Coming back to Frugal Village

**GFNancy** · 08-17-2008, 04:52 PM

I used to come here a lot late last year and early this year. I was doing really well with my budget and even doing some writing on the side to earn extra money.

Ever have one of those stretches of time where it's just one thing after another and things just fall apart? Well, that's been my year so far.

We found out we were unexpectedly pregnant in January, but lost the baby in February because it was ectopic. That was really hard. Not long after that we found out that our tax return was going to be huge (HUGE!). We were able to pay off all but one of our credit cards and still have quite a bit as a cushion if and when we needed it.

Because we had just lost the baby, I didn't just fall off the frugal wagon, I jumped. I didn't go nuts, but I went back to almost all of my bad spending habits on one level or another. I also stopped writing for extra money (much, much longer story to that).

In late June we decided we were ready to start trying for another baby. The very next monday after starting to try I got a call from my doctor's office saying they found a "suspicious area" on my mammogram and they wanted me to go to the university med center downtown for a more high-tech mammogram. The first appointment was three weeks away.

Those three weeks were so beyond terrifying for me, my husband and the rest of my family that I have no words. Both of my parents died of cancer. Both of them died quickly after diagnosis. My mom died of breast cancer a little over a year after diagnosis, my dad died of stomach cancer six months after diagnosis.

And wouldn't you know it, I started getting early pregnancy symptoms. (I get pregnant very, very easily.) I ended up have a very strange period two weeks into the waiting for the appt process. I'd bet that I was technically pregnant, but with all of the stress it just didn't take. I was relieved, because the only thing worse than having cancer is having cancer and being pregnant at the same time.

Because we didn't know what was going to happen, we did a lot of stuff with and for the kids that I normally wouldn't have spent the money on. The most expensive was going to the rodeo because I wanted them to have that memory of me if things went badly.

We had also been invited on a big weeklong camping trip at the end of July (after my appt). We decided that if I didn't have cancer we'd go on the camping trip. If I did have cancer, we'd crack open one of our paid off credit cards and go to Disneyworld.

The good news is that I don't have cancer, but at the appointment, it took so long and they did so many scans and kept leaving the room to go look at things that my husband and I totally thought I had cancer. Then all of a sudden the doctor started talking and telling me that I don't have cancer. She scared the cr-p out of me and made me jump because she just all of a sudden started talking while I was freaking out. Saying it was a huge relief is the understatement of the year.

So we went on the camping trip. My kids and I have to eat gluten-free, so going on a week long camping trip was expensive because we had to not only bring our own food, but make sure we had enough of everything because we can't just borrow from other people or share their stuff. That basically took what was left of our financial cushion.

So here I am, pretty much back in the same place I was this time last year. I just need to get my act together and start being frugal again. If I just do that I can get us back on track.

Looking forward to learning from everyone here again.

Nancy

**Sara Noel** · 08-17-2008, 04:54 PM

Welcome back. Happy to hear you're OK.

**G'MaDebbie** · 08-17-2008, 04:58 PM

Welcome back to FV!
You definately have been on one heck of a ride lately. Hit the brakes hard and take over the wheel! You can do it!
Good luck!

**Holly** · 08-17-2008, 05:01 PM

Welcome Back.
Glad your OK...

**frugalfriend** · 08-17-2008, 05:02 PM

Welcome back! Glad you're okay! Just jump right back on the frugal wagon ~ it's never too late!

**MLSMOM** · 08-17-2008, 05:27 PM

Welcome Back !!

**nvmommyx6** · 08-17-2008, 05:47 PM

Thank God your ok, and welcome back!
Mommy

**Suzi T.** · 08-17-2008, 05:55 PM

My goodness! You have had a really rough ride.....get back up on your horse and ride out to that frugal plain and feel the wind in your hair again!

**cissylu** · 08-17-2008, 06:07 PM

welcome back and glad your okay.

**IndianPrincess** · 08-17-2008, 06:07 PM

Wow! I agree~you have a rough ride...Hope things get better for you now!

Welcome Back!!

**Michelle68** · 08-17-2008, 06:54 PM

Nancy, welcome back. Glad you've weathered the storms and are doing okay.

--Michelle

**Darlene** · 08-17-2008, 07:53 PM

Glad you have your health and a positive, gonna make things better kinda attitude. :welcomeback:

**missmanny** · 08-17-2008, 08:33 PM

welcome back and I'm so sorry to hear about what you have been going through.

One step at a time, you have to heal as well, don't beat yourself up, just get back there and get into it again, it will be the best thing you ever did for your family.