Fear in the grocery store

Made a quick run to the grocery store.  I went in to get milk.  Figured I might as well get some potatoes and carrots to go with the pork roast we have in the freezer, which will be dinner tomorrow. Instead, I wandered around, scared to buy anything.

We found out that unless the government shutdown was over by 4pm on Thursday, G-man's paycheck next week will be paid through Sept 30 (so I guess someone is processing something).  The pay for Oct 1 through Oct 5 (the rest of the payperiod) will be paid at some later date.  All the dates since then are on the NEXT payroll, scheduled to be paid on Oct 28.  If the shut down is still going on Oct 24 (the next transmittal of data)...then that paycheck won't happen.

In the meantime, we got an email with the order in which deductions would come out of the paycheck.  I estimated his pay...which of all payrolls had to have vacation pay.....took out the percentages for some things, the whole numbers for set deductions.  I was left with an amount that was 47% of what we usually get.

Typically, we have 3 direct deposits:  Car account, "savings" (which is our mortgage and a small amount for real savings, not the EF) and the rest goes into our checking.

Nothing will go into checking.  Depending on the order of the direct deposit, either the car will be fully funded for the cycle, and the remainder will go in Savings, or savings will be funded at about 74%, and nothing to the car.

We have some money in savings, our EF, our Christmas account.  We can float money around until we get all the back pay.  But at some point....probably early November...we will start to run out.

For now, I am paying a little something to everyone, just to hoard the cash.  Stuff will be messed up for a few months.

So back to the grocery store.  My total came to $8.88.  And in my head, I just worried if I spent too much.  I got a big bag of potatoes, which will augment meals next week.  Carrots hold for a bit.  And milk...well, we needed milk.  Sassy has cereal in the morning....and we needed milk.

I am not worried at this point about losing the house or the car or anything like that.  I am more worried about being behind, playing catch up.  I am worried that Bossy is going camping next weekend, and we won't have money to buy the few things he needs.  Or that Sassy has a dance next week that costs $5 and a snack donation. 

And we haven't even gotten to the car stuff....

Tonight is an oatmeal jammie night....my oldest pair of jammies, circa 1992....stretched out, holes from wash wear....but my favorite pair ever.  I only wear them when I am really really needing the comfort.  Definitely oatmeal jammies.....