Meet a Reader | Midwest Missy
Hello, friends! Today we are meeting a reader from the midwest, and she has a very green thumb. I think you're going to enjoy all her plant pictures. 🙂
Here's Missy:
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself
Hello! My name is Melissa (Missy) and I am in my 30s.
I live in the Midwest with my husband and 2 ½ year old daughter.
I have a degree in early childhood development and love my job as a nanny. I've been with the same child since he was 10 months, and he'll be 5 soon!
I love that I get to take my child to work every day and that she has a sibling-like relationship.
My husband and I met in high school; we married in 2014 but have been a couple since 2006! His parents immigrated here from Mexico before he was born. He works as an engineer in research and development.
2. How long have you been reading The Frugal Girl?
I have been reading The Frugal Girl going on two years now. I like that it's upbeat and helps me stay motivated to work on my finances.
3. How did you get interested in saving money?
I got interested in saving money because it was a challenge to pay for living expenses in college and the first few years after. I didn't want to always be struggling.
4. What's the why behind your money-saving efforts?
The why behind my money saving efforts is that I want to have financial security and freedom to live/work as I wish. I also want to teach my daughter to be financially literate.
5. What's your best frugal win?
My best frugal win is buying our house when we were 24.
I thought we were too young but if we had waited I don't think we would have ever managed it, because the housing market has exploded in our area.
When we bought prices were very reasonable; we got lucky.
6. What's your biggest money mistake?
Debt is my my biggest money mistake. If I could go back I would have gone to a community college and then transferred to a four year. It would have saved me a lot.
I've been working hard to put extra money towards my student loans every week.
7. What's something you splurge on?
We splurge on food! We always have lots of fresh produce.
Also, I love plants. We have a lot of indoor plants, and in the summer we plant lots of flowers.
We also have a large vegetable garden, and we planted raspberries and gooseberries when we moved in.
8. What's something you're not remotely tempted to splurge on?
I'm not interested in splurging on vehicles. I just want something safe and reliable.
I'm a homebody and nature lover so not much is spent on going out; I like taking my daughter to parks, scrapbooking, reading, and camping.
9. If $1000 was dropped into your lap today, what would you do with it?
If a 1000 was dropped in my lap today I would put it toward my student loans.
10. Share a frugal tip with other readers?
A frugal tip....hmmm people have already posted so many great ones. I guess don't be afraid to try and learn a new skill, such as sewing, appliance maintenance, gardening. You might fail at first but you'll feel so much pride when you do succeed. YouTube is a great resource.
Put your money towards what you value most and you won't feel like you are doing without.
Also don't be too hard on yourself when you get off track, I think it happens to a lot of us, just take a deep breath and keep trying.
11. Is there anything unique about frugal living in your area?
Something unique about frugal living in my area is there are lots of great parks you can walk to, and the zoo and botanical gardens are free.
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Missy, I think your job as a nanny is such a lovely way to meld motherhood and working! What a wonderful thing, to be able to bring in an income but also spend your days with your little cutie.
I resonated with what you said about buying at the right time; we bought our first house in early 2000, and the market exploded after that. If we hadn't bought then, we would have had such a tough time ever getting into the market.
And lastly: you should be very proud of your gardening skills. All those tomatoes! Wow.
Hi Missy! I did love those plant photos! Your impressive garden is making me even more impatient for spring.
@kristin @ going country, I was thinking the same thing! Looking out and seeing the snow and I just want to start planting.
This is my favorite sentence: "I also want to teach my daughter to be financially literate."
Managing money should be in every grade school and high school curriculum. And it would be even better if that skill was started at home. Kids pick up on everything adults do.
@Maria Zannini, I was lucky in that it was in my high school curriculum. The sad part is a lot of the kids in the class just slept through it. Hopefully a couple got something out of it.
Hi Missy,
Your interview was so fun and upbeat. I love your gardening, it looks like you rock at it.
I love that you get paid to be a nanny and can take your daughter to work with you. That sounds like a win-win-win.
Right? And I forgot to add too that she is saving money on daycare costs as well. So many upsides!
@Kristen, yes I feel so fortunate to have been able to meld motherhood and working!
What beautiful flowers! It’s nice to meet you. I’m glad that you entered the housing market early. It is getting harder for young adults to find an affordable starter home. That was a wise decision.
@Bee, exactly my opinion. When I bought ten years ago I commented to my parents that it was more difficult for me than when they got started. I can't imagine getting started now (at least where I live, anyway.)
I feel this too! Our first townhouse was a mere $107,000. You can't buy even a shack around here for that now, much less a decent townhouse.
The price of real estate has far exceeded the rate of inflation.
