Living in Poverty While Filthy Rich

If you’ve been peeking in on these parts long, you know that my little family of four tries to live pretty frugally. We choose to do this for a number of reasons. We don’t want to have debt, we don’t want to be wasteful, we want to be able to live generously, we want to differentiate between wants and needs, and we personally hold to the belief that our money is not our own, but given to us by God and therefore we have a responsibility to Him to spend and give wisely.

But I’ll let you in on a little secret – we also live frugally because we have to. When I quit my job to stay home with the twins, our already frugal budget had its belt strap tightened quite a bit. According to the U.S. government, we are now living below the poverty line.

Through this financial adjustment, I'm learning quite a lot. I’m discovering creative ways to make rice and beans taste delicious (well, palatable at least … because I’m really not that great of a cook). I’m learning to live with the A.C. set just shy of comfortable. I’m learning to really differentiate between wants and needs. I’m also learning to appreciate the little things (like strolling the twins through the air conditioned mall while sharing a smoothie with Devin - this is now high-end family entertainment for us). And I’m developing a more thankful heart for all the things I do have. Like constant access to clean water, a roof over my head, clothes on my back, a loving family, and a never-gone-hungry belly.

I’ll let you in on another little secret – even living below the poverty line, my family is still wealthier that 80% of the world’s population*. That is a lot and some days, like when I have to put back an item in the grocery store because it just isn’t in the budget for the week, I certainly don’t feel rich. I feel poor. And I feel sorry for myself.

But then I remember that today I woke up in a comfy bed, in a two bed/two bath apartment, took a hot shower, walked into my closet and had an abundance of clothes to choose from, I greeted my loving husband and my healthy children. Later, I got into my air-conditioned car, drove to the aforementioned grocery store where I was accosted by the sheer number of choices available to me, and I bought enough food to keep my family well-fed. So I had to put back an item or two? I have in this short, daily, oft-overlooked series of events, more than most people in the world could ever hope for. 

The life most of us live in American is not normative, which is hard to remember when your culture is seeped in choices, opportunities and material possessions (even in a “down” economy). Maybe that’s why it is so easy to ignore the poor sometimes. We generally don’t run across them in our daily, American lives and/or we don’t realize how much we truly have in comparison to most of the world. A world where millions are dying because they don't have clean water. Where the poorest of the poor are living on one dollar a day. Where, in the most impoverished countries, one-in-five children die before their fifth birthday. One-in-five. That is insane.

So, when I treat myself to the occasional Starbucks latte as a "please get me out of the apartment and give me a break from the kids before I go crazy" mental breathier, from the perspective of someone living on one dollar a day, I have just spent about four days wages. My family lives on around $54.00 per day**, so if I were to apply the same math, to the eyes of those living in extreme poverty, my tall toffee nut latte cost $216.00. Wait what??? Talk about living extravagantly. 

Globally speaking – I am filthy stinkin’ rich (which is an interesting term isn’t it?). I’ve got it good. Like, really, super, unbelievably good. I often ask myself (and God), “Why me? Why did I luck out? Why do I have enough? Why are my children not the ones dying of hunger and disease?” These are hard, painful questions for me to consider. On one hand, I am so grateful that my life is what it is, yet I feel a strong sense of “survivor’s guilt” sometimes at my wonderful circumstances and that they are not available to everyone. The only answer that has ever satisfied those questions is this: I have been blessed so that I can bless others. That is the only way I can to reconcile in my own heart and mind the vast, unfair, and growing chasm between the world’s rich and the world’s poor.

I’ll admit, this idea itself can seem unfair. After all, my husband works hard to provide for us - we earned that money. We deserve it and we need it. Why should we give it away to others?

Because many others don’t have the opportunities that we have. They work hard from dawn-to-dusk and still can’t afford to put food in the bellies of their children. Progress in their lives is destroyed by war, disease, corruption, lack of education, the ever-present need to simply survive… the list goes on. These are not things they have chosen and often things they cannot change on their own. And if our circumstances were reversed, if I had been born into a war-torn county with little hope or opportunity to rise above the life-ending poverty I found myself in, I sure as heck would pray that they would choose to help me. It’s that whole, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” thing.

