The difference in a year...

[MelliPaige]

I kind if got this idea from something pnkpolkadots said in her blog
I hope you don't mind me turning it into a post!

It's almost my birthday so I can remember specifically where we were in life this time last year. We had just bought our house, had no money or even furniture except for an air mattress that served as a couch/bed/dinner table thinking about how 'stuck' we were. I didn't think we would ever have kids because of how bad we were struggling, choosing between food and bills every week and we don't qualify for assistance. I thought getting this house was a mistake because while our income was too high for assistance, I couldn't figure out why it wasn't enough for bills and other important things (gas, food, etc) I was looking at all my pre-baby goals and thinking "we are never gonna get caught up on bills, much less save money or get married!"

Then i learned to make a budget (something i'll teach my children about very early on) i honestly didn't know how to make one before we had big money bills, nobody I knew had ever used one.
Then he got a small raise (a few cents an hour makes a huge difference). Then I got a job after looking for forever.. Now we have saved $800 In 2 weeks to pay off the car, and not one bill was overdue these last few months. Oh! And now we are happily married with plenty of furniture

This time next year I hope we have all of our debt, besides the mortgage, paid off. I hope we are putting all the money I'm making into a savings account and are living on his income alone...preparing us for when I can be a stay at home mommy,
i hope to be pregnant or TTC, maybe (if I'm super lucky) ill be a mommy!

Where were you early summer last year? Where do you hope to be next year?
It will be pretty cool to look back next June to see how far we've all come!

 

[PnkPolkaDots]

I kind if got this idea from something pnkpolkadots said in her blog
I hope you don't mind me turning it into a post!

Of course not sweetie!

Ah last June... well OH had just gotten his bartending job, and while he enjoyed bartending he hated the management at the place he had been hired at (he ended up quitting in April). We were just happy that he had something at that point, and I was gearing up to apply for teaching jobs. I had several interviews over the summer but no offers. Now, OH is working this summer at the Parks District he worked at before bartending. It pays better than bartending (he didn't get tips) plus he loves this job so much more. I'm just happy that he has a job he's happy with As for me... I've just been hired to teach summer school and I have my first job interview of the season on Monday!! Super excited because the earliest I've ever had a teaching interview has been late July. At this this time next year... I hope I'm finishing up my first year in my own classroom, and that OH has a stable full time job. We'll have our own place together, and will for sure be engaged (possibly married). I'm hoping that I'm either pregnant this time next year or am just about ready to start trying

Good post MelliPaige!

 

[MacBabby]

Well this has got me thinking.

This time last year I was engaged and we were living in a flat that was so expensive we were not saving anything. I worked at a hotel that was owned by a couple who had not long split up and it was a nightmare being the third person working between the two. They hated each other and would talk to me about the other one all the time. I was piggy in the middle

We have now moved to a smaller and more basic flat which is cheaper and we are saving every month. We are now married and I work at a different place. It still has it's dramas but it's more comedy than crazy.

This time next year DH will hopefully have passed an exam for promotion and we will have just saved enough money to be able to start looking at houses
I'd like to think that I was in the first trimester but if not then we would definitely be TTC for our first baked potato!

 

[LovemyBubx]

I love this post

This time last year we were living with my parents, OH was working but i wasn' & we were getting excited about our holiday to spain.

Now we are in our own place, we both have jobs, we are preparing DD for nursery & starting to save up to start my driving lessons.

& planning to start TTC #2

I hope a year from now i will be engaged, pregnant & close to passing my driving test or already done it hopefully!

 

[loeylo]

This time last year I was not getting very good grades at uni, I was totally demotivated with my degree, we both lived with our parents and spent literally every penny we had on ourselves for short term satisfaction. I fell pregnant this time last year, and it totally made me get my finger out and improve my grades.
We now have our own flat and have managed to get all furniture and appliances within a month, we have more money than we did before, and last night he brought our ttc date by a whole year!

 

[LiLi2]

Good idea! Hmm, this time last year, I was about to begin my senior year of college, we were in a small apartment, struggling to pay bills and buy food. OH was working an I was not, I was getting scholarships for good grades though, which paid about 1/2 our bills.

Now, OH and I are both working full time and although we aren't able to save a whole lot each month, our bills are paid and we are slowly building up a savings and talking about getting married definitely within a year, but hopefully more like 6 months. We are in a larger, nicer apartment with our two beautiful dogs.

Where I want to be in a year - I would like to be married and in a house, we are sick of apartments. I would like to at least be NTNP, if not TTC.

