There was a time in my life when I had a broken dustpan and could not afford to replace it. Living in the frugal-not-by-choice trenches was not particularly fun but there were some valuable lessons that I learned.
One day my dustpan broke. Cracked. I didn’t know what to do. I really needed a new dustpan but I didn’t have the money to buy one. My husband and I discussed putting it on the credit card- it was a real need after all! But we decided to wait until we actually had cash to do it.
I was on a tiny, strict budget and I really stuck to it. I sometimes look back and wonder how we managed to make it work and I honestly don’t know. We had so little. Being frugal-not-by-choice is a terrible situation to be in.
If you have ever been at a point where you feel so low and are cleaning your house with a broken dustpan, remember: there are other people out there who are struggling as well (in many ways). You are not alone. You are a hero.