I’m sorry to make this a rant/sob story of the likes of Beautiful’s today, but we’re a team, and we are in this together. What affects one of us, no matter how opposite the other is in demeanor, time wears the other either up or down until we have a celebration day or a pity party with both of us immovable until even Fatboy breaks down and cries.
When we got married, we did our budget within the first month and were not able to make the numbers match up, but we somehow made it work. We out-earned our expenses. What got us ahead were career advancements and career moves with advancements. Our expenses stayed the same until 2 major life events in the last 2 years of our almost 4 years of marriage:
- Buying our townhome
- Fatboy going self-employed
There’s some good, bad, and ugly in those two events that look like this. This is where any but of sob story ends and it’s pure facts.
The townhome
We bought at what we thought was the low point in the market. However, being our first house, if we had it all over to do again, we would have looked out for warning signs that HAD to be there that we didn’t know how to look for. About 6 months after we moved in, the last buildings they had started were done and the builders converted the model to a home and packed up and moved. The unused lots go unmowed for 6 months at a time and home values are supposedly crashing, though we haven’t had out beautiful pond view unit appraised. The units across the street were under shortsale for 3/5 the price we paid, though they have a view of palmetto bushes past a barbed wire fence. The builder (Tousa) is in bankruptcy hearings now, so who knows when a reputable builder will buy up the other lots and resume building. As a result of foreclosures and an unfinished development, the HOA is dying and it’s beginning to look a little bit like ghetto. It’s sad to leave and come home through the disarray. We realize we have a tremendous asset when the market turns, but the mortgage went up nearly a fifth and we have to get a new homeowner’s insurance that is 1/3 more expensive than before because the other (Homewise) is unable to payout if something happens.
My self-employment
This is totally not an option to change at this point. We’ve realized that this is the only way I can nearly guarantee control over increasing my income with a good plan in place and the only way I can ensure being 100% compliant with my treatments and doctors’ visits. The problem is my individual health insurance policy is nearly 3x more than with the company and it is almost guaranteed to go up by 20% per year.
Our options as we see it
For now, all we can think of is cutting our telecom to the bare minimum – and I mean minimum, like using Skype as our home phone. Our one great asset and decision is the Kia that we actually have equity in seems like a bad idea to sell and get a hoopdie that may turn into a money pit for a mere 2 months of cushion (well one month after purchasing the hoopdie).
That leaves part-time job(s) or coming up with a killer gameplan for multiple streams of income or one killer product/service that blesses us beyond our dreams – and I dream big. It’s just that every time I have a gangbuster month, the next month sucks and it’s just barely what we need to get by as an average… until these stupid unexpected, new, confusing, and expensive barrels of crap fall from the sky into our lives.
Beautiful has a medical test on Friday and our awareness bands arrive on Friday, too. If you’re of the praying type, please, please pray that her test isn’t expensive and our awareness bands campaign is a success, both for us and for CF research. 25% of profits for either the bands or straight donations will go to the CF Foundation. I plan on opening the store sometime late Thursday for a few hours of pre-ordering before the bands arrive via FedEx.
I leave you with my life verse since high school, 13 years ago. I often lose sight of it, but I’m always brought back to it because it is written in my heart.
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28 (NASB)
I'm sorry to hear about all that's going on. Finances are almost always a source of stress especially when you have something like CF. I am really hoping and praying that things get better. Perhaps you'll start making a lot of money soon with your website. You've only been doing this blog since March and you're doing fabulous! I also think you will have tremendous success with the bracelets. A lot of CFers are getting into the whole t-shirt/bracelet thing and having tremendous success. I'm keeping my fingers crossed about Beautiful's test on Friday. Hopefully it won't be expensive. Wishing the best to you guys and keeping you in my thoughts and prayers…
Thanks, Stina! I'm glad your surgery and packing stuff is going well now. I've got other ideas for the store to build up very very soon now that the structure is in place and undergoing final testing.
Jesse,
I'm so sorry to hear the news about your townhouse neighborhood. I'll pray that things turn around quickly for you guys. You're such a savvy Web guru… if I hear of anyone needing help I'll suggest you. Your life verse is one of my top 5 favorites!! As an older cyster, I say hang in there because I have seen it come true over and over.
Thanks! Yeah, I've seen it come true, too, but it's always so far after the pain and suffering. I always want to skip to the next chapter in my book to see what is written. Not the last chapter – just the next chapter to tell me it's going to get better and when. I can usually see how almost every “terrible” thing that has happened in my/our life/lives has improved our situation down the road. That's where Beautiful's verse comes in on http://www.kristinology.com last night.
Hey Jesse,
I know how that feels. Obviously not with CF, but with the whole financial terror of ever escalating insurance and other expenses, and even our homeowner’s insurance company just dumping us. You & Kristin both have great verses – two of my favorites. Here’s another one for your collection, 2 Chronicles 16:9 – “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” In fact that little passage from verse 7 through verse 10 was a great lesson for me.
Hey Jesse,
I know how that feels. Obviously not with CF, but with the whole financial terror of ever escalating insurance and other expenses, and even our homeowner's insurance company just dumping us. You & Kristin both have great verses – two of my favorites. Here's another one for your collection, 2 Chronicles 16:9 – “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” In fact that little passage from verse 7 through verse 10 was a great lesson for me.