 

[Pandora11]

This time last year we'd just moved here(to a nicer area in a nicer home) we had to move because our landlord was using our address to commit benefit fraud and i didnt want to be caught up in it. we had no money, saving for our wedding and having to move was a struggle. the public transport to work was a lot less reliable that it appeared when we researched the new area, so i was commuting longer than i was working each day. OH was lucky to stay in a job after being made redundant in another department. Both unhappy with work, OH was spending my wedding fund behind back because he is rubbish with money. OHs parents tainted the excitement of our wedding and no one cared we were getting married. it was a very low point. i found out i couldnt continue the course i'd paid a lot of money for. my dog started having 'fits'. my dog was barking when i was at work, neighbours hated/hate us, i gave up that job....

now, i have been out of work 1 month, (previous job ended-funding etc) i am studying a better course(degree) though it will be ages until i get to study the parts that really interest me. we don't have much cash, DH dislikes his job, i feel like i'll never achieve a career/job in industry i want, concerned i'll get closer to 30 without achieving anything, i worry every day about my dog's health and wonder how i'll ever be able to cope as a mother. I'm paranoid DH will lose his job because it's happened 3 times in 6years, i wake up every morning wondering 'is this it? will i never achieve x, y, z. travel the world, have my own home. live comfortably or be able to do and buy nice things.' but i'm grateful for being able to pay the bills, have somewhere to live, everyone being healthy at this moment and not having to go through any of the horrific things i've seen on the news lately.

 

[runawayface]

This time last year, we had just found out that DH got the job that would change our lives. Before, we were living on a REALLY tight budget with credit card debt and no money whatsoever for anything besides bills and groceries. After my hubby got his wonderful new job, we've been able to pay off a lot of our debt and have some money to spare.

This time next year, I definitely want to be pregnant and hopefully have a new, bigger place to live. And there's a possible promotion for DH at work, so maybe have him making a little more money by next year? A girl can dream!

 

[Hollynesss]

What a great post!

This time last year DH and I were engaged and sinking every spare penny we had into our wedding/honeymoon fund. We were living in a cheap apartment to save money, I was working the same job, and DH was finishing up his second to last year in school. We were kind of in limbo, just preparing for life to happen. Now we are married, my husband graduated from college, and we are making final preparations for TTC

Thanks for sharing your stories!

 

[Fezzle]

Ha- mine are all very different!

Last year- I didn't even know my OH. I was in a friends with benefits arrangement with my exboyfriend but not looking for anything else.

This year- I'm moving in with my OH next month with plans to TTC next month too!

Next year- Hopefully we'll have bought a house and be expecting a baby (or possibly have one)!

 

[brenn09]

Last year at this time, I was beginning my last year of grad school and feeling like it would never end. OH was working and taking classes and we were saving for a house and planned to ttc in November.

Now, I have graduated, OH is still at his job (which he loves and never plans to leave) and taking courses for his license (a couple more years on it due to the on the job training required) and we are looking at homes to buy. We are going to start ttc in late July because of ins programs which pay out if we conceive after July.

Next year, we should be in a home, with a newborn or me being pregnant and continuing with our chosen careers!

Fun thread!

 

[Elpis_x]

There was a thread like this last year, it was really interesting to look back on this year and see what had changed!

This time last year me and OH were living in our old house in another part of the country. I was hating work and just about to be signed off with depression, anxiety and stress. And in a couple of weeks I'd make the decision to start university.

This time next year I'll just be finishing my 2nd year. Hopefully my OH will be progressing nicely with his new career and we'll have more savings and a more solid wedding date.

 

[tori0713]

Last year: My love just returned from Afghanistan where he was deployed for 7 months, so we were pretty much high on love. We were just about to go on our belated honeymoon, which was amazing. We both had full time jobs and a wonderful situation going on.

This year: DH just finished up his active duty military service. We're living with my parents in the apartment on their property. DH is going to school for his Bachelor's, I'm applying for jobs like crazy. Crossing my fingers that as soon as I get hired we can get outta here. As soon as that happens we'll be TTC.

One year from now: I hope to have just completed or be just completing my first year as a full-time classroom teacher. DH will either continue with school or have gotten a job. We'll either have a baby, be pregnant or be TTC!

 

[neuroctopus]

This time last year, DH and I were newlyweds who were getting kicked out of our rental house because it was being sold. We were house searching, and going through the loans process and moving into my in-laws for what turned out to be not as temporary as I would have liked. DH was in a band that caused him a lot of turmoil and strife, and I was working a job that made me miserable every single day. We had absolutely no plans for any children.

