Maybe it is the trying to do two No Spend Months in a row, but I'm feeling broke. I was just looking at my pay stubs for the past five years and my take home is about $170 more per paycheck than it was when I started. And I was extremely happy to be getting what I was getting when I started!
I like my job. I mostly like the people. I don't really have any burning desire to get another job and I think I get paid well for what I do. I'm lucky. I know this.
So what gives? I'm actually wondering if the budget itself is making me feel broke. When I first started my job, I was on my own, in my own apartment, paying all the bills myself. Now I live with my boyfriend and pay him a certain amount (about 40% of the bills) and the groceries. But the budget tells me that I have no money to eat out. What I used to do is take out a certain amount of cash and used it for groceries and clothes and out to eat. Cash gone? Done spending.
Now I'm trying to fit that cash system into a budget and I have a lot of cash left in my wallet, but my budget says I have no money. Admittedly, these past two months have been lean on spending (or supposed to be) because I'm paying off my credit card after fixing the camper and the car.
The strange thing is that I feel broke, but if you had me sit down with a pen and piece of paper and asked me what I want---I can only think of a handful of things I wish I could buy. Of course, they are BIG things (trip to Hawaii, anyone?).
So where is this feeling of being broke coming from? The budget. The excel budget. It is telling me that I have $65 left to spend for the rest of the month. Nevermind that I have $120 in cash in my wallet. Or that I get paid on the 28th and will have another $220 then.
I know there are tricks to make yourself feel less broke. Make a list of free things to do like go to the park or the library. Start a gratitude journal. Savor the little things. Use up some of my gift cards.
Or maybe for the month of August, go back to cash and not track and see what that does for me.
Yesterday was a No Spend Day. Today will be bowling $10, lunch with co-workers $7, dinner at Subway with boyfriend $???, and a stop at the grocery store for taco shells $3?.
Feeling Broke
July 17th, 2014 at 07:53 pm
July 17th, 2014 at 08:27 pm 1405628868
July 17th, 2014 at 09:17 pm 1405631840
July 17th, 2014 at 11:21 pm 1405639260
July 17th, 2014 at 11:43 pm 1405640602
Another thing is does your budget account for where all of your pay goes? In other words, do you budget down to the penny? Perhaps if your pay varies, you could vary your budget every month accordingly.
July 18th, 2014 at 06:21 am 1405664500
July 18th, 2014 at 12:23 pm 1405686217