Helping the poor and making a difference in the world is not difficult. We can all do something. Plus, there are numerous organization already established that have make this process easy and accessible for us. Giving up a little (or a lot) of what is “ours” so that others can have a better life is likely not going to destroy us. Choosing to adjust our lifestyle, thought-process, spending habits and hearts in order to joyfully give more (of our time, money, talents and other resources) can be hard (at first), but it can also be so rewarding. And - I will warn you upfront - a little bit addicting (and totally, 100%, you-won’t-regret-it, worth it).

*See how globally wealthy you are here: www.whoarethejones.org). 
** That number is based on our family's total annual income.

Raising a Herd of Chicken Lovers

Devin and I love great food. Especially when it's free. We love an integrity-filled business. Especially when said business is known for giving away free food. And we love any excuse to dress up in a fun, creative costumes. Especially when it means we'll be rewarded with free food. All reasons that make Chick-fil-A's Cow Appreciation Day the perfect annual event for our frugal, creative, food-lovin' family. Dress like a cow - get free chicken. Don't mind if I do.

Devin and I have been participating in this event since the first year of our marriage. We even camped out overnight in a parking lot to snag ourselves a year's worth of free Chick-fil-A. And this year, our children got to join our crazy Chick-fil-A antics. Well, technically the twins participated last year too:

Weston and Isaac happily kept their outfits on the whole time, were hailed as the event's cutest customers by the employees and both boys loved sampling Chick-fil-A chicken for the first time (but trust me, it was hard for mom and dad to share).

Aren't they just the cutest little calves you ever did see? My dairy-farmer grandparents would have been proud. We entered the boys' photo in the Cow Appreication Day Photo Contest and if you'd like, you can vote for them here. We'd love to have your vote and we'd love to win some more free Chick-fil-A. You can vote once per computer, so if you have a desktop and a lap top (or blackberry, smart phone, access to a large network of computers...) go and vote for our boys as many times as you can! Okay, I'm kidding about the computer network thing... sorta.

Why Extreme Hoarders Aren't Completely Crazy

The other day, I was viewing with morbid fascination TLC's Hoarders: Buried Alive. I'm watching these people who are literally being consumed by their possessions and all the while dishing out an unfair dose of judgment and pity on these pour strangers (which I cringe to admit after my previous post about judgement).

One guy was a compulsive shopper in addition to being a chronic hoarder (bad combo as you might imagine). The other lady featured was an extreme hoarder whose house was stuffed to the brim with things that she had dug out of trash bins, saved from roadside pick-up and snatched from thrift store cast-offs in hopes that she could give the items to someone who might be able to use them. As you might imagine, she did not fine people to give the items to and they have been collecting dust in her house for years. She couldn't even have her grandchildren come visit because her home was so unsafe due to the piles and piles of stuff.

I'm staring aghast at the way these people are living and raging in my head against the ridiculousness of being so attached to stuff. The Horders literally required psychiatric help in order to remove stuff from their homes without having a complete nervous breakdown. (Please know that I do understand that extreme hoarding stems in part from a phyicatric condition and is usually a symtom of a deeper issue. I do not intend to make light of that fact.) I was angry to see this addiction to stuff while knowing there are millions of people in the world living without even their basic needs met.

Then I realized my hypocrisy and that in some way, most ALL of us are too attached to our stuff. Stuff we don't really need. Stuff we want just because we want something new. Stuff we don't use, but won't get rid of. Stuff we buy to fit in. Stuff we buy to make ourselves feel better. The likelihood is, that if you live in a first-world culture, you have a stuff addiction on some level. 

Then I started looking at the hoarders a little differently and got really irritated at all the "stuff" and why it exists in the first place and why it's available for hoarding at all.

Let's look at the compulsive shopper gentleman, who shopped to have something to do and to make himself feel better. Yes, the level of his actions are extreme, but the "shop to feel better about yourself" is an advertising gimmick that companies rope us in with over and over again. And this man has fallen prey to the mindset that possessions equals happiness. (If you're interested, you can read my post, The Dark Lie of Happiness, that covers this topic.)

