Did you take a risk this year?
The biggest risk for me ties in with finances, come to think of it everything I can think of is linked to money. I have always managed our household finances, I have been doing it for over 15 years. I taught myself QuickBooks that long ago as well and was the self appointed office manager, control CFO of my husbands dental practice. A newlywed with a baby on the way (that sounded so shotgun) I was bored, if you can believe there ever was a time. There was something fulfilling about reconciling and accounting down to the last penny. Nowadays? I’m good even if I am as far off as fifty dollars. Yes I still do my husbands books, but I do have help who saves my bacon when I can not find the time to file forms and cut checks.
Being a homemaker full time and trying to get a business of my own off the ground is quite the financial strain. I have had to let go of the expensive hair cuts and pedicures, That’s OK because my daughter is in school half day and that means we have lunch together every day. Without income old habits have become hard to break. Grocery shopping without a budget, Target runs with overflowing shopping carts those things were so common I forget I need to be mindful.
My better half never having shopped in his life is like most men he has no idea how much things cost. I threaten to hide the butter after I see my boys consume a stick a day. They have no clue their butter habit costs about $30 a month. FOR BUTTER! So in an effort to ‘enlighten’ him I handed over the checking account reigns. When its time to go grocery shopping I ask for money and I hate it. I have never had to ask for anything in this relationship, I had my own stash. We keep our finances separate, theirs mine, his and ours and if my intuition proves me right there are probably accounts I don’t know about and shouldn’t because of my track record of spending. I get it he’s a squirrel and I’m a nut that’s trying to convince the squirrel to buy more nuts! It’s a good balance.
Closing our joint account, my money lifeline was a big deal to me heck I opened that account when I was in high school. The checking account had become more of my bail out buddy. Unexpectedly high AMEX bill? No problem. You can see why I was so resistant to cutting myself off but I had to. I walked into my bank closed it and moved on. I’m not going to die without it although at times it sure as hell feels like it. I’ll just have to manage my money better and keep my wallet shut.
Nothing risked nothing gained.
Let’s hope I gain a few sheckles in the new year.
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