What is this "budget" thing of which you speak?
Money is one of those weird topics to bring up publicly (hello, world wide web!) but it must be mentioned as the biggest lifestyle change we have encountered. The job I left was very well-paying, even by East Coast standards, certainly by Mid-West standards. In fact, the paycheck was my main motivation for staying in that job as long as I did. My firm decision to leave that job proved to me (in a way that actions speak louder than words, or thoughts) that money is not the most important thing to me.
That said, we spent months and months preparing for me to lose probably the biggest paycheck I will ever have. We paid off one of the cars. We saved for grad school. We got lots of work done around the house (like renovating the library window and ceiling beam, putting in a new water heater and air humidifier, hiring lawn services, amping up the maintenance on both vehicles, all that boring adult stuff). We completely planned and saved for Croatia and hopefully for a good start on next year's vacation. This planning was crucial not only financially, but mentally. All the planning gradually got our minds used to the thought of what life would be like minus that paycheck, and it helped ease us into it.
And then we pulled the plug. While I don't make as much these days, I also don't flagrantly spend as much. And mostly, I don't miss it. I used to eat out for a lot of lunches and dinners. I used to buy clothes without giving it much thought, and many times those clothes just hung in the closet, unseen, unworn. (Let's not even talk about trips to Starbucks.) These days, I am much more aware of how much money I have and where it goes and what I really need and don't need. I absolutely don't mind eating most meals at home (or, let's be honest, eating packed meals in the car between tutoring sessions) if that means we can get away and explore a few weekends each semester. I don't need new clothes. I need to lose weight so I will fit into the majority of clothes I have.
Would I like more money? Sure. But I have learned what "enough" means, and that is a valuable lesson.
Education is where I belong.
While I believe that God has a will for each of us, and that His will involves our daily jobs, I have never been sure exactly what to expect in my own life. I started my career in education and after a few years, I was determined to see what else was out there. Instead of working with students to prepare them for the future, I wanted to see what my future was. So I branched wayyyy out and while I had some important experiences and made some great money, I can say that all of my jobs apart from education were hollow and deeply unsatisfying.
For me, at least, I have learned that there really is something to be said for "fitting" into my environment. Education, in its many forms (tutoring, teaching, helping, listening, coaching, watching) is something I am good at. Passionate about. Excited for. And lots more fragment sentences that end with prepositions. (AND YOU'RE AN ENGLISH MAJOR?? SHAME ON YOU! Yes, yes, I know. It's my blog. I can use all the bad grammar I want.)
I have learned, through trial and error, and through sacrifices of late, that education really is where I belong. I am a piece that fits into the puzzle! And that has been so very rewarding!
Stay tuned for Part 2, peeps! And in the meantime:
re: this budget thing...I sometimes wonder how people who can afford to eat out often can discipline themselves to cook at home, maybe they don't! I would have a hard time turning it down if it were a more regular option!!!
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