Making Changes

It is 3 and a half months after Addi was born and Eric and I are making changes so that I can stay home with her for good! It has been Eric's goal to make this possible for our family since we got pregnant. We just didn't know if it would be possible, financially. I also didn't know if being home full time was for me. I don't think you know until you actually have your baby in your arms. Some women want to work or need to work to support their families. I didn’ t know if I would be one of them. Now, I want nothing more than to be home with my baby. I absolutely love my days with her. Taking care of her brings me so much joy and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. Finally, Eric and I have had time to start figuring out how to make it work.

I am teaching a class this fall but it won't be something I will be able to do again since they are looking to hire someone full time. My other options are to work part time at the shelter or get another part time job. I miss the shelter and I definitely think I will pick up a few shifts over the winter. It is a good source of extra "fun" money. However, financially it just doesn't make sense to make it a significant source of income. In 2 hours of tutoring, Eric makes what I would make in a 8 hour 4pm-12am shift. As far as another job, during the day I would need to pay for childcare- therefore cancelling out the money I am making. During the evening, we give up family time as well as tutoring/class time for Eric.

So after we considered all these things, we created a family budget. We looked at where we could trim back and started making those changes. Our first change was to consolidate my huge (could be enormous- thank you Mom & Dad) student loans and we'll be saving thousands each year! Our oil bills were another major expense last winter so Eric and I looked into adding a wood stove to our fireplace. We have picked out a bought an insert that will heat our whole house for much less. From what we calculated, it will pay for itself within a year and a half, plus we get a 30% tax credit for being green. Yay! I am in love with the idea of having a fire, so cozy!

The third cut we made was to our food bills. We didn't really think about what we bought, including going out. Although it never put us into debt we spent way more than we needed to. Now, we have a strict budget in cash. If we don't have the money, we won't buy it. We cut what we were spending by 1/3 and then my goal is to cut what’s left over in half. I buy the proteins in bulk then plan the meals week by week along with cutting coupons and looking at sales. It is working! What we have left over is what we are going to spend on a vacation for our 5th anniversary next summer, a wonderful incentive (I am thinking a cruise)!

Since we've made these changes I think we have become more and more comfortable with our expenses and think "we can do this"! We can live on one salary and the benefits far outweigh any sacrifices we might need to make. I don't want to miss a minute or a milestone. I was afraid to put the pressure on Eric to provide for the three of us but he has more than reassured me that it brings him joy. It doesn't seem like a sacrifice to either of us, you have to work for what you want most. I can't imagine anyone else being with Addi, taking care of her. Eric feels the same way. No one loves her like her Mommy and Daddy. I didn't think going back to work would be a problem for me. We have fallen into our natural rolls, Eric being the provider/Dad and me being the stay-at-home Mom. Such a blessing to be able to do what you feel you are meant to do.