A budget drives your dollar further….

I’m in the process of trying to change my way of thinking. It’s hard, especially when this way of thinking centre’s primarily on my financial habits. Being an Aquarius (blame lies on my star sign), I tend to be very giving and pretty unstressed about spending money… I don’t have a current working budget (I just throw figures around in my head), I wouldn’t even know how to start a really good one. I don’t "think before I spend" (generally), unless I am where I am now… down to my last $30 that has to last me until Thursday. This trend became even more common after this job came around… good quantities of cash helped Vanessa be far too liberal with the spending and the sheer availability of cash was not a good thing. So I started not carrying it around with me (depositing it my bank account wouldn’t work, I have a card that gives me instant access to all funds) in the hope that if I didn’t have it on my person I wouldn’t spend it. Hmmmm to an extent this worked, but not well enough. Granted, this job also allowed me to pay off bills and buy a few ‘much needed’ pieces of furniture that our house had to have (ie: a dining table!) but I should have been able to save more. Instead I am gripped by sales and despite being a bargain shopper for almost anything, I tend to go to excess when there is a bargain thus eliminating every good thing about that type of shopping in the first place. So I’ve starting by joining this website: http://www.simplesavings.com.au If you ever wanted to learn how to be frugal and save on all sorts of things then this is the place to go! I now have to create a workable budget and change my spending habits. They have tips on just about everything so I’m trying to adopt this way of thinking. I want to save money! I want to have a backup plan so that I’m not left broke when I can’t work (due to clinical rounds or school vacations) like I am now. Both Mike and my cars are unregistered as of yesterday because we don’t have the $500 odd dollars per car. My phone bill (or part thereof) is due on the 30th September and I still haven’t paid ‘all’ of my rent. Worried? A little bit. Granted, my boss still owes me $800 (from the shifts I worked prior to her leaving for Queensland) and I will use that towards some bills, but you know… I just don’t have a backup plan! Anyway, I know everyone has their good ideas for budgeting out there so if you have an especially good tip… lay it on for me.

On another front. I have a friend. A very dear friend. Almost a best friend I guess you could say. A friend I can talk to about anything. A friend who can tell me anything. A friend I adore. A friend I love dearly. A friend I would do anything for.

But all is not quite as well as it seems. My friend is stuck between the proverbial "rock and hard place." I’d like to help but find that I can’t. I’m helpless. She’s helpless and so together we just have to say "what if…" and plan for the future. It’s very very frustrating.

Ho-Hum. I have Sarah’s sons’ birthday party this morning. I’m not overly keen about going especially with all the crap that has been going on… I’ll be even less enthusiastic if her dippy mother is there. I’m really very angry and frustrated about the whole situation and if she thinks for one second that I’m going to sit there and listen to her rant she has another thing coming. Of course the opposite could happen, she mightn’t talk to me… I haven’t really contemplated this scenario… and I don’t think it’s realistic since she does talk a lot… hmph. I’m just not in the vogue to go… I’m not going to apologise for something that wasn’t my fault! Anyhoo… I’m not going to prevent my children from going so I’ll slink along.

It’s a really lovely day today… sun is shining and it’s warm! Ohhhhhhh spring is here *dances* and I love it! I mean, yes, it still rains but it means that summer is just one lil step closer and that is sooooooo awesome!

I’m off to get ready for this kid’s party.

Chat to you all later!~

Vee