Yet Another Goddamn Financial Crunch

[ralphmelton]

The last time I looked at our finances, I figured that if we could save $1000 per biweekly paycheck, we could be okay for income taxes. That would mean saving $2000 for March, in particular. This would be difficult but feasible.

Last night, I sat down to look at our financial state. The short form of it: we've managed to save about $1000 during March. Car repairs and our St. Patrick's Day party were most of what ate up the rest.

I think we can still squeak through and pay the taxes, but just barely. It means just a few hundred dollars has to tide us over from now until the next paycheck. And then the April 5 paycheck will disappear into paying taxes, giving us just a few hundred dollars to make it through those two weeks, and then the April 19 paycheck will get eaten up by those bills. It won't be until mid-May until we get a bit of slack. (And in May, my sister is graduating, and we should go to that...)

And it means that I won't be taking my "allowance" for personal spending for April--if anything, I'll be giving some of my personal money back to the family to cover bills. And it means that I'll be delaying paying bills--the credit card bill will have to wait until the next paycheck, and the payment for the second mortgage may have to wait until later.

I think we'll still be able to afford a party for my birthday... I hope we can. Even so, I don't think we'll be able to have the sort of birthday celebration we'd wanted.

And of course it means that we're not going to get the trees removed this spring, and the wireless network I've been wanting to buy for a year and a half will go unbought a bit longer, and we hope that nothing expensive happens to the cars, the house, or the residents...

This will be the sixth time in a year and a half that nearly all of my/our savings have been clobbered.

I hate this. I hate this. I hate this. I am sick of money being so tight. I hate feeling so apprehensive about our financial situation. I hate feeling that I have to count every penny. I hate feeling that I have to sacrifice my allowance for the financial health of the family.

I do blame Queria for a lot of this. Things would certainly have been easier if I had gone to MayaViz. I hope that Queria does well enough to make it turn out well.

Comments

[mg4h.livejournal.com]

My sympathies, Ralph. I've been there, done that. Even now, gootmu and I still have debt to pay off from when it was truly that bad.

I know it's very difficult to think about it right now, but you should try and focus on the good things you have. You have a wonderful house, you're happily married, and you have FRIENDS who can help you out. Don't forget that. If you want to have a birthday party, have it - tell people it's a potluck, we'll bring the food. You won't break the budget that way, but we all get to use your wonderful (large!) house and share company.

And again, if you need help - talk to us, your friends. Seriously - there are things people will do for you. Don't count us out.

*hug*

[eub.livejournal.com]

I know Deanna and I would be willing to throw a big party for her birthday, and happen to hold it in your house and on your birthday, and invite you, and have your name on the cake. And I hope the larger apprehensiveness does get better soon.

[dr4b]

i was about to say... if we thought the dual party thing would work again... ralph can provide the party space, and eli and i will buy all the beer and food for it? or something.

i just wasn't sure whether we thought it'd actually work to do that again or not. though since it's coming up i was going to have a post soon about birthday party ideas.

[beegle.livejournal.com]

Laura and I are entering a time of enforced fiscal tightness, too. You have my sympathy.

You're welcome here anytime. Our Mac n' Cheese is your Mac n' Cheese. :) Seriously, visiting friends is one of the cheapest ways of spending an evening, and it's way less depressing than sitting at home.

When I've been through this sort of thing before, the things that made me feel like I had gained the most breathing room when removed were the recurring monthly bills. You need phone service, but do you need unlimited calling, caller ID, call waiting, and voicemail? How about cable TV? If you keep the cable, do you need to keep the digital service, HBO, etc? What about internet connectivity? Could you go back to a modem? What about reducing your car insurance or raising the deductable?

Sorry. That got long-winded, but like I said, it's stuff that I'm thinking about right now, too.

[ralphmelton.livejournal.com]

"Our Mac n' Cheese is your Mac n' Cheese" is one of the nicest things I've heard said in quite some time.

(And we'll take you up on it. Maybe we'll bring dinner for y'all, as well.)

[beegle.livejournal.com]

It's possible to file for an extended payment plan for taxes. Generally, they're granted if you offer to pay your taxes within six months of April 15.

[sethcohen.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry things are tight. I'd offer to help if only the tightness wasn't going on down here as well. I do offer my sympathy and my support (moral or otherwise.)

[cellio]

Your friends are a phone call (or email message) away. We are here to help. And I'm happy to help with party foo.

[seanmcguire.livejournal.com]

I sympathize. I've been in and out of that state for a few years now, although it has always seemed like you've been more responsible about money than I have. I'm sort of hitting it again right now, for at least the next month.

I can't offer advice other than what others have already said, except... it is important to remember to take joy in what you already have. If one can learn to do this, I believe it eases the pain of not having money.

Of course, I'm still trying to learn that one.

[ralphmelton.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised to hear that you're in that state, because you make a lot more money than I do. But I suppose there's the price discrepancy between Seattle and Pittsburgh.