Challenging times ahead

As many of you know, I am employed. Employment has a host of advantages and disadvantages, which while a comparison of the two makes for interesting conversation, shall not be the topic of this blog posting. Instead I want to focus on the advantage of earning a salary.
I have been employed for many years in my life, and each position has brought with it new skills, experiences, communities and…paycheques. Paycheques are what drive an employee to show up in the morning, drink their coffee, respond to emails and limit their internet surfing. They are wonderful.
However depending on life’s circumstances, paycheques may or may not be adequate to provide a needed sense of worth and security. I say this because I finally am earning a paycheque where I don’t have to budget in a starbucks fix or an unexpected lunch with co-workers. It is really nice. Many people I know are not so lucky and I feel for them. My three years in DC were spent scrimping and saving…when my car was broken into twice in one month and I had to borrow money from my parents to get the second replacement window I was devastated. This is not where I am right now.
My current paycheque has allowed me to upgrade my computer. It has let me purchase new clothing (Yay!). I have purchased an i-trip and new headphones. I have purchased a plane ticket (though that mainly is from income tax refund anticipation). I don’t lead a fancy life but I buy fancy cheese from Sobey’s and the occasional bottle of wine. I’m okay with my life while not living it up in bling bling.
Where is this going you may ask? Is she bragging about her wealth? Her non-guilt over a starbucks latte?
NO! It is because I have issued myself a challenge. For you see, with this new found wealth I have, well, overindulged at the Midtown. I have overindulged in my the waist line whilst lining the pocketbook of Mr. Sobey. How do I know this? Well I know this because I did a three month review of my outgoings and realized I have a lot of outgoings when I thought I had so few.
So for this paycheque, lasting for 15 days, I decided to buckle down. I have set a modest budget for food and fun. This budget is probably half of what I normally allow. To make sure I am held back, I took my paycheque, paid all my bills and then threw the remainder on a credit card. Normally I pay the credit card after I’ve made my bi-monthly purchases…not so this time. I have cut the purse strings and there’s no looking back.
Now for some, the amount of money I have set aside for these 15 days will be more than enough to survive. It might be luxury living. However for me it will be with pangs of regret that I may need to forgo a sale, forgo a cheese, forgo a glass of wine. For fifteen days I will fight the retail gods and god-damn-it, I will prevail. All I ask is a little understanding if I don’t supersize our next outing…That is all…let the challenge begin.