I got a $75 parking ticket. I had to get catastropic insurance for the period between when I left my former job and when my new health insurance would kick in ($200+). My prescription will be $60 instead of $25 this month because the catastropic insurance doesn’t cover prescriptions.
These were expenses that were unforseen (the ticket!) and not a part of my regular budget (insurance & prescription).
It’s easy to feel frustrated at these anomalies that will crimp my spending plan – and the problem is that when I feel since the budget’s already been broken, it doesn’t really matter if I’m over by $50 or by $100 this month. I’ll wait until next month to get back on the wagon.
Knowing that about myself, though, helps me to take a breath and let go & let live – some (or not so small) things will always pop up – that’s called life happens. I don’t have to deprive myself of artisanal pizzas from Trader Joe’s or forgo my massage to “make back” that $75. On the flip side, I don’t have to let my frustrations get the best of me and throw the rest of my budget off track.
It’s a bump in the road. It’s not the first and it won’t be the last. The only thing to do is to keep going… and remember to park on the correct side of the street.
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I think I discovered that I tend to catastrophize a bit too. I went out for an expensive dinner (that I paid for) on Wednesday night and didn’t let myself get tempted by my coworkers ordering Indian and Thai foods the following days…I felt too “poor” after the pricey dinner. It’s kind of like going on a diet the day after Thanksgiving…
I’m glad you were able to get over the fact that things just happen sometimes. Hopefully I can start thinking about things that way, too.
I think one can go either way on that—personally, I’d cancel the massage to come out even—but you’ve definitely got the key, which is to nix the all-or-nothing thinking. I’m a natural extremist, and I have a lot of trouble with this, in both directions—once I take one step in one direction (whether it’s asceticism or excess), it’s very difficult for me not to take three more. And then another one. And then a couple more after that. And then sometimes I end up in places I don’t want to be. So definite props to you for avoiding that slippery slope.
Oh, and one more thing: though delicious, the pizzas at TJ’s (at least the ones I’ve experienced) are hardly artisanal. Insofar as they’re, you know, mass-produced (though still very, very tasty!). Is there TJ’s pizza I don’t know about? A major downside of Manhattan is this: only one Trader Joe’s. Sometimes I’m behind.
EM – I just couldn’t cancel my massage… my back has been bothering me and after one hour with the therapist, I feel so much better. It’s one of the best thing I do for myself.
As for the pizza at TJ’s, I got a caramelized onion & fig flat-bread pizza… definitely delicious. Not sure if it’d be artisanal to a true foodie… but it was miles ahead of almost any other pizza I’ve had, frozen or at a pizzeria.
i think you should budget some money every month to take care for miscellaneous things that happen month to month
Oh, if it’s a pain situation, and not just a relaxation thing, then that’s a different story. I wouldn’t cancel that either.
The pizza sounds tasty, and I don’t think I’ve seen that one at my TJ’s, so maybe I really am missing out! I think of “artisanal” as meaning “made by an artisan, using traditional methods of preparation,” which sort of rules out mass-production in general, but either way, that pizza sounds really delicious. Have you tried the TJ’s Greek pizza, with spinach, Kalamata olives, and feta cheese? It’s my favorite.
I’m super jealous you had a massage! I’m looking for a decent massage therapist in my area…well, I’m trying to, but I haven’t tried very hard!
I’m also a recent college grad on an entry-level paycheck, and I agree that it’s really difficult when large, unexpected expense comes along. My parents have had to step in and help a few times…luckily they are understanding and know it’s hard to be 100% financially independent on 30something a year salary in a big city. Last week my cat got in an awful catfight and the vet bill to fix his injuries was $236. It was my boyfriend’s birthday this month, and I paid for his presents, nice dinner, party, etc. So of course the cat thing happened at the worst time, when my budget was already stretched thin….luckily my mom stepped in and helped, since the cat was originally hers. I know the most logical thing to do is set some emergency cash aside, but then how to you determine what really constitutes an emergency? It’s tough.
It depends on your health care coverage, but some plans cover chiropractor visits–which can include therapeutic massages.