As I don’t work in the wonderful world of Bakersfield, CA, I
would love to find a part time job where I can work during the kids nap time
and school hours. Tall order isn’t it? I don’t exactly have a ton of friends to
sell party items to, so those direct selling/MLM companies are out of the
question. I have my $0 income photography business, but with us being
almost $25,000 in debt, we’re barely staying afloat.
I’ve learned how to manage the household somehow. The kids
eat, are bathed, and clothed. The dishes washed, the floors mopped/vacuumed,
and the dog is given food. Just because we have this debt doesn’t exactly mean
we do nothing.
Bakersfield has a few great things to do around town for free.
My number one favorite free destination is the Beale Memorial Library on
Truxtun. Not only do they have internet/downloadable audiobooks I can load from
home, their children’s program is phenomenal. They have a large selection of books,
audiobooks, DVDs, and resources. Plus, if you can’t find the book you want, you
can order it through the San Joaquin Valley Library System. There are very few
books I have not been able to borrow through their system. They will even pull
books off their own shelves for you if you place a hold on it. You don’t know
how great that is when you have two young kids with you en route. The library’s
hours aren’t the best, but hey, its California- 300% broke and spending more.
Another favorite activities are the sprayparks. I can’t tell
you how much the kids use them. NOR just opened Polo Community Park half a mile
from us. As soon as the gates opened, we have been walking there 2-3 times per
week. Other than the spraypark, there’s numerous sports fields and 3 different
playground areas for the kids. One is for 2-5, the other 6-12, and 12+. The
only thing that the park is lacking is shade for the play areas.
Bakersfield’s museums also have free days. The third
Thursday of the month is the Buena Vista Natural History museum. If you have
kids, you must absolutely go downstairs. The entire downstairs is a learning
playground for all ages. It’s a little well-loved, so bring wipes or sanitizer
for when you’re done playing/learning.
The third Friday is free admission at the Art Museum. We
haven’t been there in awhile, but they have an area where kids can make a
postcard and a leaf rubbing. At least that’s what we got to make. It’s a little
small, but if you stop at each piece of art and ask the kids what’s going on in
the picture, it makes it worth the trip- and don’t forget about the Art Museum’s
garden off to the side. There’s a few neat sculptures in it and tons of shade!
Who doesn’t love a pretty shade area?
Barnes and Noble also has storytime, but I dread going there
with the kids. They see other kids screaming, wanting to pull books off the
shelf, and tear up new books. Great if you’re into that sort of thing. I think
I’ll stick to the library.
Neighbors. What kid doesn’t love other kids’ toys? Some
neighbors even have a pool or a slip in slide. You can’t beat what others have.
And it doesn’t cost anything.
As my family is in debt, we still have to live and manage
what we have. We, at least I am, are grateful for what we’ve been given and am exhausted
of all those advertisements and commercials for every materialistic thing. I’m
tired of my kids thinking if we need something, we can just buy it at the
store. We didn’t exactly shop ourselves in debt ($20,000 is the car; less than
$5,000 is medical/bills). So instead of trying to find a part time job (where I
would either never see my family or use ALL of my paycheck for daycare) I’ve
decided to manage the household in a completely different manner.
One kid is out of diapers and the other is having a hard
time remembering to use the potty. Only when he naps or goes to bed, he gets a
diaper. Other than that, he can wear underwear or go nude (some days are just
too hot to force clothes on kids).
Shopping for necessities. Yes, I would love to buy a thinner
bathroom rug, but the overly shaggy rug is doing just fine. I’ll just have to
look for bugs before I step on it and pray nothing is breeding in it.
I purchase $20 worth of vegetables each week at the farmer’s
market. We didn’t have a successful garden this year, so it made it hard to
actually get anything from the garden. The birds and worms got to our tomatoes,
the cucumbers produce a few too less, and the jalepenos who usually thrive in
this weather quit on us. I think it was just way too hot this year for the
veggies, hubby says it’s too many weeds. It was also poor planning on both our
parts. My goal is to work on the garden this year so I can harvest and live off
my garden next year. Little did I know, in zone 9, we can have a winter garden!
You don’t know how excited I am about that!
I buy milk, meat, luxury items, and gas at wholesale stores.
I have a membership to both Costco and Sam’s Club. I purchase the two pack milk
at Costco since Sam’s stopped carrying milk that way. I’ll buy gas at
whichever. I buy only necessities and few luxuries (artichokes, Mac n Cheeese)
at Sam’s since I know they carry the items I need year round. It seems like
things are hit and miss at Costco for me. I’ve also found that Costco carries
more foo-foo (gourmet/healthier) items at a slightly higher price.
Another new way of managing the household is the diet. Do we
really need 10 packages of packaged butter noodles? Ten boxes of Oreos?
Absolutely not. So I’ve decided that we are going to eat healthier. Yes, $20 at
the Farmer’s Market doesn’t seem like much, but skip the fruit and you can get
a week’s worth of veggies. Bargaining also helps-they aren’t set prices. We, at
least I, am trying to cut out sugar and carbs. No more fillers. Yes, the kids
love PB & Js for lunch. If I make the bread, then they can have them, but
no carbs for mommy and daddy. This means two vegetables and one meat at dinner.
Period. Still hungry? Eat a salad or if you have some, fruit. Fruit must be in
moderation. My daughter thinks Lucky
Charms and M&Ms are good for you,
but after telling her it’s chocked full of sugar, it really hurts her tummy and
her teeth.
Speaking of teeth, $1,000 of our debt is I had to have an
emergency crown put on one of my back molars. When he put that cap on, you don’t
know how bad I wanted to bite my dentist. That sucker hurt not only my mouth,
but our finances as well. Since then, I’ve brushed and flossed like there’s no
tomorrow. I really don’t want my kids going through that pain.
These may seem drastic, but to tell you the truth, how much
do you really need to buy? How much do you really need to eat? I know I don’t
exercise, so I need to adjust my intake. We live in a 1,800 square foot home.
How much clutter do we need in our life? If there’s a fire or earthquake, we
won’t be able to save anything from our house. Life is about what is within
yourself, not your house, fridge, or wallet.
Eventually we will get out of debt and someday hubby and I
will take our honeymoon. Even if it is eight years late, that’s okay. We have
each other and really, that’s all that matters. Yes I become anxious about the
finances, but like hubby has told me numerous times, there’s really nothing I
can do about them unless I get a job. I want the best for my family and my best
is to be there for them.
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