Popcorn: 0, Checking Account: 1
"Haha!" said my checking account.
I recently blogged about our finances. Specifically, I talked about how we're running on fumes. Anyway, the fumes have officially run out now. My heart gave a leap - poor heart, it keeps getting startled nowadays - when I checked both credit card accounts and sorted through ouor recent mail this morning
Egad!
$$ for card 1 due on the 14th.
$$ for card 2 due on the 7th.
$ monthly condo maintenance fee at the end of the month
$ Car insurance payments due on the 9th
$$ life insurance premium
- utilities
I crunched the numbers and no matter how much I've been saving and scrimping, there's no way we're gonna be able to afford to pay off the total without dipping into the supposedly-do-not-touch* account - which, by the way, is also almost depleted. There's really nothing to worry about because we're still at the $0* debt level, except that the "do not touch" backup account is $0 balance too. Haha!
I'm not complaining. All these purchases were legit - half of card 1's total is part of the new car'sdownpayment. We maxed out the amount that we can put on the card as per the dealer's policy, we did this so we can maximize the cash-back rewards on our card. Card 2's balance is mostly my family's plane fare for their July visit. I did get back the charges that I disputed last month, but that barely made a dent in the statement total.
I've been living in America for several years now but this is the first time I realized how easy it is to get buried in debt. Today is the first time that I can truly say that I can empathize with those who owe so much. I've always made it a policy to pay off my bills at the end of the day and I've always thought that this was enough to curb our spending.
Hindi pala.
This month just proved to me how easy it is to go through your money, no matter how kuripot you are, no matter how much you watch your cents & dollars and no matter how hard you think about your purchases.
I hope this doesn't come as too much drama because we're still a long way off from being destitute but to those who are struggling to make ends meet, I know how you feel.
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*Edit: I just realized that we're not at the $0 debt level because we just took on this auto loan for the 2nd car. Sigh. So correction, we're at the $ xx,xxx debt level. For now.
2 comments:
sis, as long as you know where your $ is going and as long as you have a clear cut plan on how to get back on track, you should be good :o)
check this website sometime, helps me justify my kuripot-ness most of the time, ha, is there such a word at all?
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/
tc dearie :o)
medyo mahirap pag natouch mo yung "do not touch" account. na touch ko kc yung akin, ayun nauubos na. pero babawi ako hehehe.
paano? through sidelines... selling of watch and stuffed toys.
baka puede ka ring magsideline dyan.
ang hirap hirap hirap pa naman ng sakto ang budget.
eto pa, you still don't have a child. can u imagine kung may anak ka na? grabe! i tell you. hindi ka na makakasave!!! no movies, no new clothes, no "i want that", and yet, sakto lagi budget. or worst, kulang.
wag masyadong matakot, pero totoo yun, unless u are really rich.
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