Today, I was sitting around ClergyCon with no demands on my time, and so I thought, "I should do my finances."
That's what you do when you're bored, right?
Anyway, I signed up for mint.com (highly recommended by Maggie), and was told:
"YOU'RE OVER BUDGET."
Okay, I was a business major. I get this finance thing. Money comes in, money goes out. You pay your bills, and that makes lenders happy, which, in turn, makes you happy.
Yet that I have little to no concept of how to properly manage my money. I haven't figured out how not to spend more than I actually hold. And how to spend it on the right things. And how to save up for those little emergencies (like needing new tires on my four-year-owned cavalier).
My financial issues are deep -- far deeper than selective ignorance (though that would be enough). There's a certain amount of pride in spending freely, without giving a thought to the consequences. There's pride in wearing the right things at the right time, which sometimes requires a purchase or two. There's also comfort, using shopping as a crutch, as a support system, as an expression of joy.
I love clothes and things. I love to shop. I like to be looked well upon, and I like retail therapy. But at what cost? The future of my finances?
I'm working on it, and that's why I'm on the site. Today, for the first time in months, I saw my net worth.
(Actually, I saw a portion of it. I'm having trouble getting two of my loans to load.)
Either way, it's U-G-L-Y. And I ain't got no alibi.
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