Budgets and the Art of Storytelling

Greetings!  It's Friday, and I am soooooo glad that this work week is over.  To say I have survived it is an understatment. 

This week I sat down and did a budget.  I am a budgetphobe by nature, so this was no easy task.  In the past I shied away from putting the pen to the paper and giving an honest account of my spending because it always revealed on thing: I had too many bills and not enough money.  I was also a master of lying to myself about certain catagories.  Entertainment? I spend NOTHING!!!  Lies.  Eating out?  I only eat out once a month! Again, lies.  Currently, my financial situation has improved so I took another stab at making a budget, and I was pleased.  I was honest with myself, I included my happy hours, brunches, and open mic cost and I came out with a nice surplus!!!!!!!  At first I was thinking of all I could do with the extra until I remembered that I have been abased and I have been abound.....so I know how to live with very little.  As long as my bills are paid and my account is not overdrawn I am happy.  So, I am taking that extra and putting in my savings and watching it grow, grow, grow! 

In literary news, I have entered a storytelling contest at Busboys and Poets.  The prize is $100, but I don't care about that.  I just like talking and telling stories.  The topic is "Life's Tuition: Most Expensive Lesson."  I can spin a wheel and come up with some expensive lessons I have learned.  That is the story of my life, lol.  I will keep you all posted on what I come up with and how the contest goes.

Tonight I am looking forward to hanging with a new friend I met at a Meetup.  We are going to hang out in Silver Spring and it is going to be a blast.  I am happy I took the first step and attended the Red Hook (Spike Lee....check it out) meetup.  I got a chance to meet a lot of fun people that had the same goals and aspirations as myself.  It made me a believer out of "growing your circle." 

Have an amazing weekend!!!!!