So, I've been busy with work, which has kept me from my blogging. I am entering the time of the year when income taxes are looming. Yes, tax day is 6 months off. It's a long time to worry because it is a lot to worry about. Oh, I miss the days when my taxes and Social Security and whatnot were withheld by my employer.
This year, as always, we begin the financial death march toward Christmas at the same time as we are supposed to be socking away probably half of each of my checks for taxes. But the problem is that my checks, once they arrive, go for bills and groceries and gas. They don't stretch enough for either Christmas or taxes.
As a freelancer, I've been really lucky to have steady clients who are financially stable and able to pay on time. I've only had one a-hole client who didn't pay me.
As a freelancer, if I take on a client that isn't a Fortune 500 company, I'm particularly vulnerable to the trickle down disaster of cash flow problems. You don't learn a client is having cash flow problems until they're several months and several thousand dollars behind. And here we are.
I feel defeated. I'm so tired. I don't want to work this much -- and it really isn't that much in terms of hours in the office, but it's every spare minute. If I do have to work this much, I want to not have to worry about how we're going to buy groceries next week.
We cancelled Haney's birthday party. It was supposed to be her first birthday party for friends. She seemed like she didn't mind but I'm not sure she understood what we were saying. It's a small thing but I feel bad about it.
Whatever Christmas budget we are able to scrape together by the end of the year will be divided among the kids, and our parents are looking at a lot of homemade gifts. I'm not sure how much our parents love homemade gifts, given that we aren't especially fantastic at anything that can be given as a gift. I think probably a little goes a long way when we're talking soup-in-a-jar and hot cocoa mix.
My next money-making scheme is to sell the kids' clothes. I went through and gathered up everything they own that's marked with any recognizable brand name, and I'm going to see what I can score at the resale shop. I also have my eye on some of their toys. This is my plan for funding our grocery purchases for the next couple weeks if no payments arrive, or for funding Christmas if I do get paid. Then in January I'll sell their Christmas presents to get money to pay my taxes.
Mommy Break
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When it comes to children and pets, I can be extremely patient, and I
confess to being rather proud of this trait. A lot of people tire of my
daughter M’s ...
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that sucks. it really does. i'm sorry about the birthday party, i know things will work out and that the 'tightness' must have a purpose. i'm glad you've got a good crew.
ReplyDeleteIt is also okay to say to people (and family!) that you just can't afford something. It's okay to send your kids to a birthday party without a gift but instead a homemade card/birthday art for the birthday kid. It's okay not to throw parties or invite people over for dinner because your dollar doesn't stretch that far. It's okay to call the Fortune 500 company and say - "hey, you can't stretch my account payable - I need the money and my invoice says "due upon receipt". It's okay to tell your kids - "we need to come together as a family and cut back on activities and things that are costing us too much money". It's okay to be jealous and shake your fist in the air and yell "why us".
ReplyDeleteThe Fortune 500 company isn't usually the problem, it's a smaller one.
ReplyDeleteDo you guys ever read articles about how to save money, and find yourself laughing because all the ideas are things you've been doing for years and it's still not helping? Like, "Pack a lunch instead of eating out!" and "Shop at secondhand stores!" and "Try off-brand products!" and "Skip your morning latte!" Seriously? I think I've had about 5 morning lattes in my entire life, all before I had children.
Ha! I've been starting on a savings kick thanks to a HUGE paycut (the kind where I worry about paying the nanny but I make JUST ENOUGH to make it better to have her there since we won't need her forever). I do all that - packing lunches, discount shopping. The same applies for dieting - "no snacking, no soda" - I've never done any of those things. If only it were that easy.
ReplyDeleteMy comment died. Here's a close copy.
ReplyDeleteMake tutus and tulle/craft things for the girls for gifts, they love it and it's easy. Scope out ebay as a selling tool when the resale shop disappoints you with their price offer. Clean out your grown-up closets and sell all the extra stuff that you didn't ever like anyway or that won't ever fit right. Use craigslist and ebay for most gift occassions.
For the bday party, you can spend about $5-10, make some cupcakes and blow up a couple of balloons, invite over a handful of close friend kids at the last minute on a weekend, and you have a great kid bday party. Sing, eat cupcakes, go home, and repeat the next time.
How about selling the children? Wouldn't that solve everything?
ReplyDeleteI see/hear stuff about saving money, and it just pisses me off. We finally are OKAY on money, but we have no savings and three jobs between the two of us. The "ideas" people have for saving are just ridiculous and make me so mad. I always listen because I think there might be a secret, and then it's don't eat out, skip the latte, blah blah blah. Yeah.
So thanks for this because sometimes I feel like the only one DREADING Christmas and the gut wrenching agony of appropriate gifts for all. Our emergency fund is already empty and we haven't even made it through October. I think I'm making a new law for our family and friends; all gifts shall be from the dollar store. No exceptions.
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