Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Beverly Hills dreams on a Ghetto Budget

I like money. Don't have a lot. But I like to think I do.

Growing up we were never rich. Like most, my parents struggled in the 80's. Both worked for oil and gas companies. My dad spent time at Texaco as an engineer, my mom was at Shell with gas exploration. Toward the late 80's times were rough for oil and gas.

I remember my dad being gone a lot as engineer jobs in Houston weren't plentiful. My mom dug in and started her own business. She started Prince of Peace adoption agency first. Things went very well. Then they lawyer she was with and her had different ideas. She split and started Blessed Trinity Adoptions on her own.

My mom grew Blessed Trinity into the second largest adoption agency in Texas.  Toward late 1999 she was placing over 100 babies a year. Life was good for her and of course our family.

When I asked my mom what financial status we held she always responded, "Upper Middle Class". In the 90's I wasn't spoiled....well maybe I was. I was never without. My mom instilled a strong work ethic in me (along with my sense of humor and distinct laugh) that continues today. With the exception of my first year of college, I have had a job continuously since I was 16. I was the only kid in my family to work from age 16 and almost all the way thru college.

Today I don't earn a lot of money. If it weren't for Kelli I would likely still be working for NCR making a decent living, but not happy. I sometimes think about all the small life choices I've made and how each one affected who I am today. Kelli and I are likely only together due to me moving to Dallas and deciding to reconnect with my best friend from High School and her deciding the to whore me out by placing an ad for me on Match.com. I'm only in Dallas because my exfiance dumped me and I moved here from Houston to chase her.

Kelli and I live a decent life. Kelli lives a very simple life. Mine is a little more complex. I like toys. Toys cost money.

I go back and forth between keeping my car and getting something new. Same between keeping,my current computer and getting a new one. What to do...what to do.

I've already switched my mind set to a "gotta feed another mouth" framework. Kelli and I haven't struggled yet. Don't want to put us in a situation where we have to struggle. Of course doing so means I can't have ALL my toys.

Kelli makes fun of me for the silly financial struggles (to buy or not to buy!) I go through. I make fun of me for the silly financial struggles I go thr0ugh. One good thing is I am really good at talking me out of things. Talked myself out of the Ipad (spent about an hour using one while in New York). Still talking myself out of a Venza.

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