If I could be like that...

So, I was reading another blog...that of a young mother just like myself but basically from a totally different world.

She is from the Mid-West/South, I am from Upstate NY. Her child is 13 months, mine 29 months. I have a full time job, she is a SAHM. Her significant other is a full time student with a part time job, mine is a full time machine operator. They make a combine income of $10,000 we make $70,000 (give or take a little).

My bills...always late, always stressful, I rent an apartment, have a car that does not work and pay insurance for it to sit on the side of the road because I cannot afford to fix it. Her, the bills are always paid on time, she owns her own home, drives a nice car.

I would imagine that she is a little more frugal than myself, probably not by choice, but more frugal none the less.

But it makes me wonder, why on earth am I not able to do the same as she does and still manage to be happy? I swear, maybe it is the location that I live in (mostly upper middle class and above), but I COULD NOT DO IT.

I would not be able to live with no money - I don't have it as it is, so to take what I have and then cut it down to 1/10th of that - I have no idea how I would do it!

On the other hand, sometimes I wish I could! I wish that I didn't have to work full time and that somehow I would be able to manage everything!

I sometimes wish that I took many things into consideration when I was pregnant that truly never crossed me mind...I did not breastfeed, I used disposable diapers, wipes, bottle liners...so, while her child (only speaking in terms on cost to raise) cost basically nothing, mine has been costing me about 35-45 a week, not including babysitter, clothes, toys, treats and basically anything other than standard needs for survival.

We have been TTC #2 as I previously mentioned, I think that this time around, I will really take into consideration those things...I just wish (obviously, I should have before hand but never thought to much about it) that there are DIFFERENT ways to raise you child...you know what I mean? Other than the way that you had been? I am not complaining about the way that I was raised, I personally feel that my mother did an amazing job with raising her children... I am not knocking that at all...but after so many years of taking everything for granted because I never had to go without (I never saw how much my mother was going without to make sure that I did not have to)...now that I am "growing up" I no longer want to take these things for granted...so maybe someday Dylan will be able to say that he never had to go without and at the same time, I can finally for once in my life...learn what it is like to go without something...I need to learn how to be frugal...struggle a little...to change my ways, even it it is just a little!