Well there goes the first week of May. As weeks go I've had better and I've had worse. Actually, to be truthful and honest and all of that good stuff it was longer than a week, and I'm not just hallucinating.
May started in April for me, yeah, weird how that works huh? You see, I get paid on the last day of the month and if that day is on the weekend then I get paid the Friday before the weekend starts so I really got paid on April 29th which has to get me to May 15th. That won't be too bad because once again the 15th falls on the weekend, the Sunday this time, so I'll get my next pay on May 13th. Then the trouble begins in earnest as that pay has to get me all of the way to May 31st so more like 2 1/2 weeks instead of 2 weeks.
Getting paid twice a month is challenging if you have weekly payments or bi - weekly payments to make. There are either 52 payments a year or 26 payments on a bi-weekly schedule and I only get paid 24 times. See, this is where people on "Til Debt do us Part" get into all kinds of trouble with Gail - she likes to whack them upside the head because so many people forget that bi-weekly payments come off 26 times a year, not 24!
I arrange my payments to coincide with my pays so bi-monthly, the 15th and the end of the month. If you get paid every two weeks you can basically just ignore everything I said and I'm very envious of you!
May already seems like a long month and we're only 1 week in. I made a big boo boo by throwing caution to the wind last Friday and shopping at a second- hand store to the tune of $103.00. (I'm sorry...but I need shorts and jeans that don't create such a huge muffintop on my otherwise OK frame - I hate to admit it but that middleage spread seems to have moved in permanently!) Oh horrors! What was I thinking?!?!? That was basically my whole misc budget until May 15th. Doh! Then, when I was at the trailer on Saturday I spent more than my NEW Entertainment budget for the next two weeks on booze. Man, I am just going to the dogs here.
I will endeavor to rationalize that purchase by saying that the excellent bottle of scotch I bought will last for weeks and weeks of fireside chats and heart-to-hearts at the trailer. So really you could say it's an investment :) One that depreciates, but an investment nonetheless...
On the bright side...I'm thinking...hang in there, I'm sure I'll come up with something.....oh yes, I made an extra little payment of $43.93 on my line of credit so I would have a pretty number ending in zeros and I bought a wedding gift for a friend's daughter's wedding coming up in two weeks.
I might transfer the money for the gift from my gift account - I mean that's what it's for right? It's just that I'd like to build my gift account up a bit more before I start taking money out but that's just the way my little mind works. Once the money is in there I hate to take it out. Oh well, it will give me a bit more breathing space in my budget and I really need that.
Not done yet! I just remembered I spent another $180 this morning (gee, how quickly I can spend and forget!!!) on my daughter's birthday gift. She and I are huge fans of Keith Urban and he's coming to town 2 days before her birthday so that's taken care of! It's been a tradition since she was 12 to take her to a concert for her birthday, building years of memories of shared experiences - the first concert was Amanda Marshall - remember this one?
So, that about wraps it up. Stay tuned for week two...it should prove even more exciting!
Saturday's Tune: Michael's favorite song these days! (I got shivers listening to this choir's version - enjoy!)
It's funny Jane, for years I got paid on the 15th and 30th of the month and I'm so used to getting paid that way I knew exactly how to break down my bills into two sections. Now I get paid every two weeks and it threw everything out of whack. I've had to completely relearn how to pay my bills.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain on the bi-monthly pay. Up until this year, when our board switched to every 2 weeks year round (yeah!!!) we would get paid on the 1st and the 15th. If it was a weekend, we would be paid the Friday before as well. Some months, we could get paid on Friday they 13th and then not again until the 1st - particulary bad if the month had 31 days. We also didn't get paid in July and August. I am loving getting paid every two weeks now and will really love getting paid in summer for the first time ever!
ReplyDeleteI'm paid the same way - this month yippee I get paid the 13th but then the 31st isn't until Tuesday - usually mine direct deposits the day before - so that Monday it should be in but it doesn't always do that if the payment date falls on the weekend - it goes in the Friday before. confusing!
ReplyDeleteI dont' have anything on a 26 week payment unless the credit card falls that way but I log-in and pay it at least weekly and sometimes 2x weekly to keep up with it. I think of the paycheck at the end of the month as mortgage, townhomes HOA fee, natural gas(usually very low), phone/internet(thanks to being surprised the other day by that charge),and electric along with some cushion for groceries/misc. The middle of the month's paycheck is car/home insurance, car payment, dogs' pet plan, along with the food/misc. I know I'm still missing something so I guess work this next week I'll log-on to bank and Discovercard and re-do my budget LOL!
concert sounds like fun! and yes that's what the gift budget is for! I'm just as bad though because I know what you mean about wanting the fund to grow!
I felt as if i had come home when i read your post, it.s so good to be bac kxx
ReplyDeleteWelcome back Maureen!! It's good to see your smiling face again :)Yes, we're still here, plugging away, one day at a time. I guess it feels like home because we're sort of a "virtual family", a big one at that!
ReplyDeleteI thank you for your detailed posting of all your goals and accomplishments ... like WOW!
ReplyDeleteI spent 15 years getting paid monthly. It was hard but you just get used to it. Bills get paid once a month, budget happens!
Happy Mother's Day from your Colorado Friend!
Thanks Marge - I hope you have a wonderful day also!
ReplyDeleteHubby gets paid 4 weekly but puts money into the bill account monthly..it makes it easier for us to budget.
ReplyDeleteKeith Urban...I'm jealous! And Michael has good taste..I've had Adele's album on repeat since its release...I'm obsessed!!