Then there is the grandma who can't have her family visit because her house is overtaken by stuff. But really, should I be completely appalled by her actions? She is having a hard time throwing away things because she knows they are in good condition and useful. Maybe not useful to her, but they ARE useful and wasting them by tossing them in the dumpster is giving her a panic attack. It suddenly hit me that in some ways she is totally right to feel that way. Those mounds of possessions ARE useful but people have just thrown them away. Perhaps this lady's "problem" isn't hoarding at the core, but it is seeing the wastefulness of others and not knowing how to try and stop it. Her "crazy" compulsion to save these items has its roots in the consumer habits of others. Those who buy more than they need. Who toss things they could still use in order to replace it with something "better", "cooler", or just "newer" for the sake of having something new. People like me. People like you. The amount of stuff our culture purchases, tosses and replaces should be giving us all panic attacks. Especially if we compare it to the shocking lack of stuff most people of the world live with (40% of the world's population lives on less than $2.00 a day).


The more days of my life that tick by, the more I find that stuff means increasingly less and less to me. I'm slowly but surely learning to live with less, or take better care of the useful things I already have, and in the process, I'm loving it. This change was kick-started a few years ago -  after coming face-to-face with extreme poverty during my two trips to Uganda, Africa. It's hard after something like that to justify having an excess of things when others around the world (some whom I've met personally) are living without even the basic necessities (clean water, shelter, food, clothing). Though I still have more than I need, and still fall prey to marketing gimmicks, I'm finding I really enjoy the simplicity and lack of clutter. I'm a "recovering consumer" trying to bring my materialist habits under control - for my benefit and the benefit of those in need.

Yes, I will (likely) always have stuff, and stuff in itself isn't always bad. Too little stuff (as in, "I don't have food on the table or cloths on our backs") is bad and too much stuff (as in, wasteful, exploitive consumerism) is bad. Somewhere in between (but I would argue on the  frugal, generous side of the spectrum) would seem to be a good place to land for most of us.


I'm reading an interesting book right now called, Consumer Detox and the author takes a really balanced approach on the whole consumerism issue. One (of many) points he makes that I really liked was this: "Freedom [from consumerism] isn't when our possessions mean nothing to us. We are physical beings - we will always express ourselves using physical things. But the way we use our possessions can become something different."

Some simple ideas for how to "use our possessions for something different": 

• Shop with companies who help break the cycle of poverty (three of my favorites: Punjammies, 31 Bits, Sseko Designs) 

• Fix things instead of throwing them away and take better care of the items you already have (allowing you to produce less waste, slow down the consumer machine, and give the money you save to help someone in need)

• Buy used or repurposed items (thrift stores can provide an incredible supply of used clothing and items that are just calling out for a little loving creativity to make them awesome again)

Any other ideas you'd care to add? I'd love to hear about them!

Goal #44 - Dates with Devin (13 and 14 of 20)

More progress on my Project 101 in 1001 list. Read about my journey here. 


Goal #44: Go on 20 of the dates listed in the books Dates on a Dime and Coffee Dates for Couples  (Please Note: I have no recollection whatsoever of what we did for the 12th date, but I know we did something because I tallied it off of The List.) 


There's nothing that can shock you back into dating your spouse quite like preparing to have twins (okay - maybe preparing to have triplets would be more of a shock...). About a week ago Devin casually commented, "Do you realize that we only have three-to-four more weekends of it being just the two of us and then we are parents forever?"  

FOREVER. FORRR-EEEE-VEEERRR. (Sandlot anyone?) 


As those words were echoing through the space between us in the car (and then came back around to smack us in the face once more) - we realized we'd better get some more dating in before our world is shifted forever. (FOR-E-VER...) 


Date 13-of-20: 

From Dates on a Dime: "Using your best china, dine by candlelight at home. Remember to keep it simple: serve a meal from the grocer's freezer case."


This one ended up being kind of a dud. There were candles, there were nice dishes, there were easy (but yummy) leftovers and their were two people sitting at the table. But romantic? Not so much. A date? Hardly. Probably due to the fact that I didn't really present it as "a romantic date at home." My attempt to create a spontaneous, romantic dinner turned out to be fifteen minutes of the two of us silently eating food in a dark room. Oh well, better luck next time. 


Date 14-of-20: 

From Dates on a Dime: "Check out your employee benefits packages. They might include special rates on theme parks, hotels, etc." 


Now we were talking! Labor Day weekend Devin stole me away (but not too far away - we needed to stay close to the hospital just in case) for a two-night stay at a lovely hotel in Scottsdale for which his FedEx employee status afforded us a discount. It was fantastic.


