Learning to live with less

In this new phase of life, Jake and I are poor. Actually, let me rephrase that--Jake and I are learning to be poor. Quite frankly, we suck at it. In fact, I didn't really know how easy I had it [before] until recently. Sure, dipping into your savings account to cover that last $1,000 for your dream wedding and honeymoon is sort of painful. But it's nothing compared to the realization that you have to use your savings to pay for an entire month of bills. Yuck. I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.

Here's the thing, if you don't know me well, then you probably don't know just how neurotic I am. (Actually, until I got married, I  was not aware of just how neurotic I am. Everyone really should live with someone who is their complete opposite--it exposes each extreme part of your personality with all the subtlety of a bright, flashing neon light. All of that to say, we're learning  A LOT from each other.) Anyway, in my world, everything is urgent. Even the most minute activities should be pursued with excellence. If the goal is go to 1 mile, you really should try to go 5. Failure is totally unacceptable. And always, always, you should be prepared... and then some. So, September 30th rolled around and we found ourselves looking down the barrel of hundreds of dollars in bills and a whopping $66.18 in income for that month. Mind you, Jake was only given 8 hours of work that month and we are now dealing with a very different story. That said, even with the promotion, a pay increase, and student loans, we are living off less than what I was making in San Diego to support myself alone. So yeah, we need to make some huge lifestyle adjustments.

Needless to say, I panicked. In fact, at one point, we actually thought I might be pregnant because I was nauseous for so many days in a row (I am not, thank goodness! Not that I don't want to be a mommy, I really actually do. I just don't think that being an unemployed, full-time graduate student with no health insurance is the most opportune time to do so). BUT, all of that said, here's the silver lining:

• A miracle of miracles took place last weekend--Jake and I had an entire weekend off together. In our life, that just doesn't happen. In fact, since Jake and I got back together over a year and a half ago, we have not had 2 consecutive days off together without one of us taking PTO. A real weekend is something that has never existed in our lives and it is wonderful!
• I LOVE not having cable. Now, I am a girl who enjoys her shows and is obsessed with HGTV (ok, so I really miss HGTV--I need some Genevieve Gorder and Sarah Richardson in my life!). We spend more time together, we read more, and we are so much more productive! It might be my very favorite thing that we gave up. My husband would totally argue with me on this point, by the way. This is the first battle I'll lose when we have disposal income again.
• We're well-rested. Jake and I have fairly similar schedules, so I no longer wait up till an un-Godly hour just to see my husband for a little bit, nor do I have to drag a grumpy-and-over-tired-Jake out on a Saturday after working an overnight shift.
• I cook dinner just about every single night. Jake helps, too! :) I no longer have a 45+ minute commute each way to work, which means I'm not too tired to cook, and I actually have the time to experiment with new recipes. Every night that Jake isn't working, we eat dinner together at our dining room table--the very same dining room table I grew up with, I might add! Family dinners were a big deal in my house growing up, and I am so excited to carry on that tradition with our family someday, at the very same table. (Kudos to my mom and dad for painting and staining and delivering the set--it looks fabulous!)

So, my eyebrows are a little overgrown, my roots are showing, and my house is still a work in progress. For the first time in my life, I legitimately shop at Goodwill because that is truly all that we can afford and our wardrobes are woefully inept for this new climate. We qualify for and have every intention of applying for SNAP benefits (food stamps). Not only can we not afford vacation (which is my personal favorite way to spend money), but just making trips to San Diego is going to be a huge stretch for us financially. But, we have ENOUGH. More than enough. I cannot express how humbling it has been to realize that so many families in our situation didn't get to choose this route. That many are not given the opportunity to assess the costs and benefits of going to one income in favor of pursuing higher education, or even have a savings accounts to help them out when things get tough. 

We have so very much to be thankful for.