Make ends meet

...I should stop outspending my means!

...that come in financial form: I can cash my cheque from my roommate today! That means there’s going to be a huge chunk of money to pay the bills with. Who knew!?

...pay my phone bill. So, I’m not doing as well in this goal as I hoped. However, lots of things are changing in my financial world, so I may be able to get my ducks in a row. I’m not super worried, but I want to be responsible as possible.

...my roommate looked over my shoulder as I checked up on my 43things. This was the one goal that she mentioned. Her comment was that I must be making ends meet. I guess I have been for the past month. But that’s been because tips have been good and I’ve been working 40 hour weeks when I can. That said, I want to feel like I’ve made ends meet for a while. So, if I don’t need to panic and ask my Dad for money for a few more months, then we can say that I’ve succeeded at this one.

...to write the budget out and really look at how much money I make. If I know where it’s all going (and needs to go), maybe I can figure out how to make it go a little farther.

I want to learn how to clip the dog and how to make bread. Then I will be a super-money-saving-rockstar.

Aw yeah.

...then my world spins slowly and meagerly. Making ends meet is less about making more money and saving and having some sort of plan or any of that; and more in the sense of taking stock of my income and outflow and making them work. My job doesn’t pay much and my 6 month raise won’t be like my last job ($1.25). I know I really need to give some thought to a savings plan, or maybe even just balance my chequebook.

I want to have a good and simple life. I want to work and then enjoy the fruits of my labor. I get scared by the bills. I get angry about money and how I want to do simple, small things and can’t pay for them.

I live paycheque to paycheque. And I hate it.

But, with a little action and positive thinking, I’m pretty damned sure that I can accomplish my goal.

Any big waves and BAM! We will hit the rocks. But I don’t want the mister to go back to work, since that would mean the kiddo would have to go to childcare. It is hard, in this world, having to chose delayed gratification (maybe I can get that nifty new sewing machine next year) and doing without (eh, if I had cable I would probably never leave the house!) but at least we aren’t in a negative cashflow situation.