101 - Woot!

Something amazing happened to me today: When I sorted my laundry all the socks matched up. That's right, you heard me -- I wasn't missing even one sock.

It's such a beautiful day. I wish it was like this all the time. I love the way the sun filters into my house, and the cats enjoy lounging on the windowsills, breathing in all the outdoor scents that my nose can't discern. Gracie wants to go outside and play, but ever since her mother disappeared, I don't let her do it anymore.

I think the cats know I'm going on vacation... they've been especially snuggly lately (could also be the cold). I hope they behave themselves while I'm gone...

Speaking of the trip, every day, more things manage to find their way into my suitcase... a few days ago I took extra shirts out, but I have added at least two more since then, and a cardigan. I only have a couple of things left to pack and I'm done! And I leave Tuesday! I'm so excited to see my cousin, and then the next day I get to see Laura and Brian. We're going to have a blast. I'm looking forward to showing them around Edinburgh and Dunkeld, then experiencing new things with them for the rest of the trip. I know Brian's really excited about the Harley dealership, and Laura and Jamie are just excited at the whole thing. We're all chomping at the bit.

Last night I revamped my budget. It was a lot more work than it sounds. See, I do budgets for a living, so my personal budget is something to behold... each debt has its own worksheet that is mapped to a summary page, and I also track my 401k's and savings accounts. There are 'if' statements, formulas linked to different worksheets, and ammortization tables... it's a beast.

My problem was that the checkbook page (I don't use paper check registers anymore) wasn't sorted by date, so I kind of manipulated my balances. I would spend the money but not show it in the register until the next paycheck. The date would be right, the placement was wrong. I was never in any actual danger of an overdraft because I use my credit card like a debit card, entering each item into my checkbook and setting the money aside... same principle but this way I get the airline miles. But... I wasn't exactly being honest with myself, and if I'd had to pay my balance as I spent it, it was sometimes negative. Because I'm setting a certain amount of money aside for the trip, I needed to know my true balance... so... two days worth of work later... and I feel better about things. I know where I stand.

When I get back from the trip I'm going to work on sorting clothes, patterns and fabric to sell on eBay. I have a lot of stuff I don't wear, either because it doesn't fit right, or it's something that I'd love to wear but just don't (like silk... I swea... I mean, perspire in silk so I should know better). And I thought I was going to love sewing, so I bought a lot of patterns and fabric... which is sitting in my closet of shame... I think I can make a pretty penny if I manage to sell some of it. I really want to chip away at my debt in this coming year. It bugs me more and more. And the debauchle when one of my cards increased the minimum payment really opened my eyes to the fact that I could end up in a real hole if all of my creditors follow suit. Once I pay the windows off I'll have more wiggle room, but until then I'm nervous.

...sigh... gonna make a trip to the grocery store. I need to get a paper, and some stuff for the cats. I've almost finished my to-do list though... yea!