Long Hollow

When did they first move in? I'm not sure. They always sneak in, starting out small and seemingly harmless. We've run them out before, but they always slip back in, with some new, innocent disguise, some great excuse.

They didn't tag along on our honeymoon, I know that. It was probably during those years when Tom was a full-time student, we started having children and one tenant after another in our rental property stopped paying rent (rent that didn't even cover the mortgage payment!) Thanks to the economy, we couldn't sell it either, and we refused to file bankruptcy. Too proud. We would tough it out.

Yep, those little debt demons probably snuck in around then, but we eventually kicked them out – we thought for good. And good riddance.

But somehow they sweet talked their way back in, probably about the time I quit work to stay home with the kids, despite being so frugal we made the publishers of the Tightwad Gazette look like spendthrifts. 

We kicked them out again, determined to keep our guard up, not let them get a foot in the door, and yet here we are, once again, trying to figure out how we're going to get rid of them.

They've grown pretty big and nasty. Sometimes they scare me… my heart beats fast and I struggle to catch my breath if I look at them head-on.

But I'm tired of them hanging around, crowding me and Tom so much here in our Empty Nest that it cramps our style and keeps us from enjoying ourselves. I'm tired of feeling and smelling their stinky breath on my neck.

We've drawn up battle plans; we're determined to conquer them, drive them far, far away from us and then fill in those cracks so they never squirm their way back in. 

We're learning new tightwad maneuvers… we've pulled out the big guns and started blasting… I've gone back to work, have tried to find ways to bring in more income with this blog (more ads and affiliates – sorry!) and my photography blog (want to buy some photos?) plus I've become an Independent Representative for Silpada Jewelry. And I'm still plodding along on my book, hoping it will be the biggest gun of all when I finally finish it. 

Those debt demons have just got to go… and I have faith they will. For good…

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Wish us luck, anyway!

Have any tightwad suggestions for us? We're probably already doing them, but share them with me, please, just in case!

(Original artwork by our son, Tommy.)