For whatever assortment of reasons, finances have been uncomfortably tight for me for about a month now.  I had a tiny little pocket of change that had slowly accrued in my saving's account (Way 2 Save program - automatically steals a dollar from my checking account for every purchase I make).  And when Archie's vet bill needed to be paid, I ate it.  I think it has about twenty bucks.

I don't (didn't?) think that I was being overly frivolous with my money.  Sure, maybe the Kid didn't need eight supplements in his SmartPak.  Maybe the girls didn't need new bandannas.  Maybe I didn't need new clothes (out of all of it, I probably needed the clothes the most).  But between credit card payments, student loan payments, gas, board, vet bills, farrier bills, chiro bills, I really.. have nothing left over.

Through my job, I just finished a course on personal finances and investment.  The sad thing, though, is that you literally have to have money in order to make money, investment-wise.  I've got a few small things brewing, but nothing that would sustain me.  In order to get enough to live off of, you'd have to invest way more than enough to live off of.  It just made me grumbly.

I sold my EasyCare Boots on eBay, but I didn't set a reserve.  And I ate $35.  Roar.

I highly recommend a website called Mint.  It takes a minute to set up, but it ties into all of your accounts: credit cards, student loans, investments, checking and saving; then it spits out break downs and tracking and all sorts of fun stuff to make you feel ashamed.  I particularly enjoy the pie chart:

What's that, Beka?  Horses are expensive?  No!

So, yeah.  Considerably less "shopping" and the horse is going to have to take some cut backs, as well.  (After I just placed my SmartPak order for $130 of useless shit and not the paddock boots I so desperately need.)  What's the ultimate goal, right?  Inch off the credit cards, maintain the student loan (because that's an "okay" debt), finish paying off the hospital bill.  Once the hospital bill is paid off, take that money and start slashing at my smallest credit card. (There are two primary schools of thought for multiple-card credit card debt:  either pay off the one with the smallest debt first or the one with the highest interest rate.  This is my sole win-win:  same fucking card.)