I know this may sound crazy, but owing taxes may be a good thing for us! I have been a bit hesitant to mention this but we've been struggling to stay on our budget each pay period. For one reason or another, we tend to stray. We have the best of intentions but "being good" has been harder for us than we anticipated.
Don't get me wrong, we have definitely made some progress from where we were previously. I actually have a "plan" that we are supposed to follow now (which is progress) and we've made some dents in our debt, just smaller than we could be making. Until now, we would kind of look at the plan but then make other decisions...
For whatever reason though, I refuse to pay the government late. I do not want to go on a payment plan and be hit with penalties and late charges. Eff that! It's not happening. This mentality has forced us to follow our plan to the T these past two pay periods. I know it may not sound like much, but I think THIS is the kick in the *** we needed to start following the plan. We have 5 more pay periods where we HAVE to follow it exactly or we won't make it. Maybe it's our procrastinator mentality that is forcing us to now conform at the last minute, maybe we get off on the pressure and the idea of the tax man coming knocking on our door, I'm not sure what it is - but it's working!
My only hope is that a habit will be formed by the time this is done, that we will continue to follow the plan and get ourselves out of this mess. One can only hope, right?
Question : What was your "A-ha moment" when it came to your debt? When did you decide it was time to take action and was it then that you actually started really doing it, or was it later because of something else?
Sometimes a little kick in the @ss is all you need to get on the straight n' narrow! ;) Keeping my eye on the prize is what keeps me on my budget! I'm saving for a summer vacation with hubby & kids!
ReplyDeleteIt will become a habit if you can stick with it the next few pay periods - the discipline I developed over No Spend February is still with me, and man am I ever grateful!
ReplyDeleteI decided to get serious about my debt when I got serious with my boyfriend. Is that bad? We had been living together for a year already, and I had an "A-HA!" moment about our relationship- he was/is "The One." We had talked about money and (my) debt in the past (he doesn't have any- smart man!), and I knew if I wanted our relationship to grow and last forever (read: marriage), that I would have to start tackling my debt. I was relieved when he said that he would help any way he could. So, I am on several repayment plans. It's a slow process, but I have high hopes!
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