A Summer of Money Misery
It’s a little difficult to write about money when your finances are in a shambles.
Which is to say: hi! I’m back. I have no more savings, but no new debt, and sometimes you have to take the victories where you can. So, here is what I spent on my summer vacation…
- Car – the first thing that went wrong was the inspection on my car. Even though I rely on public transit and rarely drive, I followed the sunken cost fallacy into a shocking sinkhole of auto repairs. I’m too embarrassed to even tell you how much it was. Okay, I’ll tell you – $900!
- Work – summer at my job hinges on an annual conference. For two months, it took over my life. I stopped grocery shopping and bought convenience food. I bought new clothes for the conference and had them tailored. According to my credit card bills, I seem to have spent a lot of money in bars during that time, though I don’t recall having much fun.
- Housing – also, I moved. And while I love my new place and situation, the change required another security deposit and some overlapping rent. I think that higher rent and lower commuting costs will even out – I need a few months to see – meanwhile, I seem to have drained my savings to about one ER copay. (So I’ll try to stay out of the ER….) I was worried I’d have to take on some credit card debt to make it happen, though, and thankfully, I did not.
In other words, just about everything that could have gotten overwhelming did.
Now that I seem to have come through the other side and survived, I’m kind of proud of myself for having the savings to do all that in the first place. And October is a third paycheck month, so I can bank that. Plus it’s Virgo season, y’all! I think things are looking up – knock frantically on wood.
let me know when you’re having your housewarming! i’ll bring wiiiiiiiine.
or vodka, whatever works
Melissa: Welcome back! We’ve missed you and your good humor. For example: “I seem to have drained my savings to about one ER copay. (So I’ll try to stay out of the ER…)”
I’m glad you survived the summer without taking on any new debt… despite those three big money glitches. I think you bring up an excellent point about needing to spend money for the image you have to project at work. You should do a post sometime about the costs that young professionals incur. In the Millionaire Next Door, the authors often refers to the doctors, lawyers, financial / broker people as being UAW’s (under accumulators of wealth). Why? They have a high status oriented lifestyle that accompanies their high status job. They feel like they have to spend money to properly represent themselves as successful (e.g. The expensive suits, shoes, watches, house in the right neighborhood, luxury automobile, etc.). So I think you bring up an excellent point about how you have to factor in these costs… a nice suit, dry cleaning bills, good shoes… it all adds up. But it’s somewhat required, right?
No new debt, small blessings. I wonder if being a Virgo in Virgo is why I’m getting so organized about stuff. Hope your fall goes well!!! 🙂 Congrats on the new house.