2006/09/05

Well, my fears of the flu were apparently unfounded, which is nice. I spent a few days feeling a bit achy and out of sorts, but yesterday I seemed to feel pretty much fine. Even my neck is clearing up or has cleared up (cautiously optimistic here), so that's good news as well.

Stressed about money (when aren't I?) but I have a solution in mind that I hope will work. Maybe. Who knows? Blargh. Well, if I want to increase my credit line limit, I can -- by adding 2.25% interest on the account. *sigh* I might still do it, but that just goes to show I really kinda suck at this money thing. I wonder if I can get my job back at the station?

This weekend would've been wonderful if the weather had been nicer. Friday night I hung out with GLR, and we tried to get some shopping done but were unsuccessful. At least, I was; he got a pair of pants at the GT Boutique. On Saturday I went out to my mom's store with Andrea to pick up supplies for her mitts, and I bought a pattern and some needles for a vest I'm going to make myself -- i.e., add another project that I won't finish on to the pile.

I'm making efforts to finish things though. And I'm trying to think of ways to adjust my money situation; seeing if the gym will put a hold on some of the payments I'm making would be a good start. Also writing them a snotty letter about the money that they didn't take from me would be a good idea, if long overdue. *sigh*

Argh. It sucks to be stressed on your first day back to work after a long weekend. Especially when you didn't sleep well for two nights prior to that. Sunday night I was out at Greg and Madeleine's place, and I decided to play some video games and crash on the couch when I came home -- I'd been washing all the bed clothes, including the mattress pad, and didn't feel like sleeping on the bare mattress. So the cats decided to amuse themselves at my expense all night. Venus kept playing with the garbage can I have behind the television, until I sprayed her at three in the morning, and Thena decided she loved me. That's great, but it's easier to avoid in a bed than a couch, especially when shortly after nine she decided to lay on top of me and stick her whiskers in my face and lick me. Yay.

I also picked up a new phone this weekend. I know that goes against all of my complaints about being broke, but my current phone is starting to wear out, and I got a good deal on this one (for the interested, a Nokia 6103). One advantage to being awake this early -- the websites I want to visit are finally not bogged down for a change.

Argh... this is frustrating. Maybe I should just cancel everything and live like a hermit. *sigh*

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

So let me get this straight. You are stressed about money. But you are buying patterns for a project you think likely you won't start for a while ("unfinished pile") and going shopping. And you are buying a new phone because the old was "starting to wear out" and you "got a good deal".

What you need, my dear, is a budget. Getting further into debt is not going to solve the problem; which sounds like you are living beyond your needs. This is nothing to beat yourself over the head with - you are in good company with the majority of Canadians (80% of all employees live paycheck to paycheck).

However, you now have a chance to fix this - it is much easier to get into healthy money habits when you are younger.

So do it. One advice thing that is often given out is to track everything you spend for at least a month. Classify what you NEED and what you WANT.

Consolidate all of your credit lines, debts and credit cards. Start paying them off. One good way to do this - pay the minimum balance on all, and more than the minimum on the smallest. Why? You will feel like you are accomplishing something. Bad spending habits take time to fix.

You should also put aside a certain amount a month into savings. Create an "emergency fund".

If you find that you are buying outside of your budget, try a cash only enforcement - take out the money you have budgeted in cash. Leave the rest of your plastic at home alone during the period you budgeted for.

And don't cut out all joys in your life for the sake of your finances or you will feel like you are a drudge.