We’ve gotten several questions on how we’ve managed during this economically difficult time, what challenges we’ve faced and what changes we’ve had to make. Barton and I are lucky in that we own our own business, and our overhead costs are very little, and fact, we’ve seen a growth in our business exponentially.
Our biggest challenge by far: medical costs. Both Barton and I have had some major medical expenses- Barton just got his brand new wheelchair and his refill for an intrethecal Baclofin pump isn’t cheap, and I had a mole removed by my dermatologist. While we both have health insurance, we do have very high deductibles, so our challenge is to make enough to cover our medical costs.
Barton’s help quit last July, so since that time, I’ve taken over the morning routine. Now, I don’t really mind it (because it gives me more time with Barton) except for a couple of things- morning is my best writing time, so I’ve had to adjust my work schedule, and I do have to watch my energy level to make sure I’m getting enough sleep to wake up in time to get us both ready for the day, which can be quite early. It’s important for both Barton and I that the roles between wife and caretaker are different, so eventually we’ll get back to morning help, but for the time being, we can’t justify that expense.
Like everyone else, we’ve been eating out less; I’m definitely on the search for new crock-pot recipes. We’ve also been watching our mileage. We’ve been used to driving long distances, and the last year we’ve really cut back on driving. One benefit of this transition has been to know and use the local resources in our community. For Barton- it’s really important that he figures out our neighbors who can help him out if I’m not around. While we have many friends a ways off, it’s been important on so many different levels to make connections and get to know our neighbors in our own community.
When we were looking at celebrating our fifth-year anniversary this November, we originally had planned to go back down to Longboat Key, Florida where we spent our honeymoon, but we realized that the transportation cost by air & car, food & hotel- just wasn’t worth it. Don’t worry, we’re still celebrating- a rental house on the Outerbanks where we can take our dogs with us, make our own meals & enjoy a glass of wine overlooking the ocean will suit us just fine (and I’m sure we’ll splurge with at least one night out).
So while we have made some drastic changes, we are creating more opportunities, looking at the infinite possibilities of each day, remaining positive (turn the tv off if you haven’t already!) and thankful that we have each other.
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