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by Hope

Boy, it seems like kids’ birthdays are a hot topic around here. I think at least 3 of us have written about them. If you will remember, I asked for some frugal birthday ideas back in April and then I subsequently decided to cancel birthday parties this year due to budget and stress. I have not regretted that decision AND my two little ones took the news surprisingly well!

So what did we do…

Princess turned 10 in May, and it was the day of her choir concert, so other than lunch out it was a pretty low key. She did get a new dress and her first “high heels” as surprise and a few little things.

I was so glad that right after her choir concert she chose to take off here “heels” because they were hurting her feet. I knew she was old enough to make the decision to get them and had prayed she was wise enough to let the experience teach her. Sometimes us parents just need to get out of their way!

Little Gymnast turned 9 recently. He is such a car freak that I knew the best thing I could do for him was car centered…so I borrowed a really cool car! We had the car for the day and he was so surprised and thrilled. (I’ve got a video of him walking up to the car and then another bonus, I’m going to post them on my personal site. I’ll link here in case you want to see them, they will crack you up.)

Their birthdays were really economical but very memorable as well and while they have both said “Mom, can we please have a party next year?” I am patting myself on the back for a job well done both stress, budget and experience wise!

Hope

Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.

But life has a way of rewriting your plans.

A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.

Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.

Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.

She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.