This is going to get personal.
I've decided to quit my job. I have been working at a bank for three years and it's been a great job. I worked part-time and had health benefits which is so hard to find. That job has been helping my husband and I through school for the last three years. Now I am about to begin my last semester of my undergrad, and I have too much on my plate. The decision was a tough one, after all, I could always drop a few classes and continue to work there, keep my paycheck and benefits coming, and finish school in the spring instead. However, I have been going to school more than full-time for the last three semesters so that I could reach my goal of finishing in 2012. I know it might seem silly, but I just can't part with that goal. I really want to make it happen. My five classes and two different internships that I'll be starting this week are going to be important for me to perform well in if I ever want to have a future in the field I've chosen. Considering that I do not think of my bank job as something I want long-term, and that my education is supposed to be preparing me for what I do want long-term, I chose school.
Last semester I felt like I was barely staying above water, I couldn't keep up with everything and I felt like I was trying to do too many things at once, which means I was not doing my best work anywhere. So my husband and I decided that this was the best choice. I admit, for a minute I was tempted to take out a student loan. I was starting to worry about how we will afford to live without my job. But husband is still working part-time and we receive help with tuition through grants, so I know we can do it without the loans. We have savings too, but I feel like taking out of that will be just as sad as getting a loan. We've been working so hard for it! We just have to shave down the budget a little more.
I also want to thank you, it's because of you guys I know I can do this. When Jess and I started this little blog, we were hoping to find a community of other people who had the same values as we did who we could share our pursuits with and learn from them as well. We had no idea there would be so many of you! Whenever we talk about it we are in awe of how many of you show up every day to read, comment and share the ways you do things. We rely on your support, and feel so blessed to have it. We also had no idea that this would become basically another part-time job for us (possibly the most enjoyable part-time job ever?!) which has allowed us to keep writing this blog every day like we want to. So I am feeling very thankful.
I do foresee that I will need to make some changes. I'll need to tone down my Diet Dr. Pepper habit because those $1.39 charges every other day just can't be justified when we are supposed to spend the bare minimum. (Or at least just buy it in 2-liters instead, so much more bang for your buck!) I also foresee us spending more nights in watching movies and playing games than nights out on the town. We love doing that anyway though. The point is, everything is going to be good. We have been much poorer than this before and we were still unrealistically happy, so bring it on. I could use some suggestions though, like what to eat?! I will also be going through the archives to see what Jess has suggested because I have not had much time for cooking lately but it will be very important for our livelihood in the coming months! Cheap, delicious and easy recipes please and thank you?! If anyone has any fun games they like to play or other fun cheap entertainment ideas I'd love to hear about them. Also, since husband will also be graduating we are probably going to need to travel for interviews and scouting out places to live, so any cheap travel tips would also be appreciated!
I'm sure I'm not the only one in this type of situation? I'll share what I learn along the way! I'm already enjoying the journey...
xoxo
P.S. A few other posts you might enjoy:
Budget is not a four letter word.
It's Personal.
Motivation from our friend Dave
beans n rice, rice n beans.
ReplyDeleteGo to WINCO - stock up on bulk pearl rice. Stock up on your favorite bean in dry bulk. You'll have to research how to cook dry beans, but it is so easy it 's not even funny. It's a complete protein so you can eat it several nights a week. Add chopped tomatoes, cheese, avocado, herbs, etc.
We are a family of six (three boys and one girl)and I'm a stay at home mom and we live well on one income. However, we are on the get out of debt program so to cut our grocery budget we eat beans n rice at least two nights a week!
Thanks shannan! I totally want to learn how to make beans from scratch. Now is the time!
ReplyDeleteYou can do it!
ReplyDeleteAs a family of five we live on one dish meals. Think baked spaghetti, stuffed shells, meatloaf, shephards pie, taco soup, chili, and so on. You can do it! Good luck.
ReplyDeleteI've found that it seriously helps to get your budget out in cash every month and have little envelopes for expenses (food, clothing, home, etc.) that way when the money is gone it's gone. It also makes you think harder about what you're buying when you're handing over cash rather than your credit/debit card. :)
ReplyDeleteWith beans from dry, the trick is to soak them overnight. Also, I like to make them in my crockpot with broth. Cooking on low all day makes them AWESOME.
ReplyDeleteMy recipe suggestion was going to be creamed tuna on toast. This is our go to meal when there is no cash left. a can of tuna with a little butter and a cup of milk goes way further than a can of tuna made into tuna salad.
A crock pot is a life saver - it will save you time and money. There are so many different recipes on Pinterest for crock pot cooking - and if you are going to school/etc. knowing that your dinner will be ready when you get home will save your sanity - and you won't be tempted to go through the drive-thru. Another quick, cheap meal is spaghetti - you can buy a can of Hunts Spaghetti Sauce for $1 - a box of spaghetti is less than a buck - pair that with a quick salad and some bread with garlic butter on it and broiled for a couple of minutes - you got a meal. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteHugs -
Carol @cdm-arewethereyet.blogspot.com
Dry Beans and Rice are truly the way to go! When you average the cost, you can eat at least 2 meals (dinner and leftovers for lunch the next day) for less than 4 dollars! As a stay at home mom living on a smaller than average income, we've grown to like Beans and Rice! It's very tasty!
ReplyDeleteTaking money out of savings is never fun, but I'd do that any day over having to take on a loan with 6.8% (or more!) interest. Once you've paid for what you need to pay for, you can start filling that savings account back up, instead of paying that money out to someone else. I know you've already made your choices (and that you'll make the choices that work best for you!) but as a recent law school grad with a few loans of my own and friends who are drowning in loans, I just thought I'd pipe in with my opinion on that. I second the beans & rice - but I add a little Mexican cheese and maybe a tortilla chip or two :). Also, you can always consider bulk-ordering for savings on things that don't spoil easily. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I have gone through/are going through a similar time (we once went four months with both of us unemployed!), so I can definitely relate. Sometimes it's really hard to cut to the bare bone of your needs, but it IS doable. One thing that's helped us to go meatless a lot more. We go meatless at least 3 times a week, but there are a lot of weeks we only have it 2-3 times. Also, we have a plasma donation center close by us, and I donate twice a week there for an extra $65/week. You can take your textbooks there and study while you donate. That's been a huge help for us.
ReplyDeleteI don't know where you live exactly, but where we live, there are a lot of people around us who keeps chickens and farms and stuff. I take advantage of people wanting to get rid of some of their eggs, and then there are always people giving away free produce during harvest time.
The other thing I've done is get to know the 12-week rotation that stores have as far as their sale prices: because I do the couponing thing, I'm familiar with a really great deal, and I make sure to stock up on those weeks so that I don't have to do an emergency run later.
Love your blog--keep up the good work!
http://autodidacticambitions.blogspot.com