Since we're in the home-buying process right now, Abe and I are definitely trying to keep as much money in our pockets as we can. I thought I would share some of the ways we've been getting our money's worth lately:
1.) Free Parking (called "Pulling an Abe"): Say you want to get your hair cut and work out, but you don't want to pay to park. Take advantage of the one-hour free parking in our local garage. But these two activities will take more than an hour -- what to do? Just simply exit the garage, drive around the block, re-enter the garage and, voila, another free hour of parking. It's a savings of $2, but still. It's a savings none the less.
2.) Abe got his hair cut super short yesterday (read: he won't need a haircut for a while) and he went to a national chain that had a sale on haircuts. Holla!
3.) We got a great deal on seats for today's Bulls/Celtics playoff game. Little did we know that we would get our money's worth. The Bulls gave us an exciting game that went into two overtimes. Thankfully, the Bulls won. I also think that the Bulls provide a really fun event for their fans during timeouts and between quarters. My favorite was the "Swinging Seniors" -- a group of 60+ somethings who got their groove on to the latest hip hop music. That alone was worth the price of admission. We also have coupons for free food as a result of the game.
I know these are very small victories in light of the dollars that will be flowing from our pockets with purchasing a home, but I relish these victories and pray that we are being wise with what we have been given.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Dichotomy
As Abe and I (Allie) were driving to Easter services at our church last Sunday, I took a look out the window and realized what a beautiful day it was to take a picture of the Chicago skyline. Yet a slight turn of my head brought me to a different sight as we neared our church. Some of the most notorious housing projects in the nation are literally a block away. Our church is in an area that's being redeveloped, which means some of the housing projects are now vacant lots, some are empty buildings, and some still house residents.
As we got out of our car, we realized we parked in front of a homeless man's camp. The man told us not to worry, that he would be the security guard for our car. This man without wealth was sitting with a million dollar view of some of the world's most famous and expensive buildings.
I've noticed that the difference between the "haves" and the "have nots" is more pronounced in Chicago. Designer clothes and cars co-exist with homeless camps and immigrants trying to survive.
I don't pretend to have the answers to Chicago's problems. But this is what I do know: I don't want to be blind to the needs around me. I don't want to be lulled into a false sense of security, thinking that I am better than someone else because I have a roof over my head. And, I don't want to be so caught up in my life that I see the shiny towers and miss the desperate people.
As we got out of our car, we realized we parked in front of a homeless man's camp. The man told us not to worry, that he would be the security guard for our car. This man without wealth was sitting with a million dollar view of some of the world's most famous and expensive buildings.
I've noticed that the difference between the "haves" and the "have nots" is more pronounced in Chicago. Designer clothes and cars co-exist with homeless camps and immigrants trying to survive.
I don't pretend to have the answers to Chicago's problems. But this is what I do know: I don't want to be blind to the needs around me. I don't want to be lulled into a false sense of security, thinking that I am better than someone else because I have a roof over my head. And, I don't want to be so caught up in my life that I see the shiny towers and miss the desperate people.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
House Hunters
Since some friends of ours have blogged about their home selling experience, we thought it was time to blog about our home buying experience. We've had several interesting experiences just looking at homes -- we almost lost a homeowner's cat, had an issue with one house's toilet, and seen some personal sides of homeowners who left their underwear out for us to see. Awesome.
We actually did find one house we loved. It is gorgeous -- hardwood floors, granite countertops...So we made an offer. To make a long story short, the owners made it clear they were not willing to negotiate. Abe and I were insulted by the counteroffers. We could have tried to press further, berate them into selling us the house, or even ponied up and paid the asking price. But we knew that was not what God was calling us to do. We knew we had to walk away. This was not the house for us. I (Allie) am so proud of Abe for how he's handled all of this. It's been cool to see how God has brought us to agreement on how to handle things.
On another note, tomorrow is Easter. I know I'm far from perfect and, to be honest, most of my life is about me. Thankfully, this holiday and this life are not about what I have done, but what God has done. I am so often unfaithful to God, but he is always faithful to me.
We actually did find one house we loved. It is gorgeous -- hardwood floors, granite countertops...So we made an offer. To make a long story short, the owners made it clear they were not willing to negotiate. Abe and I were insulted by the counteroffers. We could have tried to press further, berate them into selling us the house, or even ponied up and paid the asking price. But we knew that was not what God was calling us to do. We knew we had to walk away. This was not the house for us. I (Allie) am so proud of Abe for how he's handled all of this. It's been cool to see how God has brought us to agreement on how to handle things.
On another note, tomorrow is Easter. I know I'm far from perfect and, to be honest, most of my life is about me. Thankfully, this holiday and this life are not about what I have done, but what God has done. I am so often unfaithful to God, but he is always faithful to me.
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