Sunday Night Blues

A house around the corner is selling for $248,000, partially rehabbed. It looks to be in good condition, the first floor is really nice. When is the last time you saw a Brewer's Hill rowhouse go for $248,000 with exposed brick and new kitchen? It was spacious and nice. The prices of homes are dropping in the way that they went up. It sneaks up on you over a period of months. Homes in this area were 110 then 150 then 200 then 250 then 300 then 350! Now they are going down in the same increments. And they are at 250- maybe they will go back to 110.

That would be great considering there is only but a specific group that would want to live over here anyways. It is no place for kids, for starters. Inner city school and small living spaces in comparison to something out in the suburbs. The crime is always a problem, some months are better then others but there is always that concern that something will happen when you least expect it.

I feel a little annoyed when people say times are tough... how are they tough? Did you overspend? Laptops and cable are not necessities. Restaurants and fast foods are expensive. Gym memberships can be replaced by walks or running, eating out can be replaced with home cooking, cable TV can be downgraded or replace with books and books can be taken out at the local library for free. We live on a very small amount of money and don't have any troubles. We live in a small rental, own 10+year old vehicles, long ago paid for and rarely shop unless it is for groceries. Our food isn't expensive- I mean rice went up a $1.00 a bag.

Now, I know that there are families out there that live off of less than what we have and they struggle with kids and house payments. But I know in the group of complainers about tough times are people with gym memberships, car payments, cell phone bills, shopping debt and too much house. Those people can kiss my frugal ass.