Tired of forced frugality..... - Page 2

[mama kate]

Thystle we must have posted at the same time

[kittynurse]

So sorry things are so tight for you right now. It sucks to be forced to be frugal for so long.

Do you have friends or family that would be willing to have a garage sale with you at their place? We have a yard but a bad location for a garage sale so I go together with a friend every year and we have a big one at her house.

I noticed you said your DH is a programmer. Are you anywhere near Reston? My DH does contract work for a software company in Reston. I could find out if they are hiring.

Good luck

ETA: Here is a link to their job opportunities website page: http://jobsearch.sagesoftware.career...=b&lid=2594&q=

[srain]

Originally Posted by Zack419

We're tied to the area in that my family lives VERY close and it's hard for me to live far from them .....I'm not looking for work b/c DH and I believe strongly in my being a SAHM....

Given these factors, is it at all helpful to change your mindset and remind yourself that your current economic situation IS, in one sense, a choice? Not that you'd intentionally choose your current income, obviously, but that your current income is based on your well thought-out choices to (a) maintain close extended fmaily connections and (b) stay with your kids 24/7. While things suck right now, the reason they are this way is partly because they'd suck even MORE if you did what'd probably be necessary to increase your income- leave your extended family behind or get a job.

(I'm not meaning to downplay your real and valid frustrations here, just offering another idea that might help. Even if we can't immediately change our circumstances, getting our heads around them in a different way sometimes makes things feel better.)

[FillingMyQuiver]

Originally Posted by srain

Given these factors, is it at all helpful to change your mindset and remind yourself that your current economic situation IS, in one sense, a choice? Not that you'd intentionally choose your current income, obviously, but that your current income is based on your well thought-out choices to (a) maintain close extended fmaily connections and (b) stay with your kids 24/7. While things suck right now, the reason they are this way is partly because they'd suck even MORE if you did what'd probably be necessary to increase your income- leave your extended family behind or get a job.

(I'm not meaning to downplay your real and valid frustrations here, just offering another idea that might help. Even if we can't immediately change our circumstances, getting our heads around them in a different way sometimes makes things feel better.)

Very true and I do remind myself often (probably not often enough, though). I think right now, I'm just a little peeved b/c I feel like we're in limbo. We're waiting to hear about DH's dream job, but that could be up to another 3mo or so, we're waiting to see if DH's jerky boss is going to cut his pay anymore, we're waiting to see of ANYTHING DH has put put there will get a response.

On that same note, I will say this, if I were to get a job, child care would eat pretty much all of what I would make. I don't have a college education, and my "field" was in daycare. The places down here don't pay well (I know, I've looked) BUT they charge an arm and a leg to enroll your child (I know, I worked for them). PLUS, DH has been applying to jobs out-of-state and he has heard nothing from them either.

[awbabygiggles]

What we did in hard times is that I worked part time when he got home, that way we didn't have to pay child care because one of us was always with the kids. Plus it was nice to get out of the house for a little while. Right now he goes to school so I have to work and he's home with the kids during the day, but I can't wait till he gets a job so I can cut my hours and be home with the kids more. It's sad that now a days everything is so ridiculously expensive.