How does it happen??

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-20-2004
How does it happen??
4
Thu, 06-23-2005 - 9:17am
You know, no matter how much money you make, it is never enough?? I mean I'm putting myself on a guilt trip for not spending $800 on plane tickest so dd and I can go and see my great aunt in FL (even though we were just down there in March) My girls missed a week of gymnastics (actually, I still haven't signed them up) because I did not want to charge the $110 fee. I can go pay cash now. I've contributed a hundred to my savings account this month...dh is contributing to his 401K finally. Things aren't that bad...its just that we are not money pits. I actually remember a day when $10 was a lot of money to me...now I go to the store and fork over $30 at a time...several times a week!!! Yesterday, for example I had to go to Wal-Mart for vacuum cleaner bags and cat food, a few other things, and I spent $28.20. Then I get home and have to have dh run out and get a printer cartridge because I was in the middle of printing something when it went. AARGH!! Another $32!!! I just hate that!!! I really need to find my Jerrold Mundis book. (maybe also get back to shopping once a week, twice tops. Well, there is a week left until payday (then dh and I both get paid.) I think I will spend some time coming up with a budget!! Imagine that!!! Heather, a bit discouraged, and I think stress out over the going back to school thing, too
Avatar for mymartes
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 06-23-2005 - 9:51am

Hang in there, girl. Take a deep breathe.

MYM

Avatar for cl_phocid
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 06-23-2005 - 10:04am
Hey there - a budget is a great idea!

All my best,
Danni

Avatar for cl_beckymk
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Thu, 06-23-2005 - 4:20pm

Another thought is to check out Mary Hunt and her "Freedom Account" - I *loved* it and it was starting to work for us too slowly (until we got whacked upside the head with a lay-off).


I'm notorious for getting zapped with those "unexpected expected expenses"

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-17-2004
Fri, 06-24-2005 - 12:24pm

I finally saved up money to pay for a financial analyst, and in 6 months, she's totally restructured my debt (a single loan vs. 4 credit cards), helped me to increase my credit rating, has me on 2 retirement accounts (a Roth and 401k) and 2 savings accounts, one of which is automatically debited from my account and I don't have immediate access to. She's also created my budget, had me schedule all automatic payments for my bills and debt, and after all that, whatever is left is all I have to live on, but it seems to be a helluva lot more than I realized and now I'm sleeping at night and I feel in complete control of my financial future. I've got long-term savings, short-term savings, debt repayment, bill payment, and money for incidentals.

The key is to pay yourself first. There's a whole philsophy behind what that means, but it can be done whether you make $17,000 a year or $100,000.

My current debt total is $32,000 on a single loan rather than spread across 4 credit cards. Instead of spending $1200 a month, I'm now only spending $800 and I have money for savings and groceries. If your credit is bad and you can't get a loan, take a year and pay everything on time and reapply--that's what I did, and surprisingly, I was approved for the loan. If you take it a day at a time and really create some discipline, over a few months, you really start to see that you're very much in control and it's actually fun to make progress. I have no problem going to Target now, because when I "pay myself first" I don't buy the things I really don't need.

It's like financial buddhism, it's great. I'm still totally in debt, but I'm also saving for the future and living my life. If you can save 1% of your annual income, you can afford a financial analyst, that's the typical fee on an annual basis.

 

cl-carrotgirl70