In early 2010 I attended the first of what would become an almost annual tradition of creating a vision board. I was somewhat surprised to see lots of elements “appear” on my board that had to do with food, cooking and hiking. There was one headline that really stood out that said “Eat Well, Eat Cheap”. At that point I was kind of on autopilot, just shopping like a normal person, at normal grocery stores, paying normal prices. And the many parks and natural spaces in my area? I was a stranger to them — though being closer to nature was one of the reasons we moved to this area I had not made getting out to visit them a priority. It would take years for the elements of that vision board to unfold and make sense to me.
In 2010 my husband and I were feeling the struggle of trying to rebound after the 2008 recession. My husband had the foresight to get out from under our big house on five acres, selling it in late 2007 before the worst of the recession hit. Though lucky to make that move, we still faced many challenges — family health challenges, both of us reinventing our careers, living in a small, old, rented house that was supposed to be temporary — “for six months” we had said… We ended up being there for more than six years before we felt financially strong enough to buy the house we’re in now — a 3 bedroom ranch on .18 acres.
All very humbling for a couple who a decade earlier owned a 3-bedroom home in Cincinnati, a condo in the Chicago Loop and a lake home in Northern Michigan between us. In 2000 I sold my house in Cincinnati (northern Kentucky, actually) to move to Chicago and get married a few years later. I remember then the shock of doing grocery shopping (and everything else too) compared to Cincinnati. I remember shopping at Whole Foods for “snacks” and dropping $70 for basically hummus, pita bread and I don’t recall what else, but nothing you could call a meal. Another time I shopped for items to make a simple dish — chicken mole — for us plus 3 dinner guests and spending $120 at Dominicks; I could carry all of the items in 2 very lightweight bags. Another time we went out to dinner on a Wednesday night and spend $300! We could “afford” it though, so why not? And what choice did we have anyway.
The night of September 11, 2001 living (and working) in the Chicago Loop didn’t feel safe to us, yet the Michigan lake house up north was too far away as a viable solution so we headed to southwest Michigan for the night where some friends offered us welcome. Driving there, as we passed through northwest Indiana, I remember seeing a coyote in the highway median. That coyote sighting comforted and intrigued me — he seemed safe and comfortable here, finding “enough” nature to survive well, even in close proximity to traffic and not all that far from Chicago. It planted a seed of possibility for me — what if we could find a home here too?
In 2002 we moved to Valparaiso, Indiana right before the 4th of July — Indepence Day. Would this move offer us a chance to create financial independence on our own terms? I sure hoped so. Twenty years later, this place still feels more like home than any place else I’ve lived before. It’s partly about the place, partly about the people, partly the pace but mostly the whole ecosystem I’ve discovered that makes me love it here.
I remember my first trip to the grocery store in my new hometown. I had filled my cart completely, as we hadn’t moved any food items with us. Prepared for a Chicago-price total I was nearly giddy when the cashier told me I owed $70! I nearly danced back to my vehicle, I was that happy.
As I write this, it’s May 2022, almost twenty years since we moved to Indiana. We are now experiencing the highest rates of inflation since the 1970’s when I was just a kid. However, if anything, my food costs are lower now than two decades ago. I hope some of what I share will help you get relief from whatever financial challenges you might be facing. And still eat incredibly well, I might add!