We were able to relax all weekend - far, far away from to do lists, obligations, and our currently discombobulated apartment. We swam, watched movies, cranked the AC to 70 degrees without worrying about the electric bill, talked about the future, slept as long and as often as we wanted to (gotta cherish that privilege while we can), went out to a nice dinner, went on a couple of coffee dates (decaf for me of course), played nerdy computer games, and just had an all-around great time spending time just the two of us. It was wonderful. (I also made daily use of the giant jacuzzi tub and boy did it help my carrying-twins aches and pains!) 

The whole weekend was romantic and refreshing and wonderful and reminded me again how much I really, really like my husband. He's pretty alright. ;-) 


Funny Side Story: The looks we received while out-and-about were amusing. The size of my belly and the fact that I'm still mobile is quite shocking to some people apparently. We walked into an art gallery and while the curator greeted us kindly, he also asked (with a slight look of concern in his eyes) if we were trying to get labor started. I imagine he was just praying that my water didn't break in his pristine showroom. 


Another time, we were out to lunch at Paradise Bakery and the couple in the booth next to us said with an only somewhat joking tone, "Now, you can sit in this booth, just don't have the baby here!" Devin tried to ease their minds by telling them we were pregnant with twins and still had a few more weeks to go until our due date. It didn't seem to help as the man responded, "But twins come early!" I hope they were able to still enjoy their lunch with the Time Bomb sitting just inches from them. :-) 


To be fair, I can't really blame people. Check out this 35-weeks-pregnant-with-twins time bomb:

BOOM BABY!

Progress on the Double Denial

Sometimes my blog entries serve as an outlet for me to get my jumbled thoughts and feelings out of my head and into some kinds of workable order. It also brings about some accountability from my readers (whether they actually express it or not). Often these things will result in something actually getting done. In the case of being in denial about the babies coming, the blogosphere stars seemed to have aligned to cause a (somewhat) steady burst of motivation. 

Something else that kicked me into high gear was when my friend Alejandra read my double denial post and told me she (and her husband!) could come over and help me with The Baby To Do List. I quickly accepted her offer. One little problem - I hadn't actually made the list yet. Problem number two: while I had some specific painting and sewing projects they could help with, I didn't actually have the paint for which to paint with or the material for which to sew with. Thus, Alejandra's offer gave me the kick start I needed to get down, get busy and get out of denial! (At lease a little - I am pregnant with twins after all, which still (sometimes daily) comes as quite a shock.)

So two Saturdays ago, Devin, Jose, Alejanda and I spent many hours prepping for the babies. Our apartment was a flurry of sewing, painting and crib assembly (and Jose was awarded the privilege of cutting out 60+ fleece "butt wipes" for our cloth diapering system). We got a whole lot done and oh my goodness do I feel so much better when I look at my Baby To Do List! 

Not only was it such a blessing to have two extra people helping to conquer projects, having fabulous company (such as we did with Ale and Jose) made the work day fun and the time pass much faster. Thank you Alejandra and Jose!!! 

Here's a little sneak peak at some of the progress we made on the boys' room...

Our guestroom, turned office, turned nursery was already fully decorated with black and white, so we decided to embrace what was already there and simply make some small (and inexpensive) changes that would give the room more of a "little boy" feel. Black and white polka-dots and some splashes of bright color were our solutions.

Our color inspiration came from these little guys - our Uganda souvenirs for the twins:

(No, we are not doing a giraffe theme (sorry Marla) or an Africa theme or a Zoo theme (sorry again Marla) - just picking up on the colors.)

I snagged these cute chalkboard storage bins at Goodwill for $2.50 each, but they obviously needed a little spray paint lovin' (which I left up to my non-pregnant husband and friends). I absolutely love how they turned out!

(the chest was also a Goodwill purchase that Devin revamped a while back.)

Last little detail I'll show - a homemade card (created from vintage game cards) from my cousin Marla. I framed it and turned it into some quick, cute (and cheap) twin nursery art.

Speaking of Baby Baby - here I am 28 weeks pregnant. Hello third trimester!

So that's your little preview of the nursery. What's funny about our color scheme (something I didn't realize until days later) is that the colors we chose ended up being ♫ "red and yellow, black and white..." ♫ (you know the rest if you grew up anywhere near a church). To make things even better - guess what the colors of the Ugandan flag are?

