Where were you...

[Momto2Boyz]

in terms of living frugally last year at this time, 5 years ago and 10 years ago? How does that compare to where you are now?

I thought this might be fun to look back and see where you were in terms of saving/spending, finances, etc! A good way to share our successes with each other!


Last year at this time: I was closing my business (which was draining us financially) and we were living VERY frugally out of necessity! I was hanging every single load of laundry on the line, spending no more than $25 per week on groceries, and lots of our bills were behind. We were implementing everything we could to save money just to pay the basic bills. We had our mortgage payment, 2 car payments and about half the credit card debt from 5 years before. Dh had a cruddy job with no benefits and we were without insurance becuase we couldn't afford to pick up our own health insurance.

5 years ago: I was pregnant with my second child, working for someone else (not making much, but bringing somewhat of a second income in). We had just bought our house, we had 2 car payments, and tons of credit card debt.

10 years ago: DH and I were living together, but not married, had 2 cheap cars and only one car payment, almost no credit card debt and lived in a small, cheap apartment. We had 2 incomes, and didn't save a dime of it. We spent money on pretty much anything we wanted, ate out a TON and just generally spent money on entertainment!

NOW: We downsized to one car, which is paid off. We paid off all of our credit cards and the only debt we have is our mortgage payment and our utilities. We have money in the bank, DH has a good job with great insurance that allows me to stay home with the kids. We chose to put our money away instead of spending it, and prefer to do family activities that don't cost alot or are totally free.

It's kind of funny to see it all laid out like that! We came full circle in about 10 years. Started out with little debt, built up a ton of it and now, we have almost none! If only we'd known 10 years ago what we knew now! If we'd saved everything then, and had better spending habits over the years, I wonder how much we would have saved by now? Ugh, on second thought...I don't want to think about it... Better off not knowing!

[cab54]

Last year--really starting to get on the frugal/simple bandwagon and looking for a good forum to discuss issues with others--finally found FV in July.

5 Years ago---sick of the 'gotta have everything' life and searching for a way to square my heart and soul with my complicated life. And kiddos just starting college.

10 years ago--smack dab in the middle of materialism and wondering why it didn't soothe and fix and give purpose.

[sunshine]

10 years ago - we were making 2 house payments. . dh had lost his job due to his illness. 3 kids at home, 2 teenage boys. One son needing counseling to deal with dh's illness and it's impact on our family ($160/hr - 2-3 hours a week). Buired under medical and credit card debt that we incurred when dh first got sick and we thought he'd die right away.

5 years ago - one house paid off, making headway on the credit and medical debt. One son out on his own, although we were helping him with some of his bills and college expenses.

1 year ago - bought my parents farm, to save it from going to nursing home payments. Added LOTS of debt there. Still making headway on credit card and medical debts. (dd's birth bills were over $100,000 not covered by insurance)

Now - more medical debts from me and dd (over $6000 in the last 5 months and more looming on the horizen - this is after insurance has paid their portion). Still dealing with past medical debts, and credit card debts, but they are decreasing. Have 5 years left to pay on this house. DS #2 is out on his own (even offered to help me with bills when I was complaining about money issues). Dd decided to go to the local community college to save $$$ rather than the private college out of state that accepted her.

[peanut]

Last year this time I was in shell shock. Mom had committed suicide, DD#1 and her DH and I were not talking to each other, my siblings (some of them) weren't talking to me over Mom's will/estate (still aren't). I broke my foot this time last year. Nope, I was not doing very well on the frugal front. My Dad had announced he was remarrying and I was panicking over the wedding gift and wedding. Though the up side was I wasn't going shopping with a newly broken foot!

Five years ago...2003...I was homeschooling kids. Stress city. Pretty frugal out of necessity. Working at paying off mortgage (gone now). DH and I figured out the cost of me going back to work, and the income I'd generate. Then determined it was cheaper for me to stay home. I saved over $21K per year after the five year mark of being frugal. What that means is that our standard of living soared as long as I stayed home and put effort into frugal activities.

Ten years ago - 1998...I was seriously ill...mentally ill. Frugality was not happening. I was simply trying to stay out of the hospital and keep my marriage from breaking up. That and trying to get well again. It did reinforce for me the need to become more frugal though. Because with my health issues I will never work outside the home again...in fact, will never put myself under the stress of working for anyone again...unless something happens to DH. In which case, heaven help me, because I know I couldn't work with other people for long. I am just too easily stressed. Plus I don't do the sitting-and-wasting-time-till-the-bell-rings thing well. I just have too much I want to do with my life otherwise.

Jean

[FrugalMomof3]

Last year I was totally on the frugal wagon.

5 years ago, I was up to my eyeballls in debt but most were in collections, but I was so desperate to have my own home that I worked things out with the creditors and cleaned up my act.

10 years ago.... ummmm I was getting married, but still in debt but not as bad, but I surely wasnt frugal at all.

[FrugalWitch]

Last year, even more frugal, paying the last year of child support on a kid that wasn't even DH's. (had DNA tests that proved it, but he was married to her at the time of the birth so FLA said DH had to pay it anyway....h$ll yes I'm still bitter about it!)

Five years ago, had just married DH in January. I had recently quit work to take of Momma, although she was at least well enough that I could commute and not live full-time with her. Paying child support on a sl*t's child. (see above)

Ten years ago, was still married to ex-husband. Those are years I try to never remember. Working multiple jobs, living in a cramped 3 room efficiency apartment in Birmingham. There were months on end that we lived on rice, sometimes with beans but not always. Don't care to think about it.

[larabelle]

Now super frugal and growing more so. Budgeting and decreasing debt. YIPPEE!!

Last year debating on going frugal. Working, working, working but not saving a dime. Refusing to budget. Buying any/everthing which striked my fancy. Incuring abundant debt.

Five years ago financially supporting a brother and niece, which was crazy because he did not learn one thing about money management. Refusing to budget. Buying any/everything which striked my fancy.

Ten years ago (I don't want to think about it)...but I did not save a dime.