>I need to cancel my Tivo & XM Radio, but I can’t bring myself to do it.
Excuses keep popping into my head, “It’s not that much money. I need those things. What else am I going to spend that money on?”
Well, I could spend that money on gifts for my nephew, a new pair of shoes, or even food.
What other expenses can I possibly cut? I’ve reviewed my budget in the past, when gas prices started to skyrocket about 10 years ago.
I don’t go out to eat anymore and rarely if ever go to Starbucks. My fridge is fairly bare because I try not to buy food I won’t actually eat. I commute to work and only go to work and then back home, while trying to combine all my errands into one trip.
The biggest expense I have is rent. Common sense tells me I should get a roommate, but is the freedom afforded me by living alone really worth it? What would I do with that money? I guess I could save it to buy a house, but that seems like it would be the final nail in the coffin and I’ll be off to permanent spinsterhood. Of course, I could save it up for retirement because as we all know a 401K is going to give me the same odds as playing craps in Las Vegas.
So the reality is that I either get a roommate or stop whining about not having any money left after I pay all my bills because waiting for a husband to show up seems to be as realistic as playing the lottery. Did I mention I haven’t had a roommate in 10 years? That was also the last time I had a boyfriend, but that’s just a coincidence.
Christ, I’ll be 40 years old before I know it. Shouldn’t I be more well off than when I was in my 20s?
>I struggle with that myself. When I'm trying to be kinder to myself I recognize that I made some mistakes careerwise. If I had stayed at my job in CA that I had with PM and not moved to Seattle I would have been much better off financially. And then the U that I worked at for 6 years underpaid me to death. So I'm doing some of the same. 🙂 Still have fancy cable I must admit (and a housekeeper) but I'm trying to stick to a budget and put some money aside. I agree, though. I feel like I should be better off than I am and that bums me out.
>Second income from web writing or copy editing. You obviously know how to write, and there are plenty of people out there who need content writers. It's easy to do during off hours, so doesn't really impact day job…and you can do it from anywhere.
If you do have to choose which to cut, I say keep the radio. It's easier to write with music in the background than TV. (That may just be me, though.)
>Joanne – I hear you, I had a good job in SF that paid me way more than I'm making now, but I traded that in to be closer to my family and to supposedly have a higher quality of life, get more for my money.
Justin – I've thought about getting a second job, but for some dumb reason I never thought of trying to find a writing job. Probably because I don't think I'm good enough at it or don't have anything published. Of course, I have no idea where to begin looking for a job like that either. I just might take your advice and look for something like that. Thanks!