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Just did the math - starting January 1 (and not including the incentive check I'm praying for come February), I will have $200 or less to crawl out of debt with. [I'm making the basic assumption of being taxed 24.5% on my income and that I'm not picking up extra hours. I have not done the budget crunch with reduced pay-in numbers for my FSA, which is on my list of Things To Do in the near future.] I am basing this budget crunch on my potential financials as of January 1st - this next payday is going to Mom and Visa - every last penny I can squeeze out of my account. (Christmas hurt more than I thought - I ran the numbers and there were items I'd forgotten about.)
This is assuming I get out of the house for food OR a movie (not both) and continue my Netflix subscription (which is cheaper than movies and food out combined, and far more varied in content, plus no need to dress up, or even get dressed...), that I still dye my hair at home once a month from a box that makes glossy promises of technicolored wonder, and I'm not buying any new clothes for a while. It also assumes some car maintenance costs (flat tire repair, fluids, oil changes, etc), and that I'm saving enough a month to meet my April goal of an IRA contribution and next December's goal of paying car registration and insurance ($2200+, if I'm lucky). This is also assuming I start packing a lunch and just deal with the crowd and the misery that's part of the kitchen scene at the noon hour, or learn to love cold leftovers. (Seriously, there are 200 people and 3 microwaves, and only 10 chairs to sit in. It's a madhouse. I don't like people when they're orderly, let alone in a crowded kitchenette. Added bonus being that bringing lunch = losing weight, because I usually have a half cup of rice and some frozen edamame and corn. I'm lazy like that.) I'm also assuming that this budget plan will WORK this time and I won't find myself ass-over-teakettle in unexpected bills and back to square one, and that because none of that will happen, that the cost of living at home will not increase. (Threats have been made - shape up or pay out.) So.
This does not tally in the ticket I will have to pay by January 31 (probably $200, though I'm crossing my fingers it's less because it was a rather minor infraction, IMO). This also does not tally in the possible cost of further materials for Spring classes, and it's assuming that I am asked for nothing more than the flat rate for lessons at Tea. (Which means that while I've promised to be at two ochakai before the end of February, I can't promise to bring anything, and if I'm asked for more than the ticket price, I'm not going - those tickets are $40-50 each.) I haven't included the temporary costs of prescription(s) or doctors appointments (which the FSA will reimburse, but the money needs to be there in the first place, etc.). I have not included the cost of my intermediate Tea license, which will be about $160, because I have not been given a due date for the money and it could be "months" before it's due. So. I'll deal with that as it comes.
I am not looking forward to losing Starbucks privileges when my gift card stash runs out. Dammit. This means no BPAL until about July (dammit, because those Yule blends looked awesome...), DEFINITELY no more eBay until forever +1, and I'm going to have to do a lot more mooching if people want me to hang out. (Which I hate, because I remember friends who mooched off of me years ago and I'm still irritated.) It also means that there will be no more crafting expenses allowed for a few months. (I could manage obidome with what I have, I *think*, but I can definitely at least paint boxes an' stuff for now.)
I do believe this will be my only New Year's Resolution this year, because it's a doozy. Screw the fitness/health/etc promises. I'll worry about them when I can afford to even consider more than cup noodles as a staple food source.
This is assuming I get out of the house for food OR a movie (not both) and continue my Netflix subscription (which is cheaper than movies and food out combined, and far more varied in content, plus no need to dress up, or even get dressed...), that I still dye my hair at home once a month from a box that makes glossy promises of technicolored wonder, and I'm not buying any new clothes for a while. It also assumes some car maintenance costs (flat tire repair, fluids, oil changes, etc), and that I'm saving enough a month to meet my April goal of an IRA contribution and next December's goal of paying car registration and insurance ($2200+, if I'm lucky). This is also assuming I start packing a lunch and just deal with the crowd and the misery that's part of the kitchen scene at the noon hour, or learn to love cold leftovers. (Seriously, there are 200 people and 3 microwaves, and only 10 chairs to sit in. It's a madhouse. I don't like people when they're orderly, let alone in a crowded kitchenette. Added bonus being that bringing lunch = losing weight, because I usually have a half cup of rice and some frozen edamame and corn. I'm lazy like that.) I'm also assuming that this budget plan will WORK this time and I won't find myself ass-over-teakettle in unexpected bills and back to square one, and that because none of that will happen, that the cost of living at home will not increase. (Threats have been made - shape up or pay out.) So.
This does not tally in the ticket I will have to pay by January 31 (probably $200, though I'm crossing my fingers it's less because it was a rather minor infraction, IMO). This also does not tally in the possible cost of further materials for Spring classes, and it's assuming that I am asked for nothing more than the flat rate for lessons at Tea. (Which means that while I've promised to be at two ochakai before the end of February, I can't promise to bring anything, and if I'm asked for more than the ticket price, I'm not going - those tickets are $40-50 each.) I haven't included the temporary costs of prescription(s) or doctors appointments (which the FSA will reimburse, but the money needs to be there in the first place, etc.). I have not included the cost of my intermediate Tea license, which will be about $160, because I have not been given a due date for the money and it could be "months" before it's due. So. I'll deal with that as it comes.
I am not looking forward to losing Starbucks privileges when my gift card stash runs out. Dammit. This means no BPAL until about July (dammit, because those Yule blends looked awesome...), DEFINITELY no more eBay until forever +1, and I'm going to have to do a lot more mooching if people want me to hang out. (Which I hate, because I remember friends who mooched off of me years ago and I'm still irritated.) It also means that there will be no more crafting expenses allowed for a few months. (I could manage obidome with what I have, I *think*, but I can definitely at least paint boxes an' stuff for now.)
I do believe this will be my only New Year's Resolution this year, because it's a doozy. Screw the fitness/health/etc promises. I'll worry about them when I can afford to even consider more than cup noodles as a staple food source.
