Saturday, August 6, 2011

Doing Without

I met a nice mom at the park today. She said that she's been substitute teaching twice a week for the past few years so that she could stay home with her kids. She went on to say that she has an interview for a full time teaching position and is excited because she's tired of making financial sacrifices in order to stay home. The example of sacrifice she used was that all of their vehicles are paid off, but they want something nicer.

This conversation got me thinking about what we sacrifice so that I can stay home.

Our only vehicle is an 11 year old van. We paid cash in order to avoid monthly payments. All newer vehicles were out of our price range.

Our kids share rooms. We have three bedrooms and will have four kids.

We are treated to dining out once a week and rarely eat out otherwise.

We don't take expensive vacations.

I could keep going, but I think you get the idea. We live frugally and really do our best to live within our means. I do not, however, feel like we are missing something. I am perfectly content with my older van, I like having the kids share rooms and I like knowing that we are eating food that was prepared by my hands.

According to dictionary.com:

sac·ri·fice

  [sak-ruh-fahys]  Show IPA noun, verb, -ficed, -fic·ing.
noun
1.
the offering of animal, plant, or human life or of somematerial possession to a deity, as in propitiation or homage.
2.
the person, animal, or thing so offered.
3.
the surrender or destruction of something prized ordesirable for the sake of something considered as having ahigher or more pressing claim.
4.
the thing so surrendered or devoted.
5.
a loss incurred in selling something below its value.

It seems to me that if you are well fed, can clothe all of your children, have a solid roof over your head and have a vehicle that runs well, you're not really sacrificing much in order to stay home. Are you sacrificing a bigger house? More stuff? And what is more valuable than raising your children?

2 comments:

drea :: dre of white stables said...

YES! you're right on.

~S. said...

Agree agree AGREE!!! I'd sacrifice ALOT more of our American luxury if I had to stay home with my children! Aside from those last things you mentioned, the rest is luxury!! It's all worth it and frankly I don't see it as sacrifice either! What else would be more worth my time than my family??! Nothing!!! Good post!