Blissfully Frugal Entry: Living Like No One Else

Sarah is the happy mama of three little guys and one tiny lady and the oh-so-in-love wife of the one and only, Mr. Ordinary. They all live the tiny Ordinary House, which has been on the market for almost four years. She stays busy with homeschooling her two oldest fellas, cursing the housing market and trying to keep up with dishes, fight crime and be a hot mama (or something like that.)
Sarah also chooses to share vacation pictures with you that are a couple of years old, when she was 10 pounds lighter and her skin wasn’t as pasty white as it is right now. Sarah like to take life one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack at once. You can read all about her at her blog, Ordinary Days. This guest post was originally published on her own blog as her entry in our Blissfully Frugal contest. Be sure to read all the entries and vote for your favorite.

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Our crib mattress has seen the dreams of three little boys so far, and in a few months it will see the dreams of a sweet little girl. And our crib? My sister gave it to us and it’s first occupant is wrapping up her first semester of college.

My living room is adorned with two falling apart wicker chairs, a piano bench turned coffee table found on the curb one trash day, and a hand-me-down table from my aunt and uncle.* We used to have a rug but the dog did that in.

Today my 3rd child is wearing a shirt previously worn by his two older brothers… after being bought at a second-hand store. (It’s a cute one though.)

We eat meals made by me way way way more often than not. There are no such things as quick runs to the drive through when the day has been long or I just don’t feel like cooking.

No, we are not poor. No, we are not tightwads. We are simply doing what many people don’t think of doing. We are living within our means.

We make do with things that don’t need replacing just yet. We remind ourselves of the definition of patience daily, sometimes many times a day. We learn to do without, and often times it isn’t that hard after the first hour or so.

Why?

Because we’re setting ourselves up for success. We paid off all our debt (except our mortgage) a few months ago and now we plan for things in order to have what we want without owing anyone else for it.

You may be asking yourself: How can you say you have what you want when your living room is nearly naked?

Well, not only did we have to change the way we spent our money. We also had to change our definition of the word ‘want’.

What is it important to have in our home/lives/hands?

A rug? New furniture? New clothes? Less planning and more splurging?

Yes, but that can all wait.

In the words of Dave Ramsey, we are living like no one else so some day we can live like no one else.
Yes, it’s awkward to turn down invitations for shopping or for a meal out. But it’s working for us right now. And this is why.

Living this way has enabled my husband to buy me a really nice Christmas present in cash. We also bought everyone else’s gifts in cash and don’t have to worry about paying for them later.

Living this way has made car payments a thing of the past.

Living this way has guaranteed that each summer we can spend a carefree week romping on the beach in Florida while ordering whatever we want off menus in quirky little beachfront restaurants and picking up goofy souvenirs at the kitschy little shops along the way.

Living this way means Mr. Ordinary and I can spend our weekly date nights checking out unique restaurants around town and occasionally take our parents to the good ones we find.

Living this way means we can let our boys enjoy a plethora of fun classes that interest them.

Living this way also means we have been blessed with the discovery of how wonderful the little things really can be. Hikes in state parks, afternoons spent riding bikes and visiting with family, movie nights at home curled up under blankets, having dinner together around our too small for us dining room table every night.
These are the things that are important to us. These are the things we make sure we don’t do without.
These are the ordinary things that make our ordinary days so special to us.

What is important to you?

*I feel compelled to mention we do have a nice couch and love seat set in our carpeted family room . We’re not sitting on the bare floor around here.