oh money, where are thou?

ugh. one of the things that sucks the most about adulthood is dealing with money. i suspect i wouldn't feel this way if, you know, i had money, but i don't and managing micro-amounts of it is exhausting. i actually had to take out a pay-day loan this month, which was pretty humbling. before anyone gets too upset let me explain; it wasn't for much, the terms aren't too terrible, and it will be all paid back and okay by this friday. i'm just at a point in my life where it's worth it for me to spend $37 to get a few hundred dollars as a loan rather than ask my mom for it. we needed just a little for wiggle room, gas and food and a small bill or two, and it made this last week a lot less stressful. D didn't work a few weekends last month, and while no waiter on earth makes a lot in hourly wages, he did miss out on tips as well and that's where the money is. he picked up extra shifts this week and next, we sat down last night and made out a budget, and i am confident that by the end of this summer we'll be fiscally a hell of a lot more responsible.

we still have work to do, and our budget is pretty cursory right now, but the first thing we did this month was to cut way back on going out to eat and other fun stuff that cost money. the biggest expense we've incurred lately for entertainment is the drive-in; which is under $20 for all of us to go, and we can pack snacks and it's a whole night of fun. we've been renting movies from the library, reading lots of books out in the sun, and the kids have been working on various art and craft projects. i'm not worried about them getting too bent out of shape going out less, since we're just doing more fun stuff at home. barbecuing is easy and can be cheap, and we all get to hang around outside playing frisbee while things cook. everyone loves ramen. beans and rice are so nice! i do still drive to work, but am thinking i could quit that some days and ride my bike (it's only 6 miles). on the weekends, we walk as many places as we can. i gave up my cell phone. i will admit we tend to favor good beer, which makes us bad grown-ups, but buying the occasional 6 pack of good stuff is still way cheaper than going out for drinks.

we'll never be able to retire, and we'll have to cross our fingers that the kids get into college based on their good looks and charm, but hopefully we'll pay off some of our debt, put some money into savings, and not be too crabby doing it. i'll never understand how money can be so stressful and boring at the same time.