The Challenge: Living for Tomorrow

Sometimes it's discouraging feeling like you're at the bottom of the food chain. By that I mean that our spending money is minimal and are jobs are ones that high schoolers and college students could do. It's hard to find anything that you can pat yourself on the back about. Rather, there's more times than not that you're ashamed to update friends and family on your life.

Not only is it hard to live a life of minimal spending, it's hard to explain time and time again to friends and family that you can't join them because what they want to do requires spending money. And then you have those generous family and friends who offer to cover your dinner or activity. It's that mixed feeling of being elated that you can participate, but ashamed that you're spending someone else's money.

I tell you all this not to complain, but to explain that what I'm going to say next is not out of pride but rather an attempt at boosting esteem.

It's hard feeling like you live at the bottom of the food chain, even if it is just for a season. So I have to remind myself, as much as I can, of the things we're doing right.

My husband and I live in an are where the cost of living is extremely high. The fact that we can live here and pay our own rent should be a miracle. Sure everyone around us is owning, but those in our age group are rarely even able to rent.

Not to mention, both of us are working jobs that only require a license and a good driving record. It never feels like something to pat ourselves on the back about...except we both have jobs. Around here, that's something to be proud about.

Not only are we paying our own rent, we are managing to pay down our loans too. We have nearly 40k in student loans and have a 5 year plan to be rid of it. It's depressing how long we need to continue being the bottom of the food chain, but if we spent that money on vacations and social activities, we know that would be a lot more money spent in interest over the years.

So while we feel like we're in that phase of going out to dinner with friends on a full stomach (cause cooking at home is cheaper), we have to remind ourselves that it's not because we're lazy. In fact, we're just the opposite.

It's only a season...we keep telling ourselves that. It's rough right now....but we'll be thankful later. This is what striving for long-term goals looks like. We have reasons to be proud, they just aren't as obvious...right now. In ten years, however, those reasons will be abounding!