Tommy and I talk about the future a lot. Not a lot. But more than he would like. I don't see staying in North Carolina as an option for forever because we could create a better financial situation for ourselves in other states.
North Carolina is 48th in the nation for teacher salaries. A real proud point for the state. A first year teacher in Portland makes $14,000 more a year than a first year teacher in North Carolina. I'm probably going to be a first year teacher in North Carolina.
Minimum wage in North Carolina is $7.25, to compare, the minimum wage in Oregon is $9.10. Not a huge difference, but it can definitely be felt when thinking about things like buying food.
There is that saying about how money doesn't mean much until you don't have any, and then it's everything. This has been true in my life lately as I have currently been between paychecks. At my last job I was doing pretty well. Budgeting was more of a formality, and my gas tank was always full. After it ended it only took me a week to be offered a job at a school, but I won't receive my first paycheck until December 31st. That will be three days short of two months without a direct deposit of any kind. Budgeting has gone from a formality to an absolute necessity.
Last weekend Tommy and I went out to dinner with some of his friends. She's an accountant, he's and ER nurse. He just bought a truck, they just bought land to build a house, they wanted to order dessert. During dinner Tommy and I brought up how expensive this or that is several times. We also passed on dessert.
When Tommy and I talk about the future, places we would like to travel, activities we would like to do it always comes back to money. At the current rate we're not going to buy land for a house any time soon.
Tommy says I'm not allowed to sell plasma because I have a tendency to pass out when blood is removed from my body. I'm thinking about doing it anyway.
Oscar Wilde said "When I was young I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old I know that it is.
I was offered a second job today. It'll bump me up to enough hours to once again live comfortably. To celebrate I did the most adult thing I know how to do: I filled up my gas tank.
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