April 1, 2006

Dolla Bill Y'all

I've been overly stressed about getting all of E's and my finances in line. I knew that if I didn't do it before I hunkered down for finals it wouldn't be done 'til at least August (and who wants to cuddle up with spreadsheets after a big exam?).

Yesterday, I finally finished the majority of it: Asset-Liability sheets of our separate property, budgeting of joint expenses, balancing bank accounts that haven't been touched in almost a year (tax time always brings this out in me), making certain that every bit of the wedding was paid for as we agreed up front, and finally it hit me.

No wonder I'm stressed. Assuming I start work in October, I will not have earned any money for 14 months. School loans will get me through the end of school (seeing as how that's what they are supposed to do, I suppose I can't complain). But with the wedding I didn't really have the ability to plan for financial outlays after graduation. What to do?

Turns out, I'm in the middle of the longest period I've gone without actively bringing in money to support myself since I was 15 years old. Bonus -- some part of my personality is VERY uncomfortable with relying on others for my financial support. I suppose I could avoid this feeling of relying on others by taking more loans, but it turns out, I'm married now. And if I wanna incur the debt, I need to clear it with E. It's a no-brainer that it's better to live off the spouse than take private loans if that option is available. But, in admitting that, boy do I feel like the incredible black hole of money sucktitude.

Law School. You'll build more character than you ever wanted.

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