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Aug 6, 2018    |       4 comments

Patience Pays Off: Free Couch

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For the first time since the move to the camper in April, 2016 we have a living room we can all gather in. Yippee!!

Sometime in the past, I mentioned that one of my savings goals was to get us a couch for our living room. It’s been empty since we moved in April, 2017 except for the bookshelves full of school books and supplies.

This summer my goal was to furnish it from the thrift store. Both Princess and Gymnast and I have visited the local Salvation Army thrift store on numerous occasions to see if there was anything that would work. No luck!

Free Couch, Free Delivery

But last Saturday night, just after Gymnast returned from Texas there was a post on Facebook. “Anyone want a green leather couch, must be delivered tonight.” I jumped on it!

Three hours later a young couple who recently finished college nearby and were moving to California pulled up with their final item in their moving truck and carried it into the house for us. We now have a living room where we can all sit! (Not seen is a recliner my grandmother gave us.)

For the last year, we’ve all spent the abundance of our down time in our own separate rooms with no where to sit other than the kitchen table. But now…we are once again able to sit comfortably together. Love!

It’s definitely well-loved couch. It’s squishy and the leather is faded in many places. But this mama couldn’t be more grateful for the gift.

And finding the kids out in the living room instead of hidden behind their doors, isolated. Well, that’s priceless to me right now!

Princess & Cali enjoying our new couch

Princess and Cali enjoying our new to us couch!

We love thrift shopping. But in smaller towns, you must luck up on quality stuff.

What has been your best, most treasured find at a thrift store? And have you ever been gifted something like this that meant the world to you?

Aug 2, 2018    |       22 comments

What if You Don’t have the Money to Cover Your Budget?

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I have started putting some effort into creating an all-inclusive budget. The BAD comments on Ashley’s air conditioner post have definitely given me some food for thought.

But one of my biggest questions is this:

What if you don’t have the money to cover your budget?

I can’t be the only person that faces that. For instance:

  • Someone mentioned that put away $200 a month for car expenses and maintenance. That is awesome! Thankfully our car has required little other than new windshield wipers and regular oil changes.
  • And even though I know it’s a want, not a need; I certainly want to include a “gift giving” line item to cover special occasions and particularly Christmas.
  • Utilities fluctuate, and although you can average them, what if in the end, your “budget” is off. I had months this summer where my utilities were closer to $300 than the average $150. That could throw everything else off in a tight month.

I know many of the “planned” budget items are variable in that they can be “skipped” during some months. But in the larger scheme of things, all the budgeted items must be covered over the course of a year (with a few “want” exceptions.)

I realize my variable income is not necessarily the norm. But it’s really not that uncommon to be short at times.

Creating a balanced budget

But what do you do when you are trying really hard to stick to a budget and your income just doesn’t cover it?

Obviously, you “borrow from peter to pay paul” when you can’t cover your monthly bills. I am quite familiar with that method. It’s how we have survived the last couple of years.

But how do you live with a budget when you are continually living like that?

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