Right now, we own our first home, and have grown much closer as a couple. DH is in a much happier and more successful band, makes more money, and has the promise of a promotion in the (hopefully near) future. I've got my dream job in theory at a bakery, and am waiting for it to re-open so I can go back to doing what makes me happy. In the meantime, I'm working at an animal shelter which is very fulfilling. We are planning on having children next year, but are struggling financially to make it happen.

One year from now, I'm hoping to be a few months pregnant and working at the bakery. I'm hoping DH can support a comfortable lifestyle with a new promotion in salaried, 40 hour/week position. I will have ran 10 races, including 2 marathons, and DH will have much more musical success.

 

[Varenne]

Last year: We had just moved into our rental house and my partner was on a much lower salary. I had dropped out of a degree course and only had a year of experience in my job. We had a bit in savings but not too much.

This year: My partner is earning far more money, we've made this house a home and are looking to buy our own place as we've saved up a deposit! I have more work experience and have just finished my first year on a degree course I love. Taken up loads of new hobbies, been on some great holidays, planning more to fill the gap before TTC

 

[purplespecs]

Last year - We had just found out I was pregnant with our first! We were also getting excited about our holiday to Greece and Albania, and our first wedding anniversary.

Now - We have a beautiful 4 month old son We are struggling with sleep deprivation but loving having him in our lives. We are excited about our holidays to Hungary and Lanzarote. I'm at Slimming World trying to lose some of my baby weight so that I'm in good shape to TTC number 2 next year.

Next year - We will have just come back from China and Hong Kong, and we are hoping to be pregnant with number 2, or still TTC. Hopefully DH will have had a promotion which will mean I can be a SAHM for a few years.

 

[comotion89]

this time last year i was Nearly admitted into a psychiatric hospital due to my anxiety , em was unemployed , depressed was looking forward to go to Germany and France , struggling to pay bills. I hated 2012 like seriously hated


this year total contrast still have anxiety issues , jobs great still would like more money though, and progress in my nursing career , had a miscarriage. Life's pretty good

this time next year I should be married , could potentially b preggo or already had
a baby how blasé we r haha lol , erm hopefully bought our own house, but you never know hopefully ill never have a 2012 year ever again

 

[michelle535]

I like this one

This time last year we were making final preparations for our wedding, I was working my notice period and we were looking forward to our extended honeymoon (2 weeks touring SE Asia and 1 year in New Zealand). OH hated his job and was in and out of work.

This year we are just about to submit applications for permanent residency in New Zealand having both been offered permanent jobs for more money that we earned back in the UK. We have done and seen some amazing life changing things and are closer than ever.

This time next year we are hoping to be relatively debt free and saving towards a house/a baby.

 

[Springermommy]

Very cool idea!
This time last year, my husband and I weren't married or even engaged yet. (We had a short 2-month engagement.) We had been living together for about 3 months in a small 1-bedroom apartment. I was still new to his town. I was working 2 part-time jobs. One was in the drug and alcohol field which is what my background is in and the other was in dietary at a nursing home. He was working in the computer programming field at a bank. We were managing financially, but not really putting much into savings at all.

Today, we have been very happily married for 8 months. We are still in the same apartment, but have been house-hunting for a few months. I have a full-time job with good benefits. I work third shift as a nurse's aide at a state psych hospital. Of course, hours are not ideal, but I'm in a much better place than I was. A few weeks ago, I got accepted to graduate school for a Masters in Social Work program and I start in the fall! YAY!!! He works at the same place, but has since received a promotion. There is a good chance he could receive another one soon. Financially, we are in a much better spot and we've been able to put a lot more into savings. We went on a very nice belated honeymoon a few weeks ago to Niagara Falls and Toronto. God has definitely blessed us within this past year in a HUGE way!!!

In a year (plus a couple of months...August '14), I would like to follow through with our plan of starting to TTC! I hope to have a solid year of graduate school under my belt and to have earned a 4.0. I also hope that hubby gets that next promotion. Also, if we could have a house by then, that would be tremendous.

Can't wait to see what God has in store for us!!!

 

[RosieRosieP]

Great post!

This time last year we were about to celebrate our first honeymoon. Hubby had been having some difficulties at work which were affected our relationship. I finally got him to take some time away from work which meant one wage, never ending bills and a house which was crumbling around us and the possibility of having to cancel our dream trip to America. Ps we never did celebrate our anniversary.

Today hubby is in a new job which he loves and due to seeking legal advice about his former employer and a bit of luck elsewhere we are still going to America and have some money to do the larger bits of work to our home. Our relationship is stronger than ever and best yet this weekend we are celebrating our first and second anniversary