Learning to Save and Grow

Good Evening, everyone! It's 11:40 pm here, and Chris and I are watching Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters on Netflix. I thought it was going to be kind of stupid, but it's pretty good, especially with a cup of Folgers Country Roast with Extra Sweet and Creamy Creamer. 

Today, I am thankful that I can go to the grocery store and not worry if I am going to overdraw my account just with buying the household staples. I went to Walmart today and I bought what we needed and wanted for the house. I spent $95 without any coupons. I bought 26 items, and I was expecting to spend more than I did. One year ago, I would have cringed at spending $95 on groceries, even though they were necessities. We were barely making it at this time last year, and today we're doing remarkably better. We're not where we want to be, but we've come a long way. This wouldn't be possible if we had not discussed our financial goal for the year. We discussed how and when we will spend our money. Our grocery situation has also benefited from the deer in the freezer, and the crops from summer that we canned or froze. 

Before Chris was in my life I didn't know how to can food, freeze fresh food, or shoot a gun. I am grateful for my husband's upbringing because he was able to share his with me, and we have benefited from his upbringing. I don't like to shoot animals (and I have yet have to because Chris has done it for me,) but I know that if I needed to, I would be able to. I could take care of business. (haha excuse my lame joke.) Some of my favorite things to do now are canning, freezing, and working in the garden. I talk to the vegetables, too. Sure, call me silly, but our crops have done wonderfully every year, and I am not saying they're connected; however, I'm not going to take a chance and not talk to them, just to play it safe. The best part of gardening is when you eat what you grow, and you know where it came from, what it grew in, who touched it, etc...My husband has a YouTube page where he will go into great details about how we do what we do and why. It is Keep It Simple 365. I think if you like what I've been talking about so far, then you will really love what he has to say. I know I do, but I could be biased. ;-)

I'm so thankful for what I have learned in the 5 years with Chris, and I am thankful he's taught me how to save money. I already knew how to stretch a dollar, but now I can save it, too. I guess, what I am really thankful for is my partner in life, my husband, my better half, Christopher. He has taught me all new ways of life that I didn't even know existed. He has changed my life in so many ways for the better, and I only hope that I have effected his life as much as he has mine. 

I guess this is a pretty short blog, but now it's after midnight and I have to work in the morning. I will leave y'all with this, "May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans!" Psalm 20:4

XoXo,
Tia

365 days of learning, growing, and being thankful

Good morning! Today is January 2, 2015! Holy crap, 2015!? Where has the time gone? Well, 2014 was a year to remember. I got married, celebrated 1 year at my job, and my car lived to see another year, but it was touch and go for a while. However, I lost my grandfather on November 21, and the man who was like another dad to me on December 22. That was too much loss too close together, but we made it through another year. I am grateful to have had the time I did with those two men who meant so much to me, and I know when it's my turn to go, I'll see them again.

You don't fully realize how valuable life is until someone you love is taken away or you have to watch someone you love suffer with the C word. When I look at my nieces and nephews I'm reminded of their innocence, and then I look out into the world they're growing up in and it scares me. What world are we leaving them with? What examples are we giving them to live by? I know that in our/their family/families there are wonderful role models, ones that will teach unfaltering acceptance, ones that will teach them diversity, ones that will teach to trust in the Lord with all they have, ones that will teach them how to live off the land, to work for what you want, to hunt, to fish. When you look at the families there is wonderful role models, but they can't be surrounded by family 24/7 and they do need to experience the bad of the world, just so they can embrace the good with that much more gusto. If we teach them the good, then they can grow up and teach others. This cycle of ungrateful, privileged, entitled, I want what I want and I want it right now people can end. Maybe not anytime soon, but eventually. When people become grateful with what they have, and they don't covet what others have, when we don't "keep up with the Jonse's", then and only then can we move forward. You're always going to be stuck in a cycle of keeping up until you decide to be thankful for what you already have. 

We can't go on raising our children to be entitled or that they're always going to get what they want without even working for it. That doesn't teach them the real world, and then when they become adults what are they going to think? My husband and I have put much thought into this, and though we don't have children right now, we know that when we do, how we ideally want to raise them. I know things don't always go as planned and monkey wrenches do get thrown into plans, but if you raise your children to care for one another, and if you teach them hardwork and discipline, then there's a chance they'll teach their children that, too. Then without even thinking about it, we've created a whole new and better cycle. We could potentially raise a generation of people who are grateful for what they have, people who aren't entitled, people who just want to see good things happen in the world. 

I know some of you are saying, you don't have children, you don't know what it's like. You'll understand when you have children, but no, I get it now. We have to break out of these cycles. We have to help one another out, we can't be petty or selfish. The world doesn't help those who only help themselves. 

I don't know, this probably sounds like a bunch of rambling, and it probably doesn't make sense. I just had to get my thoughts out and share my beliefs. What this world needs is a lot more Jesus and a lot less entitlement.

XoXo,

Tia