So, here we are, Mama is officially unemployed, more than likely until January, when the spring semester starts. Which means we are also officially down an income.
Granted, I make essentially grunt labor, part time wages, but the loss is still a loss. And we went from using that income as "extra money," to using it to make ends meet.
Needless to say, it hurts.
I don't want to think about going back to work right now. I don't want to think about being forced into HAVING to juggle bills. I don't want to perpetually be "in the red." I want to process the arrival of the new member of our family, and getting ready, and relishing the last few months of my final pregnancy.
But, I can't help it. I think about this all of the time. I ask, all of the time, what are we going to do?
You can look up "tips" all day long online. It's all about the same. Cut expenses, eat out less, get out of debt, save for a rainy day, etc. But, how do you get out of debt, or save, when you don't have any extra to do this to start with? What if the only thing I can process is, "We don't have enough money?"
We're not horrendously "in the red." Probably a couple hundred bucks a check, in the end. But, it's still going to hurt. It's still going to mean juggling bills and being past due, which I want to stop. I feel like I have all of these goals for the future and our finances, and they have to be put off, and I still have to keep up with old habits in order to survive.
I know I need to have faith. I know that there will be good cycles and bad. I also know that with a new baby in the family, I won't have time to spend as much $$$. I know that there are people willing to help us make good decisions along the way. But it's still scary, and it's still hard, and we're only losing a small portion of our income. How do others make it when they lose their family's main income?
Here's hoping along the way I can learn something and pass it on.
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