Just can't make ends meet…advice?

It is a struggle here, too. I do coupons and sales and try to match them, but I think it takes more time and organization than I can give it. I do save a little, but not as much as I’d hoped. I do involve the kids in clipping out the coupons, so it is a group project. But in the stores, I have to rely on MY memory and organization skills.

I have started looking into ways to provide for ourselves more. I would like to start a garden next year. I planted a few fruit trees. I put up a clothes line. We are thinking of having chickens and possibly sell some eggs. But do you have land to grow your own food on? Right now, I am in the learning stage of gardening, canning, drying, and raising chickens. It is all with the intent to eat healthier and save some money.

Have you tried selling some things on e-bay? I was surprised to see how much some of the name brand toys sell for. I looked up an Elmo toy we had, which I would have gotten $3 to $4 for at a yard sale and sold it on there for $14 plus shipping. So you say you are selling stuff, but are you getting the most out of it? I agree to let your needs be known too. Is there a food pantry you could go to or clothing room at a local church?

ibkim2: We go to Goodwill so much, it is my dc favorite store and it is where they want to work when they grow up! Rarely go to the mall anymore. They even like Goodwill more than they like Toys R Us!

simplicity: Prayers to you. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

Right now we are barely getting by…  We’ve been through lay-offs in the past, finally got our credit, etc. together enough to buy a house in Aug., then a week after we moved in, my husband got laid off again!  And due to the timing of just buying the house, there wasn’t much left in savings either.  He did get a job, but almost 2 weeks into it, the project we defunded and now he’s unemployed again.   This week we paniced that unemployment would be delayed to a small mistake.  Today it did come in though so  I was greatly relieved!  That’s all we have coming in, and it doesn’t pay much.  I have 2 electric bills I’m trying to keep paid because we still have the one from the previous address–it was big due to being the height of summer (here in TX where it was HOT!) so I’ve been making payments on it to barely keep it out of collections.  Couponing, etc. is great, but when NOTHING is coming in, even that doesn’t help much.  And because we’ve been here before with previous lay-offs, I am really getting tired of feeling like a charity case.   Our church helped us last summer, his parents helped us this week, and while I appreciate the help, I hate being in the position to have to accept it–again.  Now we’re talking about him trying to work on his own because I’m just tired of going through jobs every other year, month, week.   At this point, it can’t be much less secure than trying to keep a job elsewhere.   

So, no, you definitely aren’t the only one. 

Wow, Simplicity, I think you could make money just teaching people to save money doing all the things you are doing!  You should write a book 😉 , I think the way you are living should be more of a norm as I believe the Western Civilazation lifestyle is quite plush.  I have my own convictions of thinking we “deserve” a gym membership, 2 cars, eating out, new gifts for birthdays/holidays,  etc……  The reality of life in Christ is more about giving all our energies up for worshipping Him, nurturing our children, supporting our husbands, and giving all else we can to support the cause of the gospel.  The part of meeting our physical/emotional needs is God’s job….but like you said, God doesn’t promise we will live according to the Western lifestyle standard to which we’re accustomed.  He promises to supply all our needs.  

I think you are doing great, we have tracfones I don’t see a need for i-phones and such like my husband could get one for work, but just keeps his tracfone. We make all meals from scratch, use food storage, don’t eat out except for very special occasions like an anniversary. I too make all my cleaning products, sew and repair our clothes and we try and save as much as we can. We are blessed that my husband has a job that pays well, and his military retirement, but we know how quickly things can change, so we still try to live well within our means, which is the way it should be. We still have a lot of years left to pay on our mortgage but our car is paid for, we don’t have gym membership, don’t go to the movies except to see a movie that is special like Courageous and Dolphin Tale and try and save where we can. I will pray for your situation, when we were first married life was very tough for us as well, things have gotten better over the years, but i don’t take anything for granted. Christmas this year will be simple, we are making gifts for each other, and just crafting and making cookies and things, we have decided to do one small gift each and stick to that – I cannot stand the waste and junk that is out there for haloween and Christmas – it drives me crazy that people waste so much money on such junk – it is not necessary. Across the street from us is a house with demon babies, heads with blood dripping off them and other really disgusting things all in the name of halloween so children can trick or treat – I would not lwt my children anywhere near a house like that (we don’t bother with halloween – consider it a waste of time and money and does not edify our lives) – the woman who lives there is young, single and quite nice – but why would you waste money on stuff like that. We have opened our door to demon babies for a couple of weeks now and it is vile. We just don’t try to keep up with anyone, and if people sneer at us, oh well, that is their problem….hang in there – hugs, Linda