How about, we all chip in and buy a huge piece of land and start our own development- Pixie Dust Meadows or something? Then, we can all build whatever house we can afford, drive whatever we want, take as many trips to Disney as we like and none of our neighbors will complain!
Cindy Bella, maybe you should go out and bring home something really awful (an ugly car, or -oh I don't know)- on loan or something - and then when she brings one home, you can take yours back!
We have the same problems you all do - I was a teacher when our first child was born and left to become a SAHM. Well, my parents (mom stayed home 'till we were in high school) just couldn't understand why I would WASTE all that money on my college degree (which, by the way, I paid for the last 3 years of). My husband and I made MANY sacrifices those first few years to enable me to be at home. We later opened our own plumbing company and things are easier now. But, still, whenever my parents come to visit (once a year, MAYBE), they have to comment about how we WASTE our money on Catholic school for our children, all the activities they're involved in, driving them everywhere, etc. My sister just had her first child and will be putting it in daycare 5 days a week for almost 11 hours a day because "they can't afford to do what we did." Ummmm, well, they could if her husband would stop buying all those neat computer gadgets, tvs, stereos, etc. and she'd stop buying tons of clothes etc. It's all about priorites.
My IL's don't complain about the school (dh went to private school), but anytime we buy a new car, go on vacation, whatever, my MIL makes little comments. She can't stand that we are very family-oriented - dh spends tons of time with the kids, we enjoy BEING together. She will say, you just WENT to - (Six Flag, Hershey Park - fill in the blank). My SIL is married to an *** who NEVER wants to be with his kids, but because he is LOADED, anything they do or have is wonderful.
We may not be as well off as they are, but we totally support ourselves with our own company, pay our bills, etc. So, why is it anyone's business how we chose to spend any extra money we have? UGGGHH -
Okay, I'll stop now. As my husband says, it's just beating a dead horse and in the end, we only have to worry about the 5 of us.
