I talked to my manager today. I'm going back to work at my part time job starting next week. I'm doing this for a couple of reasons. 1)As I said in my last entry, I think I'm depressed. I also think this stems from not really getting out of the house and doing anything. I have no drive when I sit at home, doing nothing. 2)Even if I only get 15 hours a week, it'll be eno

Last week I was talking to my older sister about how I wanted to buy my own house. She basically told me that I'd fail because I didn't have a high income. I was furious that she would think I'd fail. She was furious because she thinks I have no idea what I'm doing. My sister and her husband make $100,000 a year. I made $12,000 last year (not including bonuses which I get 4 times a year and my income tax return which I count as income because it goes straight into my savings account). I can totally see why she would think I couldn't afford a house of my own.

But here's the thing. It's not about how much money you make. It's about what you do with the money you make. My sister bought her house for $2xx,000. The house I want to buy is 1/3rd of that price and it's actually a really, really nice house. Almost nicer than her's (lol)! Sometimes I read the blogs on here and see that many of you have monthly mortgage payments that are higher than my monthly income! I'm like, man, I want to have that much money! But I don't NEED a $2xx,000 house. My sister spends close to $150 per week on groceries. I could easily spend less than $20 on groceries and still make nutritious meals because I don't buy expensive meats all the time and I shop using sales and coupons. I can't remember the last time I bought something for myself that wasn't a necessity. My older sister bought her husband a $1300 TV for Valentine's Day. I went on a short vacation last month. I bought a $2 box of cereal and a $1.59 quart of milk for my breakfast. I set a limit on how much I could spend eating out. I always picked one of the cheapest items on the menu. Water to drink only. If my sister and her husband went on the same vacation I did, they would have spent 3 times the amount I spent on food alone! I have one friend who spends $1200 every year on Christmas gifts. She buys for maybe 8 people. I buy for 7 people and last year I spent about $300 on really nice presents. She spent $40 on a trivet for her sister. $40! FOR A TRIVET! WHY?! I have a coworker who is a single mom living with her own parents. She really wants to move out of her parent's house so she can start her own life with her daughter but she can't afford it. On her lunch/dinner breaks at work, she spends $10-12 every time! I bring food from home and my meal costs no more than $1!

I do understand that unexpected expenses come up. That's why I have an emergency fund. And if my emergency fund dwindles down to nothing, I'm not afraid of using credit cards because I'm absolutely responsible. Am I never going to buy a house because an unexpected expense may or may not come up that I might not have the cash for? I have a friend who has almost $500,000 in medical debt. Is she never going to buy a house of her own because she has a serious illness?

I'm going to take this one day at a time. I'm going to make smart choices. Dental insurance. Medical insurance. Hazard insurance on the house. If an unexpected expense comes up, so be it. I'm never going to be a millionaire. This is my life. And my happiness. I'm going to do the best I can.