Where did that week go? It only seems like yesterday that I wasn't tapping out my last blog post. I am happy that the week has ended and specifically that I am at the end of another 11 days straight working. I don't know how many hours I am doing at the moment, nor do I care to know, but knowing I have a day off tomorrow is golden!
As you will probably remember I started a new budget recently and have been saving every week. I have reached my meagre $1000 emergency fund and gone past that. Unfortunately I have a tax bill to pay, so that money will be going towards that. This will put me back to zero and I'll have to start again saving for that $1000, before I can start paying off the real debts.
I was following my $50 a week budget quite well, but over the last week I have to admit I've slipped. It takes a good amount of self control not to "reward" yourself with a coffee or two when you are working everyday of the week. It is also hard not to spend money on an evening with friends when you work hard to earn your money. However despite this I am still doing a lot better at managing my funds (if only they were wealthy) and I know that I will make good progress towards paying off my debts over the next few months.
I learnt many things this year, but the most important has been over the last month or so. Nothing in life is free. (Actually I learnt this lesson years ago from my Dad. When I tried to say that something was actually free, he would reply that it wasn't, we just weren't aware of how we were paying for it.) If I want to get out of debt, save for a holiday or buy something I have to earn it. Yes I could get a credit card, but I've been there and done that and that's why I'm in this situation. Working 6/7 days a week may not be ideal, but I am paying for the free ride I took on credit in my twenties. I had a great time with it, but now I have to do the hard work that I have never really done to pay it back.
Being gifted anything is no way to learn value and I have learnt value in the hardest way, by making the worst mistakes. Fortunately I am realising that I can change and I am enforcing that upon myself. I have been lucky to have a supportive family, but there are many that don't have that gift and that is my constant motivation. I have been young and foolish and that is all fun. But it doesn't help when you grow up and realise that although life is short, it's not that short that you can get away from your debts.
So once again I sound like a grumpy old man. Well that is ok, I accept that part of my character and I'm cool with that. It does have benefits as it helps me see reason, be practical and balance my laid back, don't give a shit attitude. Also all this work has been great for my mood as I haven't had time to be melancholy. So whilst I dig myself slowly out of a big debt hole I am powering my positive side in the knowledge that one day I will be debt free. Then I'll truly be able to relax.
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