So I recommend the enjoyment of life, for there is nothing better on earth for a person to do except to eat, drink, and enjoy life. So joy will accompany him in his toil during the days of his life which God gives him on earth.
Today being the Fourth of July, the birthday of our country, I thought it’d be an appropriate day to begin a journey. This journey will not be undertaken alone - my wife is my copilot, my son my first mate, and as always, God is our guide.
On our way back from picking Leonard up from a visit with his grandparents in Missouri, my wife Jen and I got to chatting. The boy passed out in the back seat, giving us some quality alone time. Something I’ve always appreciated about Jen is that we can chat for hours about anything from the gross iniquities of big pharma, to the ridiculosity of the 2016 electoral candidates, to our childhood memories, and still find delight in each other’s company. As we sailed through the eternal wheat fields of Kansas, we wandered into a discussion of our plans for the future.
Let’s go camping! It’s such great family bonding time, and will give Len memories to last a lifetime. Let’s get into gymnastics! It creates such good kinesthetic awareness and body control, and has great strength and postural benefits. Let’s get into hunting! We can feed our family so much cheaper if we eat hunt to table, and how great would it be for Len and me to experience those misty early mornings, waiting quietly in our tree stand? Let’s get into farming! Let’s start landscaping, let’s eat keto, let’s learn auto maintenance! Our minds were reeling with all the... all the THINGS we wanted to do and try and experience!
But the thing about all these things is... they’re expensive. Living in Colorado, we’ve already had our fair share of paying out the nose to get into activities like rock climbing and snowboarding. Granted, we purchased all used equipment and bargain-hunted for the best bang-for-your-buck passes and gym memberships, but to a young family, just getting our start in life, living on junior military officer pay, even trying our hand at something like camping is an ordeal, one to be thoroughly researched, planned for, and budgeted for.
That’s when inspiration struck! We’re doing all this research, finding the best equipment for the lowest price, cutting costs where we can... why don’t we document this? Maybe all our blood, sweat, and googling can benefit some college student looking for a hobby, or other similarly budget-minded people who just want to dip their toes into an experience. Hopefully, our readers can learn from our mistakes, duplicate our triumphs, and share our joy in exploring all the things this life has to offer.
So thank you for joining us as we take this first step! We have begun our foray into the world of camping, with a generous grant from Grandpa Dan, and we will be uploading our lessons learned and first experiences soon.
An important disclaimer - the title is tongue in cheek, and we are very grateful for all that we’ve been blessed with. We understand that people who are truly broke are dealing with struggles on a completely different level, and we sincerely pray that they find the help they need. The purpose of this effort is simply to share our journey and any wisdom to be gained from walking in our frugal shoes.
