Where a home of their own is an elusive dream

Just one credit card: for gas
The family’s only credit card is used for gasoline, and is paid off each month. Their debts include $17,000 in student loans from when Dale attended a year of technical school, $9,500 owed on their nearly new Toyota Corolla and an $8,000 IOU to Darby’s mom for a car that no longer runs.

They only recently bought a second working car, a $1,400 used SUV in a deal from an acquaintance that was too good to pass up. Their days off are staggered, helping to keep child care expenses as low as possible.

Their home is neat and clean, with plenty of toys for the girls, but it’s clear  they are not running up charge accounts at Circuit City and Levitz. In the living room, a couch with a worn blue slipcover is flanked by a well-used rocker and a newer recliner. The entertainment center sports a television and other electronic equipment that are modest by today’s standards.

The frugal lifestyle suits Dale. “I get more out of advancing in my job than buying things,” he says. “I get more fulfillment out of playing with my girls.”

It’s harder for Darby, who had a solid middle-class childhood. “I like going out and buying things,” she admits.

“I’m looking at five years, that’s my goal,” says Dale. He thinks a nest egg of $25,000 to $30,000 that they hope to have by then and an increase in their salaries will get them into a home of their own.  “We’re better off now than we were six months ago and better off six months ago than we were 18 months ago. Attitude is everything.”

But to Darby the goal sometimes seems as lofty as the summit of 14,411-foot Mount Rainier, which looms in the distance on clear days. They save a bit, then an unexpected expense pops up. They have no retirement savings and Dale says the girls will need to pay for college if they decide to go.

“I’m not as optimistic as Dale is about saving,” she says. “Yeah, we’re making more money, but we’re still not saving much at all.”

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