Busyness

One good thing about being very busy is not having a chance to buy anything...

It also means you don't get a chance to post to a blog very much.  Now that I've caught up a bit, I'm having a chance to post.

It's been a month and a half so far, and I haven't bought anything (according to the rules).  Interestingly enough, it hasn't been that hard.   Occasionally I have had to remind myself that I'm not buying anything, but, other than that, not too bad.  I've actually had thoughts that I could keep this going for quite a while, maybe longer than a year.  It is only a month and half, so, I don't want to speak too soon...

One thing I have noticed:  it actually is just as much (or more) fun buying for someone else than for yourself.  I know it's a trite saying, but I have really gotten just as much out of buying for other people as I have for buying for myself.  I probably wouldn't have noticed this had I not intentionally stopped buying for myself...

Rice and Beans

I have a friend who just had a baby.  She came back from maternity leave and announced that she was now going to work part-time.

This person has a well paying job and her husband does also.  What's interesting, is that I don't know many people who are making the choice that she is making.

I sent her a message saying how nice it would be to spend time with her new baby.  She responded by telling me that she wouldn't have been able to do it had it not been for me and my wife.

What?

A while back, my wife and I did Dave Ramsey.  We're not quite as on top of it lately, but we did everything we could to pay off our debts.  Work extra jobs, stop eating out, stop buying so much, buying a reasonable home, getting rid of credit cards, etc.  My friend asked me about all of this a few years ago and I enthusiastically told her all about it...

So, she and her husband started doing it.  Eating Rice and Beans and Beans and Rice, paying off debt, buying reasonable home, living like no one else today so they can live like no one else tomorrow.

Now, she doesn't have to work full time and can spend time with her newborn baby.  

It brings up the question:  Why are we working?  I know quite a few people who are working a lot of hours for a lot of money to buy a lot of stuff.  I think this might be missing the point.

Will Rogers said: 

“We spend money that we do not have, on things we do not need, to impress people who do not care.” 

Well Said Will...