Mindy's Story
My husband left me 5 weeks before our second daughter was born. I look back now and still wonder how I managed to get through the next 6 months. After my second daughter was born my parents suggested that we move in with them until I could get on my feet. None of us knew that it would be three years before we moved out.
Having loving and generous grandparents made it easy for me to go back to work when Louise was 6 months old. I was very lucky because the real estate agent I had worked for took me back part time, two days a week and every second weekend. He even swapped the weekends to fit with the girls' visits to their father.
I had to have a car, I couldn't use my Dad's forever so I started saving madly. I cut out haircuts, all takeaway food, new clothes for me. I didn't buy any magazines or books, watched free to air TV or videos that friends lent me. Our entertainment was a trip to the local park with a picnic morning tea or lunch. For six months I only bought what was absolutely necessary: food, some medicine for the girls and petrol for Dad's car. I hated it at first, but as my little nest egg started to grow it became exciting. Dad came with me to buy the car. It was an old Commodore with bright red seats, but it was roadworthy and safe for the girls to travel in. Mum and Dad bought us booster seats for the girls as a gift.
We needed our own home. I started to look for a full-time job and found one, only a few minutes from home. Everything that wasn't necessary for staying alive and healthy went. I started riding my bike to work (thank goodness Dad still had it in the garage), cooking from scratch, shopping for clothes at the op-shop. I even learnt to sew and Mum gave me her sewing machine. Our holidays were spent at home, sightseeing in our own city. We used the library every week for reading materials, videos, concerts and story time for the girls.
I also started mowing lawns on the weekends the girls were with their father. I was able to do 6 jobs in a weekend and that meant that was another $150 in the bank. And I was never fitter or better looking.
At first it felt like I was depriving myself and my daughters. I never bought food or drinks when we were out, I took our snacks and drinks with us. I avoided food courts and the famous golden arches.
Then I changed the way I was thinking. Every $1 I didn't spend on two ice-cream cones was $1 more towards our own home. Every $5 I didn't spend on lunch at work I was that much closer to our own home. I asked for money for birthdays and Christmas and added it to our savings. I also sold the girls clothes and toys once they outgrew them and added the money to our savings. I hunted out frugal meals and managed to slash our grocery bill to $60 a week (we ate a lot of vegetarian meals), I grew veggies in pots. I talked Mum and Dad into swapping to fluorescent lightbulbs. I changed my mobile phone to a pre-paid and a single $30 recharge lasted me 12 months! I'm still using the phone. It still does the job, no reason to get a new one. Presents were handmade, birthday parties were at home with pizza and popcorn and home-made lemonade.
To cut a long (three years) story short, I saved and saved and saved. I read everything I could on stretching dollars (thanks Cheapskates for the free newsletters each week).
Now we have a home of our own. It's a cute, two bedroom townhouse with a nice, neat little yard. It's close to the girls' school and my job. It's also close to my parents because they pick the girls up after school and take them to their band practice, choir practice and swimming lessons.
I'm working on getting the mortgage under control now. I still save the change in my purse, drink my coffee at home, take my lunch to work and make our presents for family and friends. And the girls still have their birthday parties at home with pizza and popcorn.
Any extra money we get goes on the mortgage. My tax return, the family allowance, gifts of money and my lawn-mowing (I still do it, I still need the exercise).
I shop with a list and a set budget. And I'm really strict with myself to not go over budget. If something I want has gone up, I look for cheaper alternatives.
I hope this doesn't make me sound mean, we have lots of fun and plenty to eat, lots of lovely clothes and shoes and heaps and heaps of extra activities. We just do the things that are important to us and don't do the things that aren't just because others do.
Mindy L., Sydney, March 2007
Having loving and generous grandparents made it easy for me to go back to work when Louise was 6 months old. I was very lucky because the real estate agent I had worked for took me back part time, two days a week and every second weekend. He even swapped the weekends to fit with the girls' visits to their father.
I had to have a car, I couldn't use my Dad's forever so I started saving madly. I cut out haircuts, all takeaway food, new clothes for me. I didn't buy any magazines or books, watched free to air TV or videos that friends lent me. Our entertainment was a trip to the local park with a picnic morning tea or lunch. For six months I only bought what was absolutely necessary: food, some medicine for the girls and petrol for Dad's car. I hated it at first, but as my little nest egg started to grow it became exciting. Dad came with me to buy the car. It was an old Commodore with bright red seats, but it was roadworthy and safe for the girls to travel in. Mum and Dad bought us booster seats for the girls as a gift.
We needed our own home. I started to look for a full-time job and found one, only a few minutes from home. Everything that wasn't necessary for staying alive and healthy went. I started riding my bike to work (thank goodness Dad still had it in the garage), cooking from scratch, shopping for clothes at the op-shop. I even learnt to sew and Mum gave me her sewing machine. Our holidays were spent at home, sightseeing in our own city. We used the library every week for reading materials, videos, concerts and story time for the girls.
I also started mowing lawns on the weekends the girls were with their father. I was able to do 6 jobs in a weekend and that meant that was another $150 in the bank. And I was never fitter or better looking.
At first it felt like I was depriving myself and my daughters. I never bought food or drinks when we were out, I took our snacks and drinks with us. I avoided food courts and the famous golden arches.
Then I changed the way I was thinking. Every $1 I didn't spend on two ice-cream cones was $1 more towards our own home. Every $5 I didn't spend on lunch at work I was that much closer to our own home. I asked for money for birthdays and Christmas and added it to our savings. I also sold the girls clothes and toys once they outgrew them and added the money to our savings. I hunted out frugal meals and managed to slash our grocery bill to $60 a week (we ate a lot of vegetarian meals), I grew veggies in pots. I talked Mum and Dad into swapping to fluorescent lightbulbs. I changed my mobile phone to a pre-paid and a single $30 recharge lasted me 12 months! I'm still using the phone. It still does the job, no reason to get a new one. Presents were handmade, birthday parties were at home with pizza and popcorn and home-made lemonade.
To cut a long (three years) story short, I saved and saved and saved. I read everything I could on stretching dollars (thanks Cheapskates for the free newsletters each week).
Now we have a home of our own. It's a cute, two bedroom townhouse with a nice, neat little yard. It's close to the girls' school and my job. It's also close to my parents because they pick the girls up after school and take them to their band practice, choir practice and swimming lessons.
I'm working on getting the mortgage under control now. I still save the change in my purse, drink my coffee at home, take my lunch to work and make our presents for family and friends. And the girls still have their birthday parties at home with pizza and popcorn.
Any extra money we get goes on the mortgage. My tax return, the family allowance, gifts of money and my lawn-mowing (I still do it, I still need the exercise).
I shop with a list and a set budget. And I'm really strict with myself to not go over budget. If something I want has gone up, I look for cheaper alternatives.
I hope this doesn't make me sound mean, we have lots of fun and plenty to eat, lots of lovely clothes and shoes and heaps and heaps of extra activities. We just do the things that are important to us and don't do the things that aren't just because others do.
Mindy L., Sydney, March 2007