Daily writing prompt

Write about your approach to budgeting.

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When I was first married and young and foolish, at the ripe old age of 22, I was the one in charge of the money. I paid the bills and devised a financial plan each month of what came in, what had to go out, how much my then-husband and I could have for “spending” and what, if any, we could save. All joint accounts.

Then one day Dr. Phil said that if you share bank accounts you will end up divorced, or something to that effect. So we separated them a bit, he had control over his and I worried about mine. Somehow we still ended up divorced.

Since then I’ve always only worried about my money and my bills. Clint and I don’t share accounts, only bills, and honestly I have no idea how much money he has or doesn’t have.

I got in the habit years and years ago to write out my debits and credits and keep them in a book so that I know what’s going out and what’s coming in. Twenty-five years ago it seemed that we were always writing out cheques for daycare or cheques for my son’s hockey and I wanted to be sure we didn’t have a cheque bounce so I was very cautious.

I sometimes still write out my debits and credits just to see it on paper but with everything so costly these days, it’s hard to stick to. I did tell myself I was going to buckle down for the next month or so as the kids and I are going on a vacation for spring break. Fingers crossed, on the buckling down thing. It’s not my forte.