On the other hand, interest rates--for now--are quite low. I had a friend who was complaining what a low price his parents paid for a house in the 80s, when they paid 12% interest. 8% was considered a good rate when I bought my first place for $224,000 in 1995. That house recently sold for $450,000. 450K at 3.4% is about a $2000/month payment. 224K x 8% is about $1800 a month.
So--you can't just look at prices. Low interest rates send prices higher.
@Battra92, The market along the Florida coasts is reaching insanity. When a house goes up for sale, there are usually multiple offers within the first 12 hours. Most selling for tens of thousands over listing, and prices have double over the last 18 months. Sadly many of the starter homes are going to investors who can make all cash offers. This makes it super hard for young people who are trying to enter the market. You made a wise choice to buy young and at the bottom of the market.
Curious, is it like that elsewhere?
@Bee,
It’s like that where I am too, on Vancouver Island in Canada. Unfortunately I sold my last house because I’d bought it with my ex-husband and parents - I moved there so I could look after them in their final years - and after they died and we divorced I couldn’t afford to stay in the house. I thought I’d rent for a while and then get something smaller and more affordable. The market exploded and I think it’s more likely now that I will go to Mars than to ever be able to afford another house. We rent, and the cost of rent has more than doubled since 2012. (Two homes I rented sold so each time I moved there was a huge rent hike.) I’m now paying hundreds more to rent a three bedroom duplex than I was paying for that large mortgage on the six bedroom house with the rentable suite that I used to own with my parents and ex husband. It’s definitely not where I expected to be at this point in my life.
Sorry, I don’t know how or why this posted twice.
@Bee, where I live in Michigan, the scenario is very similar. My sister and BIL had a very hard time finding an affordable home for retirement a couple of years ago, and it hasn't improved since then. We live in a very modest house in a modest neighborhood, and these seem to be the homes that are selling like hotcakes. We've been contacted multiple times by real estate agents asking if we are interested in selling. It sounds tempting, TBH, but we don't know if we could find an affordable alternative to purchase.
Missy, glad to meet another midwesterner! Your pictures make me want summer to arrive. I enjoy winter .... until I don't .... and I've hit the "don't" part in the past week. 🙂
@Bee, Here in Southwestern Ontario the market for new buyers is out of reach. Multiple offers on houses and offers are at least $100,000.00 over asking if not more. Not a buyers market here.
@Bee, Here on the east coast living in a "hot" city my husband and I were ready to downsize from a traditional house to a ranch. After several years we finally got used to the idea that we would flip our house for a smaller ranch. By flip I mean no money gained.
Well apparently we are not alone because now there are bidding wars on all houses and ranches, with first floor bedrooms are the worse. Now we would have to lose money to downsize and like everyone we know have decided to stay put.
@Rose, Thanks for pointing that out and I'll add in wages. We bought in the 80s, our interest rate was 12% adjustable and before we were able to sell, it went to 15%!
Also, at the time 5% down was the minimum required to get a mortgage plus your closing costs, which in our area was about $10k total. And, for everyone who thinks this was so easy, our combined income was about $25k at the time (as a recent college grad, I was making a whopping $3.00 per hour.) Everything is relative. Not looking at all the metrics of history can give one a skewed image.
@Bobi, Thanks. Everyone thinks we oldsters (I'm Gen X) had it so easy.....uh, no?
That said, I did want to downsize last year for a simpler life...my buyers were overextended and couldn't get a mortgage, so I lost out on two houses I wanted. I decided to stay put. I love my current house but again, sometimes dream of downsizing. But the market here in the Hamptons is so tight there is quite literally no place for me to downsize to. Plus capital gains tax will kill me. I love my house and I know I'm lucky to live here but it can be a burden.
That said--the past few days, telling myself, we're safe, we have a place to live, we have enough to eat and no one is trying to kill us, has made me content and grateful. How dare I be discontent given my manifest advantages.
I'm a GenX too! 🙂
Hi, Missy nice to meet you!
Your gardens are truly impressive. In addition to teaching your daughter financial skills, she will have some serious gardening skills as well!
I can get discouraged when my DIY fails, I make an unwise purchase or my garden doesn't produce well, but you are right - take a deep breath and try again!
I love the picture of your daughter with the shovel so smart to get her interested early. That is my dream for my grandson. He loved picking my cherry tomatoes last year.
And that brings me to you tomatoe picture, it would be a good one to blow up and frame.
And nice to meet you seems like you have a lot of wisdom.
@karen, I bet your grandson loves gardening with you! What great memories you are making.
Wow, I am impressed with your house and garden plants Missy! They are gorgeous.
You are very right about learning new skills, and youtube is a great help. It is so convenient that you can pause an instruction while you are working and then start again when you have mastered a step!
Thanks for sharing. Beautiful photos. Beautiful daughter. You are truly blessed. Great advice.
