100th post / We just paid off our house!

This is a 2 for 1 celebratory post – the title says it all!

I started this blog a year and a half ago, largely inspired by Micah’s blog, Neutrois Nonsense to start writing my own story.  When I started testosterone, I was overly concerned with the physical changes, and I couldn’t find an answer to my question anywhere.  That question:  is it possible to be on T long-term, at a dose high enough to make a difference yet low enough to not induce physical changes?

The answer, I’ve found out through personal experience, is YES.  Of course everyone is different, but this is a great option for non-binary people who feel more-or-less OK with their appearance yet feel like something is off, something about their world might be improvable.  Testosterone could be that thing that makes a world of difference.  It was for me.

To celebrate my 100th post, here’s an excerpt of some jottings-down I did before starting this blog:
“I wanna start a blog.  I already have a name for it and an address on WordPress.  But I have yet to make my first entry.  I suppose I’m unsure of how to approach it.  I want it to be attractive and interesting to others.  I want it to be long lasting.  I wanna keep coming up with things to say, but as of now, I can’t envision that.  It’s just one step at a time though – I shouldn’t worry about mapping the entire project out…”

And that’s how it’s been.  I don’t have a backlog of ideas or drafts started.  I just take it week by week, and see what’s out there (or just in my head) to write about.  So far this has worked out for me.  There is very little pre-planning.  I don’t think it’d be sustainable, personally, if there were.  I am obsessive by nature, and this is one of the few things that I’m not stressing out about.  That’s why it works.

Like the title suggests, I’m also celebrating having paid off our mortgage!  I bought this house we live in 8 years ago, and now we own own it.  Feels good!  How did we do this on two working-class salaries?  It wasn’t through help from anyone or an inheritance or lottery win.  It was through prioritizing, saving, and strategizing.

1.  We live in a city with a low cost of living:  One of the reasons I like where I live is that things are affordable.  I don’t make much money, but it feels like my money goes far.

2.  I am a cheapskate:  This is, honestly, the biggest factor in having been able to save so much, and it’s just part of my nature.  I don’t tend to buy a lot of new stuff.  I get clothes from thrift stores, mostly.  We don’t go out to eat a whole lot – my partner mainly cooks at home.  We don’t go out to bars or coffee shops all that much, unless it’s to socialize.  Socializing at other peoples’ homes is so much better anyway!  Coffee, tea, beer, etc. is so much cheaper in-house.  You can, in fact have really high quality coffee, tea, beer, etc. at home if you avoid stopping at Dunkin’ Donuts daily.

3.  We lived with housemates for years:  From the time I bought the house, to just a year ago, we always lived with 2 other people.  Those people changed over the years; it really helped aid in a sense of community with others, and also financially.  We would have group outings and dinners once in a while.  We did a holiday photo and newsletter every year.  We hosted a Kraftnite every Sunday evening.  I wouldn’t trade in those experiences for anything.  At the same time though, it’d be so tough to go back!  Now that it’s been just my partner and me for a year, I feel spoiled.  It’s nice to feel like we have the house to ourselves.  It helped us pay down the mortgage all that much quicker.

In addition, my partner is learning how to drive, and she just purchased a car.  We are entering “adulthood” like never before, lately.  I cannot wait to be a passenger in her car!  (I kinda dislike driving.)