what could you live without?

Tim and I watch HGTV a lot. We love the house hunter and fixer-upper shows. We learn a lot about what to look for in a house and we learn a lot about how spoiled we are on this continent. I can't tell you how many times I hear the following phrases: "What type of countertop is this? It's not granite. I want granite." Or "The appliances don't match." Or "I want stainless steel." Or "You call this a closet!" Blah...blah..blah. I think it is interesting what people say they CAN'T live without. There have been moments in my life when I have fallen in that mind frame mostly because I have grown accustomed to what I currently have, but let me tell you...it is possible to live without a few luxuries. I witnessed it first hand in Argentina and whenever I feel like complaining about what I don't have, I think of the happiest people I knew there and they didn't have those things either. They wouldn't dream of it. Currently, Tim and I share a closet that measures approximately 2'8" x 2'9". We don't have a garbage disposal or a dishwasher. Washing dishes is interesting because if I don't completely scrape all the food off the plate before it enters the sink, the sink stops up. We have already used 1/2 a bottle of Drain-O. We downsized considerably from our Provo rental, but we are only sending 6 boxes and a few big items to Tim's parents because we don't have any storage. We only have one closet outside of the three bedrooms. But it is liveable. We just have to live without a few things.

Before coming to Peoria, I had the worst attitude about the house. Our owner sent us pictures of the place, and I wanted to back out of the contract immediately. I complained to Tim and rolled my eyes at him every time he tried to remind that we were saving a lot of money each month. However, I've changed my mind since living in this house. I feel like we are exactly where we are supposed to be. What could you live without? Or what do you live without?