Why I dont see a tractor in my future

[goodoleboy]

Its great to be a father but Im tired of being broke. Wife stays at home and the bills get tight. It should get better in a few years after we have the second baby and he gets into school.Its only about seven years Till then. As criminlas say "i can do that standing on my head"

I guess spending my days off working overtime is not so bad, I could be without a job..

My baby needs to be with his mother or father, not a Daycare.

Things were great financially before,now it sucks, not in debt but no fun money. But my wife is rasing a healthy boy who will be confident and I cant ever question his care.
I financed my house for 15 years a few years back. I got 12 left so Till my wife gets back to work I get to watch the neighbor bail my hay. Payments are a little high but Im saving a ton in interest.

It will get better later on, we just got stay focused on our goals.

Sorry for the rant, I feel better to speak with other who were or are in the same boat.

 

[goaliedad]

I hear your pain- my son is 16 and I know what you'r talking about- but looking back ( and ahead ) I wouldn't trade it for anything. I have two co-workers with small kids and listen to this all the time. once they hit school things bet much better.

As for working OT- my dad worked every minute he could- mon stayed home with 4 kids. Every time he got a call to come in he would say " If I can for straight time, I certainly can work for time and half" Did I miss him at times, yes, but the camper and boat was fun. Sure we would have been fishing from shore if it wasn't for OT!

You are doing the right thing- may not be fun now, but you will be glad you did.

 

[Egon]

There are many of us whom share the same situation. Life goes on, enjoy the children time cause it does not last. And you can't go back!

Stuff is really a hassle. First you spend all your time working to get stuff and get ahead??? The stuff never gets proper usage because you are working. Then the stuff wears out or gets out of date and the whole cycle will repeat.

And in the final asscessment you leave all the stuff behind.

A little stuff is good. Becomming enamored with it is not.

Sage advice from a fellow who is not sage but has gone through the same cycle.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

When I was growing up, my dream was to own a farm. I saved and struggled until I had enough for a down payment on a place. About the time I started to realize my dream, I got married. MY dream changed to OUR dream. The day we closed on the farm, my wife announced that she was pregnant. The dream changed some more. (At times I thought it was now a nightmare) We struggled for a few years. Then we had child #2. Money got REAL tight. It took every penny I made, every penny my wife made, and every penny the farm took in to break even. (Small scale farm, not much more than break even in a good year) After the kids were grown and gone, we spent a few more years paying off debts accumulated when ends didn't meet. 36 years after buying the place, it was paid off. FINALLY....We had the money to live like the dreams of my youth.

It was worth EVERY second of the struggle. I'd do it all over again if I could. You probably wouldn't have heard me say that 25 years ago. Time, and a few grandkids, will change your outlook on life.

Hang in there. What you have going for you is worth more than all the tractors on the planet. Look forward to the rewards awaiting you, and don't focus on the struggle getting there.

 

[KubotaSteve]

When I was growing up with my 3 brothers, dad worked quite a bit so mom could stay home with us. That meant quite a bit to me, but it also meant we didn't get to go on big vacations or have fancy cars. At the time it seemed unfair to hear other kids talking about vacations, but when it came to school field trips, if it wouldn't have been for my mom going then the trip would have been cancelled. As I look back I wouldn't trade it for the world.
When I got married my wife and I were both working and when our first child was born, she had to keep working but my mom watched our daughter. That about killed my wife not being home with her. She swore she would never have another baby unless she could stay home. Five years later she was expecting and I told her to quit whenever she was ready. She put in her notice a couple weeks before the baby was born and has never been to an outside job again. Yeah things were tight and I couldn't get my new tractor for a few years, but now I have my new tractor and the wife is still home. I even get to work at home a day a week as well as all my overtime is from home which lets me be around the kids more.
Good luck and hang in there.

 

[1bush2hog]

Don't fret - everything always works out - I had to wait until I was 43 before I could buy my first tractor, but in the interim was blessed with many more important things like a wonderful wife and two great kids.

We all have our good times and bad, but just remember nothing worth having is ever easy to get (or at least it isn't for me), and things can always be alot worse than they are too.

Hang in there and HAVE FAITH that you are, and will be, where you need to be.

 

[knute_m]

Goodoleboy,

Don't give up on a tractor. If you've got hay, you obviously have a little land.

For more than ten years I didn't own a tractor -- but there was always at least one tractor in the yard. During those times I "stored" tractors for friends.

There are a lot of people out there who don't want to part with their parent's or grand parent's belongings when they pass on. Sometimes a tractor and all the implements just need a home for a few years. Your use of the tractor and implements are the price they pay for your ability to store the equipment.

Ask around. You might be surprised. Good luck.

Knute

 

[barticus73]

Has the wife considered a job working from home? There are lots of oportunities nowadays using the internet and cell phones to allow one to stay at home and work. My wife works for a local trucking company dispatching and load finding from a small office in our home. This lets her be with our 2 kids and still make a little money. Granted its not a lot but every little bit helps. Just a thought.

 

[riptides]

I've been saying it should get better for 20 years now....

We have always made do. I take it one day at a time and try to enjoy each moment of it. Life is too short and too hard to worry about the future........

-Mike Z.

 

[mikim]

read what Farmwithjunk said several times .... at your age you have lots of time to realize dreams... it just takes time. You're way ahead of where I was at your age. Don't focus so much on the dreams of what you want "someday" ... they'll come along as time allows....spend that energy on the dream that all parents have - to have happy & healthy kids. They grow up so fast you don't have time to relive the moments - you have to catch them on the run and catch that smile as fast as it happens cause it won't come along again - tractors will always be there - and get better with time - those quicky moments that happen watching the kids grow and experience only occur once. Our "turn" comes after the kids are grown & gone - then we can reward ourselves for a job hopefully done well - and we enjoy it just as much as if we had gotten it when we were a bit younger........ the problem then is how to keep the "kids" off our toys!