Comments on: How low can we go? http://magicandmayhem.homeschooljournal.net/2008/09/30/how-low-can-we-go/ A peek into our wacky homeschool life Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:37:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.4 By: Alicia http://magicandmayhem.homeschooljournal.net/2008/09/30/how-low-can-we-go/#comment-351 Alicia Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:54:23 +0000 http://magicandmayhem.homeschooljournal.net/2008/09/30/how-low-can-we-go/#comment-351 LOL Lonni, I didn't even hear that! I'm sure Daryl thought it was funny. :) Congrats to your hubby for the new, more rewarding job. I think you're absolutely right about money after what we truly need not necessarily making life any better or helping us feel any happier. Sounds like an awful lot of us are going to be keeping the heat off/down this winter! LOL Lonni, I didn’t even hear that! I’m sure Daryl thought it was funny. :) Congrats to your hubby for the new, more rewarding job. I think you’re absolutely right about money after what we truly need not necessarily making life any better or helping us feel any happier.

Sounds like an awful lot of us are going to be keeping the heat off/down this winter!

]]> By: Lonni http://magicandmayhem.homeschooljournal.net/2008/09/30/how-low-can-we-go/#comment-349 Lonni Fri, 03 Oct 2008 20:29:32 +0000 http://magicandmayhem.homeschooljournal.net/2008/09/30/how-low-can-we-go/#comment-349 We're doing this too, even though it makes it hard to get going in the morning! Brr! I told hubby awhile ago it would be much cheaper to invest in a pile of wool socks and long johns for everyone here and leave the heat turned down lower than our usual comfortable setting. I second your motion -- housecleaning is a great way to get warmed up and I've been motivated to clean JUST for that reason a few times. So I guess it's good that it's always getting so messy around here?? We too live cheap but are happy anyway. :o) A choice was made early last year to walk away from a job hubby hated and take a much "nicer" job that cut our income by about half (he had recently gone on commission and was finally making the good money he'd longed for when this other job came up). I knew his quality of life would improve so I pressed him to jump ship while he had the chance and it was the best thing he could have done for himself. The rest of us weren't hurt by having less freedom to spend and we don't feel deprived. Inexpensive stuff like garage sales and home cooking and little things like just sitting around a campfire together can do wonders for creating a feeling of abundance. I've always said, if I had to choose, I'd much rather be poor and happy than rich and miserable. Thinking of people I know...it's plain to see that "rich" or "poor" is mostly a state of mind (not talking about the truly poor people struggling to survive). Seems like nobody ever has enough, so aren't we all essentially in the same boat, if we hang onto that thinking? I read an article recently about how once you get above having enough $ to cover basic needs, happiness level does not increase proportionately right alongside of income level and in some (many?) cases happiness actually went lower (stress, anxiety, depression). I like knowing that...that it's not worth chasing that rainbow...that we're good just the way we are. It all boils down to knowing what really matters....that things are just things...and that you can't buy happiness, you have to make it. :o) If the inspiration for this post came from me kidding Daryl about being so poor that the baby had to sleep on newspaper (at the park that day), I was totally just being silly. I don't see you as poor. Far from it! We’re doing this too, even though it makes it hard to get going in the morning! Brr! I told hubby awhile ago it would be much cheaper to invest in a pile of wool socks and long johns for everyone here and leave the heat turned down lower than our usual comfortable setting. I second your motion — housecleaning is a great way to get warmed up and I’ve been motivated to clean JUST for that reason a few times. So I guess it’s good that it’s always getting so messy around here??
We too live cheap but are happy anyway. :o) A choice was made early last year to walk away from a job hubby hated and take a much “nicer” job that cut our income by about half (he had recently gone on commission and was finally making the good money he’d longed for when this other job came up). I knew his quality of life would improve so I pressed him to jump ship while he had the chance and it was the best thing he could have done for himself. The rest of us weren’t hurt by having less freedom to spend and we don’t feel deprived. Inexpensive stuff like garage sales and home cooking and little things like just sitting around a campfire together can do wonders for creating a feeling of abundance. I’ve always said, if I had to choose, I’d much rather be poor and happy than rich and miserable. Thinking of people I know…it’s plain to see that “rich” or “poor” is mostly a state of mind (not talking about the truly poor people struggling to survive). Seems like nobody ever has enough, so aren’t we all essentially in the same boat, if we hang onto that thinking? I read an article recently about how once you get above having enough $ to cover basic needs, happiness level does not increase proportionately right alongside of income level and in some (many?) cases happiness actually went lower (stress, anxiety, depression). I like knowing that…that it’s not worth chasing that rainbow…that we’re good just the way we are. It all boils down to knowing what really matters….that things are just things…and that you can’t buy happiness, you have to make it. :o)
If the inspiration for this post came from me kidding Daryl about being so poor that the baby had to sleep on newspaper (at the park that day), I was totally just being silly. I don’t see you as poor. Far from it!

