Face To Face With My Bottom Line

Yesterday I sat down with my Jaded Empire financial planner to go over my money and how I can have more of it to myself while getting these creditors off my back. After crunching the numbers and talking it out, the outlook is not horrible but it's not awesome, either.

Taking into account all my bills (but not what I spend in food) I'm left with an amount that is supposed to cover my groceries and paying back student loans. "Supposed to" being the operative phrase here.

I mean listen, the amount is not super low but it will mean a tightening of the belt and learning to shop like those people on that super coupon show (I don't watch it but according to Twitter there is such a thing). It will mean less trips to DC and Boston for now and no Pilates classes at the studio I love in Park Slope OR Socacize classes, either. I just don't have the money for it right now and it isn't a necessity, given all the fitness vouchers I've bought and still not used.

It will mean less dinners out (and I really wanted to go to Le Cirque with the babies this winter) and becoming familiar with the likes of Costco and BJs Wholesale. It will also mean that N might have to forgo after school this semester, too.

This is not a dire situation. We can live without dinners out and soca classes and after school. My First World Lifestyle is no longer working out for me so cuts have to be made. Esteban has already been dismissed. Netflix was reduced to online streaming only (no DVD rentals for us anymore) and I've seriously looked into some freelance work to bring in more money (if you know anyone who's PAYING REAL MONEY for a writer or editor, let me know).

I do not want to be working until I fall over dead. It's about that time that I make my money work for me, and that requires that I do what I must right this minute and get out of debt.

Of course, now all I can think about is all the fur coats and red-bottom shoes I can't buy...

*smooches...counting down towards a debt-free life*
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if the motherfucking Duggars can live debt-free with a trillion kids, then so can I!