Yep - black, red and yellow. Totally unintentional on both accounts, but I kinda love it. :-)

Goal #53 COMPLETE - What is True Financial Peace?

More progress on my Project 101 in 1001 list. Read about my journey here.  

 

Goal #53: Attend Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University class with Devin - COMPLETE

I am blessed to be married to a frugal man - which you've probably figured out if you've read my blog for very long. Devin and I both love a good deal, we both enjoy fun, creative, cheap dates and we're both content to live a simpler lifestyle in order to give more to others.

By American standards, we don't have a ton of money, but it has never really bothered us. Our frugality has less to do with our financial resources and more to do with our desired lifestyle, our passions, our personalities and our beliefs.

Devin and I had similar upbringings in the area of managing money and we each heard (often) the following tips (or commands - whatever) from our parents: "Don't go into debt." "Credit cards will get you in trouble." "Never take out a car loan."" Buy used." "Save up for the things you want." "Brand names don't matter." "Pack your own food for a vacation to avoid eating out a lot." (Yes, both of our families brought coolers full of food into the hotels we stayed in during family vacations.)

Devin and I grew up knowing these were smart ways to handle money and those lessons are ones I am grateful we both brought into our marriage. (Ironically, we learned recently that our parents did in fact have car loans and credit card debt during the time they were teaching us these money lessons, but were wise enough to instill a better way of doing things into the lives of their children.)

So you might wonder why a young, frugal couple with a savings account and no debt (I had school loans, but paid them off about 19 months after graduated - after I did the math on the devil that is compound interest and got my rear in gear paying off those suckers) would feel the need to take a course on handling money wisely and getting out of debt.

Mainly, because there are a lot of money-sucking situations that will be a new part of our lives in the next couple of years. Namely: two kids and a house. Thus, we wanted to learn how to wisely prepare for those circumstances before they arose. Which is where the desire to attend Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University came from.

Overall, I would venture to say that this course is fantastic. Devin and I have learned more about finances in our thirteen-week class than we have in our entire 52-combined-frugal-years of life. We were given all kinds of useful knowledge on things we had hardly a clue about (life/health insurances, investments, retirement plans, mortgages, savings accounts, etc). I am glad to have learned what we did at this early stage in our lives.

(Plus - Devin took over managing our budget and he is KILLING IT! Seriously, that man understands the details, planning and discipline of a good budget way better than I ever could and I am so grateful that he has taken over this task for me.)

However, there are definitely some points of tension between what we learned in our FPU classes and our personal beliefs about money.

Dave Ramsey's steps to reaching "Financial Peace", when boiled down to the bare minimum, are three fold (and in this order):  
       1) Get out out debt and stay out of debt
       2) Build wealth
       3) Give generously 

These teachings are presented with plenty of common-sense wisdom, a challenge of integrity and a number of biblical principals. Still, I have a love/hate relationship with what Dave Ramsey teaches.

I endorse 110% percent the get/stay out of debt thing. I even think it is wise to have a small amount in savings for emergencies and retirement (retirement as in, "I can't work any more," not as in, "I'm choosing not to work any more so I can sit back and enjoy life.") I'm obviously down with the "give generously" part (though I was disappointed that this lesson came after all the lessons on building wealth).

But I have a sick feeling in my stomach when I look at the needs of the world around me and hear Ramsey talk about building wealth (in seven-digit figures no less). Even if he totes the motivation (in part) as "building wealth in order to give more," my question is: Why not just give more to start with and not worry so much about the building up wealth part?

Yes, there is financial peace in not having stressful money issues (such as debt and no savings). There is also financial peace in trusting in God's provision. Yes, financial peace can come through wise planning. It can also come through the wisdom of understanding that possessions don't matter that much. Yes, financial peace can come through taking care of the needs of your family. It can also come from making sacrifices as a family in order take care of the needs of those in more difficult situations then yourselves.

Like I said - tension.

All this said, I would still recommend this class to just about anyone, but would also recommend finding a balance between preparing for your own future while still meeting some of the here-and-now needs of others. It is a balance that each individual or family should decide on after reflecting on God's purpose for their life and how to responsibly use the financial resources He has entrusted them with. We will each be held accountable and we each have to make a decision that we can live with here and in eternity.


Thoughts? Comment? Rebuttals? I'd love to hear your take on this topic.

