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by Hope

Princes is 16 and a senior in high school. She works a part time job. And she is not participating in any sports this year. (At least, at this point.)

So just like the twins before her, she will begin taking on some financial responsibilities.

Time to Pay Some Bills

She will begin paying her phone bill at $45 per month. She has the opportunity to reduce that to $35 if she wants to get rid of the hot spot service which is an add on she has.

Princess will also begin paying 1/2 of her monthly insurance premiums at $125 per month.

This responsibility would have begun earlier this summer; however, we made a deal that I would pay for her car insurance if she would attend summer school and take two college classes.

And I would probably not be implementing this responsibility if she was continuing to participate in school sports. The time commitment and time management responsibility she takes on when managing school, a part time job along with sports would be equal in my mind to stepping into some minor financial responsibilities.

But…since she has chosen to give up sports for the time being, it is time.

Different Treatment but Fair and Always Loved

I am often accused of unequal treatment of my children on this blog. And that hurts. But I can tell you that I have set down and done some soul searching and discussed this with the twins. And I can assure you that any “inequality” is just difference in treatment, not anything else.

Each child has unique gifts and challenges and I adjust my parenting appropriately. So are they treated differently, absolutely, no doubt! Are they treat unfairly or dis-proportionally, no. But their disciplines have been different, their responsibilities have been different and their opportunities have been different. But always fair in the long run. And not one of them doubts the love I have for them.

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.