I Deserve It

We have become an "I deserve it" generation. Whether we know it or not, in the last 70 years we have lost the concept of living within our means and instead have become slaves of debt. The norm for my generation includes a mortgage, student loans, car payment and a minimum of one or two credit cards. Buying something when you have the money for it is a thing of the past. The average household owes well over $15k and that doesn't include home mortgages. Before there were loans and credit cards people actually saved up for their homes, bought their cars with cash and didn't have EVERYTHING they wanted (new iPhone, latest Nike's etc.), but they still survived.  Ask yourself this; is it that the cost of everything is so high that we need a loan to afford the things that we need/want or is it that we feel that we are entitled to have the things we can't afford? 

Debt has become a norm in America, ask the US government.  It is a very hard culture to crack and I only see it getting worse unless everyone starts taking personal responsibility and living out of the norm.  I passed a billboard the other day that said "Get Engaged...for only $129 a month".  Really? It was an advertisement for engagement rings.  What a way to start a marriage.  The "I deserve it" equals "over-extended", its no wonder that America has such high cases of anxiety, depression, divorce etc, etc.  Stop and think about it, where would you be if you never took out a loan (yes a mortgage, car and student loans count) or never signed up for a credit card.  What wouldn't you have and would you be able to survive? For most of us that is a hard question because we can't remember back that far. Try this one, how much money have you paid in interest on these loans in the past five years and what better things could you have done with that money? 

Dave Ramsey of Financial Peace has some great advise on how to obtain a debt free lifestyle. As Craig Groeschel from LifeChurch puts it "say no for a little, so you can say yes forever".  It is truly a freeing experience when you are not a "slave to the lender".   

No Cable, No Problem

After saving money by switching to cloth diapers and canceling my trash service, I started to think of how else one can save money by questioning the American norm. Many things came to mind, but for starters I thought I would share something my husband and I changed not long before I started this challenge. The norm for us was cable tv.

We spent $80 a month on cable tv. We typically watched the news and a few shows. We also had +Netflix for an additional $7.99 a month. As much as I would like to get rid of our TV all together, my husband and I agreed to just get rid of our cable to keep the peace in the house.

We canceled cable, kept +Netflix and added +Hulu Plus for another $7.99 a month. At the time I was just out to save money, but it turned out to be a smarter decision. We will save over $800 a year, plus have access to more shows on our own time. The shows on +Hulu Plus are endless and updated daily. We also purchased an +Apple TV to make life easier. With the +Apple TV the movies available on +Netflix  are always updated. We both added an app to our phones to stay up to date with the news, but I believe you can also access news and sports on the +Apple TV as well.

Many Americans struggle to make ends meet, but cable still seems to be a staple. Consider changing your norm, there is a less expensive way that will give you the same if not more options. We did it and my family of four couldn't be happier. There is even a large variety of educational baby shows for Luna and many shows for my teenage step-daughter, Summer.

Go Green, Save Green

What is the point of trash pick up service if you don't have any trash? I pay $26 a month for a trash truck to take my waste out of site out of mind so I can maintain a clear conscience. After the past few weeks of learning to reduce waste by recycling and composting, I found that there really isn't anything left to throw away. So again, not only am I reducing my ecological footprint, but I'm going to save $312 a year in trash pick up by canceling my service (not to mention the cost saved in purchasing trash bags). Try it, you will be surprised.

Wasted

Let's dive right in...

I ran out of trash bags this morning. I was forced to watch what I wasted for a full 12 hours today. That doesn't seem like a long time, but you would be surprised how much stuff you actually throw away without a second thought.

In a typical week my family throws away almost a full 100 gallons of trash. For $26 I have my waste picked up once a week and taken out of site so I can carry on with a clear conscience. Keep in mind, my family consists of my husband, step daughter (half the week), 6 month old daughter and me. That's not exactly a huge family, but a huge amount of waste. I am ashamed. I live two miles from a land fill so the effects are somewhat visible.

I had an 'opportunity' to clean out a hoarders house last month and see the effects first hand. We threw away 30 years of trash equaling five construction size dumpsters from one small 1000 sq ft house. At first I was angry at the family and how much we were forced to dispose of. Then I realized, that is probably the typical amount of waste from an average American household for that time span just hidden by the innocent trash truck that tow it to Neverland. Wow, there is so much wrong with that mentality and that was my mentality.

So, in that 12 hours without a trash can I began to second guess the things that I was using. It sounds gross, but I stacked a pile of trash by my front door in a box. I was forced to make better decisions. Instead of paper towels I used rags. My moldy bread went to the birds. Cans, bottles and bags went in recycling. The rest of my meal went to the compost. Any papers went in the burn pile (I know, I know, but one problem at a time). By the end of the day I was left with only dirty diapers to dispose of. What would have been a half full trash can remains almost empty. I guess it's time to consider cloth diapers, yikes!

Finally, since I am not prepared to become 100% environmentally friendly I went to buy trash bags before dinner and I came across the brand "seventh generation" that uses 55% recycled plastic. It is said to "dramatically reduce toxic pollution." Out of the many options, this was the only trash bag geared towards slowing down our wasteful devastation, so I bought it. I haven't researched the brand yet, but I like what I have read.

What a small step in the opposite direction, but it is a beginning. If we remain complacent, my daughters generation is going to end up in a world like the movie Idiocracy. If you haven't seen it, it's worth the $1 at RedBox. I challenge you to question your norm and share your stories of waste and what you are willing to change to make this world a better place for generations to come.

The Beginning of a Journey

I am a new mother of a beautiful little girl named Luna Paisley.  As expected, since she came into this world six months ago, my life has changed drastically.  Not only is a typical day no longer a typical day, but I found myself constantly dissatisfied with normality in America.  Her well being is my responsibility.  That is a big job in itself, but given the state of our country it is even bigger than I imagined. 

This is not a democrat vs republican rant, I've had about enough of that.  In my opinion, the division of the parties has done more harm than good and we have been distracted from the true problems. It is more of an "I am tired of the direction that we have taken this country and I am going to stop being complacent and make a change."  I don't want my little girl to grow up blinded by the ways of society.  She deserves to be handed the truth in order to form her own decisions.  She shouldn't have to search for it.

Now, you may wonder the direction that this blog is going to go based on the above.  This is more of a journey to discover the truth behind the clutter created by society, greed and our complacency.  I plan to learn as I go and share what I uncover with you.  Do with it what you may.  I don't claim to have all the answers, but I feel that our freedom and right to pursue happiness has been compromised.  It seems that the pursuit of money and power within the country has become more important than the health and well being of 'its' people and 'its' people have voluntarily put on their blindfolds and followed the flock to the slaughterhouse to feed the greed.  It's a vicious cycle.   

So for her sake, mine and yours...I am questioning the norm.