I hate money

Dr Phil says one never solves money problems with more money.

Well, I wouldn't mind giving it a try.

Kevin and I went over finances today. These conversations rarely go well, usually because I totally freak out no matter what. We spend HOW much this week? What did we buy? Where did it go? Kevin tries to remain calm, but before the light of rational thought is seen, we are both pretty resentful. Throw in a bit of unemployment stress and Holiday Cheer, and we took turns having a mental breakdown.

I just feel so lost in this.

It's all hitting me at once.

This all sounds rather dreary, but we are really OK. The bills are all paid, the credit card is slowly decreasing (and not getting any worse), we can buy what we Need. It's those pesky Wants that keep getting in the way. And compared to many, we are so very blessed. A safe place to live, good education, stable job (and the ability to get one).

So we brainstormed ways to improve. Kevin reminded me to take small steps, "or else you'll be totally overwhelmed again." He's going to keep a closer eye on our food budget (I guess this means I have to let him go to the grocery store alone!) and knock out the impulse shopping. I'm going to make lists before going to the store and limit shopping trips to get rid of the, "Oh I forgot I also needed that!" If I don't think of it for the list, then I guess I really don't need it. We are going to sit down together once a day to check out receipts and do on-line banking. We'd gone a bit without looking, and it's easy to forget all the small purchases that way.

So, it's a start.

Kevin's lucky, as I already bought his presents before panicking. But the dogs, guess they won't be getting the naughty/nice chew toys from Target this year. Poor puppies. :)