Monday, January 24, 2011

Pre-Deployment War

Okay, I am the type that I have to have something to focus my attention on, something that I can attack when I am feeling overwhelmed by emotions and feeling out of control because I have no control over the Army or what they dictate to my family.
So I have declared war on our debt and our bills. I hate balancing the checkbook, with a passion. For years the checkbook and bills incited so much fear in me that I would literally have to leave the house while GI Jack worked on them. With the transition back into full time military mode it just makes more sense for me to take on that role. I have a notebook that I write down all of my bills in and balance them between the first and the fifteenth pay checks. I currently run at 26% of our income goes towards utilities and bills. I am working to get that number lower and lower. As I am able to pay off debts, that will decrease and hopefully by the time GI Jack gets back from his deployment I will be able to say that the only bills I have to pay are utilities.
After being self-employed for so many years and not being able to use a workable budget because we lived so feast or famine, being able to know what is coming in on a month basis has set me up for success. I am working on the rest of our budget, what I need for savings, groceries, gas, and the little incidentals that happen in every family.
I am praying for the job that I applied for. One, because I would love it and two, because it would help me in this fight. The money that I make with my direct sales business goes for "Mad Money", for example, if the kids and I want to go camping, or maybe head home for a couple of weeks.
Right now, I am also saving money to send my kids to a youth summer camp this summer. Sending 3 kids to camp is a pretty penny. It's something that they want to do, I am working on it. The deserve it. I know that God will provide.

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