Why Do I Coupon? Because My Life is a Lifetime Movie

I have been asked, “Why did you start couponing?”

The answer…

My Life is a Lifetime Movie

… seriously. So, when drama happens you do whatever it takes to make ends meet and get through it.

Can you relate? I’m sure you can! In the comments tell us how your life has been like a Lifetime Movie too. Have tough times led you to become a Thrifty Diva?

I certainly didn’t expect this drama. Falling in love seemed easy enough. We were compatible, crazy about each other, and had the same goals and beliefs. And after I had spent 7 years suffering from debilitating pain from an incurable illness, to finally have my health improving and to find love, I thought my life had finally turned around. If I only knew…

My husband had a hard time with his parents, they didn’t want to let go of their youngest even though he was in his mid-20s. They did not approve of our marriage. He then moved 1400 miles away to establish his independence and seek out a career. Not long after we ran off and got married without them even knowing. Let’s just say when we did call them and told them the news the next few years were rocky. Thank goodness for the distance!

Newlywed bliss is a myth. As if the family drama were not stressful enough, my husband’s job was cut and I was struggling to find one after moving. We got by on what work we could find, but we were definitely the working poor. We couldn’t even afford health insurance.

Then tragically my brother died in the military. While we were at his funeral a category 2 hurricane hit out hometown. When it was time to go home we weren’t sure if we’d even have a home to go home to. In fact, the airport back home didn’t even reopen until our plane was set to leave for it. Fortunately our apartment survived, but 2 weeks without electricity to live through made an already heartbreaking time even more challenging.

I was sick on our 1st anniversary, though soon after became severely ill. Being as poor as we were, we had to rely on state funded healthcare and I ended up in an ER where 20 people were crammed in one room so close you could reach the other patients from your gurney. Everyone shared 1 dirty little bathroom, which considering my symptoms was a terrible situation. 3 of the patients were prisoners each chained to their bed. My husband could only visit me for 15 minutes out of every 2 hours because the room was too small to keep visitors. I overheard the doctors talking about my tests and one said they found something but the main doctor brushed it off saying it was a small sample and I should just take more over the counter medicine and I’d be fine. After 12 hours on an IV, they sent me home with that advice.

I did not get better. I only got worse. But after such a horrific hospital experience I refused to go back. My poor husband was terrified. He called a local friend for help and she advised him to take me to a real hospital and file uninsured and set up a payment plan. So my husband talked me into going to the hospital because he feared I would die at home.

Good thing we went to a real hospital. Sure enough, I had a life threatening bacterial infection and was in desperate need of medical intervention. And remember the doctor that advised I take more over the counter medication? It was only making the problem worse because it prevents the bacteria from leaving my body and had I taken as much as he’d recommended I would’ve died. I spent a week in the hospital and months recovering.

But that wasn’t all… while I was in the hospital a hormonal growth was discovered in my body that would make pregnancy life threatening. But without insurance, and not trusting “free” healthcare, there was nothing we could do about it other than prevent pregnancy in the meantime.

Thanks to the recession it was beyond challenging to progress. I worked hard in my job and with time and effort moved up, but it was years before I was able to get health insurance and get past those pre-existing condition waiting periods. Meanwhile, my husband worked hard but wasn’t getting anywhere. We decided it was time for him to do the unpaid internship that would almost certainly guarantee a job. 6 months later, and right after he finished his internship, massive lay-offs were announced. It was devastating to invest so much into his career to wind up empty handed.

I sure hope that was the climax of my Lifetime Movie story because lately things have been looking up and I’d really like some good times!  We moved back to where we are both originally from, we set some boundaries and we now have pretty good family relationships (forgiveness is a beautiful thing), and though it took another year, through temping my husband did find his way into a new career in which we hope will lead to much success. I’ve continued to work too and that’s going well.

Though it’s not all been easy… this year I got sick again with that same life threatening infection. With insurance I was able to get the necessary care much faster. The silver lining: even though I was still in the waiting period for pre-existing conditions I was able to coincidentally get that follow-up check-up on that growth because of the location of the infection. Miraculously the growth is gone. That has been known to happen with these growths, rare, but can indeed happen. I’ll gladly take the miracle and I’m hoping that maybe… just maybe… to finally get to my “Happily Ever After.” But then again… if my life is a Lifetime Movie… no doubt there will be more twists and surprises to come. I’d better enjoy the momentary reprieve.

Sweepstakes

Now that you’re thinking about how your life is like a Lifetime Movie, the question is, “What would you call it?” Give your response in the Lifetime Sweepstakes and you’ll be entered to win $1,000.

Tell Us:

How is your life like a Lifetime Movie? Have tough times lead you to become a Thrifty Diva?