Money Woes
Who doesn't sing this song during at least one dismal time in their life?
Well for me it seems to be the recurring soundtrack for every aspect and time in my life. Woes. and more woes. I can't say I can be bothered with it to really be sad or upset about it but i certainly feel constraints that are uncomfortable very very often. i'm not starving, i'm not cold and miserable (well i am cold and miserable but that is because i work in an office with people who have no sense of feeling and think that air conditioning must bring the office to winter temperatures at all times), i have clothes, and my basic necessities are met. Please be aware, that i am aware, and there is just lots of awareness all around, that my "woes" are not that serious.
but you know what IS serious??
my loans.
My very large loans.
Soooooo many loans.
WHO GAVE ME THIS MUCH MONEY!?
seriously. it's serious.
my new goal is to budget for real.
FER reals.
i'm like everyone. I budget all the time....
"budget" you know?
like-
"i can't spend so much money on eating out" (-$0)
"except for today because i promised so-and-so i'd meet up with them since 2 weeks ago" (-$30)
"but i'm SOOOOO hungry and there's nothing in the house" (-$20)
"i bet my mom would really like this, plus we said we'd try it forever ago.." (-$25)
"and then..." (-$15)
"and then..." (-$25)
"and theeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnn" (-$5)
NO AND THEN!!
NO AND THEN NO AND THEN!
NO MORE!
so yeah. Budget.
how'm i gonna do all of this awesomizing you ask?
WELL.........................
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| i feel like one of those "I've changed. I walk with Jesus now" people |
it's the handiest thing i've had in a VERY long time.
i can't tell you everything about it except that it is ridiculously easy (though i'm working through a few quirks it has) and the best thing is that i can see all of the money in my life in one go.
ALL OF THE RED THAT IS~!! (from my loans... you know...)
but you can set goals and BUDGET and blahty blahty blah which is just starting to be offered by one of my banks and sucks at my other banks. Mint is easy to use and easy on the eyes... look at that cool mint green.... tehehehe.
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| no really, let's look at the sexy cool mint green logo one more time.. |
anyhow, that's what's up. with Mint in hand, and a mint mojito in my other hand (homemade of course with free ice, and free mint, and some serious bargain booze to fit inside my crisp new budget), i'm gonna be debt free in 38 years!!!!!!
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| i will drink to that! NOMS indeed this lovely photo from http://lovelyindeed.com/ |
you scoff at my 38 years but that is fantasmic compared to the 46... because that's how long it would take me to get rid of my debt otherwise... or some OTHER ridiculous number close to half a century... aka the rest of my active life.
But really though, it's less about the debt and more about how to maneuver a very fulfilling life without the unnecessary money leaks that seem to sprout up. everywhere. all. the. time.
So that's what i'm doin. Keeping myself in check.
and i think it's kind of working...
for a VERY minimal cost i've got:
1 gallon blueberry wine fermenting with frozen blueberries that were being wasted just sitting in the freezer.
($7) for gallon jug, airlock, yeast
1 gallon peach wine with this season's picked peaches brought to me by a dear friend
($6) for another gallon jug, siphon hose
2 gallons kombucha brewing with left over tea from my business
($3) for bottle of kombucha for starter SCOBY that i grew myself - for perspective, it costs anywhere between $11.99 from culturesforhealth.com to $24.88 from kombuchakamp.com or $26.97 on sale from $31.91 at getkombucha.com. One $3 bottle of brewed kombucha and two weeks of waiting later, i had a super rich and healthy SCOBY ready to mass produce some delish Booch.
1 gallon worth of kombucha bottled in assorted recycled glass bottles with various fruits grown by me and by local farmers, fermenting a second time to make it all a fizzy fruity bottle of probiotic goodness.
($0)
a wood box shelf in my room for extra storage
($0) pilfered from the side of a local restaurant in a pile for garbage
more wood to make shelving for storage around the house
($0) broken down pallets acquired for freeness from various places around town
solid wood two drawer night stand to be refurb-ed
($13) $8 for the night stand, $3 for half a gallon of oops paint from home depot, and $2 for the trim i'm going to use to jazz up the drawers.
what else what else what else?
What i figure is this.
the plan of action must be:
keep my head down,
keep my projects going,
keep being the recluse that i'm famous for being sometimes,
keep saying no to invitations out for beers and for this and for that and for what-have-yous all over town, and
keep my money on a tight leash with a pinch collar.
because my motorcycle isn't gonna just buy itself and come home to me :P
