Once upon a time, we had a savings account. Seriously, we graduated seminary with savings. We both worked three part-time jobs and got scholarships and financial aid and were ridiculously frugal.
Then I got a full-time job, so surely we would continue to save, right? notsomuch, Russ went to school and more school. And we bought a fixer-upper of a house. Then we had a baby. Then said baby got older and we had to pay for daycare. Then we had another baby. Then I had surgery (DUDE, medical bills are ridiculous). Then second baby needed to go to daycare. Then our second car died and we had to buy a new one. And along the way, there were the normal kind of expenses and such. Just in the last week, Russ’ car died for the last time, Russ’ phone died and had to be replaced, our AC broke, and Caleb got another ear infection (requiring a office visit and prescription copay).
So now our savings is no more. For the first time we are really having to watch what we spend. We’ve always been frugal…but now we’re taking it to a new level. It’s a weird feeling, this living paycheck to paycheck thing.
But all of this is pretty ridiculous because above all else I am extremely humbled because our entire existence has been supported by the generosity of others. Growing up, our parents provided everything we needed and much we didn’t. In college, we were both on scholarships given by people who loved the college and invested in our future. Same thing in seminary. We even took it to a new level in seminary. We got free meals whenever we could. We drove old cars passed down to us from our parents without car payments. All of our furniture was passed down to us from family. Nothing was new – except the CD rack – we bought that for $20. Russ’ grandma bought us a washer and dryer. A refrigerator was left behind by previous tenants. All of the other nice things we had were wedding gifts. And even our jobs were at the seminary or the church, so our salaries were based on people giving.
And still now, I earn a living on people’s generosity. So it makes me unbelievably grateful and humble. And it really makes me at least attempt to be a good steward of what we have….not wasting ANYTHING…couponing…giving when we can…etc.
It’s weird to feel poor but to also look around at all of the people and things in my life and feel an embarrassment of riches* in light of true poverty and and problems in the world. So whenever I’m feeling woe, I need to remind myself of this…and also to remember it won’t be like this forever.
I am really looking forward to being a doctor’s wife and not only not worrying about our own cash flow, but being able to be extravagantly generous with others as others have been with us. It’s going to be fun.
*I stole the phrase from Girls Gone Child – I love it because it really describes how I feel a lot of the time.
Filed under: kindness, medical school, money | 2 Comments »