Our Little Red House: All About Us

The Beggining

Our Little Red House

The Beggining

The idea of living within our means is not a new one, but it seems that many people do not grasp this concept. I was one of these people! I grew up to be an over indulged, spoiled rotten young adult. If I wanted it I got it, end of story.
My parents were not wealthy, in fact as a small child I remember alot of hardships for my parents. The funny thing is some of my greatest memories are from this time in my life; was simple. My sister and brothers and I would play for hours outside making forts out of scrap lumber, playing on the slippery slide my parents made out of plastic sheet, dish soap and a water hose. We did not have much, but we were happy. We wore hand me downs from the neighbors, that my mom would refit for us, or better yet make something new out of (she was a great seamstress back in the day). We ate potatoes at every meal, I thought it was because dad liked them, not because they were inexpensive. My mother put up vegetables and fruits for winter use, ohhhhh the sweet memories!
Life started to change as I got older. I was the youngest, so as my parents became more established and made more money, our lives started changing. My mother was working during the day and would be too tired to make homemade meals as often, we started eating out, and having frozen dinners. She quit sewing our cloths. Canning became obsolete. It put this notion in my head that my parents did these things because we were poor and that was the only way they could sustain there family of 7. By the time I hit my teens, I had become a snob, no way would I wear someone else's cloths nor would I dream of having my mother or grandmother make them. Style was in the label, and if it was not Esprit, Gap or one of the other trends of the 80's I was not going to wear it! That of course followed me into my adult life, Champagne taste on a beer budget as my mom would tell me. I found that by the time I was in my 30's married and raising children that I could not afford to live a lifestyle of the rich and famous. What I wanted and what I could afford to pay for were two very different things.
After my divorce, and meeting the wonderful man that I call husband today, my attitude and view of life changed. He introduced me to a life I had forgotten, a simpler way. Not because he didn't have the money, he did, but because he was a minimalist (at first I called it cheap). He did not believe in waste, that the simpler life was, the more enjoyable it would be. Now at 42, Chris and I have made Simplicity and Sustainability an everyday word in our home. We do buy things, we do eat out, but the main part of our lifestyle has become more focused on what we need to be happy and comfy in our affordable home. We do not feel it necessary to compete with the Jones as the adage goes. I have found pride in knowing the food we eat is made by me, that our cakes don't come from Betty Crocker. Crackers taste better when they're homemade. If we need a good pair of wool socks, I can knit them. There is something special about giving gifts that I have made, either sewn, knitted or baked. Life is truly better when you keep things SIMPLE.