In the short run, I mean.

I just went and checked on my bank account. After paying the $180 facilities fee, yesterday, so that my class can go forward, and buying a birthday present for Lyn (very special friend and p/t employer), I still had $615 which, for the way this year's been so far, is pretty great!

Then I did the math. First, subtract my tithe, no problem, God will make sure I won't starve. Then minus another $70 because of the IRS notice I got yesterday. Penalties and interest for having filed late. Ugh, but again, own fault for not having had an adequate e-fund.

Then I subtracted the gym membership and the phone bill, both of which will be due this week.

Then, I chose to put $100 into my tax savings account, an extra $25 into personal savings, and throw another $25 at the student loan (for a total extra payment of $45 this month).

The upshot of all this is, I now have only $200. Gone is the nifty feeling of the high checking account balance. This is hard for me to do, to give up my cash on hand for higher goals. Anyone who says it's easy, maybe has a little more cash on hand than I do.

But, for me it's the single best way to control my spending: make sure I don't feel like I've got anything to spend. And you know, with taxes to pay, little savings, and $18K in student loans generating about $90/mo in interest, really I don't have much to spend. It just hurts to give up the illusion that I do. Especially when I've been working so hard.

The good side of all this, is the side that will show up at the end of the year when I have MORE than enough to cover my tax bill, and I can put the extra into personal savings and/or use it to knock off a big chunk of my student loan. :-)

I'll probably use most of it to pay the loan: instant guaranteed 5.45% return on investment. Hard to beat that!

looking forward, and heading for the gym,

Mare