Financial Toll

We live a very comfortable life.  Very middle class.   According to median home prices and salaries were a bit lower middle class.  Our house is small in American terms.  1000 square feet with a basement, 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, 1 car garage.  We have plenty of space for the three of us. Sure, I wish we had a second bath and a dining room for entertaining.  But, I'm quite sure that if I had those two extra rooms, I'd wish for a family room and a two car garage.  And if I had that, I'd wish for an island in the kitchen and a den.  So, I thank the good Lord above for providing me with the home we have. 

We probably could afford a bigger house, but with the economy the way it is we've decided to stay put.  My hubby has changed his career plans (that is another post in itself) to stay at a lower paying job that is extremely flexible, close to home and low stress.  With having a smaller house and my job with steady raises, we've been doing great financially over the past few years.  We could go out and grocery shop without a strict budget.  I started buying organic.  We could go to a Sox game whenever.  Pool passes for the summer? No problem.  Up the contribution to the Roth? Great. 

Unfortunately, this has not been the case for the past three or four months.  Gas prices and food prices went up. We had about $2000 worth of unforseen car and house repairs.  I started Weight Watchers, Creighton charting and seeing a counselor.  In April I had cellulitis in my foot which added up to be about $400 in out of pocket costs.  Now, I'm embarking on tons of medical testing.  We have excellent insurance so that helps.  But, there are unseen costs like gas to drive to appointments and paying a babysitter.   The stress in the house is higher because we are juggling more, planning more, saying no to more.  We can pay all the bills and we are not in any danger of financial ruin.  Yes, my health and fertility are extremely important.  But, they have to be taken in context of what is best for the family as a whole.  Sure, we can skip Sox games and Roth contributions.  Even if we batten down the hatches, there is a limit of what we can afford as far as treatment.  I think there will be hard decisions ahead.  Very hard.

Do you guys ever think of women who couldn't afford this?  Or, just don't have time to learn Creighton?  It is a huge time investment.  Don't get me wrong, I think it's totally worth it.  But, let's face it, resources are limited.  I count myself to be blessed even to be in the game- I know you do too. 

St. Joseph, Pray for us.