“It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end.” Ursula LeGuin
See all that stuff out on the counter? I’m getting it ready to sell on Craigslist, or give to Freecycle or put out at a yard sale in order to get rid of clutter and make some extra money (that fetching little apron I’m wearing is going as well). And that’s my husband, Mr. Losing It, out there polishing our second car, the one we want to sell to help pay down our debt. And my hair? Well, let’s just say it isn’t black any more (not that it ever was).
My name is Laura, and in 2009 I lost 30 pounds. I also, along with my husband, gained a whole lot of debt. My goal, begun at the end of that year, has been to maintain the weight loss, maybe lose a few pounds more, and get started on losing the debt. This blog is an attempt to chronicle my journey toward permanent weight loss and financial freedom from debt, while learning to embrace a more simple and frugal lifestyle.
While I’m not some housewife from the 50s, I am an older mom as my husband and I decided for some reason in our mid-40s that we needed more children (we already had a teenage son) and we ended up adopting three beautiful girls from China. Although everyone told us we were crazy, we cannot imagine our lives without our girls and all the joy they have brought and continue to bring us. I have a hectic, busy life these days, but wouldn’t trade it for anything.
In a previous life I taught English As a Second Language, and interacted with students from all over the world. Their stories, their courage and their efforts to create a better life for themselves in the United States taught me how truly privileged my family and I are.