]]> By: Gerky http://magicandmayhem.homeschooljournal.net/2008/09/30/how-low-can-we-go/#comment-348 Gerky Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:47:34 +0000 http://magicandmayhem.homeschooljournal.net/2008/09/30/how-low-can-we-go/#comment-348 My parents and I have a contest each fall/winter to see who can go the longest without turning our heat on. We always win because my mom hates to have a cold bathroom. Cool and I talked about this last night and we set our goal for December this year. We are in Iowa so a bit south of you. I hope you reach your goal! Gerky My parents and I have a contest each fall/winter to see who can go the longest without turning our heat on. We always win because my mom hates to have a cold bathroom.

Cool and I talked about this last night and we set our goal for December this year. We are in Iowa so a bit south of you.

I hope you reach your goal!

Gerky

]]> By: themindfulhomeschool http://magicandmayhem.homeschooljournal.net/2008/09/30/how-low-can-we-go/#comment-341 themindfulhomeschool Thu, 02 Oct 2008 02:51:20 +0000 http://magicandmayhem.homeschooljournal.net/2008/09/30/how-low-can-we-go/#comment-341 My brother has said that he won't turn the heat on until Nov. 1. Our goal is to go even longer! We are Minnesotans. We are strong. We can do this!!! BTW, I enjoyed the post! Always looking for ways to stretch a dollar.... My brother has said that he won’t turn the heat on until Nov. 1. Our goal is to go even longer! We are Minnesotans. We are strong. We can do this!!!

BTW, I enjoyed the post! Always looking for ways to stretch a dollar….

]]> By: How long can we go? A challenge to keep the heat off http://magicandmayhem.homeschooljournal.net/2008/09/30/how-low-can-we-go/#comment-339 How long can we go? A challenge to keep the heat off Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:47:28 +0000 http://magicandmayhem.homeschooljournal.net/2008/09/30/how-low-can-we-go/#comment-339 [...] Magic & Mayhem, lives in Minnesota. Her hands already “feel like ice blocks,” but she’s challenging herself to see how long she can make it before turning on the heat. I decided it’s a worthy challenge [...] […] Magic & Mayhem, lives in Minnesota. Her hands already “feel like ice blocks,” but she’s challenging herself to see how long she can make it before turning on the heat. I decided it’s a worthy challenge […]

]]> By: Candy Cook http://magicandmayhem.homeschooljournal.net/2008/09/30/how-low-can-we-go/#comment-338 Candy Cook Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:43:00 +0000 http://magicandmayhem.homeschooljournal.net/2008/09/30/how-low-can-we-go/#comment-338 I love your post. And.. I will second your challenge!!! I'll join you in seeing how long I can go without turning on the heat... heh... I *DO* have it quite a bit easier living in Georgia.. but, hey.. a challenge is a challenge.. who knows, with a climate like ours, I ought to be able to make it all the way through. I love your post. And.. I will second your challenge!!! I’ll join you in seeing how long I can go without turning on the heat… heh… I *DO* have it quite a bit easier living in Georgia.. but, hey.. a challenge is a challenge.. who knows, with a climate like ours, I ought to be able to make it all the way through.

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