Four Years on, Life is Better than Ever
Dear Cath,
I have been contemplating writing to you for some time, but today I am finally taking the plunge as I am in the midst of a bout of Cheapskates Euphoria. Let me explain...
Four years ago, a week after signing on the dotted line to buy an investment property, my then fiance and I discovered we were pregnant with our first child. Although this was exciting news, as we were under the impression we weren't able to conceive naturally, we went into a financial panic. I had a great job with a six-figure salary and we had savings but we quickly decided that we wanted one of us to stay at home with our daughter. We calculated that we could manage on my husband's income for about 23 months at the rate we would be eating into our savings if we didn't change something. It was at that point I discovered Cheapskates.
Now four years later, I have just knocked back a part time job offer because the amount we would receive after deducting the costs of childcare and a new work wardrobe etc. would be equivalent to 5.5 hours of overtime for my husband. It's just not worth it and... wait for it... we don't need the money!!
In the space of those four years I have become a stay-at-home mum, we've had a second child, we've maintained our investment property, and we've bought our own house and are in the process of renovating it. My kids want for nothing, we eat brilliantly, we spend wonderful time together as a family and we have escaped the Melbourne rat race for the peace and quiet of Geelong. My husband's job is to make the money and my job is to not spend it and we are both feeling rather successful at the moment.
As I sit here looking out on the deck my husband built, with the leftovers of Sunday's roast simmering away in the stock pot, my meat mark-downs from the local mini-supermarket (my latest find) waiting to be put into the freezer and a fridge full of nutritious food, I realise how lucky we are and how much we have to thank you for, Cath. If it weren't for your wonderful Club, I would be dragging two kids up in inner-city childcare centres, stressed to the max in the job I never really liked and wondering if that was all there really is to life.
I could list the hundreds of changes we've made to our lives over the past four years but nothing would be new to you. I never get sick of reading your emails or exploring the website. And I never get sick of that feeling of knowing I've saved some more money. I'm sure you can imagine how I felt when I found 3kg of ricotta cheese for $5 and the excitement trying to make a variety of meals from it as quickly as possible. It's these small wins that make me smile these days.... and seeing my kids faces light up when they hear we're having cheesecake for dessert!!
Thank you again,
Deb McG.
I have been contemplating writing to you for some time, but today I am finally taking the plunge as I am in the midst of a bout of Cheapskates Euphoria. Let me explain...
Four years ago, a week after signing on the dotted line to buy an investment property, my then fiance and I discovered we were pregnant with our first child. Although this was exciting news, as we were under the impression we weren't able to conceive naturally, we went into a financial panic. I had a great job with a six-figure salary and we had savings but we quickly decided that we wanted one of us to stay at home with our daughter. We calculated that we could manage on my husband's income for about 23 months at the rate we would be eating into our savings if we didn't change something. It was at that point I discovered Cheapskates.
Now four years later, I have just knocked back a part time job offer because the amount we would receive after deducting the costs of childcare and a new work wardrobe etc. would be equivalent to 5.5 hours of overtime for my husband. It's just not worth it and... wait for it... we don't need the money!!
In the space of those four years I have become a stay-at-home mum, we've had a second child, we've maintained our investment property, and we've bought our own house and are in the process of renovating it. My kids want for nothing, we eat brilliantly, we spend wonderful time together as a family and we have escaped the Melbourne rat race for the peace and quiet of Geelong. My husband's job is to make the money and my job is to not spend it and we are both feeling rather successful at the moment.
As I sit here looking out on the deck my husband built, with the leftovers of Sunday's roast simmering away in the stock pot, my meat mark-downs from the local mini-supermarket (my latest find) waiting to be put into the freezer and a fridge full of nutritious food, I realise how lucky we are and how much we have to thank you for, Cath. If it weren't for your wonderful Club, I would be dragging two kids up in inner-city childcare centres, stressed to the max in the job I never really liked and wondering if that was all there really is to life.
I could list the hundreds of changes we've made to our lives over the past four years but nothing would be new to you. I never get sick of reading your emails or exploring the website. And I never get sick of that feeling of knowing I've saved some more money. I'm sure you can imagine how I felt when I found 3kg of ricotta cheese for $5 and the excitement trying to make a variety of meals from it as quickly as possible. It's these small wins that make me smile these days.... and seeing my kids faces light up when they hear we're having cheesecake for dessert!!
Thank you again,
Deb McG.