Budget Lost But Not Found

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I budget. I do. The problem is that it keeps getting lost and I seldom find it. I’m heading down a waterfall, because the monthly budget is joined at the hip with my new year resolution to be debt free. Translate that into: not resorting to the card with the big C.

Having a limited income is very draining mentally and emotionally, because it keeps going out after coming in. You have to watch every dollar. I wish I was Oprah Winfrey, the Ambani brothers of India or Aliko Dangote from Nigeria, who is reported as the richest man in Africa.

I don’t want to pass the buck, but my budget keeps getting lost partly because of bank fees. I pay most of my bills electronically. Only the bank knows why it pinches two dollars here and five dollars there. This upsets the apple cart because I thought I had a balance of $200, but the bank deducted housekeeping money and it ended up being $183.

Don’t blame banks. They dance to their own drums. I’m supposed to have a reserve of $100 after paying the bills, but is that realistic for working folks like us? Banks don’t care. They must make a profit, which is strange bearing in mind that it is our money. They are just caretakers.

Sales. The economy is bad so there are lot of sales. I cannot resist them, especially for things I really need. I’m not an Economics major but I’ve never seen the item SALES in a budget spread sheet. But there are things that fall under MISCELLANEOUS right? That is where I can sneak in sale items.

What also makes my budget to leave home and wander in the wilderness or cyberspace is the government. I forget to add taxes. I’m not alone. Most people say they’ve put aside $100 for snow boots.  They never say $123 which includes all taxes.

Nobody is to blame for my financial woes. I must just fess up that I’m living on the edge because I don’t have reserve funds to cover all of the above.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.

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