Don't get buried by your debt~

A while back we had our male puppy, Kassel, “fixed”. I use the word “fixed” lightly, as I have since discovered this term is now politically incorrect. The more friendly term being used is “altered”, seeing as the word “fixed” implies that something was wrong with him to begin with. And although marking his territory may be construed as a natural display of dominance for some, I chose to “fix” the issue. The line was drawn when he “marked” my flip flops…

As we picked up our sweet little four pound ball of fur from the vet’s office, I felt a great sadness in my heart for what we chose to put him through. You see, not only did we have him neutered, but also elected to have five of his remaining puppy teeth pulled. In addition, he received his Parvo and Rabies vaccinations. Basically, he was “tore up from the floor up”…

Upon returning home, and knowing he was probably hungry, I made him some mashed potatoes. Why? Maybe the guilt I felt from putting him through such a traumatic experience, or maybe a flashback to the pain I encountered from having my wisdom teeth removed many years ago. Either way, mashed potatoes were on the menu. 

As he whined and ate, then ate and whined, one thing was constant: Emma. Emma is our other puppy. Emma was also jealous of the extra attention, and mashed potatoes, Kassel was receiving, and she wasn't.

This became even more evident as the days progressed. While Kassel recovered inside, laying on a soft fluffy blanket while being catered to with love and mashed potatoes, Emma was plotting her revenge. While unsuccessfully attempting to draw our attention towards herself in various ways, she ended up at the back door wanting to go outside. Though not knowing exactly why, we allowed it so she would not disturb him any further. It wasn't until later did we realize what she had skillfully accomplished…

She had spent her outside playtime digging two holes. Not a big deal, right? What actually caught our attention was what had been placed into one of the holes: Kassel’s favorite little lion toy. Yes, she had developed some hit-man mentality, and was carefully burying the bodies of his toys… And while we averted another casualty by discovering the dump-site, it was clear the neglect, and lack of mashed potato offering, had taken a toll on her psyche. It was also clear by the second hole she had bigger plans…much bigger plans.

Are you neglecting your finances?

How many holes are you digging to bury your financial neglect? It’s easy to admit the need to create a budget. It takes patience to sit down and actually do it. But staying on track, and giving it the attention it requires each month, takes real dedication.

Some get a little freaked out when the word budget is even mentioned... But did you realize that if you make and spend money you already have a budget in place? OK, it may be a really lousy one. Terrible in fact. But one nonetheless. The whole idea is to conscientiously know where your money is going. Plain and simple...

Creating a budget

The best way is to get it down on paper (or on the computer). It just seems to make it a little more official that way... Need a sample budget worksheet to get you started? You can Google about a million of them, however, I found this one posted by Frugal Living that is pretty simple to follow. Better yet, create your own and make it a little more personalized with my worksheet! Click here to download... 

Often times one will veer off course by an unexpected event. Take for example the need to replace an expensive appliance. Having to spend the extra cash, or increase debt, to acquire your item doesn't mean the penny counting should stop all together. Making the proper adjustments, staying on track, and accounting for the extra expense can help you from getting buried in debt and finance charges.

So before your wallet suffers any more casualties, give your budget the appropriate attention it deserves. And don’t forget to reward yourself for a job well done. Maybe a nice big steak on the grill, with a side of mashed potatoes…

Want to see more ideas about saving money? Check out my other posts on The Money Diet, and follow me on Facebook.