Living Lovely on Less
by Deann Curtis

Introducing our newest column, BUDGETING ON A LOW INCOME, by Deann Curtis! You're going to love the creative ideas this mom of 6 (with one on the way) comes up with for living on a low income, and that's why we've invited her to be our newest columnist... welcome to the staff Deann!

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When I think of home decorating, I have an image of a warm, cozy inviting home that comes to mind. I remember the feeling that I would have whenever I read a book from the Anne of Green Gables series. I would imagine, what I thought to be the ideal home, a smallish home with a mishmash of furniture styles. I would imagine a large variety of textures and colors being used. I always imagined a peaceful, quiet home with a tea set always ready to be used. I imagined bookcases stuffed full of books and quiet nooks to read them in. I had imagined pets in the home that felt they were part of the family and children who knew they were.

Living on one income, and a low income at that does not have to mean living without your dreams. In fact, it often means having more time to fulfill those dreams!

To start with, our home is small and it does have a variety of furnishings. The small home comes with a low rent which we find appealing. If our income goes up in the future, we will gladly take a larger home, but for the time being, this is what God has provided and I am happy to keep working at making it our home.

We are currently living in a two bedroom home with our six young children. Since we have three boys and three girls, it has worked well for us to put the girls all in one bedroom and the boys in the other. Each room has a set of bunk beds and a toddler bed. We have bookcases and dressers in their rooms too. The rooms do get crowded at times. But we have found, that when they keep their rooms clean, they seem much bigger.

This last weekend, we overhauled our girls room making room for the baby's new toddler bed. We talked with our daughters about what they thought would be important in their room. The most important things were to have a place to display their own artwork, some privacy from their brothers and a place to put their most favorite toys. They enjoy the typical "girl" toys. This includes: dolls, toy dishes, dress-up clothes, games, puppets and art supplies. We will be making a bulletin board for their artwork and have bought wicker laundry baskets for them to put their toys away. It looks so nice in their room now. The baskets were only two dollars each at the craft supply store and the bulletin board will be simple to make using cardboard, fabric and ribbon.

This week, we will finish reorganizing the boys room too. We will also be putting their toys in some wicker laundry baskets. It just looks so much nicer than plastic tubs. We will be putting away some of their toys for the time being, but will be leaving out their most favorites. This includes a wooden train set, some dress-up clothes, some action figures and some Duplos for building. After cleaning up the mess that their room has become, we should have enough room for them to keep their train table set up too.

In my opinion, it is not the amount of toys we leave in the room that matters but the memories of a more peaceful childhood that we leave with them.

That fact that I have imagined a variety of furniture styles from the beginning is sure convenient. That means our family, has functional furniture to use, without us having to spend a fortune. Our collection of furniture includes a desk my mother used as a little girl, dressers and a kitchen hutch that my grandparents had in their home, book cases my husband and I have built together, things we have bought second hand and things we have bought new. As an interesting side note, the items that we have had the most trouble with, have been those that we bought new. So don't feel bad if you can't afford to buy new items. The older items are probably more durable and will last longer.

Buying the furniture second hand or a piece at a time has also provided us with the variety of colors and textures that has ensured a warm, cozy feel in our home. We have also added to the variety by adding our own cozy touches. This has included: throw pillows and blankets in the living room, doilies, homemade crafts and tieback curtains throughout the house. Being a person that enjoys the senses, I also try to achieve a variety that appeals to all of the senses. We use potpourri, scented candles and perfume to appeal to our sense of smell. But if you don't have those things and want to give it a try, you don't have to spend a fortune to get the same results. Just boil a large pot of water with a tablespoon of spices in it to scent the air. Some nice spices to consider are, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. A little vanilla is a nice addition. If you don't have the spices or don't like them, try boiling up some fruit peelings. Apples, oranges, lemons and peaches are all good choices.

In the spring, for the price of a few packages of seeds, you can create a lovely flower garden that can also be used to beautify and scent your home. Just cut the flowers and put them all over the house. You don't need expensive vases either. You could simply reuse a bottle or jar to display your beautiful flowers. To appeal to the sense of hearing, we like to play background music. We use it for going to bed at night and as an alarm in the morning. It is a wonderful alternative to running the television all day long. Another wonderful sound that be had pretty easily is the singing of birds. Just put some bird seed outside your windows and open them up.

Having a tea set is not a prerequisite for having a peaceful home, but it doesn't hurt either. Last year, I bought my first tea pot. It only cost five dollars but, it was five dollars I just had not had before that. Luckily, in this day and age, you don't even need a tea pot to enjoy tea time with your family. Tea bags can be easily used to make a wonderful relaxing time for your family. If you do want to have a tea set though, don't let money troubles stand in your way. We just bought eleven cups, a sugar bowl and a creamer at a thrift store a few weeks ago for only $16. It didn't come with matching saucers or anything like that. But, when we use it, we feel like royalty. We usually cut up snack cakes (lunch-box size) from the discount bread store or sandwiches with fruit. The children enjoy the special times we have and so do I. Oh yes, so do the Teddy Bears and dolls. We have a tiny set of tea dishes that they use.

Being a homeschool family, it is a grand thing to have bookcases in almost every room. We have nine bookcases and have books in baskets and on tops of dressers too. Most of our books have been bought as introductory offers to book clubs or at second hand stores. They range in topics from cooking and crafts, to astronomy and historical war gaming. Although we have thousands of our own books, we also enjoy the services of our local library. Even if we had no books of our own, we could still be rich with the knowledge gained from books borrowed at the library.

Our home is full of pets and even more full of the bustling energy of our children. Children can make any home a magical place. Just take the time to play with them and read to them. The times that I set aside to just be with the children are the most special of all.

Living on a low income doesn't mean that you can't follow your dreams. You might have to work at them a little at a time much like you do when you are working on a jigsaw puzzle. But remember, living your dreams is possible for anyone. Whether you have money to spend or time to invest, you can make a beautiful home for your family. Decorate it with love in any style that suits you and your family.