Whiplash

Today's Friday, and it's a much-awaited day: Payday. It just dawned on me today the significance that this day currently has for us (I say currently, because we're gradually trying to dig ourselves out of paycheque-to-paycheque land).

At breakfast this morning, my daughter asked me about a sub-sandwich lunch order form. In a rush, I said that I'd look at it later, and she then told me that it was due today. Now, mornings tend to be rushed around our house, so now I'm factoring in this new item on my "To Do" list, and I ask why she didn't tell me about it before. She replied, "Well, today's pay-day, so there wasn't money for it before, right?" A punch in the gut - that's what this innocent question felt like.

While we don't involve the kids in our major financials or anything, we do discuss things when they're around, and they know when there's money available to splurge, and when there isn't and not to bother asking. When we're shopping and I see something I want but put it back on the shelf, I explain that it's not something I need, and we can't afford it. When they ask for something they want but don't need, they hear a similar statement. While part of me is saddened that this has clearly become a part of their lives, another part of me hopes that the knowledge they gain from these experiences will help them to manage their own finances effectively.

So today's payday - meaning my pay comes in, gets us out of overdraft, and we find ourselves "back in black". Now come the bill payments - fulfilling a couple of payment arrangements that we made, minimum payment on the credit card, transferring funds where they need to go. And I look at the balance. Still looks good!  :)  Oh! Wait... that money needs to cover for 2 mortgage payments before I'll get paid again... so that brings the balance down to... hmm.... and we need groceries - the cupboards are looking dangerously bare and the fridge is mostly empty, so that will bring the balance down further to... oh - and gas money to get to-and-from work, and the kids to-and-from school (we live in the country so this is a very real expense), which brings it down to.... DAMN!

Basically, I went from maxed out overdraft, to being nicely in the black, and I can see that with the writing on the wall, we'll be back to the bottom of the overdraft yet again before I next get paid. Total whiplash.

Today was payday, but there's no splurging, no "extra" available. Sub-day is still happening, because the kids don't need to know just how tight things are, and if I need to work from home for a couple of days to save the gas money to make up for the expense - well - I'm fortunate that I have that option available to me.

I look forward to the days where we're no longer paycheque-to-paycheque, and I swear that we won't be here again. This isn't something that I'm crossing my fingers on or simply hoping for - I'm committed to making the necessary changes to prevent this from happening, and it sounds like my husband's on board, too.

By the end of this year, we WILL be whiplash-free forever.