nothing new
I don’t have much to say today. I am still cleaning up the mess I made when I didn’t properly account for anticipated expenses. I paid the bills which are due, I plan to pay off my share of the balance of my New Orleans trip, and what’s left should get me groceries and expenditures for the week. I didn’t spend any money over the weekend. I didn’t add to the My Own Home account. I didn’t contribute to the IRA. I just did what I needed to do to make sure things are paid for. Good news is that my next paycheck will include some overtime hours that I worked on Saturday. With my bills paid, I should be able to meet some of my savings goals, and I’ll have more money with which to do so.
I’m actually pretty bored with my financial situation. It’s the same thing with every week’s paycheck. Pay bills, save for retirement, save for the house, and leave money for groceries and incidentals. The only thing that makes making money any fun is the ability to put money in the My Own Home account and watch it grow. Since I didn’t do that after this past Thursday’s direct deposit, this week felt uneventful and stagnant. Could it be that I am addicted to perceived progress? That’s a little scary, because I don’t expect the project I’m working on to last past the end of this month. Surely I won’t make much progress when I’m unemployed. I hope I don’t get too discouraged and bored. (Then again, if anything, I won’t be bored because of the tightrope walk it will take to keep up with my expenses.) Guess we’ll see.
I think this is actually the toughest part of finance, and why other people people are easily taken in by “gurus” who are really hucksters: the good stuff that works gets pretty boring. It’s pay the bills, make sure there’s enough left over and that the leftovers go to the right place. Rinse. Repeat.
That’s why I read blogs. Other blogs give me ideas for what to do next, or remind me of other aspects of finance that I’ve forgotten, or just give me that extra kick of ooomph to keep on truckin’.
Comment by Msminiducky — May 12, 2008 @ 1:48 pm
I know what you mean about being bored with your packcheck. Half the fun is sussing out what goes where, but with the same amount each paycheck, it’s almost frustrating. I was thinking about getting a part time job to combat this feeling (with a little “surprise money”), but I’m not sure it’s the right way to go.
Comment by Sarah — May 23, 2008 @ 4:51 pm