A New Job

Just when I was feeling uninspired, I was offered a job. Mind you, it's a temp job, mindless and unexciting...but a job nonetheless. Something to fill in the gaps and gets some bills paid while I look for a "real" job. I can't say I'm really looking forward to it...I start Monday....but I am thankful that the opportunity is there and that the details all fell into place, with not much effort on my part, I must say. At the end of the six weeks, we should be able to pay off some debt that has been really bothering us. Hooray!

Requisite One-Step-Forward-Two-Steps-Back Post

Well, there you have it. This morning I managed to undo any progress I was making by getting a parking ticket, on a street I park on ALL THE TIME. I think last time I got a parking ticket was in college...well, on this occassion, I guess I overstayed my welcome, which lasted 2 1/2 hours, rather than the 2 the sign allowed. The silver lining, if there is one, is that the fine was only $15 and will be reduced to $10 if I pay it within 72 hours. Not the end of the world, but not great, either. So, without further ado...Step 3: don't sabotage your successes by making dumb mistakes.

Day Two

On Tuesdays, I go to my kids' school to eat lunch with them. I noticed before I left that the computer was on and after considering the fact that no one would be home for a couple of hours, decided, maybe I could save some energy. I switched the monitor off and vowed to look into the age-old question, which is this: does it use more energy to shut the actual computer down and turn it back on later in the day, or to just leave it running?
(I should note some things we've already implemented recently that are fairly typical but worth noting: turning lights off in rooms we're not using, opening the windows and turning off the A/C when it's bearable, and running the washer and dryer on their energy-saving modes.) And so, the tip you've probably read in every "frugal" book, website, magazine, etc., Step 2: Save energy to save money.

Here We Go Now

Yesterday, I implemented my first small change toward financial freedom. Most people out there are probably familiar with Dave Ramsey's envelope system. I'd read about it and even attempted various versions of it in the past, but never very consistently. But after a somewhat major panic attack this past Sunday night, I realized that it was now or never. It was finally time to get serious about our family's finances. You see, we have enormous debt. The good news is, we don't use credit at all and haven't for awhile now. But...the debt we have left over from our early married days is overwhelming. It seeps into every crevice of our otherwise happy life. We need to do something about it and we are going to do something about it. That's for sure.
I decided Step 1 would be to start paying cash for things....placing money in various envelopes for things like food, clothing, haircuts, entertainment, etc. Gasoline, we decided, would remain pay-at-the-pump, due to the impracticality of unbuckling children to venture into the gas station. Bills, as well, tend to be paid online, over the phone, or with a check. For everything else, though, envelopes. So, it being grocery day, I drove to the bank, walked inside the bank, went up to the teller, wrote my check, and received my cash. It felt kind of like the 50's...or what I imagine the 50's felt like. This might be the norm for you...but I can probably count on one hand how many times I've done this in my adult life. The ATM or the drive-through window would've worked just as well, but I decided if I was going to do it, I was going to go whole hog. I must also admit, on this occasion, I didn't actually put the money into a bona fide envelope, but I did pay cash for my groceries, and I couldn't believe how much more careful I was about what went into my cart. Every dollar was accounted for, using a simple tally on my grocery list. I knew near the last aisle that I would go a little bit over, but since I had started out with a budget much lower than usual, I still came out under what we would've normally spent. Next week, I will be more realistic with how much $ I withdraw and I hope to report that I stayed within my limit.