by Hope
Well, my goal of Two No Spend Months kind of flopped when my heat went out, my glasses broke, and so forth and so on. I didn’t exactly no spend. But I didn’t spend anything I didn’t HAVE TO!
Our Neighbors
I don’t know if I have written much about my neighbors here. When we first moved into our house, 4 of the 8 houses closest to us were rentals. Over the last, almost 7 years, there have been some changes. Now only 3 of them are rentals. But most of our neighbors are pretty up there in age. In fact, of the 5 non-rentals, 4 of them have been there longer than us. And we LOVE our long term neighbors and some of our newer neighbors as well.
However, the drawback to everyone having been here forever is that many of our neighbors are quite old. In fact, in the days between starting this post and now finishing it, one of them has died. His daughter called me today. (He’s the one who had run over my mailbox. I shared that, right?!?)
Anyways, as his health worsened we did what we could to help. We grocery shopped for him, answered his calls for help on whatever. I even got to climb through his bedroom window one day to let the EMTs in when they couldn’t find a house key. For the last couple of years, Gymnast worked on his yard. And we spent hours listening to him reminisce about the “olden” days up in Illinois where he was from and raised his 5 children.
Unexpected Help
All that is to give some back story on how our cupboards and freezer got re-stocked. When he was admitted to the hospital for the last time and told that the end was imminent (heart issues,) he knew he would never come home again.
And he graciously had his grand-daughter clean out his food and give it to us and another neighbor. We received a freezer full of food – bread, meat, frozen meals, along with eggs, bread, and a few other canned items. Oh, and I failed to mention that he was Italian so this food is really good. I didn’t have to spend a dime on food for the previous two months.
I’m also confident that with a small re-stock in the next week or so, we can go another two No Spend months.
So this post is a gratitude post to our neighbor Mark. May he rest in peace.
Hope is a resourceful and solutions-driven business manager who has spent nearly two decades helping clients streamline their operations and grow their businesses through project management, digital marketing, and tech expertise. Recently transitioning from her role as a single mom of five foster/adoptive children to an empty nester, Hope is navigating the emotional and practical challenges of redefining her life while maintaining her determination to regain financial control and eliminate debt.
Living in a cozy small town in northeast Georgia with her three dogs, Hope cherishes the serenity of the mountains over the bustle of the beach. Though her kids are now finding their footing in the world—pursuing education, careers, and independence—she remains deeply committed to supporting them in this next chapter, even as she faces the bittersweet tug of letting go.
Since joining the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015, Hope has candidly shared her journey of financial ups and downs. Now, with a renewed focus and a clear path ahead, she’s ready to tackle her finances with the same passion and perseverance that she’s brought to her life and career. Through her writing, she continues to inspire others to confront their own financial challenges and strive for a brighter future.
So, what do you think ?