Friday, December 5, 2008

I'm poor, OK?

OK, so we're poor.  I've come to grips with it, and so has my family.  I'm talking about money, here.  I'm quite rich in many things, but when it comes to money, we're one paycheck away from losing everything, all the time.  There, I said it.

This type of living causes certain things that folks with money wouldn't understand.  An income tax refund is something that we work toward.  Folks with money try to make it work out to where nothing is owed to the government and nothing is due back.  Not us!  That refund is "white trash Christmas" to us.

Another example of this is "sick check" week.  We get 5 days of sick time at work.  Whatever isn't used is paid to you at year's end.  If you have perfect attendance, there's a little something extra in it for you.  This is my second year of perfect attendance, and today was "sick check" day.

I knew it was coming, and most of it is spent for bills, etc.  HOWEVER, it is white-trash Christmas, isn't it?  Because of this, I stopped on the way home for a few things that we usually don't indulge in.  We had Taco Bell for dinner, I got GOOD beer, and I bought a couple of scratch-off lottery tickets for me and Kevin.

I told the girls that we'd go shopping when I got my sick check.  We are all three wearing horribly crappy tennis shoes.  I mean ugly and old.  Bad. Shoes.  We need shoes, and I told them that we'd get name brand tennis shoes (we usually buy WalMart shoes) when I got my sick check.  Kevin and I discussed it, and decided we wanted to do a bit more.

Last night, I told the girls that we would get tennis shoes, and they could choose between a second pair of shoes (Natalie wants some boots or something) or a new winter coat.  They have coats around here, but they're kind of sad looking.  They've been thinking about their decision, and I've been thinking about the best places to shop for good  bargains.

OK, back to tonight.  Kevin and I scratched our lottery tickets, and.  Ummm.  I saw something weird on mine.  I won $200!!!!!  That means, I can pay those bills that had to be paid, but I can also get the girls 2 pairs of shoes AND new coats!  WoooHooo!  The girls almost cried when I told them!

They don't expect a lot of "stuff" and they always have what's needed to get by.  It's just a wonderful feeling to know that they get to have something that isn't exactly needed.   Natalie can have her cowboy boots with pink stitching if she wants to.  Monica can have her pink Chuck Taylors.
  
Life is good, my friends.  Life is great during White Trash Christmas.  I'll get back to you during tax season, while my rich friends are worrying about owing the government.

BWAAHAAAHAAAHAAA!

6 comments:

Lisa said...

Rachel, I'm poor too, but the love from my friends makes me feel rich !!!!!!, Love Ya Lisa

Donna. W said...

Yippeee!

Amy said...

$200?! AWESOMENESS!

(Unrelated, I'm SO over Christmas. Meh.)

Hollie said...

I know exactly where you are coming from... We live the same way.... One pay check away from disaster!!!!!

HUGS:)

Anonymous said...

Yay for you!!!

Traci said...

Yay for $200! I would be so stoked! God is good!