My friend, Dawn, who I have referenced three times now, has a good post on her blog about money (just click on her name to be directed there). I have three books that I reference back to when I feel I may be getting too big for my britches; Your Money or Your Life, Affluenza, and Simplicity. I probably don't agree with everything in every book, but they do help me to remember what is important. Sometimes I get caught up in the "keeping up with the Jones'" mentality. When I start thinking we need a new car or a nicer house, I try to go back to these books. I almost talked G into buying a vacation house that we neither needed nor could really afford. I'm glad we didn't get it.
There is a book by Ben Stein that I want to read. I heard him talk, and he makes sense. The best things in life really are free. Chris and I, we grew up popo. We grew up in an 1100 square foot house with four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Chris and I shared a bedroom that was about the size of my closet. The thing is that I didn't realize I was poor (albeit working class poor) until I met Desirae Harrison, Monica Sanchez and the other girls on Debbie Kiner's gymnastic team, Kiner's Kips, at the public rec center. Somewhere around fifth grade I realized that we didn't have as much as other people. Until it got pointed out to me, I thought we were middle class. Kids don't need much to be happy. We had a metal swing set that we had tons of fun on. We played with the water hose and had one of those two feet high swimming pools, and we loved it. Our favorite foods were inexpensive dishes. We loved it when Mom made fried rice or spaghetti. Kids don't need much to be happy.
So I think that sometimes in people's efforts to keep their kids happy, we really don't. Kids want some undivided attention and not much else. If we are strapped for cash, and it creates stress and burden, that can affect our marriage. That wouldn't be good for our boys. I constantly have to remind myself of these things because I forget pretty fast. Having peace and harmony in the house is better than having the biggest or the best or the newest.
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Nice post. I love your house so much. It feels good like our El Paso house did. The thing is the Desirae and the others weren't really that well off in perspective. They were just normal. It's bizarre to think of it now, but it's true - and yet I also had a friend that went to Fannin and Charles who was way more poor than us even. They didn't even have food in the house.
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