Changes need to be made. Major changes. Each month we do our budget and we are always coming up short. We are always asking ourselves "How?" We never go out to eat. I buy the kids' clothes at village sales (brocantes) or get hand me downs from older nieces and nephews or friends. I don't buy clothes for myself (okay, I do, but I've limited it down to almost never and always during Les Soldes) We don't even go to the movies or theater. So, what in the world are we doing?
There are three things that I can come up with. Etienne has a very expensive hobby- computers. We also both love to travel and don't really budget out for that and have several trips planned this year -Italy, London and the US next summer. Our trips to the US are costly and now that we have to buy 3 tickets and soon 4 when Louise will turn 2, that will make for a big chunk of our budget. And, finally, our car. We love our car but we took out a big loan so that it will be paid off in 2 years. Luckily, we only have 10 months left but we also spend a lot on doing normal upkeep for the mileage maintenance and we now realize that we could have gotten a similar car but just a little older for a lot less.
I've also concluded that most of the overspending has to do with our mentality. We haven't changed our thinking, we haven't convinced ourselves that it needs to be in our minds that we don't spend. Instead of going to the store every time we don't have the exact thing I want to cook, why not use what we already have. We need to start coming up with solutions instead of buying solutions because after all, we are still teachers on teachers' salaries.
The person who kicked me out of the mommy group was and still is an inspiration to me. This person has all but stopped spending and finds the most creative ways to cut corners. I still read this person's blog for ideas. Even though I've basically lost all of my friends here as well as been kicked out of a group, doesn't mean I can't like what they're doing in their lives. Anyway, it's given me great ideas and shown me that one can change their mindset. Our reality right now, which is what we've been saying for the past year, is that we need to do something or find corporate jobs for better salaries. But, no thank you. The lack of salary is made up in more time with our kids and nothing can pay for that and we love our jobs to top it off. We have made progress on our spending, but we still have progress to make. And, there are so many ways we don't even realize to save on just little things that add up to having more money in the end to do what you want to do.
I think there's some type of taboo in society with being called cheap. It makes one feel good to walk into a store and say 'I can buy whatever I want', there's some type of power there. But, that's not where I want to get my power from. Call me cheap, but I get a lot better feeling making something for someone than buying it. Plus, listening to my Ipod while sewing away or watching a movie while knitting are things I'd much rather do than spend a day in crowded Parisian stores. If I can swing it this year, the fam will be getting homemade gifts for Xmas, either made by me or purchased from someone who spends their time making things.
Anyway, I don't think our lives will be making radical changes anytime soon, but I would like to start with little things and I'll let you know if there are any ideas I come up with that are easy and save money.
