Important Programming Note: Well, I guess I have hit the big time.   My little blog has a guest post for you today, just like those professional bloggers do when they want to take the day off.  Although, my guest blogger is my husband  which I suppose slightly diminishes my “big time” claim.  But, I do love this post for a couple of reasons.  I appreciate that he took the time to write it and I like that the last paragraph sounds like I’m getting some sort of meritorious service award.  And really, who doesn’t want one of those?

Day 210

Trigger- Guest Blogger

I am honored to write this guest post for my wife’s Simple Year blog.  As most the readers of this blog know, I have recently returned from a deployment to Afghanistan.  The most popular question asked of my wife by family, friends, and readers of this blog is, what are you going to do about the simple year endeavor now that your husband is home?

I have chosen to field this question since it directly relates to me.  And, the answer is easy. We will not do anything different.  In other words, I am “all in” on this endeavor and we will complete this simple year as a family on a united front.  I firmly believe and support the concept and look forward to taking part in the continued learning experience.  If my wife and kids have been able to do this for 6 months, there is no reason I can’t too.

Now having said that, while away from my family I created a short mental list of items that I wanted to purchase or “treat” myself to once I returned to the U.S.  Given my full support for the Simple Year, I have had to re-think some of my desired items.  First on my list, was a laptop computer.  The one I took with me on my deployment was a 2005 brick that barely worked.  I decided it was time to upgrade before the computer decided to completely stop working.

After some quick research, I have discovered that there are plenty of used/re-furbished laptops out there which are less than a year or two old.  I presume this is a product of individuals who always want to have the latest and greatest technology, to include the most recently released laptop.  So, I will have no problem getting myself a used laptop.  Besides, it seems to me that most individuals buy new stuff just because they want to be seen with the “latest and greatest” but won’t ever use most of the “new” features associated with the purchase.  I probably fall into this category, at least somewhat.

Now, a few simple observations 

First, I have found it fairly amazing how my family has adapted to the simple year concept.   My kids for example, get excited by the product not necessarily the newness of the item.  Case in point, my wife recently purchased my oldest daughter a “new” bike because she had outgrown her old one but, of course, the bike was used.  It was in great condition and my daughter couldn’t tell the difference.  She was excited to have a “new,” although perhaps “different” is a better word, bike.  Second, I have noticed that the kids don’t ask for nearly as much stuff because they have accepted the fact that we are not going to buy it for them.  Finally, it is obvious that we are spending much less money, a nice second order effect.

In closing, I wish to commend my wife for all her efforts with this BLOG and the overall Simple Year project.  She has managed to stick to this effort and write at least three posts a week, all while functioning as a single parent and working a 20+ hour a week job for the last seven months.  Her dedication has simply been impressive.