P.S. Many thanks to our parents for teaching us so many good lessons about money - your instruction has already made our lives so much easier and given us a great foundation for the things we learn in FPU.

Goal #44- Dates with Devin (9, 10, 11 of 20)

More progress on my Project 101 in 1001 list. Read about my journey here.

Goal #44: Go on 20 of the dates listed in the books Dates on a Dime and Coffee Dates for Couples 

Okay, so I haven't actually blogged about this goal in months, but I promise - I have still been going out on dates with my husband. Many on them cheap and fun and from the books mentioned above. Here's what we did for dates 9, 10 and 11:

Date 9 of 20: 

Inspired by an activity in Coffee Dates for Couples, we headed to Starbucks for a date with some coffee-themed games. Including using coffee terms to create a drink that describes your spouse. 

Devin picked the terms "hot, sweet, spicy, delicate, nutty, strong, creamy (aka - pale), unique and balanced" to describe me and said I if I was a coffee drink I'd be a "hot, cinnamon dulce, toffee nut, whole mike latte, with an extra shot of espresso and whipped cream." 

I picked the terms "hot, sweet, smooth, nutty, fresh, strong and unique" to describe Devin and said he would be a "hot, two pump sugar, toffee nut latte with an extra shot of espresso and chocolate whipped cream." Yeah. His drink for me sounded way better.

Date 10 of 20: 

From Dates on a Dime: "House-sit for friends or family while they are out of town. Make it a special getaway without leaving town." 

We house-sat for our Bible study friends Greg and Connie, earned some money for our Uganda trip and had a very relaxing time while doing so. 

Date 11 of 20:

From Dates on a Dime: "At Christmastime, pack your car with a thermos of hot cocoa and two travel mugs. Drive through local neighborhoods, sipping your cocoa and viewing the Christmas lights displays. Toast each other when you've found the most outrageous displays."

There is an amazing little culdesac just up the road from us that goes all out for light displays. Every single house on the sac (about ten maybe) is complete decked out with lights and displays and all around Christmas-cheer. My kind of place. 

There was even a house that had a "Walk Through Bethlehem" display built in their huge backyard - full sets and life-size cut outs narrated with Bible-verse plaques. Very cool.

The entrance to "Bethlehem"

Bikini Bottom made an appearance as well (Sponge Bob.) 

Another favorite: 

::SIGH:: I love Christmas time. And my husband. And cheap/free date nights.

1970s Serving Tray ReVamp

I have yet to do a revamp on this blog, but recently I found the perfect project to feature as my first:

My mom unearthed this little gem in her garage while hunting for items to donate to our Uganda garage sale. It is a retractable hor o'dourves tray from the 1970s (I'm pretty sure it was a wedding gift to my parents 35+ years ago.) It even has little jars and spoons to hold garnishes, dips or candy.

It was solid walnut and in very good condition and while I loved the design, the colors were a bit too blah for such an awesome piece.

So out came the sandpaper and spray paint. After removing the hardware, I started with a few coats of primer.

Then I covered they tray with a glorious shade of cornflower blue which matched our apartment perfectly. (I also sealed it with an acrylic sealant spray)

After adding a few little details created with some ivory acrylic paint, a rubber stamp and the back-end of a small paint brush - Voila! Lovely. Chic. Adorable.

(It looks even better with desserts on it, but you'll have to take my word for it as I forgot to take a photo before the cookies were gobbed up at our Elf Party.)

Cost: The tray was free (thanks mom!), I already had the ivory paint and the stamp (the same stamp I used on our wedding invites). The only thing I bought was the primer and blue spray paints, which I used 40% Off coupons for, so the total cost was only $7.19. Not bad for such a cute, portable and unique piece that makes me feel like a "real" grown-up hostess with the mostess.

Goal #18 COMPLETE

Another goal checked off my Project 101 in 1001 list. Read about my journey here.

Goal #18 COMPLETE: Attend five plays, musicals, or symphonies

When I wrote this goal I thought, Okay I can complete this in 1001 days if I see one show every six months. Well. What I should have foreseen was that once this former theater addict returned to her artsy narcotics, there was no turning back. Seven months and five shows later, a goal that was mapped out for six months is completed. I just couldn't get enough and snapped up every opportunity to see a show that I could find. Best part - two of the five performances were completely F-R-E-E. 

