Hi! My name is Cat. I’m a 30 something wife, mother to 2 fur babies and newspaper columnist for a small North Dakota news paper, freelance writer, and a resident of Columbus, Ohio.
Being frugal isn’t a new concept to me, but it is a new reality. Growing up, money was tight for my parents. My mom cooked nearly all our meals at home, so having even a fast food meal was a huge treat. I had everything I needed, but maybe not everything I wanted. Does ANY kid have everything they wanted? My parents divorced when I was 16, leaving me and my mom living in our old trailer. She was working full time but her wages were low, and money was tight. She gave me every advantage she could, often doing without herself, but those were some lean times.
After high school, I was in college for a period and living in the dorm. Then I lived with Hubs parents. I was technically an adult, but I wasn’t living in the real world. When I was 20, Hubs and I got married, and moved 3 hours north to Columbus. It was the first time either of us had ever really been on our own, and we lived it up. And up and up, on credit.
By the time I made it to my mid-20s, things had gotten so out of control that even credit counselors told us to just file bankruptcy. That was one of the most humiliating, shameful things I’ve done in my life. Once it was over, we avoided credit like the plague. We swore we’d NEVER find ourselves in that position again, and we haven’t.
We did eventually realize, however, that rebuilding some credit was necessary. Our last car loan convinced us of that. We got a few cards, most of which have a zero balance. We had a bit too much fun this past summer with a couple of them, but thankfully we stopped that very quickly and have not amassed a pile of debt again.
That brings us to today. We haven’t mastered the art of being frugal yet, but we’re trying. It’s not an easy thing, to go from spending money so easily to thinking about every purchase carefully. We have a budget that we’re following, which allows for building some savings and lowering the credit card balances.
This blog is chronicle of the ups and downs of being frugal. I’ll be posting the big wins, and the big losses. Also, I’m a fan of crafting, and am trying to do that frugally as well.
And that’s me, in one rambly post! And now, for a couple more photos!
Hubs and I, Christmas season 2015
Beto, helping us color
Ginger in her sweater
Please feel free to contact me with any comments, questions or suggestions!
Frugal Living and Crafting 