Member-only story
Yes, I Went to Gulf Shores
It’s not about you
The first time our power went out, I was panicked…and embarrassed. We hadn’t paid the bill on time. We usually got it in before the next one was due, but this time we didn’t. I think it was 2011. It happened a few more times. Sometimes it was the cell phone bill.
Occasionally, we made it through because I took out a payday loan. I sold my flute. My violin. His guitar. My wedding rings. My kids’ PS3. I don’t remember how many times I pawned my laptop for a loan. Suffice it to say there were a lot of financial stresses in my first marriage.
I’ve been married to my current hubby (#2) for almost 4 years. He drives a delivery truck for a truck parts company. He’s done that for 24 years. I was a teacher for a long time. Now I work as an instructional designer at a university. I could make twice as much in the corporate world, but teacher benefits are wonderful, and I love my job. After taxes…we probably bring home…85K?
Our house was built in the 1950’s and it’s around 1100 square feet. Just fine for hubby and me, with a second bedroom for my stepson. I love my 2018 Corolla with 120K miles on it (my commute is 126 miles per day). His 2001 Dodge Ram is running fine. This fall, hubby will replace the transmission and hand it off to his son for the big 16.
We have all we need. We pay all our bills, we go out to eat at local places and chain spots. I buy clothes from my niece’s reasonably priced boutique, using Sezzle to pay off the 37.99 dress in four easy payments. When I recently had a deductible for my heart procedure, we could pay it without flinching. It was 125.00.
And yes, we went to Gulf Shores last summer. And I took a lot of pictures. And I posted them.
And if it made you mad to see me enjoying some shrimp at The Crab Shack…you need to get over yourself.
I don’t really follow economics enough to know if hubby and I are middle class. I know we aren’t poor. We definitely aren’t rich. So, since we are somewhere in the middle, I assumed we are somewhere in that vein. And hear me well: I will never feel bad posting a beach picture on social media.
