Budget Books

I've held onto budget notebooks from the last 10 years or so. They take up alot of room in the file cabinet so I decided I would toss them after I looked them over. Today, I was home with a sick Georgia so I tackled them while we watched the movie Babe.

I had thought I'd find lots of foolish excess and thoughtless spending, but I didn't. Instead I tracked all the way back to the difficult process, 9 years ago, trying to save money for my trip to India by working tons of hideous overtime at understaffed nightmare nursing homes. I had forgotten how difficult it was to save enough to pay for ongoing bills at home while I was gone, as well as travel expenses for my 4 months away.
Then, when I got back from my trip I was quickly trying to create a maternity leave, buy our first house and keep up with the two cars we now needed. Then the childcare expenses arrived, then insurance and utilities that were always going up! My budget grew each year and much of it was things like food, housing and insurance. It was sad to see the travel and savings go by the wayside.

The money part of my current organizing is moving along. I'm trying to computerize and then automate our bills. After looking through the old budget notebooks I am feeling more tender toward the young couple that built up the debt we've got.

I tossed all of the old notebooks into the woodstove when I was done. Then Georgia and I took a nap together in front of the fire.

The books burned really hot and bright, the layers of paper puffing up like a red and black pastry.

No need to have them around any more.
I know we did the best we could.
and I know that things are about to get much better.


Georgia's feeling better, too.
Drinking peppermint tea and giggling with Lily.