So, I haven't been doing my budget because I knew that during the past few months I've spent more money than I should have. But today, I sat down and tackled the past 2 month's worth of expenses...and much to my surprise....I've actually lived within my means.
However, I had originally formed my budget with the assumption that I was making $950/month. After looking at my bank statements today, I realized that my salary is only $802/month. Whoops. I had been calculating my salary before taxes. With my rent, gas and utilities averaging around $600/month and food and bills (phone) averaging around $200/month. I officially have $2 extra at the end of the month to spend on life....
After discovering this, I tried to remain calm. I returned to the office, where I'm supposed to be calling people asking for money- got really overwhelmed and turned down by the only call I made, managed to jam up the printer and have ink explode all over my hands (almost on my white jacket I just bleached last night) while no one in the office even noticed, and listened to a machine from Bank of America on the phone for 1/2 hour only to realize that they don't allow people to change their PIN numbers over the phone.
So my pride has officially taken the passenger's seat to necessity. I qualified for food stamps, but didn't want to get them, because I didn't feel like a "vow of poverty" was quite the same as real poverty. But now that I have about $2 extra cash a month and a lot of stress....I'm considering sprinting to the Social Security building to apply.
At this point, I'm ready to go home, eat my leftover red curry, watch Wheel of Fortune (which has become a nightly ritual) and breath....
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