Feb
20
I am employed again. I’ll report for my first day on March 9th. I’m really excited about it. I don’t have any reservations about it, other than the drive. Compared to my previous commute, this one will be ugly. The shift should be early enough to beat most of the rush traffic on both sides, though.
It’ll be nice not to have to dip into savings every two weeks. We’re not going to go back to spending like we did before. One good thing about this situation is that it showed us we can just about make it on my wife’s income alone. We’re only coming short $200 or so every paycheck. If it wasn’t for our debt, we’d be able to have one of us stay home with the kids full time, albeit with the same sacrifices we’re making now. Before I switched jobs, we were barely making it. How were we barely getting by with twice as much money? Apparently we were blowing a lot of it. I definitely think this is something God wanted me (us) to learn before he led us out of this valley. “See? Look at how much you had. Look at how you squandered my blessings.” I do see now. I used to think we’d never get out of debt. Now I can see how “easy” it will be to get out. We’re going to keep living like we have been (maybe a little more stable), build up savings, and then start attacking these bills. If we didn’t “need” the extra couple hundred bucks a paycheck, it can be used to pay down balances. Then we’ll know freedom. And it’ll be sweet.
February 20th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
woo hoo! i am very proud of you!!!!!!
February 22nd, 2009 at 6:00 pm
CONGRATS!!
March 8th, 2009 at 12:27 am
My fiancĂ©e and I are trying to plan for what you found yourself thrust into. All the math tells us that, once we’re married, we could almost live on my salary, and the mountain of debt between us is the only obstacle between us and surviving on one income. I appreciate your perspective though. It’s so very important to see all of life’s circumstances as precious gifts from God, even those that kinda suck. Often those lessons are the most important.