Attitude

I’ve seen my Muse smile in the face of unbelievable situations. He seems to understand that moaning and groaning only makes things feel worse. I really admire and respect that, while at the same time it breaks my heart to know he’s suffering.

His attitude has surely helped me to improve mine. Still, I wish I could help out. My own son and his family are just starting out and we have worked out a mutually beneficial system of give and take that helps us. They rent their apartment out to me and we share the wireless Internet. I let them use my car since they work overlapping shifts and I watch my grandson while they are both working, or whenever they need a sitter. In return they put most of the gas into my car and mow my lawn. They recently cut my rent by 25% for one month to help me out. It wasn’t easy for them, but I was desperate. Neither of us wants to take advantage of the other, so this works for us.

I had to take a sizable amount out of my 401K yesterday to cover some expenses I could not avoid during the past fifteen months. Moving expenses, a new transmission, catalytic converter, tires and brakes for my car, new refrigerator, economical space heater, and medical bills, are not exactly luxuries in today’s world. It is not something I did easily, nor will I do it again if I can avoid it. My credit card really pushed the issue when, out of a clear blue sky, they nearly doubled my interest rate.

I live as frugally as I know how and so do most people I know, but now is the time to get creative. If you have family, or very close friends you can share something with, now is the time to explore that. All of my children have had live in paying roommates over the years. Biting the bullet and swallowing pride can also come up with other solutions if you have wealthier family members who might hire you instead of the lawn people, or house cleaners, or even as a babysitter for ancient aunt Marilyn. It’s all a matter of attitude. Necessity can actually bring us closer together if we allow it to.

And…if you happen to be one of those more comfortable people, remember when someone reached out to you.