I still have a job but

we're going to furlough for the summer. The amount that I won't see in my paycheck because of this will be spread out through the end of the year as to "lessen the burden." I think I'm going to start using my work from home privileges more to cut down on the cost of my commute (36 miles each way). Jonathan could be getting furloughed too, so I'm going to have to really watch my spending now. I hope I won't have to say goodbye to yoga.

The thing that really sucks about this is that it's holding up doing things like buying a house, getting Jonathan a new car, maybe a European vacation, or even a kid. I tell myself the wait will be worth it. I would hate to have one of those nasty mortgages hanging over our head, and we want to be responsible about it and put down the customary 10%. If only everyone would do that maybe we wouldn't be in this place to begin with. I'm beginning to think while the retirement generation is sucking our social security dry, my generation seems to think everything should come to them on a silver platter with wings. I'm ready for this country to get back to rooted values where earning a dollar meant hard work.

If only I took my own advice, I might not have as much debt too.

When she shops

Went shopping today for clothes, something I rarely ever do. Actually, make that spending money is something I rarely ever do unless absolutely necessary. I've even become known as tight wad at work, I think, because of my frugal ways. (Hey, I buy Starbucks from time to time; that's not frugal!) But I needed some presentable clothes for work because I'll be in Vegas next week hobnobbing with all the biggest AV companies in the world at InfoComm. Can't really wear jeans and a T-shirt. So a hundred or so bucks later, I've got a few new shirts to wear there. I also picked up a cute dress for a wedding I'll be attending next week. But, ugh, spending money on clothes made me feel sick to my stomach. In my head I was thinking: That's money that could go in savings or help pay down debt. Not sure where my penny-pincher ways came from, but we have almost finished paying off our credit card debt. We'll still have school and car loans, but those things are hard to get by without, so I'm comfortable with having those. Our next big purchases: house, new car (Jonathan's car is two wheels in the graveyard), and you know, a baby...eventually; what's the going price for those suckers now days? I wonder if I can get one on sale. I'm all about coupons and discounts.