8 days until payday...
OK. The checking account is pretty low! With any luck at all, I won't have to go back to the grocery store before pay day. Who am I kidding? Of course, I'll have to go back to the store. At least I have paid everything that I HAVE to pay this month. I'll just have to be extra careful with what's left.
checking account balance = $124.31
7 days until payday...
The truth? I didn't even make it until dinner time yesterday before I was back at the store! I went to
Wal Mart to get what I needed because I thought it would be cheaper.
The yard service came today. That $49.00 bill can just wait until next month!
We have some free babysitting tonight so we're going out for a date but we are going "dutch".
checking account balance = $117.20
6 days until payday...
So much for having all the school supplies taken care of...at Open House, I got a list of "optional" classroom supplies to send. I had a couple of things on the list already but that will be ANOTHER trip to
Wal Mart and
Office Depot to get the rest.
While I'm out, I need a birthday gift for the kids to take to a birthday party. I'll pay for that from my account and get reimbursed after pay day. I really should always budget for an extra child's party gift!
They probably miss me at
Publix. It has been 4 or 5 days since I've been there. I need some broccoli for dinner tonight. I think I'll go to
Publix since it's closer than
Wal Mart.
I still need a couple of things for the class supplies. They would be cheaper at
Dollar General or
Dollar Tree but that would mean another trip. I'll just get it all at the grocery store and be finished with that list! OK. So I ended up spending $30 on broccoli and kleenex. I'm pretty sure there were some other groceries in there somewhere.
checking account balance = $76.27
5 days until payday...
We have plenty of sandwich stuff at home so we'll skip eating out after church. What? We are out of milk? You have GOT to be kidding. How many times have I been to the store in the last 3 days? Honey, would you go get some milk? And, while you are there, I need something for my headache!
checking account balance = $65.06
4 days until payday...
Let's just STOP THE BLEEDING and hang on! We can make it just a few more days. Depending on which charges clear when, we may even have some room to spare. No matter what, it's going to be close. At least one of the cars will need gas and, other than breakfast, there is probably no way to squeak by on the groceries we have left.
I'll get some cash from the savings account. That will reimburse me for the birthday present I bought and a few groceries. I'll leave the rest of what is in the checking account for gas.
Did I mention that, next month, we are NOT going to cut it this close? Did I also mention that I say that EVERY month?
Great, my gas light just came on. I'll put $10 worth in and that should get me to payday.
checking account balance = $55.05
3 days until payday...
We didn't spend any money today! Yea!
checking account balance = $55.05
2 days until payday...
Unbelievable...we made it through a 2nd day in a row without spending money from the checking account. I am pretty sure we need cat food and the other car will need gas. Maybe it will need gas; the gas light hasn't come on yet.
"Honey, if you have to get gas before payday, just put $10 in."
"Do I want to know how close we are cutting it this month?"
"Absolutely not."
"Are we going to make it?"
"Absolutely."
checking account balance = $55.05 (still)
Tomorrow is payday...
8:00 a.m. - I am going to check the online banking system to see if the paycheck is showing up as "pending" yet. Once it is actually pending, nothing else will get processed ahead of it. At least, I don't think anything will get processed ahead of it. No. The payment is not listed as pending, yet. I guess it will start showing up later today. If we don't spend any money until after 2:00 p.m., processing won't start until tommorrow anyway.
2:07 p.m. - Still no pending payment showing up. The good news is that there is a $25.00 check that hasn't cleared yet so the bank shows more in our account than my check register does. That always makes me feel a little better.
Whew! This zero-based budgeting will do a number on your nerves at the end of the month for sure!
8:00 p.m. - I am going to check one more time to see if the paycheck is listed as...WHAT? The internet is down? Fine. I'll wait until in the morning. I know it will be listed then.
checking account balance - $55.05
PAYDAY!
7:39 a.m. - Internet is still down. I have talked to the service provider and they are not sure what the problem is. It could be tomorrow before it is fixed. I wonder if I can actually call the bank on the phone and talk to someone that could look up my balance. Do they still do that?
10:40 a.m. - The internet is back up and all is well in my world! The paycheck is listed as pending and I know the exact amount that is going in. No, it is not the same amount every month. This month, though, I don't mind waiting to find out...there is a pay raise in there and I'll take it.
11:30 a.m. - Fill up car #1 with gas.
5:30 p.m. - Fill up car #2 with gas (the light was on).
7:30 p.m. - Go online and pay bills.
checking account balance - ENOUGH to make it to the next $100 until payday!
