I was born in a blue-collar community near Portland, Oregon called Gresham. The majority of my childhood was spent in a house my parents purchased in 1979 for $65k that they still live in to this day. The legacy of my grandparents growing up during the depression left an indelible effect on my childhood.

While we were not destitute, we never spent a single dime that was not absolutely necessary. My father purchased used vehicles and went to extensive efforts to keep them running for 10, 20 or even 30 years. The benefit of this frugality was that my sister and I were able to go through junior college and complete our undergraduate studies at Portland State University with no student loans.

           | If you also grew up in a family that stretched their nickels, please reach out … I would love to compare our stories

My father was drafted into the Army shortly after completing his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. After being shipped off to Vietnam for 365 days as an aircraft mechanic, he returned to discover that his degree was no longer favorably viewed by engineering firms, rendering it functionally obsolete.

From this point, he engaged in work with a local construction company where he met my Mother, who was born in Prosser, Washington and spent her childhood traveling between small towns in the Pacific Northwest where her father worked installing electrical lines.

Their life was disrupted when my Father was terminated from his job on the same day when he had planned to propose to my Mother. They decided to go forward anyway, lived frugally while attending the community college and my Father eventually found employment with the City of Portland where he would spend the remainder of his career.

| The big thing I learned from my Father was that there is always a way.  He found his way by tightly controlling his expenses.  I know others who have found ways to dramatically boost their income.  No matter what happens in our lives, I believe that there is always a way to recover and thrive.

This brings us to my current family. My wife works at a technology company on the other side of town and my son & daughter both attend a private religious school that is a half-hour away from our house.

Our daughter is active in the dance team for her school and our Son is active in Scouts BSA.  These activities spawn a continual sequence of competitions, events, meetings, and practices.  The parent in me knows that I will never get this time with my kids back and that I need to treasure every moment.

In addition to all of this, our house is on 3 acres that need to be managed & maintained. In addition to this, we have two dogs, two cats and eight chickens as part of our extended family. I serve on the board of Elders in my church congregation, am the Committee Chair for my son’s Scout Troop, and am active in the Newberg Rotary organization.

| As you can see, our degree of family activity is so high that it borders on insanity.  If you have a similarly crazy schedule, I would love to connect and compare stories.