Stasis

So, the money thing is just kind of puttering along. I'm on track to meet my Freedom Fund savings goal for the end of August ($2,000) by the beginning of June, which is nice. I may or may not have an extra $25 or $50 to save at the end of this pay period, but it'll be fine either way. One thing I am noticing is that with summer's advent comes increasing difficulty with keeping myself within the bounds of my budget. There are a couple of things I need--like a pair of sandals--but mostly there are suddenly just more things I want than ever: cold drinks and summer-blockbuster movie tickets (I recommend Black Book, which is not being marketed as a summer blockbuster because it is subtitled, but is basically a big, thrilling war melodrama) and lots and lots of fresh berries and iced coffees and restaurant dinners at the tables set up on the sidewalks and all sorts of things. The problem with a lot of these things is that they are that most insidious of money drains, the Little Things That Add Up, so I am going to have to remain vigilant.

The real-life thing is in a bit of flux. If I'm applying to grad school this time around for real, I probably want to stick it out in my current job until then, just so as not to add the stress of a job change. Problem is, though, that while I work here I rely on my current income (plus the freelance gig) to get me through the grad school application process, which is an expensive one. I may have to ask my parents to help out with that a bit, much as I hate that prospect.

In a way, this is a nice place to be. I feel like I don't have to work too hard at money right now--I still have to put in the effort at not spending too much of it and saving enough of it, but mostly, it's sort of on autopilot: 401(k) contributions and savings autodrafts and accounting systems are all humming along nicely, which leaves me free energy to deal with the more important questions in my actual, as opposed to financial, life.