The Cost of Keeping Up With The Joneses

These are channels I’m following, on top of others who have been in this process for the last few years, because I love to see people succeeding in life after God giving people the proverbial two by four across the head (as my husband would put it).

I was starting to get like this when Decker and I were first married, but God took Decker home unexpectedly and I retreated back into a hole.  I was tremendously blessed, though, as Decker had life insurance and that got me through eight years of life until the crash took the last of the money.  By that time, I was working in public education and five years later moving to a job at the district office as I could no longer afford food on what I was making.

Keep in mind, I didn’t have a smart phone (I still don’t), I didn’t have cable tv (only cable internet) and refused to sell my home to get a bigger and better one when times were good because I have plenty where I’m at and it’s paid for.

Is life perfect for me?  No.  I am, however, blessed.  I am so thankful that God and my husband watched over me for so many years and provided the advice needed for a very frightened widow.

I have one debt; the credit card used for the medical stuff from last year.  That is priority one.

Much of this, though, also involves doing things in a healthy way other than complete deprivation.  When last year was over, I was left with a significant debt but also a nice chunk of money built up from the 52 week savings challenge.

The question I had was, okay, do I keep it all in savings or put all of it towards debt?

God had a better plan.  Put 1/2 of the money onto my HSA card to cover a chunk of medical expenses for 2020 and the other 1/2 into my medical sinking fund.

Since following that prompting, I have felt complete peace.

On top of that, I’m still paying 1/2 of each paycheck towards the credit card, plus re-starting the 52 week savings plan, plus adding money towards the pets as they all need to have checkups this year.

Then, because I wasn’t living on every dime I make, I noticed a deposit this past week to my checking account that I wasn’t expecting.  It was the monthly distribution from my Mother’s IRA that she left to me as sole beneficiary.  The money is also considered to be sacred, and I placed it in the pet sinking fund to assist me in taking care of her cats along with my own cats.

God has been very good to me.