Not to harp on finances but...

The new year always causes me to look back on the last financial year. Around this time last year, I was wondering how we were going to survive with such a substantial pay cut. This year, I am trying to figure out how to make our notable salary increase get us out of all the trouble we got in the year before last. To illustrate how bad things were, even with a significant pay increase, our monthly bills are 91% of our take home pay during odd months, and 98% of our take home pay during even months. This even before our mortgage rates adjust later this year. At least those monthly bills include retirement savings, college savings for Danger Boy and Sprite and very modest emergency savings. We know we should have 6 months' salary saved up in case of emergencies, but we have so little left to save after taking care of the necessities, it would take us 3 - 4 years, even taking the vow of austerity we have taken for this year. YIKES! Can I go 4 years without new shoes? Highly doubtful. Anyway, the only way we are going to get out of this mess is if Slim Dynamite (my lil rapping brother) blows up and decides to take care of me, or if we charm the pants off Oprah and she decides to adopt us (I sent a letter to be on an upcoming show, they emailed me back asking for pictures of us, sounds promising, no?) or one of our many side hustles takes flight. I have a couple of children's books I need to submit for publishing...Do I sound worried? A Queen Bee has no worries. Everything will come out fine...hopefully...

Healthy Hell

I love a challenge. And not in the trite or unauthentic way that the phrase is usually used, but sincerely. I believe that all the drama and obstacles and seemingly insurmountable odds that I have met have made me the strong, resilient and optimistic person that I am today. Recently, after a particularly frustrating staff meeting, many sympathetic people came to tell me that everything would be fine and that people would adapt to the changes, but it would take time. I just smiled and told them that I loved my job. A couple gave me a puzzled smile back, as if questioning whether or not I was being sarcastic. I responded by saying that I truly did and every experience, negative or positive, is an opportunity to learn. At that meeting I learned that no amount of bickering would actually cause my head to explode, no matter how it may feel at the moment. I found that to be a valuable and reassuring lesson - truly, not sarcastically. No matter how bad things get or how bad they seem, eventually it passes...unless of course...you pass first...

Getting Straight in 2008

Every new year my hubby Etch-A-Sketch and I talk about what we are going to do differently to realize our dreams - whatever those are. Our (read as my) focus this year is our finances. As a Queen Bee, I try to do everything and do it brilliantly - this is definitely not as easy as it looks - and although we are doing what we are supposed to do: retirement, college funds for Danger Boy and Sprite, home ownership - we are still doing things we are NOT supposed to be doing: ARM, credit card usage, money down the drain. SO my solution? Since you asked so nicely I (read as we) are going cold turkey. No more restaurants, trips, Starbucks, magazines, shoes, sweaters, tights, nada - only the bare essentials. We are not going to spend any money on any of that. I think we will probably end up going to the movies a couple of times, or going out on a special occasion as those are obviously bare essentials, but we won't be buying any more gadgets or equipment or craft materials or ANYTHING. We (this is me again) keep a very tight accounting of our expenses to make sure our bills are always paid and always paid on time, but we are BLEEDING frivolities and I am really curious as to how well we could do without them. People have been suggesting that we go with a more "realistic" goal and not try to give up so much at one time, but what does a Queen Bee know about moderation? Absolutely nothing, but excessive saving sounds better than excessive spending in 08. Don't worry, I'll be sure to keep you updated!