Originally Posted by laundrymom:
I think simplification is the key. It seems many families today are doing Disney or great wolf lodge at least once a year. And then complaining that the bills are outrageous.
Or that their cell phone bills are high. Or data fees are crippling them.
But their three year old has a better phone than I do.
And I'm sorry, but we've had three giant vacations in 20 years. All planned and anticipated.
We didn't need to be entertained every second or demand time in an expensive resort. We had fun. We made memories. But we lived a simpler life.
ITA We use Net10 Prepaid for our cell phones ($15-20 per month) and we use magicjack for our landline (all but free). We do half or more of our vacations tent camping (I know that's not for everyone) and we are planning to put up a clothesline. We grow vegies, I cut everyone's hair, cook rolled oats, buy clearance food way cheap etc etc. My kids are learning these skills, and it helps keep us independent. People don't know these skills anymore.
I know that it's not the whole answer, but it is part of the puzzle.
I'm really glad that so many well-paying jobs allow for flexible hours for moms and dads. That's also part of the puzzle. A lot of jobs just don't work well for parents who want to be involved with their kids. And I did one of those full-time, inflexible jobs for a while back when I was getting divorced from my first husband. And it really was hard.