Thursday, November 20, 2008

will power

So, I'm pretty proud of myself at this very moment.

You see, I have always wanted to take improv classes. It's not that I think I'll ever be famous or make a career out of it (although the latter would definitely be awesome...).

I guess it's that I honestly believe it will help me come out of my safety zone so to speak. And, hopefully, keep my wit sharp and quick...which is important for a writer. Actually, I think it's important for anyone.

But I'm digressing. See, I decided that I wanted to take classes starting in January (which is the next session), but to do it, I needed to really tighten the purse strings and follow a strict budget. And no lie, the budget I've set is pretty tight.

Basically, for the next two or three months, I'm not allowing myself any more than $25 per week "fun money." This means any going out, lunches, make-up, clothing, etc. that I want, must cost less than $25 per week in total. It's crazy. (And, as a smoker, I have also set aside a cigarette budget...which may prove to hasten the quitting process as the stipend is only $30 every TWO weeks...meaning that I either need to smoke less or smoke cheap...both of which are good things because they will eventually start to ween me off completely. So yay for that.)

This is the first week of the new budget, and so far, I still have $12 left until Monday for fun money. Not a whole lot, but I decided to take the Skyway twice, and Max lost a tooth, so there went about 10 bucks at the beginning of the week.

So why will power? Well, first of all, I haven't gone out to lunch all week, and today my budget-strength was truly tested. A large group of my coworkers were heading out to lunch.

Last week, pre-budget, I would have said, "Screw it...what's $20.00?"

But today? Today I looked at the menu online...to check to see if there were any low-priced appetizers, soups, or salads. And when there weren't? I politely declined the offer.

I think about how much I want three very important things that this new budget will provide:
1.) The improv classes.
2.) A good Christmas for Max and everyone else that I care about.
and
3.) Financial freedom and responsibility for the first time in my life. If I can learn to not have to live paycheck to paycheck, it will only help me. Especially in this economy. The more I save, and the more I learn to live off of less, the better I will be in the future. The better my family will be as well.

So, there will be no going out to lunch for me today. And that's okay. I brought some clam chowder to work anyways.

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