The end of an era

Yesterday Taylor and I spent the last $61.28 on our food stamp card at Kroger. We paid the rest of the grocery bill out of pocket, hence: the end of an era. From now on we'll be buying our groceries with money from our checking account. And I've come to the conclusion that that's a good thing. Keep reading.

For the past 9 months we haven't had to worry about paying for groceries, so our financial situation has significantly improved. When we first moved to Fairfield, we had no source of steady income, no real savings, and a terribly hard time convincing the landlord we really could afford this apartment.

Once we started getting food stamps, things began to turn around. We were able to relax a little bit about being able to afford our bills, and we could buy the food that we wanted and needed for quality, healthy meals guilt-free.

Of course, getting and keeping food stamps wasn't a walk in the park, but it was worth it. Because of our food stamps (and a healthy dose of frugality), Taylor and I have been able to pay all of our bills on time, quickly build up our savings account, and keep our debt to a minimum. We have also managed to keep the savings bonds my family purchased for me in the late '80s and early '90s in tact. (I remember giving the landlord a print out of the bond serial numbers as proof that we could afford rent for a year even if our financial situation didn't improve. Then we begged for them to lease the apartment to us.)

And it's because of all of these factors that Taylor and I are pleased to announce that we are not only back on our feet, but we're doing well. I'm not so nervous about the future anymore. In fact, it's exciting to think about the future! We weathered a difficult time in our lives, and we can do it again if we have to.

Hopefully we won't have to. :)

37 days to go until our wedding.