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New Year, New Look, New Home

“Adventures of Sadie, Married Lady” will soon have a new home. I’m kind of bored with WordPress’ lack of cute and fun themes and decided to head back to Blogger. You’ll be able to access the archives at AoSML but I won’t be posting anything new there (ha! I know you’re scoffing at me just now because I never post anything new.) So starting soon, you can follow me at “Splendid Sassy Pants” or http://splendidsassypants.blogspot.com/. See you soon!

Resolve to be Frugal

Could you live on less than $1000 per month? Without some serious life changes, it would be impossible for us to live on that small of an income. Our mortgage alone tops that by $300. But that being said, would you even want to and if so, how would you do it?

I’ve been lurking at a blog called “Under $1000 Per Month” where Emily, a wife and mother of three, writes about how she manages her home on a budget of $980 per month. This number includes rent ($600), phone ($6.09 on a reduced rate for low income families), Internet service ($19.99), auto insurance ($31.22), electricity ($27.00), and satellite radio ($12.95). This total comes to $697.25, leaving “$282.75 for food, gas, any auto repairs, birthdays and holidays, unforeseen needs, and investments.” I’ve been watching her make this budget work for a few months now, with some important expenses such as health insurance covered by the government (because of their low income, this family of five does qualify for assistance. I do have opinions on this issue but that’s best saved for another post), she’s doing a fairly impressive job.

In all honesty, this is not how I want to live. Frugality or low income living isn’t something I’m willing to undertake at the expense (pun intended) of my quality of living. I would not risk not having health insurance or a substantial emergency fund and retirement accounts, which are all things that are tenuous for this family. But on the other hand, there is a good point that Emily makes with her blog: why do we need so much “stuff” to live and how does accumulating material wealth contribute to our over-all quality of life?

The short answers are really a) we don’t and b) it doesn’t. I’m challenged by her writing and suggestions she has for practical, low-cost living. Since moving to one income and becoming a stay-at-home-mom, I fully expected for our financial health to suffer. It really hasn’t (which is as much a combination of effective and efficient money management as well as overall income.) But I could be more frugal. Simple things like eating out less, waiting for sales or using coupons to buy things, saving up to purchase a large item instead of using credit (an example but not something we do), and generally being happy with what I have and examining my motives for purchasing something simple because I can and I want it Right. This. Minute.

With the new year right around the corner, I think Andrew and I have already gotten a jump on this resolution: to view money as a tool and not a remedy for what’s missing in our lives (which really is time, not stuff.)