Battle of the budget

New London Alleyway

*281*
 Sometimes lately I feel like this is my life. A narrow steep hill. Not exactly my life but everyone`s life really. It all comes down to money, honey. I had to run out to the cable company this morning and pay the bill...cause we were shut off..yet again.  I am going to be 42 years old in 16 days and I cannot keep the bills paid on time. I am not spending on anything frivolous or going to the casino. I am just buying food, gas, coffee, newspaper, and the bills are just higher then they have ever been. The mortgage is paid, the electricity is paid, and the water is paid..always! I have to scrape money together to buy oil when it is time and the rest of the bills wait until I get a shut off notice and then I pay them. I am basically robbing Peter to pay Paul.
  And I know that I am not the only one. I have always been frugal. I think that I am not frugal enough now. I have been thinking of the idea of either getting rid of cable all together or downgrading to the basic package. We have the internet and Netflix (so worth the $10 a month!).  I dont know anymore.
So I am going to do the old budget dance but this time I am going to be serious. This is how much we have, this is how much the bills are, this is what is leftover. That is it!
Chelsea does not give us a penny of her money to help out, and that has to change. She either has to start giving us money every paycheck or she has to find another place to live. Wow, I said it out loud..for others to read.  When Natalie finishes school, she will have to find work and either go or stay and pay.  You see, I get social security disability. For the past 8 years, I have been getting money for the girls also. Well, 2011 will be the last year that I will get money for Natalie. She turns 18 in October and the last check will probably be in September. It will be a loss of almost $500 a month. Big chunk. Scary sort of. I know we will manage but it will be hard. So this year is the year of change in terms of money and how we spend it.
I may document (kinda sorta) what I am doing, what I am learning, and how I am saving. Losing weight and gaining money!

First on the agenda is food. I was going to get something simple and easy for dinner tonite but then I decided as I was leaving the cable company parking lot that I am NOT going to do that. I am going to cook dammit!  So tonight is going to be my famous egg rolls. I have the hamburger and spring rolls skins defrosting. I also took out a steak that I bought last month for the carne asada for Un-Thanksgiving...It was an extra and I think I am going to make it again for dinner tomorrow.
So for now, that is what I am dealing with...money and how to spend and not to spend it.

Wish me luck!