Isn't she just so cute? It makes me miss when my girls were so small.
@Anita Isaac, I feel blessed! I try to appreciate each day and not take it for granted.
Ooooh, gooseberries! They're so delicious yet so little known in the US! I should plant a couple of them. I have a quarter acre yard, but there are two houses on it, a long driveway, plus a parking area, so not a ton of space but enough. And the fenced in yard along the main house is all shade because of a tree I occasionally think about chopping down but then feel guilty about.
Beautiful gardens, beautiful girl. And yes, I too lucked out with buying my house at the right time. I'm actually pretty good about choosing the right time to do something, such as getting pregnant or buying a house.
Nice to meet you fellow MIDWESTERNER. I covet my blog friend’s tomatoes!!! Lol
Missy, Thank you for sharing! I loved seeing all your pictures. I don't think I have ever tried gooseberries. What do they taste like?
@Beth B, they're like sour green grapes.
.. And very nice in a gooseberry pie! 🙂
Oh Kristen is right, your gardens are beautiful! You are very talented and must have put lots of work into them! Wow I hope ours get there someday, they are inspiring.
Kristin, Thank you for starting the Meet the Reader feature. These posts have replaced 5-Frugal Things as my favorite feature of The Frugal Girl.
It's great that you're focused on financial literacy with your daughter. It's such an essential life skill yet in many cases, not really discussed much.
And I agree with everybody that your pictures make me hungry for spring! (And tomatoes.) I love the big long windows in your house; that must help you pamper your houseplants. What a lovely childhood for your daughter!
Hi Missy! It's so fun to meet a fellow Midwesterner!
I love that you want your daughter to be financially literate. What an awesome thing to keep in mind.
I thought it was neat that you splurge on flowers. Especially since you like to be home, it sounds like they bring a lot of joy. In the past I've struggled to allocate the space and financial resources into planting flowers, but I'm leaning towards doing more this year. I will probably plant them in amongst my vegetables. I do love having fresh cut flowers in my house!
I have a question about your garden. It looks like you have a mix of things in boxes and things not in boxes. How do you decide what to put where? What do you keep in the boxes?
Missy, count me in among those having spring fever for gardening after admiring your lovely photos. And I used to grow a pretty good tomato crop myself (as illustrated in my own recent Meet a Reader), so I have a specific case of tomato envy! Do you have a deer problem (as many of us do), and if so, how do you deal with it?
@A. Marie, I am not in the Midwest, but where I live in California, people who garden generally build 10-12 ft. deer fences around their plots. This keeps a deer from coming in and nibbling.
What a lovely post. Your garden is beautiful, and your little girl in that bonnet is simply adorable. Thank you for sharing!
I am a hardcore gardener, and I am in awe of your tub of tomatoes!
I know, right? They are so beautiful, especially in that metal tub!
It is so smart to plant those things first which will take some time to begin producing and/or keep producing year after year. We've been here for almost 18 years, but we didn't plant asparagus until last year; why?!?! But I am looking forward to enjoying some next year.
Your photos make me look forward to the growing season. Beautiful.
Hello from a fellow Midwesterner! I really enjoyed your post and pictures (especially of your precious daughter). I love that you're emphasizing financial literacy with her. Your work arrangement is brilliant! Thank you for sharing your story with us.
Love the pics, Missy! Gorgeous plants. I've got some tomato seedlings that just sprouted and I am ready for gardening season!
Hello Missy! Your beautiful gardening photos make me want to go outside right now and dig in the dirt.
My youngest daughter and her husband are selling their condo in Northern VA in May. They bought it two and half years ago and it is worth over $100k more now. Good for them, bad for other young people trying to buy their first home. They are moving to a less expensive area but the market there is so hot that they will rent for at least a year instead of putting that equity to work right away.
I worry about all the college students who sign up for crazy amounts of debt without any financial counseling at all. It's a criminal racket.
Hi from the Midwest,
Your garden is amazing and your daughter is soo cute. I live in a city with a free zoo, art museum and botanical garden which is so nice to have. Thanks for the fun and upbeat post that made me hope spring will be here soon.
Love your annuals! I think petunias don't get the attention they deserve for color, spreading, and dependability.
Every spring, I fall for at least one exotically colored variety, (one named after a coffee drink that was sort of cream with white stripes, and one called something like pink lemonade that was yellow with pink edges), and by summer, after some squirrel or rabbit damage, I realize the classics are the best.
Thank you for sharing your story!
I meant the one was cream with small brown stripes.
Wow, Missy, great photos! Luscious produce, colorful flowers, adorable little girl in overflowing garden beds—this post is a feast for the eyes plus some great advice on frugality, too. Totally enjoyable, thanks!
Your Tuesday post (3/1) was there without a URL, and now it is not showing at all.