To finish out this goal, Devin and I attended a free concert courtesy of the Chandler Symphony Orchestra. We were joined by our superbly classy friends Megan, Brian, Jamie, Ben, Julie and Blake. (Okay honestly, I was shocked that we had such a large turn out. My friends are more sophisticated than I gave them credit for.)

The symphony was beautiful and when those first few notes left the musician's instruments, I felt so in awe that music even exists. How and why God create the ability to arrange random sounds into such inspiring melodies is beyond me, but I am so glad He did - it was incredibly generous of Him.

I loved every performance we saw throughout this goal and even though it is checked off the list, this junkie is already keeping a (frugal) eye out for where to get my next fix...

Check around your area for local symphonies - many of them offer free shows or preview nights every now-and-again.

My Ash Pile

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal." - Matthew 6:19

I heard someone say recently that "The more stuff I collect here on earth, the bigger ash pile I'll leave behind when I die." That idea really puts into perspective the skewed value we place on our stuff doesn't it? It seem recently that this mentality has been growing deeper and deeper roots into my heart. The more I downsize, give away and sell, the more I realize how much I still have and how much less I could still live without.

Devin and I are having a garage sale November 19th and 20th to raise money for our Africa trip (if you live in the Phoenix area and have anything to donate - we'll take it!), so this past weekend we started combing our closets for things to sell.

I was a bit baffled, and more than a little ashamed, to see the pile of clothes I was able to clear out of my closet. You see, I have already down-sized my clothing collection twice in the past few months and somehow I still had a full garbage bag of clothing to put in our garage sale. That is just ridiculous.

During the first round of downsizing, I got rid of some outfits that I didn't like all that much. The second round had me donating some things that I liked, but didn't wear all that often. But when I was looking through my closet for round three, I had to remove some clothing items that I really liked a whole bunch. There were many moments when I removed something from the hanger, put it back, glared at it and pulled it back out again with a sigh. But as I perused my still hefty (even after two trips to Good Will) stockpile of clothes, I thought, "What am I willing to give up so that I can go to Africa and love on some orphans?" With that thought in mind, my perspective on the worth of my clothing changed considerably. 

I mentioned this in last week's Radical post, but I'll say it again here. As I pulled out items to sell, I felt so foolish at my wasteful materialism. The cute jacket that I had to have for $25 will be lucky to snag $5 at a garage sale. Thinking about what the $20 difference could have bought instead (i.e 133 meals for a child in Africa) makes me so embarrassed, but I am thankful to be learning these lessons. I am grateful to have my eyes opened. I still have a long way to go, but I am starting to learn the contentment and fulfillment found in generosity.

"Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content." - 1 Timothy 6:6-8

Goal #54- COMPLETE

Goal #54: Live six months radically frugal

Well, we survived and thrived during our challenge of living six months radically frugal. The final month was rough, as we were completely down to one income. We very nearly spent more than we earned - which is completely against the rules in our household (and something that has never once happened the entire time we've been married). I'll be watching this month's budget like a hawk to make sure we don't risk this happening again. Despite being down to one income, all of our needs have been met and I am so grateful for how God prepared us for this.

During this goal, I learned a ton about how to find great deals and how to make our money stretch. I never got around to the whole coupon-ing thing... but its on The List, so I'll have to do it sometime or another. 

So now that we have completed our six-month goal will we go back to living a little less frugal (because honestly, we were already pretty frugal to begin with)? Nope! Absolutely not. We are going to continue to live just as frugally (if not more-so). Even if our current financial circumstances didn't mandate frugality, we would still want to live this way because out of all the things I learned while living radically frugal, this lesson was my most treasured:

Living frugally allows me to give more generously. 

And that is something I never want to change.

I Can't Get Enough of This Stuff!

Goal #18: Attend five plays, musicals, or symphonies (4 of 5)

If you live in Phoenix, before you read this post, check your calendar and see if you are open tonight, tomorrow night or Sunday afternoon. Oh, you are open you say? Perfect. Then you have no excuse not to go see this show...

After our side-splitting good time at the last Brelby Theatre Company production, Devin and I decided to hit up their current show - Shakespeare's As You Like It. We were generously given free admission to the show when we volunteered to usher, so this date night was perfect for our Living Frugal project. (For more living frugal tips, check out yesterday's post.)

