My palms were sweaty...
My knees were weak...
My heart was racing a mile a minute...
My breath came short and fast...
My brain couldn't think clearly...
I knew was in for trouble...
No, I did not fall in love. That would have been too wonderful.
I was staring at yet another bank notice email: ISF Notice!!! AGAIN?! I thought I already went through this last month! And I just got paid yesterday! "How could this be?!" I wondered aloud to myself. It took everything in me to go to my online bank statement and face the impending doom that awaited me...
I hate this feeling. I am out of control with my finances, and I don't know what to do about it anymore. Sure, there's the obvious: keep track of my spending, and stick to a budget. Why can I not seem to grasp that habit and stick to it for more than a day? I was never trained properly to scrimp and save. I know how to shop sales and am getting better and better at not splurging and buying on impulse. I just can't seem to maintain a balance in my bank account that shows I'm not living paycheck to paycheck. I have more bills to pay than I can even count right now, and I don't even know where to start.
So...here I was...looking at my account balance... But wait! What is this?! I'm not seeing negative symbols here in my checking account... At a closer look, it appeared to me that my savings account was $9.70 in the negative thanks to a service fee!! What THAT is all about, I would like to know... But, hey! At least this is fixable with a little transfer from my POSITIVE checking account.
On the optimistic side, at least I am not completely screwed again this month. And maybe this is another wake up call that I need. It's time to grow up. It's time to face the truth. It's time to start saving and planning for a more secure future where I'm not constantly afraid of checking my account balance for fear of that negative sign.
Any suggestions?
Or better yet, let's pray I win the lotto. Of course to do that, one has to play... Darn.
I totally understand. I'm doing much better about not spending a lot, though I do have the occasional impulse buy. But here's to hoping you and I marry rich.
ReplyDeleteNo worries Mary. At least you're learning now. It took Kent and I a LONG time to get it down- and a couple HUGE mistakes in the meantime that took about 7 years to pay off.
ReplyDeleteHere's my advice: Dave Ramsey. Ever heard of him? Google him and go to his website. Put in your zip code and it will tell you about the nearest Financial Peace University (FPU) class. Take the class. It's SO worth it. Life altering- think of your kids and grandkids! ;-)