I'm looking at the man in the mirror

Monday, March 19, 2012

Chouse is dead.

And we're moving!

I am a little over this apartment since we've had snakes, spiders, worms, and now a mouse. The complex won't let us switch to another 2 bedroom apartment, we're only allowed to switch if we upgrade to a 3 bedroom.

So, we're moving to a nicer, newer apartment!
I fell in love immediately. It's top floor (read: no mice/snakes), sunny, bigger kitchen, garden tub and plenty of absurdly nice amenities... with the pool right outside my building.

This brings up an interesting discussion that Cary and I have been having spurred by several news stories recently.

The economy still sucks, and more people than we'd like are unemployed, and apparently my generation is entitled. "We" think that just because we went to college we deserve a job. "We" think that because we're used to a certain lifestyle our parents have afforded us we deserve to keep on keeping on in the same fashion even though our parents put in their years of being poor and struggling.

Am I part of the "We"?

I'm moving into a nicer neighborhood than I can afford.

I have never gone into debt. I drive a 13 year old car. I gave up designer jeans when I got married and started supporting a family (ok, maybe because I got pregnant and still can't fit into them). I plan my meals around sale items. I have never had the pleasure of using my college degree as it was intended because I gratefully (well at least at first ;) take the jobs that will pay the bills.

BUT, now I'm gonna live in an apartment that is out of my means. Because I don't want to worry about my child dying of a disease from a rodent. Because I want to see the sun, even if I'm laying in bed with a sick baby. Because the apartments I can afford are in sketchy neighborhoods. Because spiders give me a heart attack, and Cary sings songs to Zoey about how she has to be brave and kill the spiders to save her mom.

I am defensive, and so obviously feeling guilty... maybe I do feel entitled. My husband is going to a great college, in an expensive town and all the housing except the scary neighborhoods are more than our budget.

So if I'm going back to work to make ends meet--I might as well live in a pretty apartment, with sweet amenities, where my daughter can play with good friends a few houses away... No?

3 comments:

LMorgan said...

I will help you pack!

Mary said...

I don't think you're entitled. Cary singing to Zoey about killing spiders is one of the saddest things I've ever heard -- thank goodness you're moving. Also, the First Presidency has advised us not to go into debt {except for a few certain things}, which you haven't done, but they don't say anything about moving to keep your family safe. Or going back to work to support your family. So I think you're in the clear.

Jessica Day said...

Our apartment is definitely beyond our ideal budget. When we first moved here, there weren't many places available, and they were either inexpensive but old/dirty/in a bad part of town/zero amenities or super nice and super expensive. After talking about it a lot, we decided that it would be worth it to be happy in an apartment that cost more, than be miserable in an apartment that was cheap.

I have never regretted our decision! We don't save as much each month as we could have, but I have an apartment with plenty of room, lots of sunshine, and I feel completely confident in our safety.

Don't feel guilty. The money won't be wasted. You're going to help provide a nice home for your family. What could ever be wrong with that?

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