Well, if it is going to happen....let it happen all at once.

I am sooooo glad that New Year's is coming, because it is like a big reset button!!!!

Things have piled up left and right, and now I am trying to re-sort, re-analyze, re-----lax?????

1)  Christmas Blow Out - I don't even know what the numbers are yet.  Other than over budget.  Funny thing about it though, it isn't because of the kids.  We have spent less than $60 per child.  Budget blow outs have been because a) G-man has gone hog wild; b) I failed to budget for some "forgotten" gifts ; c) I set too low of a budget for some items, and by default, I had to increase the amount, plus I underestimated the shipping costs, and d) the Craigslist money we were "saving" for Christmas....some of it got used over the course of the year for a few things.

2)  Those irregular bills - Water bill was due 2 weeks ago, but it is still outstanding.  Between that being over $100 higher than I expected, Christmas, blah blah blah....I still have it.  Additionally....personal propery taxes are due "Jan 1" with a 30 day grace period.

3)  Love/Hate the 3 paycheck month - It got sucked up in "life."  My plans on paper...ain't worth the paper they were written on.  Additionally....my boss has decided to muck with payroll schedule.  So while I was expecting 3 paychecks this month, it is actually 2.5.

4)  My car!!! - Bad water pump and something with a hose to the heat core....$564.  We had $120 in the "car maintenance" acct, and the rest will come from emergency fund, which will drop to just over $1000 now (it was at $1500).

5)  Christmas Bonus! - I got $200 Christmas bonus.  Up until today, I was toying with treating myself to a new tattoo....a memorial tattoo for my daughters.  I picked it out 3 years ago, and haven't done it.  Well, now that seems largely irresponsible.  Between having to dig out from Christmas overspending, bills, the car....I would never be able to enjoy the tattoo.

6) Medical stuff - I need new contacts and glasses.  That was SUPPOSED to come from the 3-paycheck months.  Um, no.  So that has to wait until after Jan 1 when our FSA resets and I can use that. 

7)  Need to revamp the plan - before my car broke this week, I was toying with taking money from the E-fund to "fix" some of the above issues.  Now that I have to use almost 25% of it for the car, it makes me nervous to take more out.  Need to look at the numbers again.

8)  Snowball thoughts - I really thought I could pull off paying off my Student Loan by Dec 31.  Not sure now.  We had also planned on paying down CC2 (with the highest interest rate), as the next snowball victim.  The new plan is to undo Christmas damage, and then focus on G-man's car.  If my car is going to start to die, I don't want to end up with 2 car payments.

Oh, and dear bloggy friends....this isn't even all of the stuff going on!  More on that stuff another time.  At least you know where I have been.....dealing with LIFE!