In the past year our family has had to make some drastic cuts. Cuts like I never imagined. I proudly went from working full-time to being a stay at home mom. We both agreed that it was very important to us for me to stay at home with Pickle. We didn't want to drop her off at daycare for 10+hours a day. Thankfully, we were in a position to live our dream and have me stay at home with our kids. Trust me, I feel very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to stay at home. I know there are a lot of mom's who would rather be at home with their kids but don't have the means to quit their jobs. I truly feel bad for them. I also know some mom's would rather work full time and I don't judge that either. It's a personal choice. Staying at home isn't for everyone and there will be a day when I look forward to going back to work full time. For me personally, I feel like babies and children grow up so fast. I feel like this is my opportunity to enjoy every second. Next thing I know, I'm going to wake up and my kids will be leaving home. This time in their lives is irreplaceable and I will never get this time back.
We have learned to make daily sacrifices in order for me to stay at home. I constantly turn off lights, keep the heat low, wash clothes on cold, hang dry some items, clip coupons, eat ramen noodles more then once a week, use daytime diapers that cost .14 cents and conserve the .29 cent diapers for night use when you need more absorbency, we sadly left our pimp daddy gym and joined the YMCA, and we are still living happily! I call it going GREEN. I used to take pride in not wearing the same outfit twice in one month, and staying up to date in the latest trends. If In style magazine said I needed to let go of my hobo bag and replace it with a clutch I would in a second! I had the financial means to look good and stay up to date; that was my mission! The tables have now turned. My idea of looking good is by grabbing my dress velour sweats, throwing on some shiny lip gloss and maybe wearing my hair down. I have discovered a new means of shopping. A way to get my shopping fix and staying within our household budget. Going GREEN, it's such a high. It's called shopping on Craig's List, garage sales and thrift stores. Can I say, OH MY GOD! It's the best high in the world. Deals like you couldn't imagine. 2nd hand designer clothing for Pickle for 10% of the cost. GAP clothing for 1.49-2.99 and on some days 50% off the ticket price. Now that is an extra good day! Practically brand new baby items for a fraction of the cost. 2nd hand toys that can be bleached down and are like brand new. I feel a different sense of pride by providing for my daughter differently. It feels good to reuse, buy 2nd hand, and most importantly get a bargain! And when people compliment Pickle's wardrobe I take pride in saying, thank you, I got it at the ARC.