The production, set in modern time and relying on a minimalist set (which the actors made excellent use of), was impressively professional for such a young company. It was seriously good theatre and I kept thinking, If this is only their first season, I can't wait to see the quality they produce a few years from now! 

A strong ensemble cast was headed up by twenty-year-old Ellyn Heald, who carried the role of Rosalind with seasoned ease. The energy, charm and grace that Ellyn exuded during her exquisite performance showed a level of talent that I did not expect from someone so young, let alone expect to find in a newly christened theatre company. I tell you, this girl was born to perform Shakespeare. Ellyn was well-supported by the comedic timing and winsome antics of Leah Nemecek, who played Rosalind's cousin and near-constant companion, Celia.

Brian Maticic portrayed the ever-lovable Fool that is so common in Shakespeare's plays and did so with brilliant physical comedy that made one wonder if he had springs loaded into his tennis shoes. And his knees. And arms. And backside. He was a near Tigger will all of his bouncing, bounding, rolling, sliding and leap-frogging all over the set... and all over the other actors. It was hilariously entertaining.

This was truly a wonderful show with spirited acting and directing. Devin (even with his limited Shakespeare exposure) and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thanks to the whole Brebly cast and crew for a wonderful night out!

Lovin' Livin' on Less

Don't spend your time lookin' around
For something you want that can't be found.
When you find out you can live without it
And go along not thinkin' about it,
I'll tell you something true -
The bare necessities of life will come to you.

- Disney’s Jungle Book (1967)

That’s right – I just pulled this profound quote from a cartoon. But ya know what? That Balbo is one smart dude... er... bear. Aaaaa the good ol' days when Disney movies were full of moral character and virtue...

Moving on.

Devin and I are finishing our final month of living radically frugal and now that I’ve “found out [I] can live without it” - I really don’t worry thinkin’ about it. And I really doubt much will change after I check this baby off the list. I don't want to go back to spending - I want to continue to save and continue to give. In fact, I want to give more than what we have been giving. So, I guess we'll be living off of even less. (Don't worry, my husband is in full support/leading the change on this venture.)

Here are a few more living frugal tips that have really helped me: 

Stop Impulse Buying: Make a "30-day Wait List" of things you want. By the time a month has passed it will probably be clear whether those purchases are wants or needs. And shoot! If you can live without it for a month, you can probably do without it period. For me, a helpful tip was to make my "wait list" my birthday list - it gave me ideas when my family and friends asked what I wanted and I didn't have to spend money on those items. Even when my birthday rolled around, I had removed a lot of the items on the list as I realized I didn't really need or even want them anymore.  

Fun-n-Free Events: Most cities have some free events every once in a while. In the last few months we've been able to go to an art museum, a concert, a science museum and a play for F-R-E-E. Over $120.00 worth of fun nights out for nada'penny. Other ideas include: parades, festivals, art fairs, local symphonies (they often have free preview nights) and league sporting events. Keep your eyes peeled and your ears open for free events in your area. You might be surprised how much is out there. 

Be Socially Frugal (no I don't mean be stingy with the time you spend with other people): Personally, I really love to eat food with people - whether it is inviting people over to our apartment or going out to eat with them, there is just something about good friends and good fun that I can't get enough of. However, going out to eat is pricey and even having people over for dinner can add up if things are really tight. So, instead, why not go out for a coffee rather than dinner, or invite people over for dessert instead of a full meal? I've also found that most people are more than willing to bring something to contribute to the meal. My girl friends and I have started hosting themed "potluck" style dinners (Italian night, Mexican night, etc.) and it has been so fun to see what everyone comes up with. Plus we get to swap recipes which is always great!

Generosity: I'm not kidding. There is something very satisfying and intoxicating about giving to people in need that causes you to want to live more frugally. Like I mentioned above, the more you give, the more you want to give. There are frugal results too. Firstly, generosity makes you more grateful and content for what you have. Secondly, it makes you realize how much less you can live on. Thirdly, you get to bless someone else which is so much better than the temporary satisfaction of a new purchase. (Plus, generosity is one of the only areas where God challenges us to test Him.)

For even more tips check out this (slightly Zen, I apologize) article: The Cheapskate Guide: 50 Tips for Frugal Living

Q4U - What is your favorite tip for living frugal?