I like to budget?

It's been a little while since I really (needed to) sat down and did a budget for our family. The truth is, I like doing it. It's exactly like how I used to sit down with the various degree programs I was interested in and plan things out. I would look at; what classes I would take, when they were available, which were pre-requisites for other courses, etc. Who needs an advisor right? I would plan everything out, and examine the results ( I was reading a horoscope thing recently that said Leos like to be extremely organized. Can you tell??).

I am perfectly happy sitting down and crunching the numbers myself on a piece of paper, especially since we don't really have investments or anything very difficult for me to deal with at this point. This time though, I knew I wanted to do some things like a debt reduction plan (this move was pricey y'all), and I didn't want to do THAT on a piece of paper. Jenna showed me the budget sheets she uses with excel. So I came home and was was all prepared to find some good excel templates when I remembered this little thing called Microsoft Money.

Now I haven't used Microsoft Money since 2005, when I got all good at it while Bill was in Iraq. But I dusted it off (figure of speech, it's already on my computer) and started a new file for the coming year. Starting today. It was great because I plugged in all my numbers and it keeps track of when all the bills are due, when your paychecks are. It has a cash flow graph, a place for savings goals, AND a debt management plan - all of which I took advantage of. Supposedly, even with all those crazy bill's we have we might actually have some MONEY at the end of 2009 - or so my cash flow tells me.

Good, because we have several other goals. Like paying off those pesky student loans. Or a PlayStation 3 (which I consent to based on it's DVD/Blu-Ray capabilities). Or you know my computer was purchased in 2003, don't you?