It may be simple, but it is different

When I was single, I would pay all my bills and then whatever was left over I would use for things like food.  I haven't been single for a long time, but I have basically been in charge of our finances, for better or worse, for the past 9 years.  J and I had what I would call is a spontaneous Board Meeting last night where we talked about some of the things we will learn in our class.  For example, "What constitutes an emergency?"  or "I wonder if we will learn more about priorities in terms of bill paying." 

Today while googling something else, I came across this:

Prioritizing Expenses*


Listening to Dave’s radio show, it shocks me to hear how many people pay their credit cards and luxury expenses before they pay their home mortgage! Talk about some screwed up priorities!

Dave tells people to place these five items at the top of their budget:

Food
Clothing
Utilities
Transportation
Housing

Until those five categories are paid, no other expenses get paid.

Um, der.  But since I have never been trained on how to deal with our money, I have done what I have always done.  Needless to say everything changes when you have children.  Their wellbeing takes precedence over everything else.  And for the most part we subscribe to that philosophy, but sometimes we pay everything and have no money for groceries or gas.  We have been on the edge for so long that it seems normal.
 
It is time to C H A N G E.
 
I found this here.