8 April 2004 ... Money

I am taking classes over at B&N University. I've signed up for three and my goal is to complete one of them and have a decent handle on finishing the other two. That's my project of the month.

The one class that I've dived into is called Money Management for Women. I'm not so sure about the "Women" part... since I am gender-neuter. But I do need some educating about stocks and bonds and such so I can play with my 401K plan.

And it also occured to me that I would have a serious problem if the Significant Other became incapacitated. I am pretty sure he's going to wrap his precious van around a Saguaro one of these nights. We split the rent, but if I had to handle it on my own, rent would kill 70% of my income. And summer time electricity would kill another 20%.

So, here I am, incapable of taking care of myself.

So far, the money management class is interesting. I am already ahead of the game: I have a savings account with several months worth of income and I keep a financial journal. Unfortunately, the journal tells me a) I spend too much for xmas and b) I am basically living pay check to pay check. ick.

I am pretty frugal with my money. My job just pays crap.

I don't mind about the crap pay. It's a good job for me... I don't have to deal with a lot of people, the people I do momentarily come in contact with are decent and fun-loving and amusing, I can be creative if I feel like it, my perfectionist tendencies have an outlet, and when it gets slow no one complains when they see me reading my book. eh!

I make signs. I get benefits. But I can't live on the pay. Not when I need a new track ball and a book drill and some more DVDs and a DVD-ROM. And obviously, I need more books. And also the Honda Insight. I can't have these things, and I am annoyed.

So anyway. I'm taking the money management class. And after we move next year, maybe I'll be able to get a job with less crap pay.

Said with a *yeah right* snort.