Thursday, March 11, 2010

doing without

...like this title/topic...obviously not related to this month's challenge. LOL!

I put on a boring set of scrubs (1/4 tops and 1/3 pants) this morning as I was getting ready for work, and got the thought that I really needed to buy a couple more scrub tops. Pulling on my socks as I was about to leave, I realized the uncomfortable feeling was my big toe sticking out the top of my sock. "My only pair of brown socks," I thought. A mental note was made that I need socks. By this afternoon, my desire to eat dinner out had grown into a full blown need because we have no food in the house.

I will not get either of those things in the near future, and we had an amazing dinner at home. Doing without, not consuming, living simply, being content...this is the way we are paying off our credit card debt this year (in addition to about $4000 from my accident settlement). I started this year thinking paying off THAT much debt was totally impossible, but with Tim's great passion and determination and both of our desire to do without for the greater good of our family, I think we will actually do it! Tim is blogging daily about our journey to cc debt freedom. A couple of years ago, we had an income about half the size of our outgoing needs. It was a hard, hard time. We did without and life was ok, but I eventually realized how hard it was to have $40/week for groceries and to really have to do without anything absolutely unnecessary. Doing without because you have cc debt you want to pay or something fun you want to do with your money can be very exhilarating and fun. I am so grateful to be in this place now.

Also, you know, both my mom being sick and really paying attention to her financial needs and the needs around me in the world has helped me to *really* consider what is important. Even if we did not have to use it, money to help with her needs, whatever they may be, especially medically, seems SO very much more important than clothes and shoes or paying more for food at a restaurant or for something for this house. We have SUCH high standards in this society. It's hard to keep up to them, even. Basic needs being met is such a low standard...the house needs to be decorated, the clothes need to be everything you ever wanted for your particular body, the accessories are a necessity, eating out is a total given. My thoughts on this are just too long to list.

I just feel like begging and pleading with the world to open our eyes to the poor, to the sick, to the many needs around us. Try hard to do without and pay off debt so you have the freedom to give it and use it for important things like human connection and building up your relationships and loving and supporting others.

In our entire house today, besides the baking supplies and condiments and such, we had oranges, 3 pieces of bread, small amt of applesauce, eggs, milk, garlic, frozen beef (we bought a 1/4 of a grassfed cow last year!), 3 cans of salmon, a can of soup, polenta, rice cakes, ww pasta, annie's mac and cheese, boxed mashed potatoes, barley, popcorn, hummus, homemade banana bread, some thawed cocktail shrimp, leftover spaghetti, and leftover broccoli. Tim and I both thought the food choices were pretty depressing at first glance. Instead, we decided to get excited about making it all work and changing our thoughts. We had...cinnamon toast, banana bread, applesauce, and oranges in the first part of the day, and popcorn, leftover spaghetti, rice cakes with hummus, and shrimp sauteed with garlic and butter tossed with ww pasta with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It was delicious!

We can thaw some beef and have that and broccoli and mashed potatoes for dinner and mac and cheese and oranges for lunch, and bake some muffins for breakfast with milk for tomorrow. Yes, I obviously need to go to the grocery store, but I am not depriving my family of nutrition and it is great practice to see what I can do with what I have and what we can do without. I bet I can even wear the same clothes over and over to work and still be happy. I sure hope so.

3 comments:

  1. I think about our society's high standards often. As we've cut back, then cut back, then cut back again, then cut back some more and we've reached the point where I'm not finding much else that can be cut, it's so easy to feel insecure and to even be tempted to withdraw from friends because of it. I think of you often as an inspiration because you're so good at being a friend and not being shy about cutting back!

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  2. Can I just say how impressed and proud I am of you?!?! Besides the obvious fact that I am TOTALLY and COMPLETELY convicted by your life. Amazing! Can I write about you on my blog?!?

    ps-PLEASE come over and "shop" my pantry and my clothes closet. I'd feel much better about myself if you did. wink ;)

    Love you!

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  3. thanks so much, jeni. i have felt similarly, for sure.

    Brianne, I love you so much, and you, my friend, are totally and completely convicting yourself. You can certainly write about me. lol. and hmmm...i'd love to shop yo house.

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