Reshuffling Finances

Well, it’s become painfully apparent that we’ve been spending more than we make. Ouch. I’ve known that for awhile, but it all came to a head this evening. I’ve always been very meticulous with our finances. I prepare a budget, and for the most part, we follow it. But, I’ve never budgeted those extra expenses, such as hobbies, clothes, entertainment, and so forth. Also, my wife is switching jobs, and I was unsure of her payment schedule, i.e. when her old teaching contract would be paid out. In other words, I budgeted an extra pay check that simply doesn't exist. Also, throw in a lot of car repair expenses over the last several months, and we’re way over our budget. In fact, if we continue at the pace we’ve set for ourselves, we’ll be in the hole three to five times over by the end of November. LOL. So, we need to adjust our spending habits, and really tighten our belts. I’ve got several options to pursue. None of them are really appealing, but in the end, you have to do what you have to do. I’m not surprised that we’ve reached this point, as I knew it was coming for awhile. Well, it’s time for a change. It’s time to cut the credit cards, eliminate all of the frivolous spending, and adjust our tastes. I do have an emergency fund set up, and that will remain what it was intended for, emergencies. I’ve been able to add to the emergency fund over the several previous months, but for now, we’ll have to let it sit as it stands. And, with a shuffle our finances, and a change in priorities, we’ll be OK. We might be eating gruel for awhile, be we'll be OK. Ha.