Well, ladies and gentlemen, Miss Bankrupt has some good news. No, I didn’t win the lottery, but for a broke person, I’ve accomplished something just as big.
Okay, maybe not as big, but to me it’s pretty phenomenal. I actually have money in my bank account and am projecting extra money by the time the bills are paid. At least for this month it seems that stuffing down bologna sandwiches and not spending any money has started to pay off.
In fact, I’ve been obsessing with the fact that somehow I missed a large bill or have forgotten to pay something. I am actually spending the weekend going over my budget and figuring out what I have left to pay and where any extra money should go. So far I know I’ll be paying extra on any bills I need to pay off and putting something in savings. I’d really like to have an emergency fund for those times that something comes up and usually sets me back because I don’t have any money in the budget for it. Of course I need to budget for Christmas as well.
It’s a good feeling, really. You’d be amazed how motivated you’ll become when you can finally see that hard work and being frugal actually works. I’ve been hesitant about spending any money until I figure out exactly what I’m going to do; it’s easy to think “woohoo! I’m ahead! I should go spend it.” That of course, is what keeps broke people broke. Generally we spend money when we get it. Think about where our tax refunds usually go. Do we ever put it in a savings account? Consider why so many broke people win the lottery and end up broke again a few years later. We don’t change our habits, we don’t learn how to manage our money. Getting more of it usually just means spending and wasting more.
I can’t speak for all broke people, just myself and others that I know. It’s true that sometimes no matter how hard a person tries, there’s a possibility that they might not ever get ahead. But, I refuse to believe I’m one of those people. So I can whine about being a single mom and working a bazillion hours a week as much as I want to. This month is proof that if I keep at it, I will get ahead. And you know what? It hasn’t been all that painful. I still got ice cream when my daughter had to get two shots, I still went out to eat with my sister and her family on Halloween (with their 20% off coupon, of course) and my daughter still gets to watch a DVD once in a while. All things considered, we have a pretty darn good thing going on over here.
Remember to pat yourself on the back no matter how small an accomplishment it may seem. Yes, I still have enormous medical bills and credit cards to pay on, but it’s looking up. I can finally see that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel and one day (hope hope) I won’t have those ridiculous med bills or credit card payments. I might even be able to splurge on ham sandwiches instead of bologna soon…what do you think?
Have a great weekend, and here’s hoping you all find something to be proud of…