I have learned in my "old" age the value of money... I have learned it does NOT grow on trees like I once believed.... I have also learned the importance of being prepared for that rainy day... that unexpected twist in our lives...
Almost two (2) years ago I had a major wake up call. After 23 years of working his way up the corporate ladder and achieving much success as a VP of Sales - my husband's company was bought out by another company and all the VP's were terminated...... I remember the morning that my husband walked in the door and told me he had been fired like it was yesterday.... I seriously thought he was joking.... No one with his track record gets fired.... not possible - especially after he landed the largest contract the company had ever negotiated a few weeks prior... ..
I think the four months that my husband was unemployed - I was in a bubble.. I was neither afraid or sad.. I just was... there... I did learn that he depended a lot more on me than I realized.. I learned that I was the rock in our marriage... our life.... in that season of our marriage.
I know that Dusty (my husband) was in a state of shock.... bad things never happen to him... He had always been blessed with the golden touch.. This upset in his life made him question his worth.. His normal very self assured personality had diminished... He was for the first time in his entire life scared..... What I find amazing is that I was not scared... I knew that we would be okay.. I also believed that Dusty would get a job very soon.. I did not think about our friends who had lost jobs and a year had gone by with no prospects.... I did not fear.... I did have peace... and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt the peace did not come from me...
We have always been a frugal family - always paying off our credit cards each month, paying cash for cars and such, and paying extra on our mortgage payment. I thought I was doing all that I could do to save money..... until I discovered coupons and Target grocery shopping.. In my quest to stretch our dollars - I have had great time saving money with coupons....
Today shopping at Target - I saved$15.75 with normal groceries I purchase.... I love to take my kids shopping - I sent them on a scavenger hunt looking for the items that I have coupons for... I don't do it every time.. Just often enough for it to be fun every time.. The shoppers get a kick out of watching my kids pose with their coupons and found items... Today was fun.... After the shopping - I received a coupon to buy one pizza get the 2nd free... So guess what my kids had for lunch???
Today my husband is working - I am working from home... We have a learned not to take our careers for granted... we have learned to live more modestly... We have learned that God will Always provide.. We have learned that there is a time for each of us to be the strong one in the marriage... and we have learned that Target's prices beat out most super market prices...
6 comments:
Kelly,
WOW your life as you just described it ran very parallel to mine this last year. Hubby too found himself the product of the economy and downsizing and with so many others caught in that same trap he was out of work for almost a year. Scary but you are right.
We become the ones to manage our homes and reassure our kids and hubby that things will all work out for the best, yet somehow we sometimes have our doubts but we at that time, have to be the rock.
I agree with you that Target is amazing when it comes to most groceries and I do all my household products and most snacks foods for the kids at Target.
Love and Hugs ~ Kat
I have recently started using coupons and was shocked at how much this saved me. My 4-year-old thinks it's a game to help me find the items I have coupons for. So cute....teaching her early. Hopefully, she won't make the same stupid financial decisions I made in the past. You are right....God does provide! I have learned to trust Him for even the smallest things.
this post was great. Sarah
Recently my wife became a stay at home mom. We have started the coupon thing and I think it is saving us money but it is so early to tell.
Kelly, what a blessing that you were able to rely on God during those times and feel assured that all would be taken care of in time. I love that you are teaching your girls to be frugal and to be excited about finding bargains...it will carry with them into their own adult lives.
Have a beautiful day!
Kathy
Great post. You have beautiful daughters.
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