When I started this blog, it was because I wanted to get serious about money. One of my very first goals was to save 10k in an emergency fund. I am no closer to that goal today. And it's depressing. Sometimes I think, that maybe I'm never going to be financially sound. Maybe I'll always be treading water. What a terrible thought. I know money doesn't "buy" happiness. But I know for SURE that I would be happier if I had some bank.
Our financials suck. There, I said it. The Shell card will be paid off by the end of the month, but then we've got two to go. BF's Amex, and my 0% card (until July). Total: about 2 grand. Not a horrific number, but not manageable (it seems). And I'm having serious doubts about our ability to pay them off (this coming year). My dental payments are 190 a month. I've been paying 300, quite frankly because it's all I can do to pay THAT. This month, I'm paying the minimum and putting the rest towards the credit card. We were supposed to be debt free next month. Now I'm beginning to wonder if we'll ever see the light at the end of the tunnel. My car insurance is due in February. 1400 (ish). I was going to use my "extra" paycheck this month for that. But so far, I've only been able to save 330. The rest, I decided was probably better served on my credit card payments. And the only way I can pay my Shell card off this month? Is on the assumption that I get an xmas bonus this year. Pretty pathetic.
HOW DID I GET HERE?
As you can probably guess, BF's job is no more. :-( He actually quit. It was a very toxic office, and it was seriously detrimental to his health (not only did he put on about 10 pounds, he was more stressed out than I've ever seen him. Picture if you will: The Devil Wears Prada. And then multiply by two. Not joking). I'm glad he did it. He's glad he did it. We discussed it to DEATH and decided that it was the right thing to do. The funny thing is, the person they hired to replace him quit after a week. A WEEK. That just goes to show how crappy the environment there was. But it still sucks, financially. We were able to make some headway, yes. But I do wish that in retrospect, I'd put ALL of that money in savings. It would make me feel much better at the moment.
So, he's actually doing well, and making some headway on a career path that he's passionate about. This time of year, between Thanksgiving and New Years is a slow one for his industry, so he's doing all he can to get work. He's done freelance work here and there. And he's waiting to hear back from a freelance job after the holidays. That's what he ultimately wants to be. A freelance writer. And he can do it, but it scares me. I could NEVER be a freelancer. I rather like knowing where my money is coming from. But I support him in this endeavor, and hopefully it will work out for the best.
But it's still depressing as fuck to look back at where I started, and where I am now, and see that really, nothing has changed.
Don't spend too much time looking back. You can't change the past. Think of the new year as a new start. Write out a budget and a plan. Perhaps go very very tight for 2 or 3 months to make a big whap at things and get some momentum going.
ReplyDeleteI'm a new reader, but I would say that it's okay to change and adjust your financial goals when unexpected events (like the job situation) come up. I think it's better to set a realistic goal, even if it's not what you ideally wish you could do. And hang in there! It sounds like you're still making progress and that's what counts!
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