then live big! Pay cash for everything, don't use credit cards. There are other ways to build credit. You really want that new T.V and you don't have your own money to pay for it? 

Save up for it!

Yeah, yeah, that's some talk for someone who is in debt.

But this is what Ben and I have learned. Our most recent debt purchase is my car which was way back in January of 2011. Before Josiah was born! I really wanted a safer larger family car. It took me weeks to find the perfect car and although we didn't pay cash for it, it is the only big thing that I don't regret purchasing with my husband.

I'm not going to tell you exactly how much debt that Ben and I have, but it is way more than the $16,000 mentioned. We don't struggle every month like we used to anymore. We watch where our money is going. The little things that I do to help my family has been somewhat of help. Cloth diapers, homemade household products, second hand shopping, coupon clipping, etc.

We are very grateful for friends and family that help us out so much! Just about a month ago we got an A.C for free! That has been amazing with this HOT Pacific Northwest weather we are having. 

For Ben's birthday he got some money and a Best Buy gift card from both his parents and mine. He was able to get some nice new clothes. We get free-babysitting when Ben and I just need some time alone. Girl friends of mine are generous enough to let me borrow some of their maternity clothes for this pregnancy.

We are so blessed!

Some of you may ask, but what about the baby on the way?

Yes, I have thought that too. We were given so many things with Josiah that we honestly aren't that concerned. You really don't need 3/4 of the stuff that people say that you "need". We have all the essentials and if we absolutely NEED it, we will have the money for it. For as of right now, we don't need anything. I mean if it's a girl, then yes, girl clothes are helpful, but hey, she can wear some of her brother's clothes, right? ;)

That's where this thought came into place. While I was cleaning out Josiah's closet I noticed all the things that we spent money on, but I didn't really use them. I had a lot of doubles, and large amounts of one item. Most given to me by the very generous friends that I have.

Now its in a box, ready to go to a lady who is due here in a couple of months with her first baby boy. 

All the unnecessary baby stuff that I'm getting rid of is just the beginning of cleaning out my closet. :)

I'm excited to not only make a little more room in my little home, but I'm excited to fill it with nice things that I  can use over and over again. Things that may not be brand new but still are in good working order for the years to come.

This is what's been going on and I just wanted to let you all know my thoughts for the day.

Thanks for reading. :)

-Jess