Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Here's what's great about being poor.

No really.  There are a lot of things great about being poor.  Mostly it sucks.  But when you are poor like us, technically poor... but able to survive, sometimes... on days with clarity, you can see the good.
Here is my list for the day.
1. Drugstore brands are just as good.  Yup, I use to buy Body Shop body butter, now I buy fragrance free coco butter with VitE.  Super cheap and AT LEAST as good as Body Shop.  Dove soap-- the best.  CVS tampons are the same as Tampax.
2. With White Vinegar and Baking soda you can-- whiten your teeth, exfoliate, clean your house-- no really, thats all we use-- clean cloth diapers, make your sheets smell fresh and lovely, well clean anything.  And NO exfoliating with baking soda does not irritate the skin, in fact it is gentler but as effective as any other exfoliater I have used, including Clinque.
3. You find out who your friends are.  The ones who talk you out of trees.  The ones who text you at 10 pm when you are crying.  The ones who email you or call you when you need someone to tell you that not only will it be okay, but that being without money doesn't mean you are a failure, despite what our society says.  They don't care that your clothes are old or cheap, they compliment your fashion taste.
4. On that note, you discover that cheap fun really is the best.  Hanging out at friends with pitch in snacks and some wine.  Hanging at friend's place of work because they get a discount.  (yeah, you know who you are!), being able to travel because you can stay at friend's house-- or a friend of a friend.
5. Ingenuity.  Coming up with fun delicious meals despite needing to feed a family of 7 on $100 a week.  Building beautiful furniture because it it is cheaper and you CAN.  Living in a small space and making it bigger by the sheer will of a tax return, your own hands and the generous and capable hands of family member who cares and gives.  Having fun with out money and making it good for your children so they don't see the lack of money, they only see the fun.  And love.  Lots of love.

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