We like to think that life is about more than money, but there’s not a whole lot you can do without a regular income.
In the words of Silverchair - you say that money isn’t everything, well I’d like to see you live without it.
Or ABBA - all the things I could do, if I had a little money...
The thing I’ve learnt (and my mum always said) the more you have, the more you spend! I didn’t realise quite how true it was until I went from a double income family to a single one. Obviously I couldn’t spend the money if I didn’t have it, but I’m also not starving or behind on my bills on the much smaller budget I now have. (He paid more in tax than what my gross annual income was!)
I’m very fortunate to live in a country that helps single parents out with payments, and while I could not continue my lifestyle on Centrelink payments alone, the extra it gives me keeps us from going without necessities. I do have “luxury” items like my personal training and private health insurance, and I still let the kids get a happy meal once a week, but I’ve had to control that impulse buying urge a lot. Weighing up how much I want something vs if I need it... and trying to teach my kids the same - We can’t have everything we want all the time. You appreciate the value of things more when you earn them... But I hate being that mum that says 'not today, we don't have enough money'. I try really hard not to say that because it's not really their concern, but sometimes I do need to remind them that money doesn't grow on trees! Then just when I think I have enough 'left over' for something fun, I get hit with something like mould in my car.... Yeah ok, I did splurge and get a tattoo that wasn't cheap... but I didn't stop feeding my family to do it.
I see this phrase a lot. And it's true. What's the point of living if all you're doing is paying bills? I'm paying off a house, but I can't afford to do anything to it. I have plans, it needs jazzing up a bit. But then I'm hardly home anyway. Yes keeping the house was my choice. We could have sold it and had a bit of cash, but I didn't want to add anymore chaos to my kids' lives. I'm incredibly lucky to have had help from family to keep my mortgage in credit, and that's always in the back of my mind when I decide to spend a lot of money on anything "what will mum say?" I'm 35 and still worried what my my will say.... but it's out of respect. She's by no means loaded, but she's never let us go without. And even though I tell her I'm not her responsibility, she didn't put me in this situation, she still insists that's she's my mum and it's what she should do.
I don't want to sound ungrateful, or completely destitute, cos I'm not. It's just frustrating sometimes. I feel like I'm going round in circles, and for what? I'm paying a lawyer to sort out the legal stuff (I know right?), and that's been dragging on for way longer than necessary, which means spending more money than necessary.... when the other party is making things difficult for no real reason other than he can? I don't know. But then again, it turns out not a lot of what I knew about him was true anyway.
I’m very fortunate to live in a country that helps single parents out with payments, and while I could not continue my lifestyle on Centrelink payments alone, the extra it gives me keeps us from going without necessities. I do have “luxury” items like my personal training and private health insurance, and I still let the kids get a happy meal once a week, but I’ve had to control that impulse buying urge a lot. Weighing up how much I want something vs if I need it... and trying to teach my kids the same - We can’t have everything we want all the time. You appreciate the value of things more when you earn them... But I hate being that mum that says 'not today, we don't have enough money'. I try really hard not to say that because it's not really their concern, but sometimes I do need to remind them that money doesn't grow on trees! Then just when I think I have enough 'left over' for something fun, I get hit with something like mould in my car.... Yeah ok, I did splurge and get a tattoo that wasn't cheap... but I didn't stop feeding my family to do it.
I see this phrase a lot. And it's true. What's the point of living if all you're doing is paying bills? I'm paying off a house, but I can't afford to do anything to it. I have plans, it needs jazzing up a bit. But then I'm hardly home anyway. Yes keeping the house was my choice. We could have sold it and had a bit of cash, but I didn't want to add anymore chaos to my kids' lives. I'm incredibly lucky to have had help from family to keep my mortgage in credit, and that's always in the back of my mind when I decide to spend a lot of money on anything "what will mum say?" I'm 35 and still worried what my my will say.... but it's out of respect. She's by no means loaded, but she's never let us go without. And even though I tell her I'm not her responsibility, she didn't put me in this situation, she still insists that's she's my mum and it's what she should do.
I don't want to sound ungrateful, or completely destitute, cos I'm not. It's just frustrating sometimes. I feel like I'm going round in circles, and for what? I'm paying a lawyer to sort out the legal stuff (I know right?), and that's been dragging on for way longer than necessary, which means spending more money than necessary.... when the other party is making things difficult for no real reason other than he can? I don't know. But then again, it turns out not a lot of what I knew about him was true anyway.
I could sit here and waffle on all night about how 'unfair' things are. But it wont change them! I've just got to keep looking forward and putting one foot in front of the other. I know that things will get better, because I know that I'm a fighter and when I want something bad enough, I make it happen!
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