I have to admit that I am a bit jealous of a few bloggers on this site. Credit Card Free is one of them. Monkey Mama is another one. There are several more, including Ceejay. These bloggers have their financial act together. They have a healthy retirement fund. They have a healthy emergency fund. They can provide for their children without help from a grandparent. For all these reasons and more, I am jealous. I am getting my act together but I don't foresee being able to save any significant amount of money. I don't see my circumstances changing any time soon. I simply don't make enough money to pay all my debts. I have tried to get a second job but no one that I applied to called me back. It would help right about now. All I can do right now is keep on trucking and try to make a dent in my debts. I just get so frustrated sometimes that I let myself get in this position in the first place.
I went to the grocery store this evening and bought more orange juice and bread. Total spent was 12.56. I know have 1.61 left in my account until next Friday. That is assuming that I will spend $60 on gas on Tuesday and that should only be about $30. So I have a little bit of a cushion there.
No Eating Out: 11/13
No Soda: 0/4
NSD: 7/13
Jealousy
September 14th, 2012 at 10:23 pm
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September 15th, 2012 at 01:55 pm 1347717333
I've always thought you were doing well and making a lot of improvements. Comparing yourself to others is a sure fire way to be unhappy. On the flip side, I have always appreciated the people I was *jealous* of because they motivated me to do better - and gave me ideas on how to do so. I don't think I would be anywhere near where I am financially, without other people to look up to and learn from. People on savingadvice have pushed me that extra mile. I know we have pushed you too, and you are better for it. All you can do is try your best, and that is all that matters in this world.
P.S. I have several very poor relatives who didn't get their act together until very late in life (50s/60s). They have turned things around significantly. In the grand scheme of things, you are young, and have a lot of time ahead of you for improvement. All is not lost! The one quality that abounds in our family is being positive. The glass is half full. Not to undermine your personal struggles - but you are a very blessed person. You have family, health, food, shelter. I also think that volunteering in a soup kitchen or something like that goes a long way to perspective, when the going gets rough. It's the double whammy of being able to help others while seeing firsthand how blessed we really are. It's hard to get that sense in such a material culture. It's way too easy to feel lesser and lose sight of how blessed we really are.
September 15th, 2012 at 02:23 pm 1347718991
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September 15th, 2012 at 08:23 pm 1347740591
I foresee your budget getting a lot easier to manage in a couple years when your kids are grown, move out, get their own health insurance and food, etc. Also, you might have had a raise or found new income by then. If you keep fighting right now, you'll at least keep yourself from digging a bigger hole, and it will be easier to come out when your budget eases up a bit!
September 15th, 2012 at 09:40 pm 1347745236