My story of stuff....

I find myself as of late trying to defend my postion of "NOT keeping up with the Jones''

In fact, over the past few weeks, i have found myself having to defend many of my positions....and being asked "why?' A lot.  And not by my six year old, who always asks why, but by adults who live adult lives and feel the need to ask me why i have made the choices i do.  "Why are you raising your child to be Christian when Paul is athesist?" (He's not...) "Why not move to a bigger city?"  "Why not take another vacation if you want to go away so badly?" (I don't.  well....that's a touch hasty....if someone handed me a weeks vacation where the ocean is warm and drinks are all included, I would be all over that). 

Now, that being said, I am hardly what anyone would call a "minimalist."  I have a galaxy s3 and I LOVE my phone.  Like a lot.  Like so much that when I forget it, I have been known to whine at least a few times about it.  I like my music, movies and girlfriends to be with me 24/7.  I like being in touch and connected.  That makes me happy.

I like my apple tv; I like my car, and my house.  I like my fridge filled with fresh fruit and vegetables.  I like my Keuig coffee maker.  So imagine my shock when people call me a Hippie.  Really???  A Hippie?  Because I eat real food and live in a house with a roof on it?  Wow...the hippie standards have really been allowed to slide....

What I don't like is living paycheque to paycheque....I don't like student loans, credit card debt and over inflated priced homes that spell destruction for every ard working person out there.  I don't like a lot of "stuff" just taking up valuable phsycial space in my home and life; and I hate when stuff is allowed to rule my world.  I hate not being able to find anything because I acquired too much stuff.  I hate having to explain this to people who have more stuff than anyone else they know; and still think you should go out and buy more stuff.  Then you need a bigger house to keep your stuff in. 

And i know what I didn't like....I didn't like it when the credit card people used to call demanding money.  I didn't like not knowing how we were going to afford food.  I know I didn't like the day we found out that my husband was being fired after 15 years and given six weeks severance.  That was for sure, a not in the "didn't like," catagory.

What I do like is not worrying about how i will alone make mortgage payments until my housband found work.  We lived in a home that cost 25% of what we were pre-approved to buy.  Why?  Not because I don't love big, beautiful houses, but because I didn't like the idea of not being able to afford to take care of us.  I didn't like the idea of having to take on a full and part time job to make up for the loss (I didn't!). I didn't like the concept that my vet could look at me and tell me that something was wrong with my dog and I couldn't afford to save her.  That I didn't like.

So why do i live below my means?  Because I never want to have to ask any of you people for money.  (Which by the way, is a good thing...all their money is tied up in stuff).  Why am I a Christian?  because it keeps me grounded as to who I am, who I want to become and where I can always find my answers.  Why don't I move to a bigger city?  Because I am happy here.  Why not go on another vacation?  Because i don't like debt; and vacations get taken when they are paid for, not before. 

Any further questions may be directed to my husband from now on......there ya go honey.....take point from here!!!!