The economy

When we first started fostering and then adopting we were basically living paycheck to paycheck but starting to get ahead. We had no bills to speak of other than rent and later mortgage, no car payments, no credit cards, and we were starting to save some money for a rainy day. It seemed reasonable to assume that we would always be able to provide for the kids, or at least provide for their necesseties if not every little thing they might desire.
So we moved to the farm. The mortgage for the farm is a big chunk of our paycheck but we manage because we really have no entertainment expenses to speak of and I cook everything from scratch anyway so we're frugal for the most part. But then we had some medical expenses. Suddenly we had credit card payments and the cost of groceries started going up and the future began to look a little scary. People tell us to get rid of the horses but we have draft horses who were rescued from slaughter. Without training or papers they'll go right back to slaughter and what kind of example do I set for my children when I tell them that a commitment to an animal is forever but hey, if the going gets tough dump 'em.
Now it's Christmas. My man grew up in a relatively affluent lifestyle in that his father could afford to lavish his family with gifts at Christmas as his job was in a department store. I grew up with a pair of pajamas at Christmas. I suggested that we start looking around for some used toys for the kids for Christmas and he was a little upset at that idea. Visions of the kids in therapy telling the doctor about how hard life was with adoptive parents who wouldn't even buy them new gifts but slummed around for used toys was quite depressing. But that's what we're doing and he's come around nicely now even looking for things himself. I've got to slow him down or he'll have spent as much on used toys as he would have on new stuff.