by Hope
I appreciate all the helpful comments on my post last week. I have cut as much discretionary spending out as I can including regular landscaping, etc. Although I can’t eliminate it completely as my yard does have to be maintained, it does not have to be done as often. So that is the route I have gone with that. (No, I am still not going to buy a lawnmower and cut it myself. I’ve gone the math and reviewed the mental health affect of that option and it is not worth it on any front.)
As for having the kids pay…
I am doing my absolute best to continue to protect my kids and honor my commitments to them. I realize that financially that may not be the smart move. But I have always been driven by my heart first.
Princess has been covering all her college and living expenses for going on two years now. It is taking everything she is making to do that. And I couldn’t be more proud. I will not put more pressure on her. She did pick up paying for her phone. But I will continue to cover her car insurance. At the end of this, one and a half more years, Princess will receive her bachelor’s degree in finance and have NO DEBT. That is what all this is for, to give her and each of my kids the best start I possibly can.
I gave Gymnast 6 months when he moved out. This includes covering his phone and insurance for 6 months to allow him to get on his feet in Texas. I am going to do my absolute best to honor that. That is January for him. He’s gotten a job serving tables in a high end restaurant and is very focused on making good financial decisions.
Setting up my kids for success is my and always has been my #1 goal. Protecting their mental health, preparing them to make good decisions, and making sure they DO NOT follow my footsteps into debt as much as I can…I will do anything to meet these goals. Even carry this weight alone a little bit longer. Mama’s prerogative.
Hope is a creative, solutions-focused business manager helping clients grow their business and work more efficiently by leveraging expertise in project management, digital marketing, & tech solutions. She’s recently become an empty nester as her 5 foster/adoptive kids have spread their wings. She lives with her 5 dogs in a small town in NE Georgia and prefers the mountains to the beaches any day. She struggles with the travel bug and is doing her best to help each of her kids as their finish schooling and become independent (but it’s hard!) She has run her own consulting company for almost twenty years! Hope began sharing her journey with the BAD community in the Spring of 2015 and feels like she has finally in a place to really focus on making wise financial decisions.