this wasn't in the plan |but life is still pretty good

I sometimes feel like the economic chaos is all around me, yet not directly affecting my family. Yes, things cost more than they did just a short while ago (and it's annoying!) and I'm sure there are a myriad of reasons that this all affects the average American, but really I'm just not feeling it.

For the vast majority of my adult life, I've had to pinch pennies and carefully watch my expenses due to my husband and/or myself being full-time students and therefore having little income.  Our income currently is far more than it ever has been, but with the rising costs of basic needs, there still isn't a whole lot of extra money.  So really, we're just doing what we have been in the past and what we know.  I'm just not used to having a whole lot of disposable income, so I'm not too bothered by the fact that there isn't much right now.

But when I walk through my neighborhood and see houses that are now in a pre-foreclosure state, I can feel it.  These houses are in horrible condition.  The front yards are full of weeds that are as tall as I am and the back yards are piled with trash.  Often there is damage to the stucco or the garage door.  It makes me sad that such a new neighborhood can look so not new in only a few years' time.  Sometimes it affects my walks around the neighborhood because I'm just not in the mood to look at these eyesores.   Not to mention that I'm sure it brings down the value of my house!

I feel very fortunate that those houses are not mine, that despite the fact that there are so many homeowners struggling, I am not one of them.  And, in a way, I guess I'm grateful for these houses in my neighborhood that humble me a bit and remind me of the troubles many others are facing, and how lucky and blessed I truly am.